Agenda 02-15-24; 2 - Consultant Briefing on Orange County Land Use Plan 2050

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10 • Of the four municipalities in Orange County, Mebane is the only one that is actively pursuing larger-scale economic development. While some stakeholders view this as a threat, others consider it to be a good model for how development could look in the county at large. • Some stakeholders do not believe Orange County is responding competitively to development opportunities throughout the Triangle and Triad regions. Continued industrial development in Chatham and Siler City provides opportunities for Orange County to pursue recruitment of businesses that will be crucial in the supply chains for those industrial hubs. If these businesses locate in Orange County, it is possible that the county would see significant job growth, which would further diversify the economy. • Emphasis was placed not on Orange County "becoming like Alamance or Chatham counties" but on defining clearly what "valuing conservation" means to businesses. A business that only hears "valuing conservation" might be discouraged from locating in Orange County. If those values are spelled out, then a business can develop plans that comply with those rules, rather than anticipating sunk costs and inevitable rejection. • Neither UNC nor UNC Health (two of the county's largest employers and landholders) pay property taxes; however, these entities have provided funding in the past to local governments in Orange County to offset development impacts on services. Limited funding from these institutions impacts the fiscal health of the County government. • The historical economic center of the Triangle is moving west as Wake County and Cary grow, which could potentially make Chapel Hill/Orange less important overall in regional conversations. However, there is also significant economic growth occurring in Chatham and Alamance, which may result in Orange County finding more economic opportunities in relation to western and southern neighbors with a draw towards the Triad. • The Rural Buffer (especially along the NC-86 corridor and the area between 1-40 and I- 85) is one of the primary inhibitors to outward growth in the county and would be extremely in-demand if there was opportunity for commercial development along those corridors. The stretch of 1-40 between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill through the Rural Buffer is one of the last undeveloped (and without utilities) stretches of interstate between the western Triad and the eastern Triangle. • Development permitting (environmental, especially) in Orange County makes it more challenging to locate a business in Orange County, especially when similar benefits can be derived from locating the same business in Chatham or Alamance counties with fewer requirements. Stakeholders used the Walmart just south of the Chatham County line and Buc-ee's pivot to locating in Alamance as examples of this phenomenon of mixed sales tax revenues. • Economic development is often contingent on the provision of adequate utilities. Since sewer is typically the most expensive and challenging utility to provide, and since much Orange County, North Carolina - Land Use Plan 2050 1 Stakeholder Interviews Summary 7