Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
. <br />(10) Pedestrian Circulation 26 <br />(a) Unless deemed unnecessary by the Planning Director during site plan <br />review, large projects, defined in (b), shall provide an internal pedestrian <br />circulation system, owned and maintained by the property owner. The <br />system shall provide pedestrian walkways to outparcels and also within <br />any large parking areas. <br />(b) For the purposes of this subsection, a large project is defined as one <br />located on 5 or more acres or proposing more than 50,000 square feet of <br />building area. A large parking area is one containing parking for 100 or <br />more vehicles. <br />(B) Landscaping and Buffering27 <br />In lieu of the requirements outlined in Section 6.8 of this Ordinance, the following <br />standards shall apply: <br />(1) There shall be a minimum ten feet wide vegetative buffer along all rights -of -ways <br />comprised of vegetation that complements surrounding plantings and which <br />includes trees planted in accordance with Section 6.8 where possible. <br />(2) There shall be a minimum 15 feet wide vegetative buffer along all common <br />property lines separating non - residential and residential land uses. The required <br />plantings shall be in accordance with those required for Buffer Yards Type A <br />outlined within Section 6.8 of this Ordinance. <br />(3) There shall be a minimum eight feet wide landscaped strip along all property <br />lines separating non - residential uses from non - residential uses. The landscaped <br />strip shall be comprised of vegetation that forms a semi - opaque intermittent <br />visual obstruction from the ground to a height of at least 15 feet. Joint use <br />agreements between adjacent property owners for shared ingress /egress and /or <br />parking may result in a waiver regarding the exact location(s) of the required <br />buffers. <br />(4) The provisions of this subsection do not waive the buffer requirements found in <br />Section 6.6.5 (Major Transportation Corridor). <br />(C) Architectural Design Standards <br />(1) In addition to the requirements in Section 6.5 (Architectural Design Standards), <br />the national prototype architectural styles of chain businesses shall be altered as <br />necessary to complement the surrounding area.28 <br />(2) Drive - through facilities on non - residential uses are allowable in this area. <br />6.6.4 Efland Villaqe <br />(A) Circulation and Connectivity29 <br />(1) Shared Access for Properties Fronting on U.S. Highway 70 <br />26 In October 2011, the issue of sidewalks was discussed at a BOCC work session and the decision was made that, <br />due to NC counties' challenges in funding maintenance of public sidewalks, public sidewalks would not become a <br />requirement for development in Orange County at this time. However, walkability in large commercial projects is <br />generally desirable as is the ability of pedestrians to safely traverse large parking areas. Therefore, staff is <br />suggesting that some projects may be required to provide privately maintained walkways. <br />27 These lesser buffer requirements are in keeping with those required in the ECOD and are suggested in order to <br />provide for a more urban style of development in areas of the county served or to be served by public water and <br />sewer systems. <br />28 This language is suggested in order to ensure that any proposed "chain architecture" will blend better with the <br />surrounding area. <br />29 Please see footnoted explanations for the Efland Interstate overlay district as they apply to this section as well. <br />97 <br />