Orange County NC Website
B. RATIONALE <br />1. Purpose/Mission <br />In order to better promote economic development opportunities in the Hillsborough <br />Economic Development District (EDD), the Planning Director is suggesting <br />consideration of UDO text amendments to modify development standards, types of <br />permitted uses, and use standards. <br /> <br />2. Analysis <br />Text modifications to existing standards that regulate development in the <br />Hillsborough EDD would aid the County in promoting economic development <br />opportunities within the EDD. Plans for County investment in water and sewer <br />infrastructure to parcels south of Interstate 40 and in the vicinity of Old Highway 86 <br />are underway and these UDO text amendments focus on this geographic area. <br /> <br />The proposed text amendments would allow for more projects, including mixed <br />development projects, to be permitted “by-right”, subject to all applicable standards <br />contained within the UDO. The amendments would also remove single-family and <br />duplex residential uses as by-right permitted uses within the Hillsborough EDD. This <br />action would preserve expected water and sewer capacity within the EDD for non- <br />residential uses. Additionally, multi-family uses would be permitted by-right only if the <br />use is a small part of a mixed-use development project. Residential-only projects <br />could potentially be permitted in the Hillsborough EDD if approved as an MPD-CZ or <br />Conditional Use District. <br /> <br />Retail uses are proposed to be added as by-right permitted uses in the EDH-4 and <br />EDH-5 zoning districts. Currently, no lands are zoned EDH-4 or EDH-5. Retail uses <br />would be permitted by-right only if they are part of a mixed use development project <br />and would be subject to square footage limitations. Stand-alone retail uses could <br />potentially be permitted in the Hillsborough EDD if approved as an MPD-CZ or <br />Conditional Use District. <br /> <br />Other modifications to the Table of Permitted Uses (Section 5.2.2) have been <br />proposed and are included in the amendment package in Attachment 2. <br /> <br />3. Comprehensive Plan Linkage (i.e. Principles, Goals and Objectives) <br />Objective ED-1.5: <br />Identify barriers to development of desirable businesses and local businesses, and <br />mitigate these barriers. <br /> <br />Objective ED-2.1: <br />Encourage compact and higher density development in areas served by water and <br />sewer. (See also Land Use Objective LU-1.1 and Water and Wastewater Objective <br />WW-5.) <br /> <br />Objective ED-2.5: <br />Identify lands suitable to accommodate the expansion and growth of commercial and <br /> 16