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115 <br /> Brown stated that she felt the County should <br /> determine a more sophisticated definition of <br /> wetlands so there would be better evaluation. <br /> Katz asked for clarification of the issue being <br /> discussed noting the difficulty in separating <br /> the issue of percentage of open space and <br /> incentives/disincentives. Waddell responded that <br /> he would be interested in discussion of the <br /> relationship of percentage of open space to <br /> incentives/disincentives. Discussion of actual <br /> incentives can occur later. <br /> Jobsis stated that she would like to stay with <br /> 33% open space and have it be optional. She <br /> referred to the long history of rural character <br /> study noting that she felt public opinion was for <br /> optional open space and a percentage no higher <br /> than 33%. She noted that there was not a lot of <br /> support in northern Orange County for a lot of <br /> open space plans. The desire seemed to be for a <br /> limited amount of open space. She felt it made <br /> good sense to keep it open and review it to see <br /> if it is working. She also felt the open space <br /> calculation should be from the total tract size. <br /> Walters agreed with Jobsis. She noted that the <br /> majority of the landowners in northern Orange <br /> want to keep the open space requirement low, not <br /> go to 50%. She supported 33% and stated she would <br /> like to get something to the Commissioners for <br /> public hearing and on the books. While we are <br /> waiting and debating this, it is already too late <br /> in many areas. The longer we wait the worse the <br /> situation will be. Try 33% and re-evaluate in a <br /> year or two years, but let's get something on the <br /> books and calculate it from the total tract size. <br /> Brown expressed support for a higher percentage <br /> of open space noting that her interpretation of <br /> the public hearing that there was strong support <br /> for 50%. She felt there was misunderstanding <br /> about how the open space is obtained. It is not <br /> taken away, it is re-designed. There seems to be <br /> the feeling that the open space will diminish the <br /> value of property and what needs to be shown is <br /> how it will increase the value of the land. It <br /> will be very valuable at time of sale. She <br /> continued that people need to understand that <br /> open space is not something to be feared. The <br /> effort is to redesign development so that the <br /> more open space one has, the more valuable <br /> properties in developments will be. She felt it <br />