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INITIATED BY: Staff <br />BACKGROUND: The buffer regulations require specific `buffer widths' for developments <br />within the district. For example a professional office being developed next to a residential <br />land use, on a parcel of property twenty thousand (20,000) square feet in size, has to <br />maintain a buffer along this common property line of fifty (50) feet. <br />ISSUE: The existing buffer regulations within the Design Manual do not allow sufficient <br />flexibility to promote the conversion, and adaptive reuse, of residential structures into non- <br />residential land uses (i.e. offices). <br />PROPOSAL: Staff is proposing to develop a sliding scale buffer requirement to allow for <br />some flexibility with the establishment and maintenance of required buffer yards in an <br />attempt to promote the adaptive reuse of residential structures within the various EDD zoning <br />districts. This buffer model would be based on the same standard utilized for the Efland <br />Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD). <br />B. NON-PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS <br />Staff proposes to give apresentation/update at the November 2008 Quarterly Public <br />Hearing regarding potential upcoming items. These items include the following: <br />1. a) 1. Conditional Use District <br />This would be a new zoning system that is allowed by state law but not present <br />in the Orange County Zoning Code. This system needs to be implemented <br />before the BOCC can effectively implement a variety of creative planning <br />projects. <br />2. Agricultural Support Enterprises <br />This project has been awaiting the item above, as well as, specific <br />performance standards and permitted use table. The course of action will be <br />presented with a timetable. <br />b) Upper Eno Conservation District -land use <br />During the discussion of the Lands Legacy Program on October 14, the Upper <br />Eno Conservation District concept was broached. A written explanation of how <br />this concept would be made consistent with the land use plan and zoning <br />regulations will be discussed briefly. <br />Additionally, staff intends to include written updates on the following topics in the agenda <br />packet: <br />2. a) Clarification of Zoning Ordinance Notification Requirements for <br />Comprehensive Plan Amendments <br />Our present zoning code as it relates to zoning amendment notification, does not <br />offer all of the options permitted by general statute. Our Comprehensive Plan <br />amendment process makes an indirect reference to this zoning procedure and it <br />could have a more clear and independent notification process. <br />