Orange County NC Website
38 <br /> • Allow Comprehensive Plan amendments to be heard at any quarterly public <br /> hearing. Existing language that states "principal" Comprehensive Plan <br /> amendments are "generally" considered only once per year at the quarterly <br /> public hearing in February is proposed for deletion (Section 2.3.7). <br /> Additionally, language that classifies Comprehensive Plan amendments into <br /> "principal" and "secondary" amendments (Section 2.3.4) is proposed for <br /> deletion because it is relevant only in conjunction with Section 2.3.7. <br /> • Legal advertisement of quasi-judicial hearing items: the Attorney's office has <br /> suggested that Special Use Permit applications (both Class A and Class B) no <br /> longer be included in legal advertisements since the general public does not <br /> have standing to participate in quasi-judicial hearings. Language <br /> modifications in Sections 2.7.6 and 2.12.6 reflect this suggestion. <br /> • Closure of public hearings: Modifications in Section 2.3.11, 2.7.9, and 2.8.9 <br /> would mean that the BOCC would close the public hearing the night of the <br /> hearing. At that time, the BOCC could defer a decision to a later BOCC <br /> meeting date; make a decision; or, as a procedural right not included in the <br /> text of the UDO, send an application back to the Planning Board for further <br /> review. If the BOCC chooses to defer a decision to a later meeting date <br /> legislative items could be listed on the future BOCC agenda as "Regular <br /> Agenda" items and additional public comment could be accepted. The <br /> existing requirement for only written comments after the quarterly public <br /> hearing is proposed for deletion. <br /> o In order to meet legal sufficiency requirements, hearings for quasi- <br /> judicial items (Class A Special Use Permits) would be continued to a <br /> date/time certain if additional evidence is requested at the quasi-judicial <br /> hearing. The date/time certain could be a regular BOCC meeting (e.g. <br /> not necessarily the next quarterly public hearing). Written evidence <br /> after the quasi-judicial hearing would no longer be permitted. <br /> • The BOCC may wish to consider adding an additional heading to <br /> its agendas: Quasi-Judicial Hearings, along with a note <br /> explaining that only persons with legal standing can participate in <br /> quasi-judicial hearings. Quasi-judicial items deferred for decision <br /> to a later meeting date or for which the hearing was continued in <br /> order to receive additional evidence would be listed on the <br /> BOCC agenda under this new heading. <br /> As has been discussed in the past, the bases for some of the proposed revisions are <br /> as follows: <br /> 1. Allow the public to make comments at the end of the process. <br /> 2. Do not require a quorum of Planning Board members in order to hold a public <br /> hearing. <br /> 3. Streamline and speed up the review/decision process when possible. <br /> The proposed revisions are expected to achieve these objectives. When the BOCC <br /> discussed this topic at its May 12, 2015 work session members indicated that if the <br /> process were revised it should be evaluated after one year to ensure it was working <br /> as intended and satisfactorily. If the proposed revisions are adopted, an evaluation <br />