Orange County NC Website
95 <br /> Jessica Aguilar: I wanted to applaud you for looking at how this would affect the school system. I see a lot of these <br /> new developments and they're posting price range of these homes in the$300s to$700s. What population are you <br /> looking to populate this area? <br /> Tim Smith: I apologize. I forgot to introduce the developer who is here tonight, Mr. Jim Parker. I'm not sure there's <br /> any direct market that they're targeting. <br /> Jim Parker: The builder for these lots will be Drees Homes who has built a lot of homes in Orange County. The <br /> homes will be similar to those that they have been building here. I would estimate your price range is about right. <br /> Jessica Aguilar:That's my concern. People in my situation, my socio-economic strata, are being edged out. We're <br /> looking for a home right now and we can't find anything affordable in this area. We are at risk of having to move after <br /> being here for almost two decades because these kinds of developments are coming in and taking up lands that we <br /> can't even dream of being a part of. <br /> Patrick Mallett: I would like to add on to the school comments. We have a fairly regimented system, database, and <br /> tracking system to verify if a project will or will not have an impact on school capacity issues. Our system, a copy of <br /> the report is contained within your packet, tells us if we are getting close to having a capacity issue. In this case,that <br /> CAPS form, and data is submitted to the school board for their review and processing as well. Bottom line is this <br /> project does not increase school capacity beyond what can be handled within existing facilities. There is no <br /> anticipated impact to the Orange County school system. We've done this prematurely to let them know this is being <br /> moved through the process and as they move through,this would get adjusted and tracked over time. The main <br /> point is the dashboard isn't showing a red light or even yellow light yet. <br /> Randy Marshall: Is there anything in the Orange County UDO that requires affordable housing since I don't see any <br /> reference to it? <br /> Patrick Mallett: No,we don't. What we're focused on at this level is the process for the subdivision part of it. We <br /> cannot compel a developer to develop what is defined as affordable housing. There are incentive programs in the <br /> UDO to encourage the development of affordable housing, primarily through increases in allowable density, but this <br /> is not applicable to this project. <br /> Randy Marshall: Municipalities often require payment in lieu of recreational facilities. I don't see any mini play <br /> grounds or recreational facilities within this development. <br /> Patrick Mallett: That we can require and we do collect. We still collect a Park and Recreation fee based on the park <br /> district that they are in. It's in the$455 range times each lot. Most jurisdictions have realized that it doesn't pay in <br /> the public sense to put hundreds of little parks that are public parks within smaller subdivisions. Park districts have <br /> been created and then that money is collected. You would have the open space for the project and then you have <br /> public recreation which is the park fee. <br /> Michael Harvey: I wanted to expand on the answer of affording housing. Orange County does indeed have a <br /> program that allows for density bonuses for projects that provide affordable housing units. The problem is those <br /> density bonuses are not applicable in watershed protection overlay districts. We establish density limitations as part <br /> of our watershed management program to control overall development of property and to ensure we are effective <br /> with managing water quality issues. You will recall from the concept plan meeting where we had discussed that the <br /> applicant had investigated the potential to maximize the total number of lots that could be developed on these <br /> properties,which would have been 27. The chief factors leading to the developer choosing not to develop the 27 <br /> individual lots were concerns about well and septic system development, potential traffic impacts, the preservation of <br /> open space,and adjacent property owners concerns that 27 lots was too intensive of a development for the area. <br /> From my standpoint all of these factors go into the development cost and the ultimate price point for the homes that <br /> will be developed on this property. There is not a lot of opportunity in the rural areas of the County where there's not <br /> easy access to water, sewer, public utilities to have intensely developed projects that might be able to have a price <br /> point that could be construed as affordable based on applicable guidelines. Part of the duality in Orange County's <br /> planning program is the need to properly manage or protect the natural environment and the tradeoff for that <br />