Orange County NC Website
2 <br /> <br /> <br />2. Analysis <br />In working with site selection specialists for various economic development projects, <br />Planning staff has noted that the County could be more competitive in attracting <br />economic development projects if the UDO were to include a by-right process that <br />allows for mixed use developments. Currently, an office, research, and manufacturing <br />business park which includes, for example, a restaurant primarily serving onsite <br />employees, but is also open to the public could not be permitted by right in the <br />general use zoning districts. Instead the project would be required to follow either the <br />Master Development Plan Conditional Zoning District (MDP-CZ) process or <br />Conditional Use District process. In order to make the County more competitive in <br />the site selection process for these types of multi-use projects, Planning staff is <br />proposing to allow for additional uses to be permitted in conjunction with, but not <br />before, a specific identified principal use as part of an overall project development <br />plan. <br /> <br />Originally, this text amendment package was envisioned to establish and permit <br />secondary uses in the UDO. Following a recommendation from the Orange County <br />Attorney’s Office, Planning staff revised the amendment in order to permit the uses <br />initially proposed as secondary uses in a more concise manner. As a result, the <br />secondary use concept will not be established in the UDO; however, the same <br />outcome is expected to be achieved by amending the use standards contained in <br />Article 5. Proposed standards will allow additional u ses (banks, beauty and barber <br />shops, laundry and dry cleaning services, restaurants, etc.) to be permitted in the <br />O/RM zoning district when the principal use type is Industrial, Light, Research <br />Facility, or Research and Manufacturing Facility and the cumulative additional uses <br />do not exceed 25% of the total square footage of all structures. <br /> <br />3. Comprehensive Plan Linkage (i.e. Principles, Goals and Objectives) <br />Chapter 3: Economic Development Element - Section 3.5 Goals <br /> <br />Economic Development Overarching Goal: Viable and sustainable economic <br />development that contributes to both property and sales tax revenues, and <br />enhances high-quality employment opportunities for County residents. <br /> <br />Objective ED-1.5: <br />Identify barriers to development of desirable businesses and local businesses, <br />and mitigate these barriers. <br /> <br />Objective ED-2.1: <br />Encourage compact and higher density development in areas served by water <br />and sewer. <br /> <br />Chapter 5: Land Use Element - Section 5.6 Goals <br /> <br />Land Use Overarching Goal: Coordination of the amount, location, pattern and <br />designation of future land uses, with availability of County services and facilities <br />sufficient to meet the needs of Orange County’s population and economy <br />consistent with other Comprehensive Plan element goals and objectives. <br /> <br />Land Use Goal 1: <br />Fiscally and environmentally responsible, sustainable growth, consistent with the <br />provision of adequate services and facilities and a high quality of life. <br /> <br /> <br /> 59