Orange County NC Website
4 <br />II. Comprehensive Land Use Review <br />The study area lies almost entirely within Hillsborough's land use jurisdiction. Only the portion <br />from Interstate 40 to New Grady Brown School Road is within the land use jurisdiction of <br />Orange County. Orange Grove Road from Churton Street to Mayo Drive is currently zoned for <br />general commercial uses to provide for future expansion of the general commercial district <br />south of the historic downtown area. The remainder of the corridor is zoned for residential <br />uses ranging from low-density agricultural residential zoning to high-density multifamily zoning. <br />Retail and service operations exist within walking or cycling distance from the residentially <br />zoned property, but there are no roadway connections from the residential areas to the <br />commercial district on Churton Street. This plan recommends several connections that can be <br />realized with future land use decisions. <br />New Grady Brown Elementary and newly constructed Cedar Ridge High School are within <br />walking and cycling distance from residential areas. The schools are located on New Grady <br />Brown School Road which takes access from Orange Grove Road and Dimmocks Mill Road. <br />Both Orange Grove Road and Dimmocks Mill Road are on adopted bicycle plans for the Town <br />of Hillsborough or Orange County. However, lack of adequate bicycle facilities on those roads <br />and on New Grady Brown School Road present an unsafe environment for using bicycles as a <br />means for transportation to the schools. Likewise, lack of sidewalks throughout the corridor <br />make walking undesirable. <br />Another major obstacle to the safety of bicycle and pedestrian transportation and the <br />connectivity of the Orange Grove Road bicycle route is the narrow two-lane bridge that carries <br />Orange Grove Road over Interstate 40. Bicyclists and pedestrian must share the roadway with <br />motor vehicles crossing the bridge, as there are no shoulders or facilities for cyclists or <br />pedestrians. <br />There is a large amount of undeveloped land between the commercial district along Churton <br />Street and the area bounded by Interstate 85, Orange Grove Road and Oakdale Drive. This <br />plan recommends roadway connections that could form a network to provide easy access <br />between development along Orange Grove Road and the commercial areas along Churton <br />Street and also to the schools. <br />