Orange County NC Website
2 <br /> <br />1. Purpose/Mission <br />To consider revisions to the current public hearing process for Comprehensive Plan, <br />Unified Development Ordinance, and Zoning Atlas amendments. <br /> <br />County staff and elected officials received comments during development of the <br />Comprehensive Plan (2008) and Unified Development Ordinance (2011) about the <br />perceived need to streamline and speed up decisions on applications. <br /> <br />2. Analysis <br />This topic was discussed extensively in 2014, after being heard at the September <br />2014 quarterly public hearing. The public hearing for the amendments, as proposed <br />in 2014, was closed in November 2014 when it became apparent that the proposal <br />would change significantly enough to require another public hearing. The topic was <br />recently discussed at the May 12, 2015 BOCC work session. Work session materials <br />include links to prior materials and are available at: <br />http://www.orangecountync.gov/150512.pdf. <br /> <br />The Ordinance Review Committee (ORC), a function of the Planning Board, reviewed <br />draft language in July and August 2015. At the time, internal staff/attorney review <br />was ongoing and the materials to be presented at public hearing have been modified <br />from the versions the ORC reviewed. ORC agenda materials and meeting notes are <br />available at: <br /> <br />http://www.orangecountync.gov/ORC_Agenda_Packet_July_2015.pdf <br />http://www.orangecountync.gov/7_1_15_ORC_Notes.pdf <br />http://www.orangecountync.gov/ORC_Agenda_Package___Aug_2015.pdf <br />http://www.orangecountync.gov/8_5_15_ORC_Notes.pdf <br /> <br />Proposed Revisions <br />The following revisions are being proposed: <br /> Planning Board review/recommendation would occur prior to the public <br />hearing for both legislative and quasi-judicial (Class A Special Use Permit) <br />items. (The existing process is for Planning Board review/recommendation to <br />occur after the public hearing). <br />o Notification of the Planning Board meeting would be mailed/posted for <br />items requiring such notice (e.g., map amendments or development <br />projects) and the public would be able to address the Planning Board at <br />its meeting. The proposed process would allow for public notification <br />and involvement earlier than the existing process. <br /> No longer require a quorum of Planning Board members in order to hold a <br />quarterly public hearing. Planning Board members would still be expected to <br />attend the hearing but a quorum of members would not be necessary in order <br />for the hearing to be held. This revision would mean that the quarterly public <br />hearings would no longer be considered joint BOCC/Planning Board hearings <br />since, without a quorum requirement, the Planning Board could not be <br />considered an official board in attendance. <br />o Revise the Planning Board Policies and Procedures to require that the <br />Planning Board Chair, or Vice-Chair in the Chair’s absence, attend the