Orange County NC Website
83 <br /> Staff Response: The proposal includes the construction of two public roads and right/left <br /> turn lanes into the subdivision from US Highway 70. These designs were dimensioned and <br /> located in consultation with the NC DOT District Engineer. The applicant has also agreed to <br /> reserve 5 feet of additional right-of-way along the frontage of US Highway 70, which will <br /> accommodate planned NC DOT road improvements along US highway 70. <br /> Applicant Response: The project will include a street connection on the north side of US <br /> Highway 70, which will accommodate the traffic entering and leaving the development. Per <br /> the Orange County UDO, Section 6.17, subdivisions with 80 or more units or that generate <br /> more than 800 trips per day are required to provide a Traffic Impact Analysis. The Fairway <br /> Hills Subdivision is below the threshold of these requirements and as such should have <br /> minimal impact to the traffic along US Hwy 70. The biggest impact will be at the new <br /> intersection with the highway. However, this impact will be minimized per the <br /> improvements required to be installed as set forth by NCDOT. Our design will be in full <br /> compliance with these requirements. <br /> 7. What is the timeframe for construction? <br /> Staff Response: The applicant has indicated that the project will be developed with the <br /> initial infrastructure (roads, landscaping and SCMs) with one phase. Individual homes will <br /> be built as lots are sold, but the roads and stormwater features will be installed prior to plat <br /> recordation for the single-family lots. <br /> Applicant Response: As noted by staff, the entire infrastructure for the project will be <br /> constructed in one phase. It is anticipated that this will be done in late 2019 or during the <br /> first quarter of 2020. Following completion of the infrastructure, construction on the lots is <br /> anticipated to be completed over a period of 2-4 years, depending on the real estate <br /> market. <br /> 8. What is the potential visual impact to adjacent properties and US Highway 70? <br /> Staff Response: The development is required to conform with Section 6.8 of the UDO, <br /> which requires the preservation and/or installation of landscape materials within Land Use <br /> Buffers (e.g. the 75-foot wide buffer along US Highway 70), along streets and individual lots <br /> and jurisdictional streams. The applicant has also provided a 120-foot wide building setback <br /> along US Highway 70 and a 100-foot wide building setback along the perimeter. Along US <br /> Highway 70 the applicant has also proposed to preserve as much existing vegetation as <br /> possible and augment the 75-foot wide buffer with evergreen plant materials. <br /> Applicant Response: Per the required and proposed landscape buffers as noted, the visual <br /> impact to the adjacent properties will be minimal or no different than the current existing <br /> conditions. The four lots that are adjacent to US Hwy 70 will be screened as much as <br /> possible with preservation of the existing trees within the buffer, as well as additional <br /> plantings to be installed for further screening. Adjacent to the other properties, the 100-ft. <br /> building setback, Open Space preservation and stream buffers will provide for the least <br /> amount of visual impact as possible. <br /> 4 <br />