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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING BOARD <br />PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 21, 2007 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. C.6 <br />SUBJECT: Text Amendment to Orange County Zoning Ordinance Section 6.29 <br />relating to I-85/Buckhorn Road Economic Development District <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspection <br />Department <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1) Zoning Ordinance Amendment Section <br />6.29; including Design. Manual Excerpt, <br />Permitted Use Table and Land Use Intensity <br />2) I-85/Buckhorn Road EDD Schematic Map <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director 245-2592 <br />Dianne Reid, Economic Development Director <br />245-2325 <br />PURPOSE: To receive citizen comment on a proposed amendment to add performance <br />criteria for retail establishments and other uses, including an amended review and approval <br />process. In addition a new threshold categorization classification of low-intensity <br />non-residential use is proposed. <br />BACKGROUND: Economic Development District (EDD) land use designations were created <br />in 1994. Subsequently, Orange County amended it Zoning Ordinance Article 6.29 to include <br />`The Orange County Economic Development Districts Design Manual'. This document <br />set forth the description and intent of 3 economic development zones; <br />^ I-85 Buckhorn Road, <br />^ I-40/Old NC 86 (now known as the Hillsborough Area EDD) and the <br />^ I-85/US Hwy 70 (now known as Eno Township EDD) <br />The focus of this proposed amendment relates only to I-85 Buckhorn Road EDD, which <br />encompasses approximately 940 acres. This area is located in the north and south side of <br />I-85/I-40 and east of Buckhorn Road. Its northern extent is either US Hwy 70 or the railway <br />and its southern extent is West Ten Road. The area includes the new Gravelly Hill Middle <br />School. <br />Portions of this area has received or is in the process of receiving water and sewer <br />infrastructure and therefore additional planning is underway to ensure compatible uses and a <br />pattern of development that will support existing uses as well as future uses. Another <br />planning effort regarding this general area is the Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan <br />Implementation Focus Group. This amendment supports task force recommendations. <br />Presently, the entire I-85/Buckhorn Road EDD is listed as a `Primary Development Area' with <br />a companion permitted use table that attempts to regulate the wide range of uses from retail <br />to industrial. <br />