Agenda 10-19-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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13 1 Historical Information 2 Most lands in the current Eno EDD have been designated for economic development purposes 3 since 1981, when the county adopted a Comprehensive Plan. In 2012, the boundaries of the 4 Eno EDD were expanded in anticipation of water and sewer availability (see maps in 5 Attachment 2 for the 2012 amendments, adopted September 6, 2012). The Eno EDD is 6 currently 958 acres of economic development land use classification, with an adjacent 67 acre 7 housing area (Whispering Pines subdivision) and 31 acres annexed by the City of Durham for 8 economic development purposes (northeast corner of EDD, adjacent to I-85 in Capital 9 Investment Plan (CIP) focus area). The county proceeded with adding a matching zoning 10 district (i.e. `prezoning') to approximately 75% of the land use area. Other areas (25%) remain 11 in a residential zoning category (or base zoning). The Eno EDD is part of a courtesy review 12 agreement with the City of Durham, as part of the Eno EDD Area Small Area Plan. 13 14 Recent Water and Sewer Studies 15 Recent joint engineering studies by Orange County and City of Durham staff and a consultant 16 have retracted the larger area's viability for public sewer due to Durham system constraints in 17 the area and prohibitive cost. However, a smaller economic development focus area of 200 18 acres between 1-85 and US 70 still remains viable for public sewer and an existing water line 19 lies adjacent to the area. (See CIP map in Attachment 3 for location of the 200-acre area). 20 Additionally, there are many existing commercial uses in the general area on well and septic. 21 22 Interlocal Utility Services Agreement with City of Durham 23 County staff is in the process of working with City of Durham staff to update and amend the 24 interlocal agreement for water and sewer services (adopted in 2011, expired in 2018) to address 25 the smaller economic development focus area. After completion of an engineering study in 26 2013 and subsequent additional analysis, it became apparent that the City will not be able to 27 serve the entire Eno EDD area with water and sewer due primarily to pump station capacity 28 limitations within the City's sewage disposal system. The cost to upgrade the existing pump 29 stations is prohibitive. If the City is able to serve the Eno EDD, it would be a much smaller 30 geographic area than initially envisioned, perhaps up to 200 acres. The City is expected to 31 require voluntary annexation of any properties it serves with its water and sewer systems. 32 Willing property owners have `signed on' to express interest in developing their lands consistent 33 with the Economic Development and Commercial-Industrial land use designations that have 34 been in place since 1981. 35 36 Development on Private Wells and Septic Systems / Future Land Use Designations and Zoning 37 While public water and sewer availability allows for more dense/intense development and larger 38 projects, the regulations contained in the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for 39 the Eno (and Buckhorn) EDD do not require connections to public water and sewer systems if 40 such systems are not available. These EDDs allow non-residential development to occur using 41 wells and septic systems (or other wastewater disposal techniques). If there is desire to 42 potentially allow new non-residential development in the Eno EDD on wells and septic systems, 43 the existing Future Land Use classification (Economic Development) and much of the current 44 zoning could achieve new non-residential development, particularly smaller-scale non- 45 residential development such as individual offices or other uses that do not require large 46 amounts of water and wastewater disposal. 47 48 As is shown on the maps in Attachment 1, some of the lands designated for Economic 49 Development (land use classification) are currently zoned R-1 (Rural Residential) (see the 50 southwestern portion of the EDD area and lands between the railway and Old NC 10). Since 51 zoning is the regulatory tool, the current zoning means that only uses allowed in R-1 would be