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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> NORTH CAROLINA <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Board of County Commissioners <br /> Bonnie Hammersley, Orange County Manager <br /> Travis Myren, Orange County Deputy Manager <br /> FROM: Craig N. Benedict, Planning Director <br /> Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning Supervisor <br /> DATE: November 23, 2020 <br /> SUBJECT: BOCC Information Item — Buckhorn Area Plan and Next Steps <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): Buckhorn Area Plan Focus Area Map <br /> BACKGROUND: The City of Mebane and Orange County have coordinated to provide <br /> utilities in the greater Buckhorn area (Efland and Westward to Mebane city limits) and <br /> have a Utility Service Agreement (2012 was the most recent update) that identifies a <br /> service area that, to a significant degree, coincides with the scope of the Buckhorn Area <br /> Plan which could also be considered a `growth strategy'. This Agreement is in need of <br /> an update due to new developments and growth pressures in and around the existing <br /> Mebane LDP, Efland Mebane Small Area Plan and City of Mebane/Orange County <br /> Utility Service Agreement. The Buckhorn Area Plan is intended to help inform future <br /> agreements or amendments. As such, both jurisdictions funded a planning study of <br /> future land use and potential utility service that would be mutually beneficial. <br /> Orange County utilized monies available in the FY 2019-2020 budget to reimburse the <br /> City of Mebane for half of the consulting expenses of the Buckhorn Area Plan; the <br /> original goals have been to work together with a consultant to further analyze areas <br /> within Orange County—adjacent to and near Mebane—and to develop <br /> recommendations for a growth strategy. In January 2020, Piedmont Triad Regional <br /> Council (PTRC) was selected as the consultant, and beginning on February 6, 2020, <br /> Orange County, Mebane, and PTRC have met monthly to discuss the geographic area <br /> of the study, the parcel development suitability criteria and mechanisms for feedback on <br /> the analysis. While both local governments agreed to work together with the consultant <br /> to prepare the Plan, the implementation of the Plan would be accepted for consideration <br /> by both local governments independently depending on the possible recommendations. <br /> The Buckhorn Area Plan is a technical study of future land use and potential utility <br /> services to identify properties that could be zoned for nonresidential purposes that best <br /> support economic development, all while balancing the cost, feasibility, and location of <br /> utility service extensions. This report uses GIS mapping to determine parcels most <br /> suitable for development within the study area. The process allows for a technical <br /> review of multiple development factors including: developable acres, preservation <br /> areas, mean slope, watershed, sewer infrastructure, water infrastructure, interstate <br /> access, interstate visibility, roadway access, and access to existing rail. In addition to <br />