Agenda - 02-16-1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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( and Carrboro soils are more suitable for various types of development. Similar to steep slopes, poor soil conditions do not necessarily represent prohibitive constraints on development, rather they indicate the need for appropriate design standards. Agriculture, Reported Chapel Hill Township Cropland (harvested and idle) diminished by over one-half between the years 1955 and 1977. This reduction accounted for a decline in the Township cropland base of over 4,200 acres. Moreover, the Township pastureland base also decreased, but at a slower rate of about 27%, representing a loss of 1 ,300 acres. Much of this loss must be assumed to have taken place because of intensive development pressures taking place in Chapel Hill Township during the past two decades. Between 1960 and 1978, the population of Chapel Hill Township increas- ed by 64%, from 25,000 to nearly 54,000 personsl . Increases in land values due to such population growth usually increases the cost of farming by making expansion more costly; directly and indirectly increasing the tax burden on farming; and increasing the "externalities" costs (crop theft, soil and crop pollution, nuisance complaints, etc. ) . Increased land values also offer an inducement to farmers to sell some or all of their farms and realize a capital gain, rather than absorb increased operations costs. Growth pressures are likely to continue to impact on Township farmland. In 1978 alone, over 500 new lots on over 1000 acres, were created in Chapel Hill Township outside of the planning jurisdictions of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The construction of Interstate 40 extension along the currently proposed corridor 1 Orange County Planning Department, Population Projections, March 1978.