Agenda - 09-15-20; 5-a - Zoning Atlas Amendment - Master Plan Development Conditional Zoning District (MPD-CZ) for the Research Triangle Logistics Park (RTLP)

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and others need a coordinated plan that includes an inventory of supplies and equipment that can be put into service until overseas supply chains are repaired. For instance, a large domestic stockpile of masks and medical supplies would have bought the U.S. critical time to secure domestic production. Safety issues are another concern. Some items are best produced domestically. Many prescription and over-the-counter health products that were previously made in the U.S. are today either made in China, or rely on Chinese factories to provide essential ingredients. Not only is it risky to rely on overseas suppliers, the failure of offshore producers to maintain safety and quality-control standards puts lives at risk. The solution is to bring more manufacturing of life-saving products back to the U.S. For basic drugs, the real expense is in research and development, and the cost of production is usually low. The latest research by San Francisco-based Prologis on COVID-19 and its implications for logistics. The report provides insights into the third phase of the global pandemic, defined as “the normal,” including quantifying the potential increase in long-term demand from higher inventory levels and accelerated e-commerce adoption. The report’s authors say, “We expect that lessons learned from the pandemic will add demand tailwinds to logistics real estate in the “new normal.” Growth in direct-to-consumer delivery volumes and rapid replenishment needs should continue to emphasize the appeal of logistics real estate that is closer to end consumers.” Among the findings are that accelerated e-commerce adoption and higher inventory levels have the potential to generate 400 million square feet or more of additional U.S. logistics real estate demand, or 150 to 200 million square feet per year for two to three years. Re-tooling supply chains for increased e-fulfilment should create incremental net demand of 140 to 185 million square feet in total. Inventories could increase by 5% to 10% in a bid for resiliency, producing 285 to 570 million square feet of aggregate incremental demand. Given the scope of the project, we believe it is appropriate to submit the project through the County’s Master Plan Development (MPD) Conditional Zoning process, the purpose of which is to: … provide for unified large scale subdivisions, non-residential, and mixed use developments that promote economical and efficient land use, improved level of amenities, appropriate and harmonious variety, creative design, and a better environment through the approval of a general Master Plan. In accordance with the provision of Section 2.9.2 of the Orange County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), we are proud to submit this request to rezone a total of 161.21 acres of property, further defined in Section 1-2 of the document, to a MPD Conditional Zoning designation for development as the RTLP consistent with proposed development standards. This includes the rezoning of approximately 148.8 acres of property previously zoned MPD-CZ by the 39