Agenda - 10-12-1999 - 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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23:1 AN OVERVIEW OF LAND USE PLANNING IN ORANGE COUNTY The LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE ORANGE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN is the official guide for the rational distribution of growth in the County. It is embodied in both map and text and serves as a policy guide to assist public officials in their day -to -day decision making. The plan was adopted in 1981 and has been amended at various times since. The purpose of this short paper is to give an overview of the plan, summarize Joint Planning with Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and briefly discuss implementation and public participation. LAND USE ELEMENT The foundation of the Land Use Element is the county -wide goals and policies, which provide the written framework to guide future public and private development decisions. The township components are the key structural element of the plan, i.e., a specific plan for each of the County's seven townships. Township components contain most of the land. use planning information and recommendations in the Land Use Element. LAND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM One of the fundamental methods used to achieve the stated goals and policies of the Land Use Element is the design and application of a land classification system. Each category of the system is designed to accommodate certain uses throughout the County to achieve a desired pattern of development. There are 22 land use categories in the plan, which can be grouped under the broad headings of urban, transition, activity node, rural, and conservation. STRATEGY. To minimize the energy - inefficient and land consuming pattern of rural sprawl, the Land Use Element is premised on two basic strategies: activity nodes and in -fill urban development. The activity node strategy serves to cluster commercial and industrial development at major intersections throughout the County. Activity nodes are of various sizes and types to accommodate specified levels of intensity of commercial and industrial activities. The primary objective of the activity node strategy is the efficient and compact use of land. ACTIVITY NODE/ IN-FILL URBAN DEVELOPMENT The activity node strategy cannot be effective without a parallel strategy directed at managing development trends in the urban and urbanizing areas of the County. Thus, the Land Use Element incorporates a second development strategy: "in -fill" development. This strategy is premised on.' the desirability of encouraging development to occur first within the corporate limits of the towns and then within those areas surrounding the towns which are in transition from rural to urban development patterns. The major management tool used to accomplish in -fill objectives is a structured, cooperative planning process between the municipalities of Chapel Bill and Carrboro and Orange County. This process is governed by the three -party Joint Planning Agreement, first signed in 1984 and amended several times in the ensuing years. JOINT PLANNING AGREEMENT The Joint PlwmingAgreement contains definitions, standards, and procedures specific to the area in southeastern Orange County known as the Joint Planning Area QPA). This area is in the County's jurisdiction, but is administered differently than other areas (of County jurisdiction)