Orange County NC Website
26 <br /> Council Member Searing said he was wondering if those connections exist between the <br /> communities in Orange County. <br /> David Stancil said there are connections that exist in some places but others that do not. <br /> He said the Hillsborough to Carrboro and Chapel Hill connection does not yet exist via trail and <br /> they will likely focus on those connections in the future. <br /> Council Member searing said he will send staff some examples of the connections and <br /> partnerships that he has observed across the state. <br /> Commissioner English thanked the staff for working together during the pandemic and <br /> communicating the same message to the public. <br /> David Stancil said that the message of being consistent came from the managers and <br /> elected officials. <br /> Commissioner Richards asked about how best to let people know about all the <br /> resources available to the public. <br /> David Stancil said that it is so important to make those resources available. He said that <br /> social media has helped, they are doing information videos, as well but they are trying to use all <br /> the things they have available to share the information. <br /> Phil Fleischman said they were always open to suggestions for new methods of <br /> outreach. He said that the park locater can be a great resource, but that staff are always open <br /> to suggestions on how to reach more people. <br /> Anita Jones McNair from the Town of Carrboro said there was an opportunity to engage <br /> the community more through the One Orange Racial Equity framework and see how we can <br /> best reach them in terms of messaging. She said they can see what they are currently doing <br /> and how to do it better. <br /> Mayor Weaver said it is important to let people know what the amenities are and how <br /> they can get to them. <br /> Commissioner Greene thanked Commissioner Richards for her comments. She said <br /> that Orange County has had a local land use plan since the 1980s that includes the urban <br /> services boundary and other commitments not to sprawl. She said the message needs to be <br /> clear that development is appropriate inside of the municipalities because it is either no growth <br /> at all or sprawl into the county. She said that all these things should work together, and we <br /> need to get the message out. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton said some of the parks north of Hillsborough require cars to <br /> access them. She said it was important to think about community members that do not have <br /> access to cars and the barrier that presents to park access. She also encouraged the thinking <br /> about how recreational facilities and open space can be balanced in a more urbanized city. She <br /> said she wants those spaces to feel like being out in nature, while still being in the city. She said <br /> she did not know if there are guidelines associated with how much land per person is needed <br /> and can be afforded. <br /> David Stancil said there are guidelines that stipulate how many acres a park should <br /> have per population, but that they have moved away from that to be more responsive to <br /> community interest. <br /> Council Member Miller-Foushee thanked Commissioner Greene for her comments and <br /> for the need for balance between development and preserving open space in the rural buffer. <br /> She said that she agrees that the municipalities are where the growth should be concentrated. <br /> She connected that to Commissioner Hamilton's comments about being thoughtful about <br /> developing with balance. She said that she has seen how development and greenspace can be <br /> achieved with that balance and that it is not an "either or" but a "both and" situation. She said it <br /> required planning and that there must be continued planning so that they do not fail. <br /> Mayor Weaver thanked David Stancil for the presentation and the work that is ongoing <br /> throughout the jurisdictions. <br />