Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
3.5 LAND USE GOALS AND DRAFT POLICIES <br /> The County-wide goals for Orange County are general in concept and scope. <br /> They encompass areas over which the County government has varying degrees <br /> of influence and serve as a guide in developing policies and programs re- <br /> lated to land use and the management of growth and development in the <br /> County. <br /> CATEGORY: NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND ENERGY <br /> GOAL ONE: The conservation and protection of Orange County's natural <br /> and cultural environments by means which are equitable to <br /> all citizens of the County. <br /> 1.1 Protect the following significant Public Interest Districts <br /> from adverse development impacts and require management of <br /> these areas in ways that will prevent internally generated <br /> negative impacts from affecting surrounding land: publicly <br /> owned parkland (Eno River State Park), water reservoir buffer <br /> land (University Lake water supply watershed) , state or <br /> federally designated historic/archaeological sites, research orient <br /> lands(Duke Forest) and lands placed by individual property <br /> owners into conservation easements. <br /> 1.2 Restrict or prohibit uses in flood hazard areas which are dan- <br /> gerous to health, safety and property due to flood heights or <br /> velocities. Protect the function of the floodway to provide <br /> passage for the 100-year flood without increasing flood levels <br /> upstream. <br /> GOAL TWO: The conservation of natural resources in Orange County. <br /> 2.1 Maintain and protect land, which contains valuable renewable <br /> resources existing such as productive agricultural areas <br /> managed forested areas and potential reservoir sites by directing i <br /> compatible development away from these areas. <br /> 2.2 Protect non-renewable resource lands from incompatible de- <br /> velopment and allow their use in a safe and reasonable manner <br /> according to performance standards designed to ensure a suffi- <br /> cient level of environmental protection. <br /> GOAL THREE: The conservation of energy resources in Orange County. <br /> 3.1 Encourage site planning and design alternatives for building <br /> development which reduce the demand for artificial heating, <br /> cooling, ventilation and lighting. <br />