Agenda - 05-21-2007-c2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan of the former asphalt plant; the Evans house at the northwest comer of NC Highway 57 and Bacon Road; and a house on the north side of Bacon Road, west of the Speedway. No other historic or culturally significant sites have been documented within the Study Area. E. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT As previously indicated, there are four existing non-residential land uses within the Study Area that represent significant, or potentially significant, employers and economic generators. These include the stone quarry, the concrete plant, the Speedway, and the go-kart raceway. A local landscape contractor office and equipment storage facility is operating within one of the EC-5 zoning districts. The Economic Development Commission's purpose, as outlined within its five-year strategic plan, is to: ... make Orange County a smart, innovative place — a great place in which to live and work. We encourage public-private investments to provide jobs for county residents and to increase the non-residential tax base. Through these investments, we enhance the financial well-being and quality of life of county residents, and the ability of their local governments to provide high-quality services. To this end, the Economic Development Commission (EDC) sees the existing non-residential land uses as an important component of on-going programs to study the viability of expanding economic development opportunities within the rural portions of the County. EDC staff and board members, however, understand the relationship between encouraging 'balanced' growth so that the rural character of an area is preserved even with the addition of non-residential land uses to a given area. The EDC is a partner in this planning process, and is endeavoring to work with local residents and property owners to develop appropriate goals and policies geared to - addressing their concerns. F. HOUSING There are currently sixteen single-family residences on 108 acres of land within the Study Area. Four of these structures are listed in the inventory of historic structures for Orange County. The type of housing ranges from manufactured housing units to older stick built homes. While not directly assessed, housing quality does not appear to be an identified issue. G. RECREATION, PARKS, AND OPEN SPACE No publicly owned recreation, parkland, or open space is located in the Study Area. There are nearly two hundred acres of private recreation land in the form of an automotive speedway and a go-kart raceway and limited motocross track. The Durham County Special Use Permit references a recreational complex on the quarry property after operations have ceased. 20