Agenda - 10-04-1977 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SOME COMIONLY SOUGHT INFORMATION ABOUT l/ CHAPEL HILL'S REQUEST TO EXTEND ITS PLANNING AREA The Poll wing information has been prepared by the Town of Chapel Hill. The Hoard of Aldermen of the Town of Chapel Hill has requested that the Orange County Board Of Commissioners extend the Town's extraterritorial jurisdiction to _ include areas as shown on the attached map. Below are some of the questions most frequently as ed about this request, along with their answers. QUESTION: T IS STATE POLICY C0110ERNING A TOWN IS PLANNING AREA? Answer: St to policy is included in North Carolina General Statutes Section 16(A-360. This law allows Towns to include areas of critical concern in their extraterritorial jurisdictions (planning areas) . For towns of 25,000 population or over this area may be extended up to three miles from the corporate limits, upon approval by the Board of County Commissioners. QUESTION: BO s THE TO CURRENTLY HAVE A PLANNING AREA? Answer: Th Town's current planning area was established 22 years ago in 1955. Of the 19.8 square miles included in the planning area, 10 square miles are currently in the corporate limits, leaving 9.8 square miles in the unincorporated portion of the planning area (see attached map) . it is estimated that approximately 1,600 people live in the unincorporated Portion of the planning area and approximately 36,000 people live in the entire planning area. QUESTION: W11Y IS THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL REQUESTING AN EXPANSION OF ITS PLANNING A ? Answer". The areas in question are usually characterized as rural. However, the facts show that rapid development is occurring in the areas without ade uate protection of critical rural, features and without adequate control of the quantity and quality of development. The following hou§ing projects have recently been approved by the County Co issioners in these areas. PROJECT LOTS Sedgefield Farms 174 Carol woods 230 Timberline 62 Northwood, Phases I and II 150 Cedar Bills 72 Bunter's Ridge, Phases I and II 95 TOTAL 783 Bee use it appears likely that other developments will be proposed for the e areas, the Town believes that it is necessary to have the ability to ".ice a final decision on development in these areas which would aff ct the Chapel Hill. community. Also, it is necessary for the Town to cuide development in areas affected by its thoroughfare plan to ens re that proper alignment and dedication of land is made at the time of plan approval. It Is significant that of the 783 units listed above only 134 were approved in the "Transition' area as designated in the County's new Land Classification System with 649 of the units being developed in what the County has classified as "?rural. Transition". In other words approximately 83% of newly approved housing units are in the "Rural Transition" area. The County's adopted Land Classification System stat.3s that these are "lands which are rural in character and should be eicouraged to remain rural". The Sand Classification System further star s that as development occurs in these areas, special design star aids should be met. Such standards currently do not exist. Only 17$ >f the new units have been approved in the "Transition"- area., which is t e area calculated to accommodate the projected population increase over a ten year period.