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• DRAFT <br /> 1 <br /> GROWTH ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN THE JOINT PLANNING AREA <br /> The Orange County - Chapel Hill Joint Planning Area <br /> (JPA) is experiencing extreme growth pressures which show no <br /> signs of abating in the foreseeable future. These pressures <br /> come from a variety of sources which include the major <br /> employment centers of UNC, and NC Memorial Hospital, the <br /> desirability of Chapel Hill as a place to live, the expanding <br /> influence of Research Triangle Park (RTP) as a regional <br /> employment center, and the "region shrinking" influence of <br /> the 1-40 corridor currently under construction through <br /> southeastern Orange County. The purpose of this paper is to <br /> briefly explore the implications of these growth pressures on <br /> the JPA and, in so doing, provide a starting point for <br /> discussion which will lead to defining goals and objectives <br /> to guide planning for the JPA. <br /> • Growth Pressures <br /> Four Growth pressures are identified above. A brief <br /> narrative of each follows: <br /> (1) UNC/NCMH - These associated institutions continue to be <br /> the major employers in Chapel Hill, Faculty, staff, and <br /> associated positions at UNC numbered 6,269 in 1978. •By 2000 <br /> this number is expected to increase by 19% to 7,490. 1978 <br /> employment at NCMH was 9,721 with 12,230 projected for 2000, <br /> an increase of 26%) <br /> (2) Chapel Hill - The demand for housing in Chapel Hill <br /> continues to grow. As of December 10, 1984, approval of <br /> 4,257 additional dwelling units and/or residential lots had <br /> been granted. 1,402 units were under construction at this <br /> time. <br /> Annexation may soon play a major role in the growth of Chapel <br /> Hill too. There are currently 24 areas under consideration <br /> for annexation; 20 of which could be annexed at any time. <br /> Most of these areas lie within the towns • extraterritorial <br /> jurisdiction, but there is an area of about 660 acres in the <br /> County portion of the JPA. This is in the N.C. 86/Weaver <br /> • Dairy Road area and includes Northwood and Sedgefield <br /> subdivisions. 2 <br /> 1 From Chapel Hill/Carrboro Thoroughfare Plan <br /> 2 Town of Chapel Hill Planning Department <br />