Agenda Abstract - 01-30-2018 Assembly of Governments

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72 Rural Buffer Retrospective —November, 2017 Celebration of the Rural Buffer How did we get here? As North Carolina and the nation emerged from a period of recession and explosive interest rates in the late 1970's, Orange County experienced significant growth pressures. Across the Research Triangle Area, it was common to see farms and undeveloped land turned into subdivisions and suburban -type shopping centers. Downtown areas were losing vitality as sprawl patterns of land use began to spread. At the same time, southern Orange County was dealing with an archaic set of land use regulations. Municipal boundaries were expanding as annexations became commonplace. Thirty years previously, the NC General Assembly had drawn lines in southeastern Orange County to define extraterritorial jurisdiction areas (ETJ), where development of land outside of Chapel Hill and Carrboro's corporate limits would be regulated by Chapel Hill and Carrboro zoning ordinances. The original purpose of ETJ areas was to achieve transition objectives, such that land immediately outside of corporate boundaries that would likely be annexed would develop in accordance with municipal regulations. The problem was that corporate boundaries had already gone past the 30 -year old ETJ lines, and the municipalities were seeking expansion of the ETJ areas. Another problem was that non -urban residents in the ETJ areas were increasingly dissatisfied with the situation of land use decisions that affected their properties being made by those whom they had not elected. There were commonly held objectives that were being threatened by these circumstances, including high value placed on: (1) The existence and proximity of rural areas and open space; (2) Cultural identity and character related to the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and to rural Orange County; and (3) The water supply independence of southern Orange County - - resulting from purposeful growth management, and successful preservation of water supply watersheds. These conditions in the mid- 1980's called for creative responses and, as has always been the case for these communities, collaboration and forward thinking resulted in development of a strategic framework. Drawing upon best practices and lessons from around the nation in the delineation of urban growth boundaries, elected and appointed officials from Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County came together to draft a customized mutual agreement that created what is now known as the Rural Buffer. Addressing issues of land use patterns, transportation systems, topography, and public facilities, lines were re -drawn to designate areas where urban growth would be targeted and where it would be discouraged, along with policies governing where public facilities would and would not be extended. And the Agreement provided a voice for non -urban residents in land use decisions regarding these areas. The result has been a dramatic and successful growth management system that encourages municipal growth, preserves nearby rural character, protects water supply watersheds, and provides a level of certainty to property owners, residents, and developers about future development patterns. Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County have taken pride in effective governance systems that have provided leadership and vision, and this Agreement has been a grand illustration of the value that can be achieved by working together. The Rural Buffer boundaries have now been in place for 30 years, and have helped Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and surrounding portions of rural Orange County to thrive while preserving their unique characters and cultures.