Orange County NC Website
12 <br /> a zoning or rezoning request from a school, the level of service of a road facility or facilities <br /> abutting the school or proximately located to the school [may not be considered]". This <br /> responsibility is instead assigned to the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) via NCGS <br /> 136-18(29a), the Municipal School Transportation Assistance statute, which specifies traffic <br /> generation calculations for schools and review parameters for NCDOT to estimate impacts to the <br /> local transportation network ("highway system"). It also requires the NCDOT to reimburse the <br /> school for any transportation improvements to the highway system required by the State. <br /> The NCDOT District 7 is requiring the construction of left turn lanes with 150' of full storage at <br /> both site driveways (US 70A and Lawrence Road). NCDOT will reimburse the school for the <br /> construction, per NCGS 135-18(29A). The NCDOT District 7 memorandum regarding the analysis <br /> and required improvements to the transportation network is found in Attachment 5. As a condition <br /> of approval, the applicant is volunteering to construct southbound and northbound left-turn lanes <br /> on Lawrence Road at the intersection of Lawrence Road and US 70. This offer to construct would <br /> be accompanied by the posting of a performance bond with NCDOT to guarantee the construction <br /> of the aforementioned turn lanes. Should such construction not be acceptable due to lack of <br /> available right-of-way or disapproval by any necessary regulatory authority, the applicant offers <br /> to instead pay $400,000 to Orange County. Either one of these commitments is offered to be <br /> realized prior to issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy for the school. <br /> Approval of a master plan is part of the MPD-CD rezoning process. Development, including <br /> permitted land uses, would be in accordance with the approved master plan and conditions <br /> imposed as part of the MPD-CD rezoning process. A site plan has been provided to comply with <br /> the Schools: Preparatory standards required by Section 5.8.4 of the UDO and Recreational <br /> Facilities standards required by Section 5.7.2 of the UDO. The site plan will be binding, should <br /> the application be approved. The applicant has not requested conditions to deviate from the <br /> general development standards established in Article 6 of the UDO. Staff has recommended the <br /> imposition of conditions, as included in the Ordinance in Attachment 9. Staff review and comments <br /> are limited to the following conditions requested by the applicant: <br /> 1. Application: Project shall be completed as presented in approved site plan/application <br /> packet. Applications to rezone property to the MPD-CD Conditional District shall be <br /> processed in accordance with the procedures in UDO Section 2.9 and 6.7; <br /> 2. To construct left turn lanes with 150' of full storage at both site driveways (US 70A and <br /> Lawrence Road); and <br /> 3. To construct southbound and northbound left-turn lanes on Lawrence Road at the <br /> intersection of Lawrence Road and US 70 as described previously, with, preferably, <br /> accompaniment of a performance bond with NCDOT, or, alternatively, payment of <br /> $400,000 to Orange County for the purpose of local transportation improvements. Either <br /> one of these commitments must be secured prior to issuance of the Certificate of <br /> Occupancy for the charter school. <br /> A motion to approve with specified conditions at the April 19, 2023 Planning Board Special <br /> Meeting resulted in a 5-5 vote and the motion did not carry. The seven (7) conditions detailed in <br /> the motion remain as part of the applicant's offered conditions and are as follows (minutes detailed <br /> in Attachment 6): <br /> 1. Installation of a Type C buffer along Lawrence Road prior to issuance of a certificate of <br /> compliance for the school; <br /> 2. Lighting for the tennis courts shall be the minimum necessary to meet UDO requirements; <br />