Orange County NC Website
• <br /> PLANNING DIRECTOR. HE IS ASSISTED IN BUDGETARY, PURCHASING <br /> AND TIMEKEEPING DUTIES BY ,A SECRETARY V. <br /> C. NEED FOR SERVICES <br /> THE SERVICES OF ONE DIVISION, BUILDING INSPECTIONS, WERE <br /> MANDATED BY THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN JULY OF 1981. <br /> THIS MANDATE RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR HOUSING AND <br /> NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS TO BE ERECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH <br /> SOUND CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES. <br /> THE OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WERE <br /> MANDATED BY LOCAL LEGISLATION ENACTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY <br /> COMMISSIONERS. SUCH MANDATES RECOGNIZED ORANGE COUNTY'S <br /> UNIQUE CHARACTER AND POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH. SPECIFICALLY, THE <br /> BOARD SOUGHT TO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY CONDITIONS: <br /> 1. ORANGE COUNTY IS DIVERSE IN THAT IT IS A BLEND OF BOTH <br /> URBAN AND RURAL SETTINGS. THE CHAPEL HILL/CARRBORO AREA <br /> AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PROVIDE THE STIMULUS <br /> FOR GROWTH IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY. <br /> HILLSBOROUGH, THE COUNTY SEAT, AND INTERSTATE 85 PROVIDE <br /> MUCH THE SAME STIMULUS IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PORTION OF <br /> THE COUNTY. CONTRASTED TO THESE URBAN SETTINGS ARE THE <br /> AGRICULTURAL AREAS OF THE NORTHERN, WESTERN AND <br /> SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY. <br /> 2. ORANGE COUNTY'S LOCATION IN THE HEADWATERS OF TWO RIVER <br /> BASINS, THE NEUSE AND THE CAPE FEAR, . PROVIDE <br /> OPPORTUNITIES FOR QUALITY BUT SOMEWHAT LIMITED WATER <br /> RESOURCES. <br /> 3. ORANGE COUNTY'S POPULATION HAS INCREASED BY 30% OR MORE <br /> IN EACH OF THE LAST TWO DECADES AND IS PROJECTED TO <br /> DOUBLE BY THE YEAR 2000 . . <br /> 4. ORANGE COUNTY'S LOCATION WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONALLY <br /> PROMINENT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF <br /> INTERSTATE 40 PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES TO GROWTH. <br /> 5. ORANGE COUNTY POSSESSES MUCH NATURAL BEAUTY, A FEATURE <br /> WHICH ATTRACTS NEW RESIDENTS TO THE AREA. <br /> 6. ORANGE COUNTY'S NATURAL BEAUTY, AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND <br /> EXISTING AND POTENTIAL RESERVOIR SITES WILL SUCCUMB TO <br /> DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES UNLESS LONG RANGE PLANS TO PROTECT <br /> THESE FEATURES AND ACCOMODATE PROJECTED GROWTH ARE <br /> PREPARED.• COUPLED WITH SUCH PLANS IS THE NEED FOR LAND <br /> USE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND BUILDING REGULATIONS WHICH WILL <br /> IMPLEMENT THE POLICIES SET FORTH IN THE PLANS. <br /> D. 1984-85 OBJECTIVES/ACCOMPLISHMENTS <br /> SIGNIFICANT ELEMENTS OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S WORK <br /> PROGRAM AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE <br /> 1984-85 FISCAL YEAR ARE LISTED BELOW, BY DIVISION. <br /> 1. BUILDING INSPECTIONS <br />