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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 20, 2007 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ,5 - m <br />SUBJECT: Proposed Grant Application for Smart Growth Implementation Assistance <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Request for Applications <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director <br />245-2585 <br />Perdita Holtz, Special Projects Planner <br />245-2611 <br />PURPOSE: To consider submitting a grant application to the Development, Community, and <br />Environment Division (DCED) in the U.S. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation for <br />implementation assistance related to smart growth in the Efland area. <br />BACKGROUND: The Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program provides technical <br />assistance to communities and states that are interested in fostering economic growth, <br />protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for <br />development. The program consists of direct technical assistance in the form of a multi-day visit <br />from a team of experts organized by EPA and its national partners to work with local leaders (it <br />is not a direct funding grant program). <br />The adopted Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan (EMSAP) includes a recommendation for a Mixed <br />Use area in Efland and the development of site and architectural guidelines for the proposed <br />Mixed Use area. These recommendations are directly related to Smart Growth concepts. If <br />Orange County were selected as a community for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance <br />Program, the team of experts could provide direct assistance with developing the policies and <br />guidelines that are needed to implement the concept of a Mixed Use area in Efland. <br />EPA plans to assist three to five communities in 2007, anticipates announcing the selected <br />communities in Spring 2007, and expects to work with the communities over a 12-month period. <br />The application must be received in EPA's offices no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, <br />2007.