Agenda - 01-14-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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IV. SOCIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS This element addresses three sociological components of Land use : th = patterns and spatial relationships that currently make up the built environment (existing Land use] , the demographics of the current and expected population (population projections) , and estimates of future employment opportunities that will fuel population growth (employment projections) . Existing Land Use A field survey of all existing land use in the urban area was completed as of January , 1985 . Attached is a tabulation of acreages . Note that the area by the survey includes a l l of Chapel Hill and its Planning Area , all of Carrboro and its Planning Area , and the Joint Planning Area surrounding these two municipalities . It is an area almost exactly coterminus with Chapel Hill Township . The current population of the area is approximately 52,000 people . The tabulation shows that the size of the urban area is just over 58 ,000 acres , and that ,forty percent of the area is currently undeveloped . "Undeveloped" means not actively cultivated as agriculture, not built upon ( except at densities of one dwelling unit per five or more acres) end not publicly, owned . The definition of "undeveloped" includes all Land that is not 1 now, but could conceivably be developed to urban densities . The next most frequent Land use is open space (18,654 acres) comprised of agriculture, forest and recreation Lands . The next most frequent Land use is residential use (7 ,251 acres) . About 12.5% of the Land, in the study area is used for residential purposes . Of that amount , almost all residential acreage is developed at Low densities ( five for fewer dwelling units per acre) . Service uses (business , professional , educational) occupy 4,504 acres or eight percent of the Planning Area . Pooulatio Estimates For The Joint Pleating Area; A series of preliminary projections of the full—time resident population in the Joint Planning Study Area has been developed for the period 1985 to 2000 . In reality, these projections are for Chapel Hill Township (which makes up the bulk of the study area) . There are based on a study of historical patterns and trends of population change in Orange County , Chapel Hill Town and Township , and Carrboro . They will be used to develop different ' scenarios illustration how new residents might Locate themselves in thei Chapel Hill — Carrboro urban area , given particular natural and man—made constraints , and how Land uses and existing infrastructure would change as a result . Three series of ( projections have been developed , the differences being the estimated rates of net migration into the study area ( township) . The medium migration series is illustrated below. 1R