Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
STRATEGIC GROWTH AND RURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM <br />Draft ~ 10.1.2007) <br />Chapter z. SGRC Program and Administration <br />2.1 SGRC Goals 8~ Objectives <br />Early in the planning process, Staff and Consultants sought <br />direction from the Board of County Commissioners as to the <br />primary goals for the program, which would then be used to <br />guide recommendations for program and administrative design. <br />The resulting three goals were identified: <br />Goal # 1 <br />This chapter <br />describes the core <br />goals and basic <br />characteristics of <br />the SGRC Program, <br />breaking ovt its <br />characteristics into <br />Program Design and <br />Administrative <br />Design. <br />Rural Preservation. Promote the voluntary placement of <br />conservation easements on farms, water quality protection lands, historic <br />properties and wildlife habitat to preserve them in their farmed or undeveloped <br />state. <br />Goal # 2 <br />Strategic Urbanization. Provide incentives for increased' development in the <br />Economic Development zoning districts, and the Efland-Mebane and <br />Hillsborough transition areas and Rural Community Nodes as identified in the <br />Comprehensive Plan. <br />Goal # 3 <br />Monitor Program Performance. Identify and track appropriate, cost-effective <br />measures of the degree to which the program is meeting the rural preservation <br />and strategic urbanization goals. <br />The Commissioners also indicated an interest in promoting both residential and non- <br />residential development in the urbanizing areas of the County. Finally, they signaled a <br />willingness to allow the program to take several years to mature and establish a track <br />record of SGRC Program transactions. <br />Consultants and Staff identified these two additional objectives for success of the SGRC <br />Program: <br />Simplicity and Ease of Understanding. The program should be just nuanced <br />enough to accomplish the Goals while being easy to explain and straightforward <br />for participants. More complex features can be added fo the program as it <br />matures. <br />Legal Framework. The program should rest upon the existing legal framework of <br />planning and regulatory authority vested in the County by the State of North <br />Carolina. No new authority is to be requested from the General Assembly. <br />2.2 SGRC Program Design <br />2.2.1 Planning Process for SGRC Program Design <br />Overview. Planning Department Staff and Consultants worked closely together to <br />conduct analyses and develop initial program design recommendations. A Working <br />Group of representatives from selected County Advisory Boards -dubbed the Joint <br />Orange County, North Cazolina <br />