Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: January 17, 2023 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-b <br /> SUBJECT: Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendment — Final Subdivision Plat School <br /> District Signature Block <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Statement of Approval and Consistency Cy Stober, Director, (919) 245-2592 <br /> 2. Proposed Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Tyler Sliger, Planner II, (919) 245-2586 <br /> Text Amendment <br /> 3. Excerpt of Draft December 7, 2022 Planning <br /> Board Minutes and Signed Statement of <br /> Consistency <br /> 4. Letter of Support from Orange County Schools <br /> PURPOSE: To hold a public hearing, receive the Planning Board/staff recommendations and <br /> public comment, close the public hearing, and consider action on County-initiated amendments <br /> to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to remove the requirement in Section 7.13.3 <br /> (F)(3)(g), the school district signature block on final subdivision plats. <br /> BACKGROUND: Subdivisions that follow the traditional or major subdivision review process <br /> have to receive several signatures before recording the final plat. Orange County currently <br /> requires signature by the relevant school system, per the language found in Section 7.13.3 <br /> (F)(3)(g) of the UDO. Research into the plat certificate requirement has shown that the <br /> requirement was added to Orange County's former Subdivision Regulations as a small portion of <br /> a multi-part amendment to the Subdivision Regulations in the year after Schools Adequate <br /> Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) amendments were added to the former Zoning Ordinance. <br /> Agenda materials and minutes from that time do not speak directly to the addition of the plat <br /> signature block, other than a statement found in minutes made by previous staff that the <br /> signature block addition was "needed for SAPFO." None of the municipal SAPFO signatories <br /> amended their regulations to require this plat signature block and, as evidenced in Attachment 4, <br /> this requirement is not supported by Orange County Schools. <br /> Both school districts require CAPS (Certificate of Adequate Public Schools) issuance as part of <br /> the subdivision review and approval process, in compliance with the adopted 2003 SAPFO and <br /> its accompanying Memoranda of Understanding, independent of the plat signature. The school <br /> districts' staff (OCS and CHCCS) keep their respective elected boards apprised of CAPS <br /> issuance through regular staff reports, which would remain unchanged. <br /> Planning staff recommends that the signature block be removed as a subdivision plat <br /> recordation requirement to remove an unnecessary and time-intensive step for subdivision plat <br /> approval. The approved CAPS will remain part of the subdivision application package and a <br /> criterion for Planning staff approval of the plat for recordation, and will be maintained by Planning <br /> staff with the subdivision request file. The proposed amendment does not have any impacts on <br /> the school districts' reporting of enrollment figures and will remove an unnecessary step from <br /> plat approvals in the unincorporated areas of Orange County. <br />