Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />A public hearing will be held in the Judge F. Gordon Battle Superior Courtroom of the <br />New Orange County Courthouse, 106 E. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina, on <br />Monday, February 24, 2003, at 7:30 PM for the purpose of giving all interested citizens an <br />opportunity to speak for or against the following items: <br />A. ORANGE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE <br />1. Amend Article 6 to establish Outdoor Lighting Standards. <br />Purpose: To establish guidelines for outdoor lighting that preserve, protect, and <br />enhance the use of public and private property through the use of appropriate <br />lighting practices and systems while maintaining safety, security, and productivity <br />and curtail the degradation of the nighttime visual environment. <br />2. Amend Article 6.23.7 Stream Buffers and Article 22 Definitions to broaden the <br />methods for identification of streams that require stream buffers. The specific <br />change is to include a provision allowing use of the Soil Survey of Orange <br />County and field identification by County staff to identify streams subject to <br />stream buffers. A new definition for Water Feature is added as a part of the <br />amendment. <br />Purpose: Stream buffers in Orange County are presently provided only along those <br />streams indicated on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Quadrangle <br />maps. There are inaccuracies in the published maps due, in large part, to the fact <br />that the maps are based on aerial photography and not field-verified by USGS in <br />most cases. Because the County adopted the USGS maps 'by reference' in the <br />zoning ordinance there is limited flexibility to properly locate the stream at the local <br />level without an amendment to the USGS maps themselves. The procedure for <br />changing an inaccurate USGS stream location is lengthy and does not correct other <br />inaccuracies for other streams that may be on the same map. <br />The USGS maps do not protect all water features that are important to water quality. <br />The proposed ordinance change will also allow the use of maps in the Soil Survey of <br />Orange County which are based on actual fieldwork. Mapping studies by the NC <br />Division of Water Quality (DWQ) indicate the combined use of USGS and Soil <br />Survey maps accurately depict the presence of streams approximately 95% of the <br />time. Additionally, the amendment will allow County staff who have received <br />Surface Water Identification Training and Certification from DWQ to make a field <br />determination of streams subject to stream buffers. By using these three methods of <br />water feature identification in combination with each other, virtually all streams that <br />affect water quality will be protected. An added benefit is that the availability of <br />County staff to do field determinations will provide citizens with a more accurate, no <br />cost service that is faster and helps them maintain a high quality of stream <br />preservation.