Orange County NC Website
5 <br /> Where rezoning to a higher intensity general use zoning district is not permitted, <br /> based on existing land use designation, standard minimum lot size/area as <br /> detailed within the UDO shall be required.6 <br /> It needs to be remembered within Article 3 of the UDO, the AR, R-1, and R-2 <br /> general use zoning districts are required to adhere to the following minimum lot <br /> size standard for parcels located outside of Watershed Protection Overlay <br /> Districts: <br /> ... the minimum usable lot area for lots that utilize ground <br /> absorption wastewater systems shall be 30,000 square feet for <br /> parcels between 40,000 square feet and 1.99 acres in size; zoning <br /> lots two acres and greater in size shall have a minimum usable lot <br /> area of at least 40,000 square feet. <br /> While the County allows subdivision project(s) utilizing the Flexible Development <br /> Option to have wastewater systems within a dedicated easement and/or septic <br /> lot that is recorded and maintained within required open space areas, density <br /> limits identified herein are still applicable. This can impact the granting of density <br /> bonuses given the minimum lot area required for a parcel of property based on <br /> the proposed development. <br /> C. PUBLIC UTILITIES: Higher intensity projects typically require public utilities (i.e. <br /> water and sewer) to ensure provision of potable water and proper treatment of <br /> wastewater. Projects not able to tie onto public utilities are required to rely on <br /> individual well and septic systems for these services. <br /> Attachment 5 provides a copy of the current Water and Sewer Management, <br /> Planning, and Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA) map denoting where public <br /> utilities are intended to support development. At the writing of this memorandum <br /> there are areas of the county, namely west of the Town of Carrboro, north of <br /> Chapel Hill, and north of US Highway 70 where no public utilities are available or <br /> anticipated. <br /> Typically, the extension of public utilities requires development projects to be <br /> annexed into the municipality providing the actual service or an agreement is <br /> reached between the County and the unit of local government supplying the <br /> utility service agreeing that annexation can be delayed. As a reminder, <br /> annexation means development projects do not have to comply with County land <br /> use regulations, including the existing density bonus program for affordable <br /> housing. <br /> There are realistic concerns over the carrying capacity of soils within the county <br /> to support high intensity development relying on individual wells and septic <br /> systems, including off-site systems, to support such development. <br /> Staff has previously heard from developers it is not financially feasible to develop <br /> high intensity residential projects without the ability to tie into public utility <br /> systems. <br /> 6 For example,a parcel of property within the Upper Eno Protected Watershed Protection Overlay District that is <br /> within the Rural Residential land use category can be `zoned' only Agricultural Residential(AR)or Rural <br /> Residential(R-1). This district allows for a density of 1 dwelling unit for every 40,000 sq.ft. or 0.92 acres. A <br /> density bonus would not be viable. <br />