Orange County NC Website
To: • Carrboro Aldermen & <br /> Orange County Commissioner <br /> From: Ernie Patterson • I I� RECEIVED BAR , . <br /> ht6 obi . <br /> Date: March 15, 1990 <br /> Subject: Land use zoning for Orange County Watersheds <br /> and other Rural land <br /> After reviewing the different watershed zoning proposals, I <br /> would like to suggest the following zoning proposal for all of <br /> Orange County land not part of a municipalities zoning district. <br /> 1. The development density of all Orange County land be <br /> set at a maximum of 10% impervious surface covering the <br /> land. This would include all land not part of a <br /> municipalities zoning district. <br /> 2. Land in any designated watershed be limited to an <br /> actual developed density of no more than 5% impervious <br /> surface coverage and the owner be allowed to sell the <br /> other 5% impervious surface coverage to land owners in <br /> Orange County who do not live in a designated <br /> watershed. These land owners could use this purchased <br /> impervious surface coverage allocation to increase the <br /> density of their development in non watershed areas. <br /> if the municipalities would also co-operate the bonus <br /> could be used anywhere in the county and would allow <br /> land to be developed to some designated maximum limit <br /> based on location and available public infrastructure. <br /> 3. Gravel driveways would not be counted at 100% <br /> impervious surface coverage but some lesser amount such <br /> as 50%. This means the total square footage of gravel <br /> driveway and parking areas would be multiplied by . 5 to <br /> determine the amount that would be counted towards the <br /> impervious surface limits. <br /> 4. Owners of property could sell up to 100% of their <br /> density allocation provided they take the proper <br /> actions to insure their land would remain open forever. <br /> This would allow farming, dairying, or other uses that <br /> would involve no impervious surface coverage. <br /> 5. All lots not on a public sewer system provided by OWASA <br /> a municipality must have two approved sewage disposal <br /> systems available. In the case of septic tanks this <br /> would require two separate drain fields being available <br /> and designated. <br /> If this proposal is implemented it would allow for <br /> reasonable development of Orange County land while at the same <br /> time protecting our watersheds. The value of the density would <br /> be set by market action and property owners in the watersheds <br /> would be able to recover some of the income the lose by stricter <br /> density requirements. <br />