Agenda 11-16-2021; 12-2 - Information Item - Memorandum - Outreach Status as Follow-up to the Buckhorn Area Study

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2 October 13 Zoom Q&A Meeting: With the help of Chair Renee Price, Orange County Planning Department hosted the Zoom meeting from 6:00 PM — 7:30 PM. Meeting attendees included the Orange County Deputy Manager, five members of Orange County's Planning staff, the City of Mebane's Development Director, three members of the BOCC and 22 members of the public. Access to the Zoom meeting was also provided to some attendees at the Efland Cheeks Community Center. A link to view this meeting can be found here. Some of the key conversation topics between attendees and staff during the October outreach meetings included the following: • Planning jurisdictions (Mebane City Limits, Mebane Extraterritorial Jurisdiction [ETJ], and Orange County planning jurisdiction) and annexation; • Timing of development in Area "A" in relation to sewer installation; • Need to give back to the community, including sidewalks, fiber optic cable, community center, and school sites (these topics were mentioned specifically); • Concern over size and scale of recent development proposals, and a request for more "human-scale" development; • Concern over traffic impacts to major and minor roadways adjacent to the area; • Need to recruit "green" businesses; • Environmental protections (particularly with regard to water/wells) within the area (albeit many uses are supported through public water service); • The potential for development to displace multiple groups of people, some of whom have had land passed down through family for a century; and • Permitted Uses in various zoning districts. Staff will continue to update the Buckhorn Area Study webpage as a source of information for the public. See below, "New Webpage" for additional details. Comments received relating to Economic Development have been shared with the County's Economic Development Director. ORANGE COUNTY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (CIP) for POSSIBLE SEWER EXTENSION The CIP for FY2021-22 adds $1,235,000 to fund sewer installation and associated project management in the Buckhorn EDD. This project would upgrade a supporting lift station and extend sewer service under the interstate to Focus Area "A". Consistent with other County-initiated sewer extensions in the Mebane vicinity, once installed, the system would be owned, operated, and maintained by the City of Mebane. This arrangement, involving the transfer of ownership, is expressed via an Interlocal Agreement between the parties. Through a previous CIP project, a 16" water main was installed under the interstate and looped back to Mebane for fire protection and increased water quantity and quality. While part of the adopted CIP, the BOCC has directed staff to seek its authorization to proceed before beginning any procurement process for the surveying and design to extend sewer service to Focus Area "A". The County's Planning Director will work with the Managers Office on the timing of said request for an authorization to proceed.