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i <br /> e. <br /> �i d 22 <br /> roads In Orange County public roads. I think <br /> we could all cite one or more reasons why a <br /> public road is not the best answer to all the <br /> questions about roads in the County. However, <br /> that is a policy question and that policy <br /> question probably needs to be evaluated from <br /> time to time and this Board needs to make <br /> recommendations about it and the County <br /> Commissioners need to consider the <br /> recommendations and take action along that <br /> line . I am relating to you the policy <br /> decisions that have already been made and that <br /> are the basis for the present ordinance . If <br /> there is disagreement on this Planning Board <br /> about the focus, then it needs to be addressed <br /> from that point of view as opposed to defacto <br /> changing the focus. When I review sub- <br /> divisions for whatever reason, I am concerned <br /> that I don 't think the Planning Board and even <br /> the Commissioners at times remember the focus. <br /> That concerns me because a system which is <br /> designed with a bias toward public roads is <br /> being administered with a bias towards private <br /> roads doesn 't work. The policy issue needs to <br /> be addressed if the concern is that you want, <br /> generally speaking, small subdivisions to be <br /> permitted to have private roads. <br /> There Is a difference in the construction level <br /> of private roads versus public roads. There is <br /> also a different review process and also a <br /> different approving agency. The County <br /> approves all private roads, both the design and <br /> the construction. The State approves the <br /> design and construction of public roads. The <br /> reason for that Is that private roads are <br /> maintained by the people who live where the <br /> road is located. Public roads, once density <br /> criteria or that criteria established by NCDOT <br /> for them to become part of the State system <br /> become thereafter maintained by the State of <br /> North Carolina. The way the ordinance treats <br /> that difference is that all public roads that <br /> are created by subdivision have to be <br /> maintained by the developer or property owner <br /> until the Department of Transportation accepts <br /> the road for maintenance whereas, all private <br /> subdivision roads have to be approved by the <br /> property owners through the Private Road <br /> Maintenance Agreement that is one of the <br /> requirements. The Road Maintenance Agreement <br /> addresses two issues ; one is the proper <br /> dedication of the road and the second is the <br /> maintenance of the road. A third issue is to <br /> insure that the private road accesses a state <br /> road. The reason for mentioning this is that I <br /> have seen some confusion as to how roads are <br /> maintained or what happens to them after you <br />