OCPB agenda 100213 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 1. Purpose/Mission In accordance with the provisions of Section 2.8 Zoning Atlas and Unified Development Ordinance Amendments of the UDO, the Planning Director has initiated a text amendment to require that a neighborhood information meeting be held prior to any action authorizing the development of a governmental land use within the County’s planning jurisdiction. The anticipated development of a fire department substation off of Neville Road has caused local residents to voice concern over a lack of notification or participation in the process to develop the aforementioned facility. A volunteer fire department falls within the Governmental Use land use category, as detailed within Section 5.2 Table of Permitted Uses of the UDO, and is considered to be a permitted use of property. P ermitted uses are handled administratively (i.e. staff review) with no public outreach required by the UDO. The Governmental Use land use category includes the following: a. Government Facilities and Office Buildings b. Government Protective Services (Police and Fire Stations) Rescue Squads, Volunteer Fire Departments c. Military Installations (National Guard and Reserve, Armory) In order to address a concern over a lack of public involvement with ‘governmental uses’ the Planning Director proposes to modify the UDO to require a neighborhood information meeting to allow the general public to be made aware of such applications and offer comment. Please note this amendment, as currently written, will not impact those uses listed in Section 5.1.2 Uses Permitted As a Matter of Right of the UDO. This would include: utilities (i.e. electric, telephone, gas, cable, sewer, water, etc.), borrow pits associated with State/federal highway projects, or solid waste collection facilities owned/operated by a public agency. 2. Analysis As required under Section 2.8.5 of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance, the Planning Director is required to: ‘cause an analysis to be made of the application and, based upon that analysis, prepare a recommendation for consideration by the Planning Board and the Board of County Commissioners’. The proposed amendment is designed to address a concern over a lack of notification and involvement of the general public with respect to the development of governmental uses throughout the County’s planning jurisdiction. If approved, the amendment will require a neighborhood information meeting prior to any action by the County to review a development request in the hopes the applicant can address local property owner concerns. It should be noted this amendment, if approved, will likely extend the development review period for such projects by several weeks. Further State and Federal agencies are typically exempt from local land use regulations. As a result the development of a government facility by a State or Federal agency would not be subject to this new 44