Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
. . 29 <br /> June 26, 1989 <br /> Mr. Barry Jacobs <br /> Chairman, Orange County Planning Board <br /> • <br /> Route 6, Box 743 <br /> Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Mr. Moses Carey <br /> Chairman, Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> 102 Warren Court <br /> Chapel Hill, NC 27514 <br /> Gentlemen: <br /> As residents of Pauline Drive, we are writing in opposition to <br /> the cluster design for the Homewood Subdivision proposed for land <br /> • between Whitfield Road and Pauline Drive. We also wish to express <br /> our enthusiastic support for the alternative plan proposed by the • <br /> staff of County Planning Department at the May 15 meeting of the <br /> Planning Board. • <br /> At the May 15 meeting of the Planning Board, the Homewood <br /> concept plan proposed by the developers was approved subject to <br /> minor modifications after failing on an initial vote. The staff <br /> plan was never voted on. The Homewood design will be presented <br /> again on July 17 for final approval. We respectfully request that <br /> the cluster design proposed by the developer be denied because of <br /> its adverse impact on the existing homes in the area, the <br /> environment, and the character of the area. <br /> A wider issue is that this case is an example of abuse of the <br /> cluster design concept amounting to de facto rezoning. Although <br /> cluster design as described in article 22 has as its goal <br /> preserving open space for public benefit and for protecting <br /> environmentally sensitive areas, in fact, in this case we believe <br /> clustering is being used solely to circumvent the 2-acre rural <br /> buffer requirement while excluding neighborhood or community input <br /> because technically no rezoning is required. <br /> The most important issues which we feel were not fully <br /> considered at the May 15 meeting are the following: <br /> 1. . Lack of integration with existing neighborhoods. Because of <br /> cluster provisions, the proposed lots would be much smaller than <br /> those of neighboring houses, and more importantly, no attempt has <br /> been made by the developer to integrate this development with <br /> existing homes. Instead, the neighborhoods would be pushed against <br /> each other in an incongruous fashion so that each would detract <br /> from the ambience and property values of the other. In contrast, <br /> the staff plan includes one lot that would have access off Pauline <br /> Drive, thereby completing and complementing that neighborhood. <br /> Further, the staff plan separates the remainder of the proposed <br /> 1 <br /> • <br />