Agenda - 08-25-2008- c2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ as 2) Localizing Economic Development. Economic activity over the last 50 years has been conducted as if resources were inexhaustible and the fabric of the planet was indestructible. Because it does not account for its longer term and wider impacts ("externalities"), such "business as usual'.' i.s not a sustainable path. Orange County can do much better for its citizens and the environment. The Comprehensive Plan should seek and embrace economic activities and patterns that promote sustainability both locally and globally. Such an economy would be substantially locally owned, and would export as much as it imports or more. Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan should bring about a "lo cal living economy" that uses sustainable practices to produce knowledge, goods and services, and offers predominantly high-quality employment opportunities. This vision includes -and will resemble -the County's laudable support of our local agri cultural systems. 3) Investing in Public Infrastructure. Public infrastructure, particularly water and wastewater services, is necessary for the compact, mixed-use, economically vibrant, and transit- supportive communities that, in our considered judgment, are the best form of development for Orange County. The Comprehensive Plan should explicitly state the County's intent to immediately begin to provide the infrastructure and management mechanisms to enable compact and sustainable land use patterns (a.k.a. "smart growth.") and to ensure that areas identified as suitable for growth (such as Transfer of Development Rights ('TDR) "receiving areas") are developed sustainably. 4) Zoning for Mixed-Used Districts. Compact mixed-use developments will require new zoning designations; currently, there are no true mixed-use zoning districts in the County. Within these zones a minimum residential density of 8 to 15 dwelling units per acre is necessary to support bus service; 20 to 30 units to the acre are needed to support rail transit. The new zoning districts must effectively "upzone" areas most suitably located for intensive development and should enable uses that are mixed vertically as well as horizontally. Ideally, such zoning changes will be undertaken as part of a larger TDR program, so that upzoning and downzoning do not create inequities among affected landowners. These new zones must be available for application in areas where the County decides to provide new infrastructure to enable compact development to take place. 5) Inclusionary Zoning in Mixed-Use Districts. The goal of increased housing opportunities for our workforce, for lower-income residents, and for special needs households should be addressed by an objective to implement inclusionary zoning requirements in growth areas with three criteria: price (rent or purchase cost), square footage, and number of bedrooms. Limiting size and requiring minimum densities ingrowth areas encourages multi-family structures that use land, water, and energy far more efficiently than single-family detached dwelling units. Moreover, such patterns are an important and increasingly demanded form of human settlement because they provide the social benefits of living among a diverse population and increased amenities due to economies of scale. 6) Adaptability as a Key Component of "Com munity Character." Historically, human settlements evolved at crossroads and other transportation nodes. They were compact, mixed- The Village Project • PO Box 68S • Carrboro NC 27510 • 919-942-6114 • wwwthevillageproject.com 2