Agenda - 12-11-2007-11b - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 subdivision of land. All major subdivisions are processed through the Development Advisory Board, the Planning Board and the Board of County Commissioners. Minor Subdivisions are processed through the Development Advisory Board and Planning Staff. Any planning staff member whose signature is on file at the Register of Deeds may review and approve Subdivisions Not Subject to Subdivision Requirements (aka Exempt) if all regulatory minimums are met. Upon approval, plats are signed and maybe taken to the Register of Deeds for recordation. Background of Land Preservation Efforts In early 1996, the Land Use Element of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan (hereafter LLTE/OCCP) was amended to add the text of the Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina (hereafter `Inventory') to the plan and map. The Inventory had previously cataloged, in 1998, areas of significant importance to the County's character from both a natural area and a wildlife habitat prospective. The text amendment created Section 2.2 Natural and Cultural Resources in the LUE/OCCP and a subsection entitled The Environmental Framework. There were, and are now, four primary elements in the environmental framework---Water Resources, Land Resources, Plant and Animal Resources, and Cultural and Scenic Resources. Subsequently, in 1997, the subdivision Regulations were amended to create a new construct entitled Flexible Development, which incorporated a preservation component into the subdivision regulations. The Flexible Development component of the regulations set forth open space minimums (33% of total acreage) for subdivisions. The rules in Flexible Development guidelines mandated that open space components [see below] roughly parallel The Environmental Framework subsection 2.2 of the Land Use Element amendment. With this new method open space with a specific purpose became an achievable. aspect of subdivision development reviews and approvals. The Flexible Development 33% open space components are as listed below: Primary Open Space (These areas analyzed and preserved first) • Wetlands • Floodplains (100-year) • Steep Slopes (greater than 25%) • Natural Areas • Historic and Archaeological Sites • Wildlife Corridors Secondarypen Space (These areas are analyzed and preserved after the Primary Areas) • Woodlands • Farmland • Slopes of 15% to 25% • Other Historic and/or Archaeological Sites • Public and/or Private Recreation Areas and Facilities • Scenic Views • Pedestrian Open Space (POSA) • Roadside Buffers