Orange County NC Website
41"5/7 6.015 - <br /> r <br /> Feb. 28 Public Hearin iN, ORANGE COUNTY - <br /> Hearing on Proposed Revisions To And To The Comprehensive <br /> Plan, Zoning Atlas , Zoning Ordinance, and Subdivision Regulations <br /> of Orange County, N.C. <br /> To The Orange County Commissionsers : <br /> Thank you for this Public Hearing in order to speak out Alill. • � . <br /> on the Protection of the University Lake Watershed. , - * 1 ' <br /> I am Margaret Holton, a citizen of Orange County and Chapel ' <br /> Hill , who has been studying and working/Eo protect water since <br /> the early 1980 ' s so that clean water will be here for the <br /> next generation. <br /> Two months ago citizens had understood that this PUBLIC <br /> HEARING was called on Protection of the University Lake Water- <br /> shed for comments on the agreement of the Joint Orange-Chatham <br /> Work Group who worked for two years on the pros and cons of <br /> how to protect University Lake. This Group came to consensus <br /> on a 13-W nt Agreement which was based on information from <br /> the 1988"s'tudy by Camp, Dresser and McKee (CDM) of University <br /> Lake Watershed. I suppor thit 13- oint Agreemen o the Inte <br /> governmental Work Groupa— C -x - i.,, .-4 <br /> University Lake is the pri cipal source o drin ing wa7- ' <br /> for the 55 , 000 citizens that Orange Water and Sewer Autho-it B" <br /> (OWASA) serves in southern Orange County which includes Cha l <br /> Hill/Carrboro as well as the University of North Carolina(you <br /> know that Cane Creek water is piped into a tributary that <br /> feeds into University Lake. ) During the past two months the <br /> reports through the media of the Orange County Commissioners <br /> meetings and hearings , as well as the suggestions from the <br /> Orange County Planning Staff, have left the citizens somewhat <br /> confused. Luckily I learned on Sunday that you had a notice <br /> of a Public Hearing for tonight on Land-Use Amendments in <br /> the newspaper. Now this is a big zoning issue hearing that <br /> is presenting alternatives , and these changes seem to be moving <br /> away from the Camp, Dresser, McKee study recommendations . <br /> We do understand that the study recommends land-use controls <br /> such as density and that structural controls can be used as <br /> a last resort. This Public Hearing needed to be centered on <br /> Drinking Water Protecti244e5.. n alternatives. <br /> I wish to comment on the pposed revisions under the Orange <br /> County Zoning Ordinance concerning changes on the overlay . P' <br /> zoning district recommended o be changed to University Lake4440,p..- <br /> Watershed(ULW) District, .< '! , _ e �,4 <br /> 1 . There still needs to be a critical Areas signation y <br /> extending at least one-half mile from the water ' s edge. e'The <br /> word critical makes the public aware of the need to achieve <br /> the goal of pollution prevention that close to water source <br /> of the ULW District. Within this Critical Area structural <br /> controls for stormwater runoff should not be allowed, neither <br /> should community alternative wastewater treatment systems. <br /> When commenting on alternatives, one should call attention <br /> to the fact that community alternative wastewater systems <br /> in N.C. have had a history of a high number of failures ,and <br /> ship n t be allowed an where in the watershed._ k <br /> . . <br /> Jry -...)79 , I . i ' r."44.-1 <br />