Agenda - 06-30-1994 - C-1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1, Excerpt from Conceytual Guidelines for Rural Orange Development Option 2: Two-Acre Lot Development DEVELOPMENT OPTION 2: Conventional Two-Acre Lot Development AVERAG3. LOT SIM, 80,000 SQUARE FEET 1.84 ACRES OPEC: SPACR'MQUIRM 'BONE POTEIi'1!IJ1L:.LO!1!:.ESBLD+ric UP TO 51 LOTS PER 100 ACRES :;:..:. �:..... . . .... :.. (Density 0.51 PERNr1M'ED' ?um,usksr: SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ONLY 1NCBNTIVES;t ''' PRIVATE ROADS * - Without site constraints. Traditional development consisting of lot sizes of one to two acres in size without open space reserves does little to preserve rural character unless situated in wooded areas so that significant amounts of tree cover are preserved to screen the view of homes. However, there is reason to maintain an option that allows this development style. A development option which permits lot sizes of approximately two acres is the closest fit to the prevailing average lot size in rural portions of the county. While current zoning and/or subdivision standards allow lots as small as 40,000 square feet, lots created through the major subdivision approval process in Rural Orange have averaged 1.9 acres in size - or twice the minimum required lot size during the five-year period 1987-1991. The pattern of larger-than-required lot sizes is the result of several factors, including soil suitability for ground absorption sewage disposal systems, the market demand for larger lots, and changing development regulations. As an example of the last factor, the precedent for larger lot sizes in Orange County was established in 1984 when the Water Quality Critical Area (WQCA) zoning designation and a 1.84-acre lot size requirement was first applied in areas near existing and proposed water supply reservoirs. Later, in 1987, the Rural Buffer (RB) zoning designation and a two-acre lot: size requirement was applied to 38,000 acres surrounding Chapel Hill and Carrboro. More recently, in 1990, a five-acre lot size requirement was put into effect to protect University Lake watershed. For any open space development option to work; e.g. , for a developer or land owner to cluster units and set aside permanent open space, there must be some real incentive to do so. The system of density bonuses proposed in the development options which follow seeks to provide such an incentive. Thus, the 80,000-square foot development option is proposed as a "base line" for those who wish to retain traditional subdivision patterns. The most significant aspect of this development option, though, is that it establishes the basic zoning density for the rural portions of the county. Instead of a minimum lot size of 40,000 square feet, 80,000 square feet would be required as the minimum average lot size for any