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9 <br /> Chris Rollins said most of Mebane's growth has occurred by petition annexation. He <br /> said Mebane does not have a history of forced annexation in order to clean up the City limits. <br /> Commissioner Dorosin asked about a specific doughnut hole in the northern part of the <br /> limits. <br /> Chris Rollins said this property, and several others around it, are for sale. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked if an infrastructure study has been completed for how <br /> growth impacts water and sewer. <br /> Chris Rollins said this study is being finalized now. He said people are using less water <br /> these days, both residential and commercial. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if there is a projection for residential growth coming into the <br /> Orange County portion of Mebane, east of City of Mebane. <br /> Chris Rollins said he does not have a number, but he thinks this will be a growth area <br /> due to the installation of water and sewer. <br /> Council Member Ed Hooks asked if the City staff contacts the County staff when a <br /> builder wants to build in the Orange County portion of Mebane. <br /> Chris Rollins said yes, and it has been helpful having County Planning Staff attend City <br /> meetings. <br /> Mayor Stephenson said Orange County participates on the Technical Review <br /> committee. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked if they have considered approaching developers to set <br /> aside school sites when they build subdivisions. <br /> Chris Rollins said this would be a wonderful plan, if it could be achieved. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said it would have to be written into an ordinance. <br /> Chris Rollins said there is no ordinance yet, but he looks forward to these types of <br /> conversations. <br /> Mayor Stephenson said a lot of apartments have been built in Mebane in the last few <br /> years, and residents want this to slow down. He said the City wants new jobs, and thus they <br /> have to have managed growth in this area of apartments. He said industry and housing have to <br /> be planned hand in hand. <br /> Council Member Ed Hooks asked if sewer services are being considered for Perry Hill. <br /> Council Member Philipps said this area is being considered in the proposed engineering <br /> study. <br /> Chris Rollins said getting sewer to this area would take some effort, but Orange <br /> Alamance water is there. He said staff could look into this, if desired. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said he had heard that this would be a hard project to provide <br /> sewer to, but the concerns of this neighborhood should be addressed. He suggested for <br /> Mebane staff to look at this area, and maybe Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) <br /> funds can be secured. <br /> Chris Rollins said he would contact Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director, <br /> about doing a partnership on this. <br /> Commissioner Dorosin said to make this a priority, since it is an underserved area. <br /> Council Member Ed Hooks said the two areas with limited infrastructure in Mebane are <br /> roads and schools. He said these are the areas of greatest focus when considering growth <br /> going forward. <br /> 4. Farmland Preservation and Open Space <br /> Background: Orange County was among the first counties in the state to adopt the Voluntary <br /> Farmland Preservation Program created by the NC General Assembly in the early 1990's. At <br /> present, the County has enrolled 76 farms and a total of 10,392 acres of farmland in this <br /> voluntary program. <br />