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ORANGE COUNTY <br />ASSEMBLY OF GOVERNMENTS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: November 21, 2013 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5 <br />1 <br />SUBJECT: Accommodating Appropriate Agricultural Support Enterprises in the Rural Buffer <br />- Proposed Changes to the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />A) List of New Uses Proposed to be <br />Applicable to the Rural Buffer <br />B) General Use and Conditional Zoning <br />Districts (Educational Information) <br />C) Most Pertinent Pages of Draft ASE <br />Amendment Package — Standards & <br />Definitions <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Perdita Holtz, Planner III, (919)245 -2578 <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, (919) <br />245 -2592 <br />PURPOSE: To discuss proposed changes to the County's Unified Development Ordinance <br />(UDO) that will accommodate appropriate "Agricultural Support Enterprises" in the Rural Buffer. <br />BACKGROUND: The Agricultural Support Enterprises (ASE) project has been in development <br />since 2001 and has been known by other names ( "Rural Enterprises" and "Agricultural <br />Services ") in the past. The topic was appeared on the March 29, 2004 Joint Planning Area <br />(JPA) agenda as an Information Item. The topic has also been discussed during recent Board <br />of County Commissioners (BOCC) work sessions and the materials for the most recent <br />meeting, which includes links to all past meetings, can be viewed at: <br />http://orangecountVnc.gov/occlerks/1 30909. pdf. <br />The purpose of the ASE project is to augment allowable uses farmers throughout Orange <br />County's planning jurisdiction can pursue in order to generate additional farm - related income <br />and to potentially allow farming support /related uses in rural areas while minimizing any adverse <br />impacts on adjoining property by applying special standards for specific uses and the <br />development requirements in the County's UDO for all projects. By better enabling farmers to <br />stay in the business of farming, the rural, farming heritage of Orange County will continue to be <br />preserved. <br />Orange County — Chapel Hill — Carrboro Joint Planning Area Agreement <br />The JPA Agreement (available at: http: / /orangecountync.gov /planning /Documents.asp) and <br />accompanying land use plan established the Rural Buffer around Chapel Hill and Carrboro. At <br />