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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: November 6, 2025 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-b <br /> SUBJECT: Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments — Impervious Surfaces, <br /> Watershed Protection Overlay Districts, and Stream Buffers <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Statement of Approval and Consistency Christopher Sandt, County Engineer, 919- <br /> 2. Proposed UDO Text Amendments 245-2583 <br /> 3. August 18, 2025 Joint Planning Review Patrick Mallett, Deputy Director, 919-245- <br /> Comments from Town of Carrboro 2577 <br /> 4. Excerpt of Draft October 1, 2025 Cy Stober, Director, 919-245-2592 <br /> Planning Board Minutes and Signed <br /> Statement of Approval and Consistency <br /> 5. Presentation <br /> PURPOSE: To hold a public hearing, receive the Planning Board and staff recommendations, <br /> consider public comment, close the public hearing, and consider action on Planning Director- <br /> initiated text amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) pertaining to Impervious <br /> Surfaces, Watershed Protection Overlay Districts, and Stream Buffers. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Orange County Planning & Inspections Department has initiated text <br /> amendments to UDO Sections 2.20, 4.2, 6.13, and Article 10. The proposed amendments are <br /> multi-faceted in purpose and are intended to be comprehensive in addressing overly complex <br /> text/tables, and to improve interpretation and application of the UDO for both staff and applicants. <br /> Specifically, the amendments address: <br /> 1) Refinements and reading clarity improvements related to impervious surface area limits <br /> and existing development definition timelines for the County's thirteen (13) Watershed <br /> Protection Overlay Districts, including deletion of the obsolete "Sliding Scale Table" (Tables <br /> 4.2.5.2 & 4.2.5.3); and <br /> 2) Refinement of minimum reservoir buffer widths for the Upper Eno Critical Watershed <br /> Protection Overlay District to better accommodate known non-conforming lots located <br /> around the shoreline of Lake Orange and reduce setback variance requests related to this <br /> specific location. <br /> 3) Refinement of the "Water Feature" definition within Article 10 to clarify and conform with <br /> County/State/Federal regulatory authority. <br /> The proposed amendments can be found in Attachment 2 within a "track changes" format. <br /> Joint Planning Area (JPA) Review: In accordance with the Orange County-Chapel Hill-Carrboro <br /> Joint Planning Land Use Plan and Agreement, the proposed UDO text amendments package was <br />