Agenda - 12-01-1997 - 4a - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment 5 14 AN OVERVIEW OF THE RURAL BUFFER On October 13, 1986, the Orange County Board of Commissioners and Chapel Hill Town Council adopted the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan; the Town of Carrboro adopted the plan the following year. The plan identified Transition areas where urban development was to occur as well as a Rural Buffer where very low density residential development was permitted. The Rural Buffer is located adjacent to the planning jurisdictions of the towns.It contains approximately 38,000 acres and is bounded by the New Hope Creek drainage basin to the north, the University Lake watershed to the west, and the area known as the "Southern Triangle" to the south. The Rural Buffer is defined as being a low-density area consisting of single- family homes situated on large lots having a minimum size of two (2) acres. The Rural Buffer is further defined as land which, although adjacent to an Urban or Transition Area, is rural in character and will remain rural, contain low-density residential uses, and not require urban services (public utilities and other town services). The Rural Buffer consists of the following Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan categories: Rural Residential; Agricultural; Public-Private Open Space; Resource Conservation; New Hope Creek Corridor Open Space; Extractive Use; and the overlay category designated University Lake Watershed Area. To conform the Zoning Ordinance/Atlas with the adopted Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan, a public hearing was held on November 24, 1986. Amendments proposed included a new zoning district classification, Rural Buffer (RB), the rezoning of approximately 38,000 acres to the new district designation, and a schedule of dimensional requirements applicable within the district. The most significant change proposed was an increase in the minimum residential lot size requirement from 40,000 square feet (0.92 acre) to two (2) acres. On January 5, 1987, the Board of County Commissioners approved the proposed Zoning Ordinance/Atlas amendments. The University Lake Watershed Study prepared in 1989, resulted in a new overlay zoning district (for the University Lake Watershed portion of the Rural Buffer) which,permits the first five lots of a development (on a lot of record) to be two acres , but requires all lots in excess of five to be a minimum of five acres in size. As a component of the Joint Planning Area, the Rural Buffer is governed by the terms of the Joint Planning Agreement. Orange County is responsible for administration of land use ordinances in the Rural Buffer, although the towns are granted courtesy review of proposed developments in the Joint Courtesy Review Area and their respective joint development review areas as depicted in the attached map from the agreement.