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ORANGE COUNTY <br />PLANNING BOARD <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: November 6, 2013 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 9 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Provision and Maintenance of Sidewalks in the County’s Jurisdiction <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> <br /> <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Chart and Materials from October 6, 2011 <br />BOCC Work Session <br />2. Excerpt of Minutes of October 6, 2011 <br />BOCC Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> <br />Perdita Holtz, Planner III, 245-2578 <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, 245- 2592 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />PURPOSE: To receive information about the challenges unincorporated areas face in providing <br />and maintaining sidewalks. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: Staff is providing this information because the Efland zoning overlay districts, <br />denied by the Board of County Commissioners on February 5, 2013, are scheduled to be heard <br />again at the February 2014 quarterly public hearing. What also occurred with the denial, which <br />was based on pedestrian system (walkways) issues, was the denial of the entire ordinance <br />revision that had predominantly uncontroversial amendments supported by the community and <br />which would have made development in the area far more feasible than existing regulations. <br /> <br />Because new Planning Board members have been appointed this year, staff believed it would <br />be helpful to provide educational information about sidewalks and the challenges North Carolina <br />counties face in providing and maintaining these types of facilities since this may be a point of <br />discussion in the near term. <br /> <br />In December 2012, the Planning Board made a recommendation on the proposed Efland <br />zoning overlay districts, which were heard at the November 19, 2012 quarterly public hearing. <br />The Planning Board’s recommendation included requiring that pedestrian circulation systems <br />be provided as part of any development in the “Efland Village” overlay district. (Maps and <br />materials can be viewed at: http://orangecountync.gov/occlerks/130205.pdf and Planning <br />Board members are encouraged to read the abstract for this item to better understand the <br />issues). <br /> <br />Staff had reported to the Planning Board that the Board of County Commissioners had <br />considered the issue of sidewalks at its October 6, 2011 work session and had decided that, <br />although sidewalks were a desirable amenity, the County would not be in the position in the <br />foreseeable future to begin maintenance and/or construction of public sidewalks (see <br />Attachments 1 and 2 for relevant materials from the work session). Because of this, the <br />129