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ORANGE COUNTY <br />PLANNING BOARD <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date:May 2, 2018 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No.10 <br />SUBJECT:Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and Zoning Atlas Amendments – <br />Modification of Neighborhood Information Meeting (NIM) Requirements <br />DEPARTMENT:Planning and Inspections <br />ATTACHMENT(S):INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1.Comprehensive Plan and Unified <br />Development Ordinance (UDO) <br />Amendment Outline Form 2018-03 <br />2.Statement of Consistency <br />3.Proposed UDO Text Amendments <br />Patrick Mallett, Planner II (919) 245-2577 <br />Michael D. Harvey, Planner III (919) 245-2597 <br />Craig Benedict, Director (919) 245-2575 <br />PURPOSE:To review and make a recommendation on a Planning Director initiatedUnified <br />Development Ordinance (UDO)text amendment updating existing requirements for holding <br />Neighborhood Information Meetings (NIM). <br />BACKGROUND:NIMsare typically required for several types of projects (i.e. Special Use <br />Permits, Conditional Use Districts/Conditional ZoningApplications, Major Subdivision Concept <br />Plans,and government land uses, etc.). NIMs are heldbefore formal review of an application <br />commences (i.e. staff, Planning Board, or BOCC). The goal of the NIM is twofold: <br />a.Allow interested parties to review/askthe applicant questions about the project;and <br />b.Allow staff to explain the review process for a given application. <br />For more information on NIMs, including asynopsis of existing meetingrequirements, please <br />refer to Attachment 1. <br />Staff has heard from members of the public, the Planning Board, and elected officials that NIMs <br />appear to beoccurring too close to the Planning Board meeting to be of any real benefit. <br />Further, there is apparent confusion as to when NIMs are required to occur. <br />The proposed amendment(s) seek to establish, to the greatest extent possible, uniformity with <br />respect to the scheduling of NIMs for projects reviewed by the BOCC where a recommendation <br />is made by the Planning Board.Staff believes these amendments will address the concerns <br />with the turnaround time between NIMs and Planning Board meetings, establish desired <br />uniformity within the UDO where possible, and still allow for adequate time for local residents to <br />become informed of projects and required review processes. <br />Planning Director Recommendation: The Planning Director recommends approval of the <br />Statement of Consistency, as contained in Attachment 2, and the UDO Text Amendment, as <br />contained within Attachment 3. <br />65