Agenda - 02-18-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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a developer' spurposes. Unfortunately, the developer's intent is at odds with the ordinance and the intent of Orange County. Section 7.15. 1 refers to all Planned Development Commercial Districts, including the PD-GC4 requested by Scotswood. It states that "It is the intention of these regulationshto provide for developments, in scale with surrounding market areas, at locations appropriate in terms of the Land Use Plan and Orange County Thoroughfare Plan, and in accord with standards set forth herein, to serve areas not already conveniently and adequately provided with commercial and service facilities of the kind proposed. " [Emphasis added] The proposed Scotswood commercial area would have a grocery store, drug store and small shops. Within approximately one mile of Scotswood are located the North Hills shopping center with a grocery store, drug store and small shops; a grocery store and affiliate drug store; a convenience store directly across the street from Scotswood; a small grocery store/convenience store. When referring to traffic flow near Scotswood, the developer' s Itraffic consultant said Lawrence Road would be a convenient route for Scotswood residents. All of the abovementiond shopping facilities are closer to Scotswood than is Lawrence Road. Scotswood 's proposed commercial area will serve as a traffic magnet, generating approximately half of the estimated traffic. Locating an unnecessary shopping center at the front end of a housing development for 1 ,765 people in order to be consistent with the commercial node designation for the St. Mary's-U.S. '70 corner merely subverts the intent of the land-use plan and the PD ordinance. Further, Section 7.4 of the ordinance states that PD districts shall be appropriately located "with respect to public and private 'facilities existing or clearly to be available by the time the development reaches the stage where they will be needed." In fact, the public facilities needed to handle any of the additional traffic generated by Scotswood are neither in place nor clearly available at this time . (Not to mention the water and school facilities. ) Judging by the standard set out in Section 7.4, Scotswood can be seen to be as ill-timed as it is ill-designed. U.S.I 70 in the area to be affected is already the most trafficked stretch in central or northern Orange County. Many testified at the public hearing that the intersection of St. Mary's Road and U.S. 70 - which Scotswood will immediately effect even on a phased completion schedule - is overcrowded and dangerous. Even on a phased completion schedule, Scotswood will have an immediate and substantial impact on traffic from the Eno River to N.C. 86. The enabling legislation under which counties are given the authority to exercise zoning authority states in Section 153A-341 that zoning regulations shall , among other things, be " . . .designed to lessen congestion in the streets" and "to promote