Shaping Orange County's Future 2003

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A Note from the County's Planning Depart- Land Use Element. The information gath- Economy ment ered in the SOCF report and its seven-year 4. Protect Water Resources—Watershed and Orange County is at a critical point in time. community outreach process has significantly Groundwater The growth in the region has been significant helped"shape"the eventual revisions to the 5. Traffic Reduction Land Use Element. Additionally,other corn- 6. Reduction of the Fiscal Impacts of and the County has recognized the need to proactively address the issues before experi- munity reports and committees,such as the Development encing the negative consequences that have Rural Character Study,the Water Resources 7. Hazard Mitigation-Reduction of already taken place in some of our neighboring Report,and the Comprehensive Plan Land Stormwater Runoff and Flooding counties. Orange County has a head start;the Use Committee(CPLUC),have contributed 8. Protection of Natural Areas/Wildlife SOCF project has been a great success and of- to the update. The next rational step is to use Corridors fers Orange County a number of creative ideas the ideas put forth by these citizen boards for 9. Reduction of Air Pollution the analysis and development of the final Land 10. Development Location and Type for effective growth management. Chapel Hill, Carrboro,Hillsborough,and Orange County Use Element of the County's Comprehensive 11. Economic Prosperity and Diversity have already begun incorporating many of the Plan. 12. Affordable Housing ideas the report put forth into their planning A particular example of citizen influence on 13. Preservation of Community Character efforts and several additional concepts are the Plan's development are the outcomes of Neighborhoods and Historical/Cultural currently being considered. Evidence of the the CPLUC. As a representative committee Features. SOCF report can be found in several recent of citizens formed to provide feedback and Following the identification of the GMGs,the planning projects such as the Chapel Hill direction on the update of the Land Use Ele- Committee worked to select potential growth Comprehensive Plan,2000;the Carrboro merit,the CPLUC was successful in identifying management tools(GMTs)from a comprehen- Vision 2020,2000;the Facilitated Small Area thirteen growth management goals(GMGs)for sive list of options for further study. Consis- Plan for Carrboro's Northern Study Area, the County. tent with the goals and recommendations put 1999;and the Hillsborough Vision 2010, 2000. 1. Efficient Provision of Public Services forth in the SOCF report,the tools were se- Orange County is presently in the process of 2. Protection of Rural Community Character lected and researched for potential implemen- updating the County's Comprehensive Plan 3. Preserve Farmland and Viable Local Farm tation by the County within its jurisdiction. Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance(APFO):A Hamlet: A rural configuration of houses,small tion with professional and technical assistance. zoning and/or land development regulation that commercial enterprises and community services, Sustainability:Development that meets the needs helps pace growth by synchronizing development developed in keeping with the current community of the present generation without compromising with the availability of public facilities needed to character. the ability of future generations to meet their support that development. Inclusionary Zoning:A mandatory or voluntary needs. Affordable Housing:Housing that can be technique applied to new housing developments Suburban Sprawl:The unmanaged and largely purchased at a cost between 2.5 to 3 times a in which a certain portion of the units being con- unplanned expansion of developed areas at a household's total annual income or rented for no structed is set aside to be affordable to low-and less-than-urban scale into corridors or areas of a more than 30%of total household income. moderate-income home buyers. rural nature. Auto-Limited Zones:Areas where pedestrian Multi-Use Community Centers:Community Transfer of Development Rights(TDR):A traffic and transit access is encouraged,and use of facilities,such as schools,libraries,and senior program that allows a parcel of land with unique i personal automobiles is likewise discouraged via centers,that are strategically and centrally located resources or constraints present(within a limited parking,narrow or"cobblestone"streets, within a community and thus serve as centers for "sending area")to transfer its share of expected or other measures. social interaction and gathering for community development potential to another property in a Carrying Capacity:The amount of development members. different location,where such development might the land and environment can support while Rural Areas:Areas in Orange County that lie out- be more practical because of location or proximity still maintaining adequate septic system and well side of municipal corporate limits,ETJs and/or to urban services(the"receiving area"). recharge functions. Transition Areas. Transition Areas:Areas that are in transition Community Visioning:A process through which Rural Buffer:Land adjacent to an Urban or Tran- from a rural land use pattern to a more-urban a community envisions the future it wants,and sition area which is rural in character and which pattern,and currently(or in the future)will have then plans how to achieve it. should remain rural,contain very low density access to urban services such as public water and Compact Mixed-Use(CMU)Developments: residential uses and not require urban services. sewer service. Development that would include housing,corn- Rural Character Report:Late 1980's-early 1990's Urban Sprawl:Unmanaged and largely un- mercial activities,civic and social components, study that examined the Rural Buffer and the ru- planned expansion of urban-scale land uses and light industry(where appropriate)and would ral areas of the County and discussed community and/or services into corridors or areas of a rural be located in areas best served by urban services. character preservation,agricultural protection, nature. open space,natural and visual resource protec- Extra-Territorial Jurisdictions(ETJs):Land Village:A small,unincorporated,self-contained outside of(but adjacent to)the corporate limits tion,and growth management for these areas. community of less than 200 acres,located inside of a municipality where the municipality exercises Small Area Plans:A land use plan for a small designated Transition Areas,that offers a mix land use planning and development permitting community or area that focuses on the communi- of residential,non-residential services and open authority.ETJs are often envisioned to become ty's needs and desires(while cognizant of overall space to meet the physical,social and economic part of the municipality's corporate limits in the comprehensive plans for the Town/County),and needs of the community. future. is developed by citizens from the area in conjunc-