Agenda - 05-18-2021; 6-a - Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments

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1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 18, 2021 Action Agenda Item No. 6-a SUBJECT: Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments — "160D" Legislation DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: (919) 1. Statement of Approval and Consistency Perdita Holtz, Planner III, 245-2578 2. Proposed UDO and Comprehensive Plan James Bryan, Staff Attorney, 245-2319 Amendments Craig Benedict, Director, 245-2575 3. Proposed Amendments to the Planning Board Rules of Procedure 4. Information from County Attorney's Office and Planning Staff Addressing Issues Raised During the Public Hearing PURPOSE: To consider a decision on County-initiated amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance to conform County regulations to a new chapter, 160D, of the North Carolina General Statues. As a result, amendments to Appendix F of the Comprehensive Plan and to the Planning Board's and Board of Adjustment's Rules of Procedure are also necessary. The public hearing for this item was on May 4, 2021 and no additional public comments shall be received on this item at the May 18, 2021 Business meeting. BACKGROUND: Background information is available in the May 4 public hearing materials available at http://server3.co.orange.nc.us:8088/WebLink/0/doc/64351/Pagel.aspx and a video of the hearing is available at http://orangecountync.gov/967/Meeting-Videos During the public hearing one resident spoke regarding the proposal to conform mailed notification timelines to statutory language. Currently, language in the UDO requires that mailed notifications for Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map amendments (Section 2.3.5) and Zoning Atlas amendments must be mailed a minimum of 15 days (but not more than 25 days) prior to both the Planning Board meeting and to the public hearing (two separate notices are sent) (Section 2.8.7). Staff had suggested mirroring the statutory language of a minimum of 10 days but not more than 25 days (NCGS 160D-602(a)). Residents have also sent written comments to the Board of County Commissioners; these comments are viewable on the Google Group archive page: https://qroups.google.com/g/ocbocc. No written comments were delivered to the Planning Department offices prior to the May 6, 2021 9:00 a.m. deadline. Additionally, there was discussion over the proposal by staff to add the "option to mailed notice for large-scale zoning map amendments" (NCGS 160D-602(b) to the UDO (Section 2.8.7(D)(1)). Staff has prepared information (Attachment 4) to help inform discussions on both of these issues.