Orange County NC Website
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1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />45 <br />46 <br />47 <br />48 <br />49 <br />11 <br />- Public Safety and Emergency Management <br />- Public water /wastewater systems and coordination <br />Chapter 9. Transportation Element: <br />- Emphases on multi -modal transportation <br />- Regional authorities for recommendations <br />- Three bus systems (Orange, Chapel Hill, Triangle Transit) <br />- Transportation and development closely linked <br />- County is within a non - attainment area for air quality and daily travel is increasing. <br />Appendices <br />- County Profile (Data) Element <br />- Glossary of terms <br />- Additional data and information <br />NEXT STEPS <br />- Receive public comment <br />- Referral to Planning Board <br />- Return to BOCC for action <br />Public Comment: <br />Allen Rosen read a prepared statement: <br />"Members of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan Coalition want the updated plan <br />to declare a preference for compact, walkable, mixed -use, and transit - supportive developments <br />within the County's planning jurisdiction. This development pattern is vital to achieving many <br />key components of sustainability including affordable housing, an increase in the commercial <br />tax base, reduced vehicle miles traveled, and improved prospects for local and regional public <br />transportation. <br />We are pleased that language throughout the plan emphasizes this preference. Overall, <br />the plan is a big step in the right direction, but there is still much room for improvement. In order <br />for compact, mixed -use developments to become the preferred mode of new development, the <br />planning elements of the updated comprehensive plan must complement each other and <br />sensible implementing ordinances need to be adopted. <br />Coalition members prepared comments on the goals and objectives from the first draft <br />for the Land Use, Transportation, Economic Development, and Housing elements. Since the <br />language of the Public Hearing draft is virtually the same, the comments are still current. These <br />recommendations (found on pages 38-47 of the agenda packet) provide examples of how the <br />current goals and objectives can be improved and how the linkages between the elements <br />enhanced. <br />The viability of compact, mixed -use developments depends on the availability of public <br />infrastructure, including water and sewer. Thus, the coalition recommends that the planning <br />document make affirmative and unequivocal commitments to providing the necessary public <br />infrastructure in a timely manner. Work remains to be done in this regard also. <br />I recommend a section of the plan be dedicated exclusively to the goal statements and <br />objectives that address both zoning for compact, mixed -use developments and planning for the <br />requisite public infrastructure. This section should assure the reader that work on these critical <br />objectives is coordinated and finished such that the infrastructure will begin to come on line <br />within the next 3 -5 years, if not sooner. As it stands now, it's not clear when and how this will <br />happen. <br />