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Q&A document that was mailed with property owner Attachment 3 17 <br />Notification letter <br />Efland-Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD) <br />The following provides information to frequently asked questions regarding the proposed <br />Efland-Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD). <br />What is being proposed? <br />A new zoning overlay district is being proposed that would apply to a specific area along <br />Highway 70 between Efland and Mebane (see map for specific boundaries). There are <br />two categories within the ECOD - a "pre-designated commercial area" and a general area <br />that is within the boundaries of the ECOD. <br />Within the "pre-designated commercial area," a variety of commercial uses could be <br />possible. Outside of the "pre-designated commercial area" but within the ECOD, non- <br />residential uses would be limited to professional offices and similar low-impact uses. <br />How does a zoning overlay district work? <br />A zoning overlay district is essentially a special set of regulations that supplement the <br />base zoning district regulations in a specific geographic area. The special regulations can <br />be either more permissive or more restrictive than the base zoning district regulations, <br />depending on what intended outcome is being sought. The base zoning district does not <br />change; properties that are currently being used in conformance with their base zoning <br />district can continue to be used as they currently are and do not become "non-conforming <br />uses." The zoning overlay district regulations are applied only when a property owner <br />wishes to apply for a permit to use their property in a way that is allowed by the zoning <br />overlay regulations. <br />What kind of uses will be allowed in the ECOD? <br />In the proposed "pre-designated commercial area," the uses allowed would be those that <br />are classified as "Neighborhood Commercial" in the County's zoning ordinance. <br />Examples of Neighborhood Commercial uses are low- to medium-impact commercial <br />uses such as banks, beauty shops, dry cleaners, professional offices, and restaurants <br />(although drive-thru restaurants are not included). <br />In the ECOD areas outside of the "pre-designated commercial area," the only non- <br />residential uses allowed would be offices and professional services that attract either few <br />or a moderate number of customers and traffic volumes and that have no adverse impacts <br />beyond the lot boundaries. Additionally, non-residential uses would be capped at no <br />more than 40% of the Highway 70 corridor outside of the "pre-designated commercial <br />area." <br />