Orange County NC Website
Ordinance as recommended by Planning Board and Administration 8 <br />0 A required environmental assessment or environmental impact <br />statement; and/or <br />0 An independent site study conducted by a trained botanist and/or <br />forester. <br />Farmland, especially prime agricultural land as identified by the U.S.D.A. <br />Soil Conservation Service in "Important Farmlands: Orange County, N.C." <br />and which is in active use for the production of crops and/or raising of <br />livestock. Farmland also includes space on individual lots used for gardens, <br />ponds, horse paddocks and barns, and similar uses. <br />Slopes of 1 S% to 25% that require special site planning due to their erosion <br />potential, limitations for septic tank nitrification fields, and terrain or elevation <br />changes. Such areas maybe suitable for building, but higher site preparation <br />and construction costs are to be expected. <br />• Other Historic and/or Archaeological Sites identified from the same sources <br />as for primary conservation area sites. <br />• Public and/or Private Recreation Areas and Facilities, including: <br />0 "Active recreation areas" such as public recreation areas, including <br />district and community parks as identified in the master recreation and <br />parks plan; and private recreation facilities, including golf courses, <br />playing fields, playgrounds, swimming pools and courts for tennis, <br />basketball, volleyball and similar sports. Because they represent uses <br />in which natural lands are cleared, graded and managed for intensive <br />activities, only half (50 percent) of the land in this category maybe <br />credited toward meeting the minimum open space requirement. <br />0 "Passive recreation areas" such as pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian <br />trails, picnic areas, community commons or greens, and similar kinds <br />of areas, whether public or private. Land in this category receives full <br />credit toward meeting the minimum open space requirement. <br />• Scenic Views, especially of natural and cultural features from designated <br />scenic road corridors, including views from the road as well as views outward <br />from potential home sites. Landscape buffers that screen the view of <br />development and preserve the character of rural public roads are also included <br />in this category. <br />• Pedestrian Open Space Areas (POSA) -- traversable corridors at least 50 <br />feet wide, undeveloped except for pedestrian recreation amenities, and in <br />common ownership. POSA's are not required to have constructed <br />walking paths, but they must be reasonably passable on foot. The final <br />composition of a POSA's shall be evaluated of the intent of the overall <br />