Agenda - 11-02-1987 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• October 30. 1987 Dear Ms. Marshall and the Orange County Board of Supervisors: As you know, on Wednesday. October 14. 1987, the residents of Fox Meadow submitted a petition requesting that (1) Fox Meadow remain in the rural buffer zone as part of Orange County only or (2) if that was not possible, to be placed in Chapel Hill's jurisdictional territory. Near the end of that meeting, one of the Board members requested that the feasibility of changing the jurisdictional line to include the Fox Meadow subdivision in Chapel Hill's Jursidiction be examined by Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County planning departments. Three members of the Fox Meadow community were selected by those present from the community to represent Fox Meadow in the examination of the feasability of such a change. I was one of the three Fox Meadow representatives selected. On Monday, October 19,1987, I met with Mr. Roy Williford of Carrboro, Mr. Marvin Collins of Orange County, and Mr. Roger Weldon of Chapel Hill, at the Carrboro Town Hall to learn of their evaluation of the feasability of the proposed redesignation. Much to my chargrin, I learned that no one was inclined to move the jurisdictional line. The "bottom-line" argument presented for not changing the line was that it has been a long and hard road to get the agreement to where it is now, and Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County are therefore reluctant to make any changes. It was also felt that a "precedent" would be set if the line was moved. At that Monday morning's meeting, I again presented the feelings of the Fox Meadow community - that we would like to remain in Orange County as part of the rural buffer zone or to be in Chapel Hill's jurisdictional territory rather that Carrboro's if Fox Meadow could not remain in the rural buffer. Mr. Waldon pointed out that if there was a compelling reason for changing the line, then it could be moved; but in the absence of a compelling reason, there is no reason to change the line. I believe the feelings of an entire community represent a bottom line, compelling reason. What could be more compelling than that? I asked for an example of a compelling reason that might change their minds. I did not get such an example. In fact, no one suggested that there is any land use/urban planning reason that would prevent the change of the line from one jurisdiction to another. I asked Mr. Collins about remaining in Orange County as part of the rural buffer. Mr. Collins pointed out that to do so would make Fox Meadow a "non-conforming" use because we have essentially one unit per acre end the rural buffer designation calls for one unit per two acres. When I asked what the implications of being a non-conforming use were, Mr. Collins replied that there would be a "cloud" of uncertainty hanging over the community. He tried to illustrate this