Orange County NC Website
Approved 11/01/2017 <br /> <br />22 <br />Craig Benedict said that the regulations that the County has put together, in anticipation of this land use 1108 <br />implementation that has been on the map since the ‘80s, takes into account the impacts that community members 1109 <br />voiced. Traffic-wise, road capacity is evaluated by the TIAs. When traffic from this project meets certain thresholds, 1110 <br />the developer has to make improvements. Mr. Benedict said that this is not a case where the project continues and 1111 <br />someone else fixes the project later. Many residents raised concerns about lighting. Orange County has one of the 1112 <br />best “dark sky” ordinances in North Carolina. The lighting program in Section 6.11 of the UDO requires that light be 1113 <br />limited and directed down. In terms of the environmental issues, the site-by-site EIAs will be considered alongside 1114 <br />master planning for stormwater management which protects the water table. Even though wells are permissible 1115 <br />within the development, they may not necessarily have to install them. It could be the case that stormwater areas 1116 <br />down to groundwater could provide the water for irrigation and other landscaping. 1117 <br /> 1118 <br />Tony Blake asked if there is something that can be done to restrict the amount of water used from a well during a 1119 <br />drought. He acknowledged the technical solutions but asked if verbiage could be added to address the issue. 1120 <br /> 1121 <br />Craig Benedict responded the water table in Orange County is not in the typical stratospheric table seen in other 1122 <br />parts of the country. It is in granite. The creation of a well is about hitting the right cracks in the rock. Since there are 1123 <br />some adjacent properties with wells that are outside of this project, if there are wells are requested in the future for 1124 <br />landscaping, Staff can direct the developer to an area with the least susceptibility of affecting nearby wells. 1125 <br /> 1126 <br />Tony Blake said that there could be something codified about this issue. 1127 <br /> 1128 <br />Craig Benedict noted that the protections as part of the MPD-CZ are more intense than in general use zoning. The 1129 <br />amount of uses allowed in a master plan development is a restricted list from the full list in the Table. There are more 1130 <br />precautions in a MPD-CZ, with traffic impacts, and more comprehensive development that is a value to everybody 1131 <br />and to the surrounding Towns, and people who use the roads in the area. This type of project takes a better look at 1132 <br />all of the impacts on-site and off-site. 1133 <br /> 1134 <br />Kim Piracci said that she understands that it has been established that the County has and wants to develop this 1135 <br />area, and this is a valuable area. She asked if developers tell Board members what they are planning to do with this. 1136 <br /> 1137 <br />Craig Benedict replied that there is not going to be 272 acres of development all at once. The perimeters will be set 1138 <br />with approved zoning and then the developer will market the property. In this case, there is not a specific site plan or 1139 <br />use that says that an Ikea is coming here; it is not this type of proposal. This type of proposal develops the road 1140 <br />pattern - the utility pattern, the use pattern, the buffer pattern, and other such patterns. Once something like this is 1141 <br />established, there will be more activity and will be prepared to a higher level than in the past for the advent of the 1142 <br />infrastructure being put into this area. In the early ‘80s, I-40 was not there. The impact of I-40 spurred interest in 1143 <br />creating an interchange and jobs. This project will likely feed off of the interstate with people going to work from the 1144 <br />rural areas of the County. The traffic here is interstate-related to a large degree. 1145 <br /> 1146 <br />Kevin Nicholson said that he lives at 1006 Davis Rd. He said that he is part of the sixth generation living on his 1147 <br />property; he lives in his grandfather’s house. He raises chickens, cows and has a farm (farm use value program). 1148 <br />This proposed development within a mile of the house. He said that he can remember a time when there was a 1149 <br />proposal to widen Davis Rd. to 5 lanes. Everybody from his family and in community fought this proposal off. Is there 1150 <br />a plan to widen Davis Rd. with this project? He knows that something will have to be done with Old 86 eventually. 1151 <br /> 1152 <br />Jim Parker said that his project is not proposing the widening of Davis Rd. 1153 <br /> 1154 <br />Craig Benedict said that there is long range planning for road patterns. Based on the long range planning going on, 1155 <br />he can say that there are no long-range plans to widen Davis Rd. but there are plans to widen NC-86 over the long-1156 <br />term and short-term. The road between Old 86 and new 86 through the Waterstone development was part of the 1157 <br />Planning Department’s planning efforts 15 years ago. There may be a traffic light at Davis Rd. someday, when it 1158 <br />meets NCDOT’s needs. 1159 <br /> 1160