Minutes 10-16-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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then you might be allowed to extend water and sewer to the area. She said if this cannot be prohibited, it could completely undo the rural buffer. Commissioner Gordon said the goal is to figure out a way to keep farmers farming, bona-fide farms viable, and the important support enterprises allowed without undermining the general purpose of the rural buffer. She would argue that Carrboro has made a proposal that deserves serious consideration. She would hope to get the three staffs and the attorneys to make recommendations to resolve this, and she hopes that Chapel Hill will consider it in November. Commissioner McKee said there are four interest groups in this, and the fourth group is the landowners. He said their views have not been consulted yet. He said the views and values of one group are being imposed onto another group. He said he understands the rational basis of the sunset proposal, but he could not support it. He said if any of these enterprises are going to be viable, they require a substantial amount of financial investment, and they require an expectation to be able to grow. He reviewed the example of Maple View, and questioned whether the same investments would have been made there without any guarantee of the ability to operate or expand past a five year period. Commissioner McKee said there was mention of concentrating in dense areas, but this does not acknowledge the reality that these farms are not located around nodes. He said this would be choosing winners and losers, and he cannot do that. He would like for someone to explain to him in a clear and concise manner what they are afraid of. Alderman Slade said the aldermen did grapple with how a sunset clause would affect businesses, and this is reflected in the proposal. He said if a business is implemented in the five year time frame, you would not be affected by the sunset clause. Commissioner McKee said it would limit the opportunity for the businesses to grow. Alderman Slade said the town did not propose this in a spirit of being unilateral, but this was proposed in response to the County's initiative of updating their land use ordinance. He said this is seen as part of the process of coming to an understanding of how to best do this in a sensitive way. Alderman Slade said he likes Chair Jacobs idea of doing this as a more slow process, and this may diminish some concerns. He said this is a big proposal and it is up to them to set the policies now and do it in the best manner possible. He looks forward to this being a process and not just a moment of decision. He asked the Board to consider Carrboro's proposal as an offer that is part of that process. Alderman Slade said it is important to assess definitions, and one clear measure of success will be to see how agricultural efforts are supported in the five years. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Barry Jacobs, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board