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Mayor Lavelle referred to attachment 3a and said it seems like the numbers are off for <br /> Carrboro. She said her staff will look into this. <br /> Alderman Slade said he would like to see a similar analysis applied to some of the <br /> proposed added commercial uses to the rural buffer. He questioned what kind of cap would <br /> be used for commercial development. He said his main concern is that commercial activity <br /> creates competing pressure for farms. He said he understands some of the history of how we <br /> got to this point, and Maple View Farms has been used as an example of why more of these <br /> uses should be allowed. He said that type of augmentation for farm activities is already <br /> allowed, and the more conditional use purposes are all that remains. He said the <br /> consideration is whether it is appropriate for these to exist in the rural buffer versus in the <br /> towns. <br /> Alderman Slade said he encourages everyone to proceed with caution in allowing <br /> more competing uses that might make it harder for farms to exist in the rural buffer. <br /> Craig Benedict noted that this will be discussed in item 5. <br /> Town Council Member Palmer said her concern is regarding the population growth and <br /> the rural buffer. She said in 2040 there will be "McMansions" in the rural buffer, and it is time <br /> to re-negotiate what is put there. She said land needs to be set aside for parks and recreation <br /> purposes. She said there also needs to be a farm land trust system to enable the small <br /> farmers to buy in, and avoid land being sold to developers. <br /> Chair Jacobs said Orange County has an agriculture trust fund and a conservation <br /> easement program and both of these are in play to accomplish the things that Council Member <br /> Palmer mentioned. <br /> b. Accommodatinq Appropriate Aqricultural Support Enterprises in the Rural Buffer <br /> Perdita Holtz said the boards of Orange County, Carrboro and Chapel Hill already <br /> discussed this item on several occasions earlier in the year. She said the Joint Planning Area <br /> (JPA) documents need to be amended before the County can consider adopting the <br /> implementing regulations to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for Agricultural Support <br /> Enterprises in the Rural Buffer. <br /> She said the local governments need to adopt the same language in order for the joint <br /> planning amendments to become effective. She said the town of Carrboro adopted a <br /> resolution that includes a sunset clause for the amendments. She is hopeful that the <br /> discussion tonight will lead to a solution where all three local governments will feel comfortable <br /> in supporting it. <br /> Perdita Holtz said several options for consideration are listed on page 2 of the abstract, <br /> and staff is also open to other considerations. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said the staff inembers did a good job of providing some <br /> options. She said the sunset provision from Carrboro would automatically have a cutoff where <br /> all three boards have to agree to continue with the Agricultural Support Enterprises; and then <br /> staff came up with another option where all three entities would have to agree to stop. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said the three governments also have to agree to the <br /> amendments to the Joint Planning Agreement and Land Use Plan, and Carrboro has also <br /> made some changes there. She said it is important to consider these changes. <br /> Mayor Lavelle said the sticking point for Carrboro was the sunset clause, and the six <br /> suggestions given might provide a way for them to feel comfortable replacing the sunset <br /> clause. She suggested that Carrboro needs to talk about this, and then come back to staff <br />