Orange County NC Website
213 <br />Comprehensive Plan and UDO amendments. <br />It is noteworthy that the existing Rural Buffer (RB) zoning district includes the <br />following Purpose statement: <br />The purpose of the Rural Buffer (RB) District is to provide locations <br />for rural residential developments and agricultural, silvicultural or <br />horticultural uses which serve to buffer or separate more intensively <br />planned and /or developed portions of Orange County. Development <br />within the Rural Buffer (RB) District is at very low densities (the <br />minimum lot size per dwelling unit is two acres) and relies on <br />individual wells and ground absorption systems for domestic water <br />supply and sewage disposal, respectively. <br />The RB purpose statement shows that agricultural uses were envisioned to be <br />allowed /included in the Rural Buffer. The policy decision to be made is whether <br />appropriate uses that support agriculture, thereby enhancing the continued viability of <br />agriculture, should also be allowed in the Rural Buffer. <br />The proposed text amendment would add the following agriculturally - related <br />uses /activities as "permitted by right" in the RB general use zoning district, subject to <br />the use - specific standards proposed in Article 5 and the general development <br />standards in Article 6: <br />• Agricultural Processing Facility, <br />Community <br />• Community Farmers' Market <br />• Cooperative Farm Stand <br />• Community Meat Processing Facility <br />• Non -Farm Use of Farm Equipment <br />• Microbrewery with Minor Events <br />(requires Class B SUP) <br />• Winery with Minor Events <br />(requires Class B SUP) <br />• Microbrewery, production only <br />(requires Class B SUP) <br />• Winery, production only <br />(requires Class B SUP) <br />• Rural Heritage Museum <br />(requires Class B SUP) <br />• Rural Special Events <br />The proposed text amendment also would allow application of a new conditional <br />zoning district, ASE -CZ in the Rural Buffer. Conditional zoning districts allow <br />applicants to apply for a rezoning that can be considered on a case -by -case basis, <br />taking into account the suitability of a particular parcel of land for a proposed use(s). <br />Mutually agreed upon development or operational conditions can also be applied to <br />the rezoning action. Conditional districts are a regulatory tool that help local <br />governments allow appropriate uses on a site - specific basis while also allowing the <br />imposition of conditions that may help ease nearby residents' concerns about a <br />particular use. <br />Because of the uniqueness of the Rural Buffer, some of the uses applicants may <br />apply for as an ASE -CZ rezoning request will not be available for properties located <br />in the Rural Buffer land use classification. The following uses have been deemed too <br />intensive to be considered for the Rural Buffer: <br />