Agenda - 10-07-2008- 7b - Laserfiche WebLink

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143 Orange County Comprehensive Plan Update May 19, 2008 Public Hearing Comments, Allan Rosen Members of the.Orange County Comprehensive Plan Coalition want the updated plan to declare a reference for compact, walkable, mixed use, and transit-supportive developments within the county's P planning jurisdiction. This development pattern is vital to achieving many key components of sustainability including affordable housing, an increase in the commercial tax base, reduced. vehicle miles traveled, and improved prospects for local and regional public transportation. We are leased that language throughout the plan emphasizes this preference. Overall, the plan is a big p step in the right direction, but there is still much roam for improvement. In order for compact, mixed- use developments to become the preferred mode of new development, the planning elements of the u dated comprehensive plan must complement each other and sensible implementing ordinances need P to be adopted. Coalition.members prepared comments on the goals and objectives from the first draft for the Land Use, Transportation, Economic Development, and Housing elements. Since the language of the Public Hearing draft is virtually the same, the comments are still current. These recommendations (found on pages 38-47 of the agenda packet) provide examples of how the current goals and objectives can be improved and how the linkages between the elements enhanced. The viability of compact, mixed use developments depends on the availability of public infrastructure, including water and sewer. Thus, the coalition recommends that the planning document make affirmative and unequivocal commitments to providing the necessary public infrastruchue in a timely manner. Work remains to be done in this regard also. I recommend a section of the plan be dedicated exclusively to the goal statements and objectives that address both zoning for compact mixed use developments and planning for the requisite public infrastructure. This section should assure the reader that work on these critical objectives is coordinated and finished such that the infi-astructure will begin to come on line within the next 3-5 years, if not sooner. As it stands now, it's not clear when and how this will happen.