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67 <br />Attachment 4a <br />SUMMARY OF THE ORANGE COUNTY, CHAPEL HILL, <br />CARRBORO JOINT PLANNING AGREEMENT <br />What is the "Rural Buffer "? <br />The Rural Buffer is a planning and zoning area that was created by a Joint <br />Planning Agreement (JPA) between Orange County / Chapel Hill / Carrboro. <br />What does the JPA do? <br />It's an Interlocal Agreement that: <br />1. Delineates urban areas from rural areas and defines land use, service <br />expectations and community /rural character. <br />2. Creates a future Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) that becomes an <br />annexation limit. <br />3. Serves as an alternative to Municipal Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) <br />expansion by using the following methods: <br />➢ Development review and courtesy review processes and notifications. <br />➢ Representation of residents by those they elect prior to land use <br />changes that alter the planning status of their property and environs. <br />➢ Representation of residents of unincorporated areas on review boards <br />of the future municipality. <br />4. Determines new Urban Transition growth areas where specific areas will <br />transition to urban because of proximity to the urban area. <br />5. Establishes Rural Buffer zoning regulations that support rural character <br />by allowing fewer homes per acre on private well and septic and <br />agricultural support enterprises. Many farms exist in agricultural use <br />value. <br />6. Reduces urban sprawl and creates more urban investment in areas where <br />infrastructure and transit are already available and /or can be efficiently <br />expanded. <br />