Agenda 10-01-19 Item 12-6 - Information Item - Memorandum - Response to Petition Regarding Development of Affordable Housing within Orange County

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4 Watershed Protection Overlay District Density Limit University Lake and Cane Creek — 1 dwelling unit for every 5 acres of Protected and Critical property.2,3 Upper Eno Critical and Little River 1 dwelling unit for every 2 acres of Protected property. Upper Eno Protected ; Lower Eno Allowable density is based on the Protected ; Haw River Protected ; Jordan underlying zoning district.4 Lake Protected ; Back Creek Protected Attachment 3 contains a map denoting the location of these Districts. Density bonuses are not viable in areas where the county has established density limit(s). To do so would create violation(s) of existing land use regulations. There are areas of the county where density limits have been established through the adoption/enforcement of planning agreements. This includes an area north of the Town of Chapel Hill, located within the Rural Buffer (RB) general use zoning district. This area has an established density limit of 1 dwelling unit for every 2 acres of property, consistent with the adopted Joint Planning Area (JPA) Land Use Plan and Agreement. There is no allowance for a density bonus in this area, even for affordable housing, based on the current wording of the JPA.5 B. DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS FOR ZONING DISTRICTS: The typical minimum lot size for parcels throughout the county (i.e. AR and R-1 general use zoning districts) is 40,000 sq.ft. (0.92 acres) translating to a maximum base density of 1 dwelling unit for every 40,000 sq.ft. There are opportunities to rezone/develop property at higher intensities based on a parcel's land use designation as detailed within the adopted Comprehensive Plan and FLUM (refer to Attachment 2). Property within the `Transition' (10 and 20 Year) land use classifications, for example, can be rezoned to a general use zoning designation allowing for additional dwelling units per acre ranging from 5 dwelling units per acre to 14 dwelling units per acre. Attachment 4 contains a copy of Appendix F of the adopted Comprehensive Plan outlining which general use zoning districts are permitted within the various established land use categories. 2 A 100 acre parcel of property within the University Lake and/or Cane Creek(protected and critical)watershed protection overlay has an allowable density of 20 individual dwelling units(i.e. 1 unit for every 5 acres of property). 3 A duplex(i.e. 2 single-family residences in a single structure)would have to be on 10 acres of property to comply with established density limits. 4 Property zoned Agricultural Residential(AR)for example will have a density of 1 dwelling unit for every 40,000 sq.ft. (0.92 acres)based on the current wording of the UDO. 5 The JPA was adopted by the County and the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro in the late 1980's. Amendments to the land use plan and agreement have to be approved by all participating entities.