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4 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> SENIOR CENTERS DEVELOPMENT PLAN: 1996-2000 <br /> August, 1996 <br /> I. INTRODUCTION <br /> Purpose and Structure <br /> The establishment of a county wide Senior Centers Development Plan <br /> Committee and planning process was approved by the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners in May, 1994. (Appendix A) It's purpose was to prepare a <br /> long-range county plan for developing senior centers to serve all older <br /> adults into the 21st century. In the fall of 1994 the thirteen members of the <br /> Senior Centers Development Plan Committee were recruited and selected from <br /> the Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, the Orange County <br /> Advisory Board on Aging and the seven townships. (Appendix B) <br /> Planning Process <br /> The Committee began its planning in February, 1995 with the review of current <br /> senior center operations, demographic data and past reports. Actual visits to <br /> senior centers and community centers took place during the summer before the <br /> Committee developed recommendations in the Interim Report to the Board of <br /> County Commissioners on January 16, 1996. Because of the importance of the <br /> Plan, the Committee deliberately revised the timetable for completing the <br /> planning process to May-June, 1996. (Appendix A) Additional planning tasks <br /> scheduled were interim report presentations to Town boards (Hillsborough: <br /> Feb. 12; Carrboro: Feb. 20; and Chapel Hill: March 25) and public hearings in <br /> March. The nine public hearings with 214 attendees and 135 completed <br /> Input/Comment Sheets (Appendix C - Public Hearings) highly supported <br /> the overall senior centers draft plan and its recommendations. Comments <br /> and suggestions from the public hearings are incorporated in this final report. <br /> II. STATEMENT OF ISSUES <br /> Population Growth and Distribution. According to the 1990 Census there <br /> were some 10,959 Orange County residents over sixty years of age from a total <br /> population of 93,851. The projected older(60+) population growth is as follows: <br /> Year 1995 - 12, 461, Year 2000 - 14,012, Year 2005 - 16,529, Year 2010 -20,510 <br /> Page 1 of 16 <br /> The county's oldest population (85+) is the fastest growing segment, <br /> projected to increase by 87% by the year 2005. (Appendix D) <br />