Orange County NC Website
271 <br />Chapter 8 Services and Facilities Element: <br />- School facilities <br />- Solid waste management <br />- Stormwater/erosion control <br />- Libraries <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 anon-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 />