Agenda - 03-01-1994-X-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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3i MEMORANDUM TO: ORANGE COUNTY COMIVIISSIONERS FROM: DAVE STANCIL, AICP Z Planner II/Land Use and Environment DATE: FEBRUARY 22, 1994 SUBJECT: MEETING SUMMARIES FROM JANUARY RURAL CHARACTER COMMUNITY MEETINGS COPIES: ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING BOARD MARVIN COLLINS, AICP, PLANNING DIRECTOR GENE BELL, AICP, PLANNER III This memo serves to supplement information in the March 1, 1994 agenda abstract on the results of the three rural character development options meetings in rural Orange County. As you know, the County Commissioners and Planning Board Commissioners asked staff in March 1993 to conduct meetings with the rural Township Advisory Councils to solicit further input on the specifics of recommended development options to help protect the rural character of "Rural Orange", as defined by the Rural Character Study Committee (RCSC). Specifically, citizens were to be asked to compare the Committee's development options of January 21, 1993 with a Planning Staff Alternative of March 10, 1993 - which addressed Planning Board concerns. Staff suggested using facilitated meetings to enhance input from residents, and Andy Sachs of the Dispute Settlement Center agreed to help design the meetings for optimum input. Originally planned for May 1993, the community meetings were postponed to allow for adequate notification and further work on meeting design. In July 1993, Planning and Dispute Settlement Center staff noted the potential for substantial confusion about the ongoing watershed zoning and its impact on development options, and recommended that the meetings be delayed until watershed zoning issues were resolved in the rural areas. This was anticipated to occur in October 1993. However, deliberations on watershed standards required further time, and the watershed zoning was not adopted until December 21, 1993. During the interim, staff had designed three facilitated, small-group based community meetings to be held in Northern, East- Central and Southwest Orange. These meetings would be the fifth round of community/township meetings held on the Rural Character Study since 1990, and were built around the basic format of the successful 1991 facilitated, small-group Community Information Meeting at the Hillsborough Exchange Club. On January 18, 25 and 27, community meetings were held at three locations in the rural portions of the County. The January 18 meeting was held at Walnut Grove Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in northern Orange, while the January 25 meeting was held at New Hope Elementary School. The January 27 meeting was held at the Orange Grove Community Building in