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Developing a system to allow uses that are commercial or industrial in character at a <br />rural scale to occur in residential zoning districts in a way that is consistent with the <br />Land Use Element. <br />A key component of this agenda item is the introduction of a new planning construct for <br />Orange County - conditional district rezoning. After considerable discussion and review <br />of other jurisdictions with successful agricultural programs, Staff (Planning, EDC and <br />ERCD) proposes this tool as the mechanism for allowing intensive agricultural business <br />operations such as processing facilities into the rural portions of the County's residential <br />zoning districts with appropriate land use compatibility guidelines. <br />2. Transportation Issues <br />a. State Transportation Improvement Program Priority List: Biennially, the North <br />Carolina Board of Transportation (BOT) adopts a multi-year State Transportation <br />Improvement Program (STIP) that specifies needed transportation improvements across <br />the state. The process starts with local jurisdictions drafting local transportation priority <br />lists. Federal and state regulations provide for public input into the process. <br />The NC BOT, in July of 2004, voted to change the program period from even-numbered <br />years to odd-numbered years, with STIP adoption in even-numbered years. The next <br />STIP will be for FY 2007-2013 and the public hearing process has been changed from <br />October - November of 2005 to the spring of 2005. (The North Carolina Department of <br />Transportation (NCDOT) has not yet published a public hearing schedule.) <br />The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO or <br />DCHC) Transportation Advisory Committee JAC), at its last meeting on January 121H <br />approved the 2007-2013 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) <br />development schedule. March 14th is the deadline for local jurisdictions to submit priority <br />lists to the Lead Planning Agency (LPA) for the 2007-2013 MTIP. <br />NCDOT, because of the short time frame, suggests that local jurisdictions submit priority <br />lists developed for the 2006-2012 TIP plus any new projects that those jurisdictions may <br />wish to add. <br />b. Creation of a Unified Transportation Advisory Committee: The Board of County <br />Commissioners (BOCC), at its annual planning retreat on January 22, 2005, directed <br />Staff to explore membership options for a transportation advisory board that would study <br />transportation issues in Orange County, and as appropriate, advise the BOCC. A Unified <br />Transportation Advisory Committee (UTAC) would provide a means for improved <br />coordination of all county interests pertaining to transportation. Staff will present <br />recommendations for the work group formation and other particulars in the abstract for <br />the February 28, 2005, meeting for the Board's discussion. <br />3. Update of the Rural Character and Farmland Protection Work Group: The purpose <br />of this item is to update the Board of County Commissioners on the status of the <br />Planning Board's Rural Character and Farmland Protection Work Group's activities and <br />products.