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2 -2'E <br /> To: \Rural Character Study Committee 49 <br /> from: Bob Hall <br /> Date: 6 anuary 21, 1993 <br /> Re: Why is considering density bonuses important? <br /> The current proposal to offer density bonuses in return for saving open space <br /> could backfire. It could become a plan for promoting "urban/rural sprawl" as <br /> much as preserving "rural character" IF (1) the density-bonus options are <br /> calculated on a fixed scale, or IF (2) water/sewer service promotes their use <br /> in large- sections of the county, channeling development from "transition areas" <br /> to the "open space development area. " <br /> Here's hcw this could happen. <br /> A. On average, the "status quo" permits 1 unit per 2.12 acres in rural <br /> Orange, because of the county's poor land quality for development. <br /> B. The "open space" options help overcome the county's poor land quality. <br /> and include a fixed scale of bonuses that allow, on average, 1 unit per 1 acre <br /> (actually more than 1 unit per acre; the scale goes from .8 to 1.4 units/acre.) <br /> So every acre that goes into an "open space development" (CSD) allows <br /> twice as many units on the same land — and twice as many people . <br /> If 36,000 acres are developed in CSD, which is a conservative estimate <br /> used by the Planning Department, this allows more than 18,000 additional units <br /> and 45,000 additional people than what would be allowed under current land <br /> conditions. The end of this memo summarizes tables appended that show <br /> increases using different assumptions about how the unbuilt portion of the <br /> rural county gets developed over the next 100+ years. Are you really getting <br /> enough new, protected "open space" to justify the huge population increases — <br /> and burden on services, etc. — allowed by higher density developments? <br /> C. The provision to allow water & sewer service in parts of the rural <br /> county makes it easier for developers to choose the CSD options, and increase <br /> density. Water and — especially — sewer service is a magnet for greater <br /> density developments. The sliding scale, with a fixed bonus regardless of the <br /> land's natural condition, gives every landowner in the water/sewer service area <br /> a tremendous boost to the market-value of his or her land. <br /> The fairer method is to start with what the land allows — which is what <br /> now largely determines its market value. That should be the base density on <br /> which any bonuses are added. Those bonuses will increase the land's market <br /> value. So landowners are still winners. <br /> SUMMARY OF FOUR DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS <br /> (Planning Department estimates there are 139,581 acres undeveloped in rural Orange; 34,895 are undevelopable.) <br /> % Land Nuiber <br /> Acres % Land Saved Lots in Total % Chancre New % Change Average <br /> Development in Open in Open in "Open Open 4 of in Lots: People in People: Lot <br /> Option Space Space Space' Space Lots Status 2.5 Per Status Size in <br /> (details attacned) Develpa. Develpa. or Undev. Develpa. Quo Lot Quo Acres <br /> • Status Quo 0 IN 25.0% 0 46,269 0.0% 115,673 0.2% 2.12 <br /> New Sliding Scale - 1 36,291 26% 35.9% 36,989 67,683 46.3% 169,208 46.3% 1.22 <br /> • <br /> New Sliding Scale - 2 55,833 40% 41.4% 56,391 77,118 66.7% 192,796 66.7% 8.98 <br /> New Sliding Scale - 3 48,8533 35% 39.9% 50,109 72,203 56.3% 180,757 56.3% 1.07 <br />