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49 <br /> • Support well-designed, decentralized wastewater systems in order to support land use goals and <br /> objectives,particularly: <br /> o ...Conservation subdivisions that conserve sensitive natural resources while protecting <br /> property rights <br /> LAND USE& DEVELOPMENT <br /> The Future Land Use and Conservation Map within Plan Chatham shows important natural areas <br /> connected to one another through riparian buffers and/or rural lands. Conservation subdivisions with <br /> connected natural areas and wildlife corridors are the encouraged residential development pattern in rural <br /> and conservation areas identified on the map. Currently, Chatham County has a conservation subdivision <br /> option which provides a density bonus for a natural area set-aside of 40% for the protection of the <br /> following priority natural features: <br /> • NHNAs and Natural Heritage Element Occurrences <br /> • NC Wildlife Action Plan Upland Systems (>_5,000 ft'must exist) <br /> • NC Wildlife Action Plan Lowland Systems (>_5,000 ft2 must exist) <br /> At least 50%of the open space must be configured to be contiguous on-site. Applicants must include a <br /> fragmentation map that helps the applicant configure the open space to be contiguous with important <br /> natural features within 1 mile of the parcel boundaries. <br /> Additionally, Chatham County requires that all developments protect 30-foot, 50-foot, and 100-foot <br /> buffers on ephemeral,intermittent,and perennial streams,respectively. When environmental impact <br /> assessments are required of developments,they must also identify natural communities,wildlife, and <br /> impacts on wildlife. <br /> At the time of this document, Chatham is beginning to revise its ordinances to meet the goals laid out in <br /> the comprehensive plan. The plan has provided specific recommendations to improve the incentives for <br /> conservation subdivisions.Under Strategy 4.4,the plan recommends "modified submittal requirements <br /> for conventional and conservation subdivision design(CSD). Specific amendments to the existing <br /> regulations could include the following: <br /> • Modify procedures to simplify the review and approval steps. The process for designing and <br /> permitting a residential subdivision that adheres to conservation design standards should be no <br /> more arduous or expensive than the process for designing and permitting a conventional <br /> residential subdivision. <br /> • Clarify requirements to eliminate vague language and increase predictability. <br /> • Clearly define specific design criteria to be met. <br /> • Ensure standards are measurable. <br /> • Consider allowing administrative approvals. <br /> • Offer incentives to make CSD a more attractive option than conventional subdivision, especially <br /> for smaller properties (i.e.<50 acres). Consider the following: <br /> o Density bonus adjustments (sliding scale based on parcel size) <br /> o Modifications to street requirements, and/or off-site septic allowances(contingent on soil <br /> survey results). <br /> • Further clarify primary and secondary conservation areas and make datasets available to <br /> applicants to use as a starting point for identifying primary and secondary conservation areas to <br /> be set aside. <br /> • Require conditional use permits for conventional subdivisions in Conservation Areas. <br /> 36 A Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity <br />