Orange County NC Website
<br /> <br /> <br />A-1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />APPENDIX: FUTURE PHASE SUGGESTIONS RECEIVED TO DATE <br /> <br />March 2, 2011 <br /> <br /> <br />Listed below are ideas that the Orange County Planning staff received as part of the 2009-2010 <br />Unified Development Ordinance review process, or are aware of because the idea was raised <br />during the 2030 Comprehensive Plan process. At this time, these ideas are not being <br />incorporated into the UDO as they exceed the scope of work with which staff was approved to <br />proceed. They are collected and listed here as a resource for consideration of future <br />amendments to the UDO. <br /> <br />The comments are listed as submitted by citizens, stakeholders, and Board members, without <br />evaluation. They appear below grouped by category of comment. The ideas are numbered <br />sequentially and continuously throughout this Appendix for ease of reference. <br /> <br /> <br />COMMENTS RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT <br /> <br />NEED FOR INCENTIVES <br /> <br />1. The size of a farm should be considered. Organic farmers, which seem to be the trend, <br />10 acres in order to be called a farm is a bit large for an organic farm. Considering farm <br />income as a requirement to be a farm is difficult because prices can vary so much from <br />year to year that one year a farmer can produce 300 bushels of corn and hardly break <br />even because prices are low and the next year the same farmer can produce 120 <br />bushels and make a lot because prices have gone up substantially. <br />2. Agricultural Support Enterprises regulations need to be written. <br />3. Incentives for commercial development (expedited processes, etc.). <br />4. Focus on the greatest value for the greater good of the entire county with purposeful <br />philosophy and policies to achieve the economic resiliency and community diversity we <br />desperately need and require at this time. <br />5. Examine what our local private businesses need in order to expand and thrive. <br />6. Examine why successful businesses left Orange County, such as Smith Breeden, Rho, <br />Contact and BlueCross BlueShield’s expansion, and determine what we need to do to <br />have helped them grow here. <br />7. Economic development projects in the Economic Development Districts should have a <br />predictable and expeditious approval process. Economic development projects in other <br />appropriate areas should have a similar approval process. <br />8. Economic development approval processes and standards should be revised by local <br />business and planning professionals in conjunction with UNC’s Planning, Business and <br />Law Schools. <br />44