Agenda - 06-03-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WATERSHED PROTECTION ik Watershed protection is not a new concern. Since the late 1970's, Orange County has been a leader in watershed protection efforts in North Carolina. In 1987, however, concern about the adequacy of existing protection standards emerged in response to a proposed development in the University Lake Watershed. Orange County and the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro jointly requested that the Orange Water and Sewer Authority ( OWASA) commission a carrying capacity study of the watershed to determine what changes, if any, needed to be made in the existing standards. In late 1987, OWASA employed the consulting firm of Camp, Dresser, and McKee to undertake the study. The final report was submitted in March, 1989, and representatives of the three jurisdictions began meeting thereafter to formulate a coordinated watershed protection program. Strategies for protecting University Lake watershed were drafted in October, 1989, based principally on the recommendations of the OWASA consultant. In April, 1990, Orange County amended its development regulations to implement most of the strategies proposed by the Watershed Work Group. The basic strategy for protecting University Lake was to increase the minimum required lot size to five acres. This represented a substantial decrease in permitted densities and raised concern among farmers and property owners about losses in property values. To address this concern, the Watershed Work Group recommended the following: 1. That the jurisdictions develop strategies for dealing with special hardships that farmers might experience in order to further the public purpose of protecting farmland; 2. That OWASA be requested to create a watershed protection fund to acquire rights in sensitive lands; and 3. That the County conduct a study of the possible use of transferable development rights for purposes of watershed protection. Because of the number of watersheds in the county and the proportion of land (60 %) situated therein, Orange County opted to consider an approach similar to that recommended for OWASA - the acquisition of development rights. Another reason for this was the apparent reluctance of local municipalities to be receiving areas for transferred development rights. A purchase of development rights program would also serve a dual purpose - watershed protection and farmland preservation. MAINTAINING RURAL CHARACTER In January of 1987, as part of joint planning activities with Chapel Hill and Carrboro, Orange County incorporated a new district, the Rural Suffer, into its zoning regulations. Residents Page - 2