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Natural Areas Element Draft Goals (7- 3M2) Clean version <br /> conjunction with dedicated natural areas and open space <br /> surrounding these nodes . <br /> Objective 3 . 4 Designate an urban growth boundary around Chapel Hill , <br /> Carrboro , Hillsborough , Mebane , and Durham (within Orange <br /> County ) , and direct intensive land uses to those areas . <br /> Goal Four : Residential development and neighborhoods that maintain <br /> residents ' access to undeveloped land ( i . e . , land allowed to <br /> evolve naturally) . <br /> Objective 4 . 1 Encourage major subdivisions to locate all planned residential <br /> lots within one - quarter mile of public parkland , recreation area , <br /> or dedicated open space . <br /> Objective 4 . 2 Promote residential developments that cluster houses and <br /> dedicate large areas of undisturbed land for residents and <br /> wildlife to use . Where feasible , these areas should be <br /> contiguous to neighboring tracts of undisturbed land belonging <br /> to neighboring developments . <br /> Objective 4 . 3 Ensure that existing neighborhoods do not lose access to <br /> nearby undeveloped land . <br /> Goal Five : Maximum availability and use of open space , natural <br /> environments , recreational land , and facilities to serve <br /> citizens at both the county and community levels , in a <br /> manner that also supports Goals One and Two . <br /> Objective 5 . 1 Locate parks and recreational facilities close to residential areas <br /> to encourage informal interaction with nature , to create islands <br /> of habitat within the heavily populated areas , and to reduce long <br /> trips for recreational purposes . <br /> Objective 5 . 2 Landscape parks and recreational facilities with native <br /> vegetation . Prohibit use of known invasive non - native species in <br /> county facilities . <br /> Objective 5 . 3 Encourage the design of existing public and institutional <br /> buildings , and the plantings of grounds around them , for wildlife <br /> habitat , informal nature education , and passive recreation in <br /> nature as well as for their primary uses . Practice ecological <br /> landscape design by minimizing practices such as clearing of <br /> land , cutting of trees , planting of high - maintenance lawns and <br /> vegetation that requires watering , and by requiring the use of <br /> native plant species in all revegetation / landscaping . <br /> Page 3 of 4 <br />