Agenda 03-15-22; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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12 1 This higher density option does not allow development in critical watershed designated areas. It 2 is worth noting that Orange County has designated an area six times larger than the state rules 3 of 1996 for critical designation in this watershed. 4 5 In summary, Orange County has invested in the corridor with public utility infrastructure and has 6 a companion land use plan that intensifies growth in focused areas with supportive 7 transportation systems. The jobs and tax base created in ED zones provide opportunities for 8 residents to work in the county (and thereby limiting commuting and pollution) and bolstering tax 9 base to help pay for other land uses that need services. 10 11 See link for Efland Mebane Small Area Plan 12 https://www.oranaecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4196/Efland-Mebane-Small-Area-Plan- 13 PDF 14 15 Efland Area Development/Economic Development 16 17 The Buckhorn Economic Development District continues to show success in business recruiting 18 and increased interest by investors to spur new light manufacturing, distribution and commercial 19 operations. This trend is expected to continue in the future in response to several Article 46- 20 funded water/sewer projects that have now been completed by the County, through active 21 marketing to prospective businesses, and as a result of strong interest by industrial and 22 commercial developers seeking to identify properties in Orange County. For example, in recent 23 years the Buckhorn Economic Development District has attracted in excess of $365 million 24 dollars in new taxable investment, more than 975 full-time new jobs to be created, and over 1.9 25 million square feet of new construction to be added. This activity is represented by the 26 companies Morinaga, ABB, Medline Industries, Thermo-Fisher Scientific, and Piedmont 27 Metalworks. All of these companies are creating full-time jobs with health care and related 28 employment benefits, and at salaries that are well above the Orange County living wage. ABB is 29 Orange County's single largest private employer and is currently seeking applicants to fill 400 30 new manufacturing positions that will average over$71,000 per year in salary. 31 32 The attached map entitled "Hillsborough EDD & Buckhorn EDD — Large Sites" shows the 33 location of four approved and/or in-process spec developer business parks located in the 34 Hillsborough and Buckhorn Economic Development Districts (EDDs). Each of these four 35 locations represent excellent potential for the County to attract new advanced manufacturing, 36 distribution, research and related commercial development by tenants of the same caliber as 37 companies such as Thermo-Fisher Scientific. To illustrate, the Research Triangle Logistics Park 38 in the Hillsborough EDD has been approved for up to 2.4 million square feet of development on 39 160 acres at an Interstate 40/Old NC 86 exit. Second, the Ohio-based industrial developer Al. 40 Neyer has now established two new business parks (Buckhorn Industrial Park and Mebane 41 Business Centre) located along Buckhorn Road, and with total development potential of up to 42 1.6 million square feet on 167 acres. Both of these parks were annexed and rezoned into the 43 Mebane city limits. Thermo Fisher Scientific is located here, with Medline Industries located 44 adjacent. And in Efland, the Minnesota-based developer Oppidian is currently pursuing site 45 plan approval with Orange County for authorization to build up to 918,000 square feet on 46 approximately 100 acres. 47 48 The Buckhorn EDD has several other large acreage tracks, as identified in red outline on the 49 attached "Hillsborough EDD & Buckhorn EDD — Large Sites" map. These parcels have 50 excellent development potential, existing utilities in place, immediate interstate access, and all