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53 <br />d. Erosion Control Ordinance Text Amendments <br />DW Presentation by Warren Faircloth. <br />The North Carolina Sedimentation Control <br />Commission allows local governments to enforce <br />their own erosion control programs under certain <br />conditions. One of the conditions is that the <br />local ordinance conform to the Commissions Model <br />Ordinance. The Model Ordinance was revised by <br />the Commission in 1990, and the majority of the <br />proposed amendments are for updating the County's <br />Ordinance so that it conforms with the Model. <br />Additional amendments are proposed by staff and <br />are noted as such in the commentary. <br />These amendments will also be made to the Chapel <br />Hill Erosion Control Ordinance which is <br />administered by the County staff. <br />Erosion Control Staff recommends that the <br />proposed amendments be advertised for the public <br />hearing on February 25, 1991. <br />Faircloth stated that changes are noted in the <br />proposed ordinance amendments. <br />Jacobs asked when is an erosion control plan <br />required. <br />Faircloth stated that if more than 20,000 square <br />feet of contiguous land is being graded, then an <br />erosion control plan is required. <br />Jacobs referred to a newspaper article from <br />another county where they were concerned with <br />people disturbing 3/4 of an acre, leaving a small <br />strip undisturbed, and disturbing 9/10 of an acre <br />without having an erosion control plan because <br />the land is contiguous. <br />Faircloth stated that the biggest problem that <br />Orange County has encountered is in subdivisions <br />where several lots may be disturbed at the same <br />time but may not be contiguous. The State's <br />ordinance requires an erosion control plan if the <br />area exceeds one acre and the County's ordinance <br />requires 1/2 acre. <br />Jacobs asked how much land is normally graded for <br />a house. <br />Faircloth stated usually less than 1/2 an acre <br />is graded for a house. There are exceptions <br />where there are small lots and very large houses <br />are being put on them. This involves disturbing <br />