Orange County NC Website
23 <br /> Secondary Conservation Areas may be comprised of any of the remaining open space uses <br /> identified above, and, unless specified otherwise, receive full credit toward meeting the <br /> minimum open space requirement in Flexible Developments. <br /> C.3 Ownership of Open.Space <br /> Open space within a Flexible Development may be owned and/or administered by any of the <br /> following methods, either individually or in combination. All open space shall be permanently <br /> restricted from further subdivision. <br /> • Open space areas and/or easements may be dedicated to a governmental unit or owned by <br /> a homeowners association. <br /> • Fee simple dedication to Orange County, another unit of local government, the State of <br /> North Carolina or a private non-profit land conservancy. <br /> • Dedication of conservation easements to Orange County, another unit of local <br /> government, the State of North Carolina or a private non-profit land conservancy. Such <br /> easements may apply to a single property owned by a homeowners association and/or to <br /> all or portions of individual lots owned by one or more property owners. <br /> • Ownership by a homeowners association where specific development restrictions and <br /> maintenance requirements are included as part of its bylaws and restrictive covenants. <br /> • Ownership by individual property owners, especially estate lot owners, where specific <br /> development restrictions and maintenance requirements are included as part of restrictive <br /> covenants and/or permanent conservation easements applicable to such lots. <br /> Where conservation easements have been dedicated prior to application for approval of a <br /> Flexible Development proposal, the land subject to the easement may be counted toward <br /> satisfying the thirty-three percent(33%)open space requirement provided it is a portion of <br /> and in the same ownership as the land to be subdivided. <br /> CA Maintenance of Open Space <br /> Natural features shall be maintained in their natural condition, but may be modified to improve <br /> their appearance, functioning, or overall condition, as recommended by experts in the particular <br /> area being modified. Permitted modifications may include: <br /> • Reforestation; <br /> • Woodland management; <br /> • Pasture or cropland management; <br /> • Buffer area landscaping; <br /> • Stream bank protection; and/or <br /> • Wetlands management. <br />