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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 3, 2004 <br />SUBJECT: Schools Class A Special Use Permit Amendments <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING <br />Action Agend <br />Item No. <br />(Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />• Proposed Ordinance Amending Permitted Use Table <br />• Ordinance Proposing Text Amendments to Zoning <br />Ordinance Referencing Special Use Standards <br />• Draft November 24, 2003 Public Hearing Minutes <br />• Draft January 8, 2004 Planning Board Minutes <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig N. Benedict, ext. 2592 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-2700 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane (336)227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To receive the Planning Board and Administration recommendations, close the Public <br />Hearing and consider approval of a proposed amendment to the Orange County Zoning Ordinance <br />to make Schools: Elementary, Middle, and Secondary - a Class A Special Use in appropriate <br />zoning districts and to apply special use permit standards that meet the general standards, zoning <br />district requirements and similar standards as detailed in Section 8.8.29 ("Growth Management <br />Subdivision Standards") of the Zoning Ordinance. <br />BACKGROUND: Schools: Elementary, Middle, and Secondary ("schools') are currently a <br />permitted use in the following zoning districts: RB, AR, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R8, R13 and OL <br />Recent amendments to the EDD Design Manual permitted use table added "schools" as a Class A <br />Special Use in the Buckhorn EDD. Special use standards specific to "schools" were also prepared <br />and are pending adoption by the BOCC. <br />In addition, the recently adopted November 5, 2003 "Growth Management Subdivision Standards" <br />are under consideration to be used, as appropriate, to evaluate school applications. Many aspects <br />of subdivision review also can be readily applied to non-residential development. EDD design <br />standards also parallel these new standards, so these text amendments will promote consistent <br />standards whether in a subdivision or other non-residential use. <br />Staff work on the Buckhorn EDD amendment prompted an assessment of "schools" in other zoning <br />districts. It was determined that "schools" pose certain impacts, most notably traffic, and <br />addressing them as a special use in all applicable districts would make it possible to more <br />effectively mitigate impacts and apply consistent standards throughout the County planning <br />jurisdiction.