Orange County NC Website
17 <br /> <br />1 b. Comprehensive Plan Update Phase II <br />2 The Board considered reviewing the draft BOCC Table of Revisions and conveying any <br />3 final changes to the draft Comprehensive Plan that may be required by the Board. <br />4 Comprehensive Planning Supervisor Tom Altieri summarized this item and provided <br />S background information. He said that the majority of the changes suggested by the County <br />6 Commissioners do not involve changes to the original meaning or the intent of the document. <br />7 The changes are mostly for clarification, etc. Staff will prepare a summary list of the most <br />8 significant changes made by the County Commissioners and this list will be included in the <br />9 November 18`h agenda packet for the benefit of the public. <br />10 Commissioner Gordon said that she spent hours on this and she has her comments <br />11 ready, but she cannot do this in ten minutes. <br />12 Chair Jacobs suggested incorporating Commissioner Cordon's comments and italicize <br />13 them and have until the 18`h to look at them. <br />14 <br />1S PUBLIC COMMENT: <br />16 Allan Rosen submitted a prepared statement and read it. <br />17 <br />18 Comments regarding Comprehensive Plan Update Nov. 6 agenda item <br />19 <br />20 For nearly one year the Orange County Comprehensive Plan Coalition has engaged in the <br />21 Comprehensive Plan Update process. It has been our experience that as the process moved <br />22 forward the attention to public comments diminished. <br />23 <br />24 As a result, the Coalition takes the position not to endorse the proposed plan. A summary of the <br />2S facts and perceptions that brought us to our conclusion are found in the Position Statement of <br />26 which you have a copy. <br />27 <br />28 The Coalition has not yet decided if it will make suggestions for how our concerns might be <br />29 addressed. Personally, I hope we will be able to offer some suggestions later this month. Also <br />30 speaking personally -and not for the Coalition -- I'd like to share some additional comments. <br />31 <br />32 I think it is commendable that the County will soon have a unified report that addresses seven <br />33 different functional elements, all chapters completed simultaneously. Hopefully, the plan will not <br />34 only continue the stewardship of our natural and cultural resources but -just as importantly -- <br />3S also promote the County's sustainable growth and development. Unfortunately I have little <br />36 confidence this will happen. <br />37 <br />38 Let me explain. The Coalition members believed we could make a valuable contribution to the <br />39 public discourse about the County's future. Now that the proposed plan is finished, I wish the <br />40 contributions of the Coalition -and other members of the public -were more in evidence. <br />41 <br />42 This causes me great concern. The Coalition's Vision Statement says in part: "Sustainability is <br />43 achieved when stakeholders representing diverse interests work together cooperatively..." <br />44 (attached). <br />4S <br />46 Sadly, I don't think the proposed plan represents the diversity of interests needed to assure that <br />47 the outcomes inspired by this Plan will lead the County along a greater path of sustainability, a <br />48 path that is likely to be of urgent necessity in the not too distant future. <br />49 <br />