Minutes 03-27-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• MARCH 27, 2014 AGENDA ITEM: C-1 JOINT PLANNING PUBLIC HEARING ORANGE COUNTY, TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, TOWN OF CARRBORO JOINT PLANNING IN ORANGE COUNTY: • Began in 1984 with a call for the development of a land use plan. • Participants adopted a Joint Planning Land Use Plan October 13, 1986 outlining acceptable levels of development in identified areas outside of existing extraterritorial jurisdictional (ETJ) areas. • Management of area(s) formalized on September 22, 1987 with adoption of Joint Planning Agreement by all involved parties. • Agreement established: `a method of coordinated and comprehensive planning'in identified areas. JOINT PLANNING IN ORANGE COUNTY: • Plan envisions 2 primary development areas: — Transition Areas: Administered by the Towns under their individual land use and zoning regulations in accordance with the Plan. Areas characterized as transitioning from rural to urban development. • County has review authority for projects, text, and map changes in identified Transition Areas. — Rural Buffer: Areas outside Transition Areas under County regulatory control intended to remain rural in character where annexation is prohibited and urban services (i.e. public water and sanitary sewer) are not a necessary component to support development. • Town(s) has review authority for projects, text, and map changes in Rural Buffer area. • Joint Planning Land Use Plan — Land Use Category Map ISSUES/CONCERNS: • Agricultural Areas land use category is not depicted on maps contained within the Plan. No properties appear to be designated within this category. — NOTE: Current language could be misconstrued as establishing limits with respect to allowable locations for agricultural operations, which is inconsistent with State Law. This needs to be corrected. • Rural Residential land use category does not specify a density limit (minimum lot size only). — NOTE: County staff has interpreted there to be a `defacto' density limit in the areas of the Plan not located within the University Lake Watershed Area of 1 dwelling unit for every 2 acres. • Clustering of lots is not viable within Rural Residential land use category as the Plan is currently written. — NOTE(s): There is a minimum required lot size for properties within this land use category of 2 acres. — Under County regulations, Cluster Subdivisions allows for the reduction of required lot sizes, not below 1 acre in area, so long as 33% of a parcel is preserved in open space and established density limits are observed. — Technique is utilized throughout the county, including the University Lake Watershed Area.