Minutes 11-05-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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12 Use Plan The Board received the Planning Board's recommendation, considered closing the public hearing, and considered making a decision on a resolution ratifying the draft Town of Hillsborough/Orange County Central Orange Coordinated Area (COCA) Land Use Plan, and authorized the Chair to sign. Tom Altieri said this is a re-convening of the public hearing from September 9th. He said the Board did request further information on immediate and future steps to make the maps and land use visions of the County and Town coincide. He noted material included on page 3 of the abstract describing these steps. He said the planning board unanimously voted to recommend approval of this item. Tom Altieri said the planning director has recommended a minor change that deletes a reference to minimum lot size within the "rural living" future land use category. He said this change is referenced in italics on page 2 of the abstract, and is cited in the resolution for approval tonight. He said this change was discussed with the Town's planning director, and she supported it. Chair Jacobs asked for an explanation of this change. Tom Altieri said the rural living land classification references minimum lot size and is the only land use classification with a minimum lot size. He said every other land use category refers to residential density as the controlling factor. He said the primary difference is that the use of a minimum lot size requirement can be overly restrictive and it does not accommodate the clustering of lots. He said that the use of density accommodates open space better and preserves the natural characteristics of a tract during the subdivision process. Commissioner Gordon asked how this applies. She asked for an explanation of the boundaries that would require the listed density. She asked if this means that if some properties have more than the required density per acre that some other part of the property has less density. Craig Benedict gave the example of a ten acre lot—the 2 acre per unit density requirement would allow for a maximum of five 2 acre lots. He said the density provision would allow for five 1 acre lots with 5 acres of open space. He said this still limits the gross amount of land to a number divided by 2 acres to get the maximum amount of lots. Commissioner Gordon said this is a land use classification, not a zoning classification. She asked for the definition of"site." Craig Benedict said this means whatever property one wants to develop. He said the density calculation is used to find the maximum amount of lots that can be built on a site, and it allows clustering. Commissioner Gordon said "rural living" must be a Hillsborough term, because Orange County does not have this term. Tom Altieri said "rural living" is a land use classification of the joint land use plan for the area covered by the Central Orange Coordinated area, which includes both Orange County and Hillsborough. Commissioner Gordon said future land use classifications are developed in concert with Hillsborough, which makes them specific to this plan. She asked if this is then confined to the Central Orange plan. Tom Altieri said this is modeled from the joint plan used with Carrboro and Chapel Hill. He said this plan is the guiding document for future land uses in this Hillsborough and Orange County plan area, and as the process moves forward there will need to be comprehensive plan amendments that add designations to the Orange and Hillsborough urbanizing areas. He said this joint land use plan will be a reference point, along with the unified development ordinance.