Minutes 03-11-2025-Work Session Meeting

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19 commercial operations would include. She said they need to consider how much agricultural land to protect to maintain the food economy in Orange County. Leigh Anne King said there are many tools in the toolbox. She said that being proactive about protecting land and providing incentives is a method that other counties are looking to reproduce. She said that Orange County is doing great work to protect land. She said it is an important point about non-residential uses. She said that Davidson is a good place to look at being proactive about the zoning. She said that some of the rural conservation neighborhoods might have a tree buffer already in place. She said that the non-residential uses would be at the heart of the community and not intended to be road frontage. She said that to some extent, the county already allows that. Commissioner Greene said she liked the plan, and it is responsive to what the public stated. She said she would like more data on the price points, because it seems like smaller houses on smaller lots would cost less than what the county currently sees. She said she wants to further explore what the economic development piece might be. She said in terms of where people will work, people will be commuting to somewhere else just like it currently is. She said the county is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and there needs to be something done regarding the housing supply. She said it is a balancing act. She said that municipalities are partners in creating affordable housing as well. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if Commissioner Greene were saying that the county would not get affordable housing. Commissioner Greene said not deeply affordable housing, because it would require a subsidy. Commissioner McKee said the county cannot afford to subsidize housing. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she would like housing for teachers. She said that she is not asking for subsidized housing. She said she would like to see a developer's day where developers can tell the county what is needed to get affordable housing. Commissioner McKee asked if there is any non-residential entity that has located within a 20 or 50 lot subdivision. Leigh Anne King referred to the map on slide #19. She said that they might be able to create an area of larger assemblages. Commissioner McKee said 1000 homes would support that but there are not any that size in Orange County. He said to get that critical mass you will need sewer and water, and it would be a major hurdle to get the governing bodies to do this. He said the conservation subdivision in no way saves property because that is a subdivision with open land, not a farm. He said he could not see the open space in a conservation subdivision being used practically in an agricultural use. He said the development is coming and they need to be smart about it. He said he is concerned about creating something that only people with high paying jobs can afford and not addressing the needs of lower income people in the county. Leigh Anne King said they are focused on how to use the land and the opportunity for development in the land use plan. She said the other tools in the toolbox are related to housing affordability. She said this plan is intended to support affordable housing, but it does not define the affordability plan. She said what they are recommending is their best way to create the inventory and affordability. Commissioner McKee said he agrees with what she is saying but his concern is that this sets a path to 2050. He said that he is making a decision that will affect folks that will long outlive him. Chair Bedford asked for clarification on vehicle miles traveled and how that is defined. Leigh Anne King said they are trying to create opportunities for daily service needs that people might have. She said the intention is to reinforce neighborhood support, so people do not have to drive so far to get to their daily needs. She said that is one way to reduce vehicle miles traveled.