Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
165 <br /> O R A N G E C O U N T Y <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 22 , 1993 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item jOC'�—tee <br /> SUBJECT: SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT <br /> SECTION IV-B-3-d-1 - Private Road Justification Criteria <br /> DEPARTMENT: PLANNING PUBLIC HEARING x Yes No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Willis <br /> Extension 2583 <br /> Proposed Amendment <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Hillsborough - 732-8181 <br /> Durham - 688-7331 <br /> Mebane - 227-2031 - <br /> Chapel Hill - 967-9251 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive citizen comment on an amendment to provide for <br /> the approval of private roads in situations which may not <br /> have been anticipated when the current standards were <br /> developed, but for which private road access is deemed <br /> appropriate. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Orange County Subdivision Regulations presume that all <br /> newly-created lots will be served by public roads. <br /> Private roads may be allowed only if justified according <br /> to specific criteria set forth in Section IV-B-d-3-1. The <br /> burden of proof to show that a private road is justified <br /> according to these criteria lies with the subdivider. <br /> The adequacy of the existing private road justification <br /> criteria has been questioned in recent months by both the <br /> Board of Commissioners and Planning Board. This <br /> questioning was prompted in large part by the Featherwood <br /> and White Cross Subdivisions. In both cases, the Board of <br /> Commissioners appeared to favor private rather than public <br /> roads. However, both were approved with public roads <br /> because the current private road justification criteria <br /> did not address the particular factors found to be <br /> important in those subdivisions. <br /> Two additional criteria which could be used to justify a <br /> private road are proposed in the attached amendment. The <br /> first relates to the length of the road. It is proposed <br /> that any road less than 350' in length, may be private, <br /> provide that the average lot size is at least 40, 000 <br /> square feet and the grade does not exceed 9%. The second <br /> criteria relates to the degree to which the tract being <br />