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f <br /> the designation of urban transition area for lands both north <br /> and south of the interchange. However, the Orange County <br /> Planning Board has proposed the designation of Transition <br /> Area on the northern side of the interchange, but continues <br /> the Land Use Element concept of using I-40 as a natural urban <br /> boundary, with rural areas to be located south and west of <br /> the freeway. <br /> Recent efforts along these lines have included a proposal by <br /> the Town Commissioners to recognize I-40 as a transition area <br /> boundary. Discussion of this proposal is ongoing. <br /> This interchange area is also being considered by both <br /> the Orange County Planning Board/Economic Development <br /> Commission Work Group and the Economic Development <br /> Commission's Target Advisory Group as a potential <br /> area for employment generating and tax base-enhancing <br /> activities. However, this process is in the very early stages <br /> and any evaluation of this potential site from that <br /> standpoint would be premature. The applicants are aware of <br /> this effort. <br /> The issue of a supporting population density in the vicinity <br /> of this site is one that would likely be answered by both <br /> time and the proposal itself. The question of a supporting <br /> adjacent population in and of itself is not a major obstacle, <br /> given future urban densities north of the interstate and the <br /> accessibility of the transportation network. <br /> However, the question of adequate public service provision <br /> without urban services remains problematic. The applicants <br /> propose to use the OWASA water line on Old Chapel Hill-- <br /> Hillsborough Road as a source of water supply, but OWASA has <br /> indicated that this large pipeline is not always in service, <br /> and more importantly, is a water--transfer pipeline only. This <br /> line, therefore, could not be tapped for service. <br /> Other necessary public services - especially public safety <br /> and fire protection - would be provided by rural-oriented <br /> - agencies such as the County Sheriff's Department and the <br /> Rural Orange Fire Department. One policy implication of <br /> increased non-residential development in this area without <br /> the full range of urban services could be future service <br /> y- inadequacies - especially if development intensity were <br /> permitted to increase. <br /> In summary, the question of non-residential development at <br /> this interchange is one that has been discussed in the <br /> public forum before. A 1984 Area Study resulted in no change <br /> to existing policy documents or plans. The applicant asserts <br /> that the completion of 1-40 has now created a changed <br /> condition which warrants the designation of a Commercial <br /> Activity Node on these 33 acres . <br /> =::�. <br /> ry, 9 <br /> 6x` <br />