Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
22 <br /> Page 2 of 2 Hunter Spitzer <br /> Orange County Planning Board (REQUIRES DISCLOSURE STATEMENT) <br /> Please list the work/volunteer experience/qualifications that would add to your expertise <br /> for this board. <br /> Classes at UNC Chapel Hill <br /> What unique perspective can you bring to the Orange County Planning Board? <br /> As a resident who has grown up in the county, I bring young, vested interest to the board, and I <br /> bring fresh ideas as a university student. And though I am learning about planning and <br /> development in my courses, I have never worked in this field before, bringing an untempered <br /> perspective to the board. <br /> What do you see as the responsibilities of this board, and what do you hope to <br /> accomplish if appointed? <br /> I believe it is the responsibility of the board to sustainably design our county to encourage <br /> economic prosperity and the give people the best opportunities for health and happiness within <br /> the area. I hope to increase the number of legitimate bike lanes in the county, encourage mixed <br /> zoning policy, and cultivate dense development that does not jeopardize the character of our <br /> county. <br /> What do you consider to be be the most important issues facing Orange County related <br /> to growth? <br /> The most important issue facing Orange County in terms of growth is poorly managed urban <br /> sprawl. This sprawl takes up large amounts of natural areas, for low density housing, which will <br /> often be occupied by commuter families which may travel as far as Raleigh or Greensboro for <br /> work; an unsustainable system environmentally, economically and socially. It increases carbon <br /> emissions and habitat destruction and fragmentation, it causes a lot of money to leave the <br /> economy as people often leave the county to work and shop, and it weakens peoples <br /> connections to their community as people spend much of their days focused on their work <br /> outside the county. <br /> What role should the Planning Board take in guiding and regulating growth? <br /> It is the responsibility of the Planning Board to work with the Planning Department and the <br /> County Commissioners to create a viable development plan for the county. As a volunteer <br /> board, it should also make more of an effort to survey residents of the county to ensure they are <br /> happy with developments. <br /> How would you,as a member of the Planning Board, contribute to the implementation of <br /> the Board of Commissioners' adopted Goals and Priorities? <br /> By encouraging dense development of multi-purpose land areas. Including placing buildings for working,shopping,and <br /> living in close proximity builds a community,keeps development out of natural areas,and encourages healthier life <br /> styles.This would help accomplish the goals one,three,five and six. Goals two and four would require the board <br /> members cooperation with other boards and government bodies and community outreach. <br /> Other Comments: <br /> This application was current on: 11/28/2016 10:22:57 AM Date Printed: 11/29/2016 <br />