Orange County NC Website
associated with each. The rationale for shifting the focus of the <br />PB /EDC Work Group,.to these factors is explained in greater detail <br />below. <br />Performance standards. one objective contained in the initial <br />agreement between the Planning Board and Economic Development <br />Commission was the identification of performance standards and <br />project size thresholds with which to control the intensity and <br />thus the impact of land development. Traditionally, intensity has <br />been controlled through the use of standards that regulate the bulk <br />of buildings. Examples of such standards include building coverage, <br />floor area, landscape surface, and impervious surface ratios. These <br />standards in combination with building height limitations were the <br />principal means of controlling bulk. <br />Rather than limit - itself to consideration of these traditional <br />standards, the PB /EDC Work Group decided to evaluate additional <br />ways of controlling land use intensity. Among the techniques <br />considered by the PB /EDC Work Group were three new standards <br />promoted by performance zoning advocates. These standards included <br />building volume, landscape volume, and site volume ratios, and <br />introduced not only consideration of building height but the size <br />of plant materials and vehicles. <br />To help the PB /EDC Work Group understand the application of <br />the standards, the staff suggested that three businesses be <br />selected, representing each of the nonresidential land use <br />categories identified in the target area analysis. The staff would <br />then conduct a detailed analysis of each site to illustrate the <br />relationship between development character and intensity standards. <br />Initially, 18 sites were selected for evaluation by the PB /EDC <br />Work Group. An additional site, a bank, has since been added to the <br />list of "service" establishments. Each evaluation includes the <br />preparation of a site plan rendering showing the location of <br />buildings and landscaping, parking and loading areas, and streets <br />and access drives. Photographs have also been taken of each site so <br />that the PB /EDC Work Group can relate what is "on the ground" with <br />the rendering (see Attachment 5). <br />Related to the site analysis work, a spreadsheet template was <br />developed to calculate land use intensity ratios for each site. The <br />template was designed to enable calculations for single or multiple <br />uses and is being expanded to permit calculation of other impacts, <br />including traffic, solid waste, water consumption, sewage disposal, <br />etc. An example of the template's use in deriving calculations for <br />Parker - Hannifin is provided in Attachment 6. Summary sheets <br />comparing site, land use intensity, and landscape characteristics <br />of businesses evaluated to date are provided as Attachments 7, 8, <br />and 9. <br />1992 Work_ objectives <br />All of the work completed by the PB /EDC Work Group has led to <br />the formulation of a more definitive goal; i.e., to develop an <br />