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STRATEGIC GROWTH AND RURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM <br />Draft ~ 10.1.2007 <br />__ _ <br />Public Feedback. An SGRC Open House was held on October.. 8, 2007. to which the <br />public in Orange County was invited. Staff. and Consultants presented the draft. SGRC <br />Plan and received feedback from the. Open .House participants, as well as from the <br />SRGC Plan posted_.on_the County's vvebslte, <br />Conservation Area Points. Proposed conservation easements on eligible Conservation <br />Area properties are assigned Conservation Area Points (CAPS) as follows: <br />a. One CAP per acre is awarded to all participating CA properties; <br />b. Additional CAPS are awarded based on pre-easement tax-assessed land <br />c. Up to one additional credit per acre is awarded based on actual acreage <br />meeting any one or more of eligibility criteria b)iii-x above; or containing <br />steep slopes of 25% or higher. <br />d. The total CAPS assigned to an eligible CA property are the sum of CAPs <br />awarded under steps a, b, and c above. <br />Development Intensity Bonus. Eligible Growth Area property owners may apply for a <br />development intensity bonus to be awarded upon conveyance to the County of a <br />privately-purchased conservation easement on an eligible Conservation Area property. <br />a. For Residential Development: <br />i. CAPs are translated to Growth Area development intensity bonuses at a <br />3:1 ratio, meaning for every 3 CAPs assigned to the conservation <br />easement, 1 additional housing unit may be built in the Growth Area <br />property. <br />ii. Alternatively, owners of Growth Area properties 25 acres or larger may <br />enter into a Development Agreement with the County, which will <br />negotiate a development intensity bonus taking CAPS into account <br />along with other factors, such as provision of affordable housing or LEED- <br />certified construction. <br />iii. The final gross density of projects using CAPs may not exceed 15 <br />housing units per acre. <br />b. For Non-Residential or Mixed-use Development: <br />i. Owners of Growth Area properties 25 acres or larger may enter into a <br />Development Agreement with the County, which will negotiate a <br />development intensity bonus taking CAPs into account along with other <br />performance factors agreed to by the property owner. <br />ii. Growth Area properties of less than 25 acres are not eligible at this time <br />for non-residential or mixed-use density bonuses through the program, but <br />may be added to the program at a later date. <br />Orange County, North Carolina <br />