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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-2006-008 - ORANGE COUNTY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS0P1V- aoo6 -06C91 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 27, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. D.1 SUBJECT: Orange County Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance Amendments DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Copy of Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance with Proposed Amendments PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) Yes INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Benedict, (919) 245 -2592 Geof Gedhill PURPOSE: To receive public comment on proposed amendments to the Orange County Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance intended to differentiate between single family detached residential dwelling units and all other residential types, and to define where an impact fee exception may be appropriate when a dwelling unit is moved to a new lot. BACKGROUND: The Orange County Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance, adopted in 1993 and amended in 1995, 1996, and 2001, needs further amendments to provide clarification and aid in administration of the Ordinance. Amendments to the following sections of the Ordinance are proposed:. SECTION 2 — DEFINITIONS: Amend the definition of Dwelling Unit consistent with the State Building Code and provide definitions and examples for the following terms: single family detached, all other residential types, and new residential dwelling unit. The Ordinance identifies two levels of impact fee in each school district based on the type of new residential dwelling unit. A "single family detached residential dwelling unit" is charged a higher fee than "all other residential types." Proposed amendments provide definitions and examples for the residential types to ensure that a fee payer is assessed at the proper rate. SECTION 4 — PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPACT FEE EXCEPTIONS Add an impact fee exception when a dwelling unit is moved to a new lot. Impact fees are not imposed on structures and buildings that existed on the effective date of the Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance or that, if constructed or erected after the effective date of the Ordinance, have been determined in the Ordinance will not materially affect current levels of service of public school facilities. It is proposed to add to this class of buildings or structures a residential dwelling unit which is moved to a previously undeveloped lot and where the lot from which the moved residential dwelling unit was located and the lot to which the moved residential (! :C:ompisl!u!sivc I la!uuns; 1 in GI '''2006 Public I k aIilw I -CI) 2' QIII I�schoolsinII)IMI ccO!d I duel' aeili ties III pac tl�co0!'dA1IIdI0b,.doc 2 dwelling unit will be located are both in the same "public school benefit area." Two options are under consideration. The first option would require that the lot from which the residential dwelling unit is moved be extinguished as a residential dwelling lot, therefore, providing for the impact fee exemption to no longer "run with the land." The second option would require that an impact fee be imposed on the lot from which the residential dwelling unit was moved if, in the future, another residential dwelling unit were located on that lot, in effect providing for the impact fee exemption to "run with the dwelling unit." FINANCIAL IMPACT: Other than advertising costs, there are no direct financial impacts associated with hearing public comments on this item. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board, 1) close the public hearing, and 2) adopt the proposed amendments to the Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance: a. At this time and meeting, or b. At the March 21, 2006 meeting. (; ,( omI)ic tic] ,ive Planning I)i, 611 -I� 2001, Public Ilewing, 1 ub'. QPII"d"", I I'Mhd I- d tic IaciIi&c In i1pac[FeeOidAmdt,M)b doc Proposed Amendments: Strikethraugh = delete. Red = new text. 3 ORANGE COUNTY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE SECTION 1 - LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS The Orange County Board of Commissioners makes the following legislative findings: 1. Orange County public school facilities are vital to the health, safety, welfare, and economic prosperity of Orange County; 2. That public school facilities in Orange County must be expanded in order to maintain current levels of service if new development is to be accommodated without decreasing current levels of service; 3. To finance the expansion of the public school facilities in Orange County necessary to maintain current levels of service while accommodating new residential growth, several methods of finance will be employed, one of which will require new residential development to pay an appropriate share of the reasonably anticipated new educational facilities in the form of school impact fees; and 4. These school impact fees will provide, in a reasonable manner, for the public health, safety, and welfare of persons residing within Orange County by providing a portion of the costs of new school facilities which bears a relationship to the benefits of the new school facilities to the new residential growth in Orange County. SECTION 2 - DEFINITIONS For the purposes of this ordinance, the following terms shall have the following definitions: All Other Residential Types. A singlewide manufactured home located on an individual lot or in a mobile home park; or a building or lot containing two or more dwelling units each considered individually including, but not limited to: duplexes, town homes, condominiums, apartments, and efficiency apartments. Certificate of Occupancy. A certificate issued by Orange County or a municipality located therein allowing the occupancy or use of a dwelling unit and certifying that the building or structure has been constructed and will be used in compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances. Dwelling Unit. habitable unit with fadllitieS used 9F intended to be used fbr lly8ng, sle . A single unit providing complete independent living facilities for one family, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. Units otherwise meeting this definition, but GAComprehensive Planning DiOGENE12006 Public Hearings \Feb 27 QPH\ SchoolslmpactFeeOrd\ EducationalFacilitieslmpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 3 Proposed Amendments: StFikethFaugh =delete. Red = new text. 4 occupied by transients on a rental or lease basis for periods of less than one week shall be construed to be lodging units. Efficiency Apartment. An additional dwelling unit accessory to a single family detached residential dwelling unit that meets the following criteria: 1. The efficiency unit contains no more than 800 square feet of gross floor area; 2. The lot meets the minimum lot size requirements of the zoning district in which it is located; 3. The efficiency unit complies with the North Carolina State Residential Building Code as a dwelling unit; 4. The efficiency unit remains in the same ownership as the primary residence; and 5. There 'shall be no more than one (1) efficiency apartment, whether attached or detached, on any lot. Feepayer. The person constructing or responsible for having constructed a new dwelling unit or new dwelling units. In the case of a mobile home, the person installing or responsible for having installed a new mobile home or new mobile homes. Single Family Detached Residential Dwelling Unit. A detached building containing one dwelling unit including, but not limited to: stick -built structures; multi -wide manufactured homes (units constructed and labeled in accordance with HUD standards); and modular homes (units constructed and labeled according to the North Carolina State Building Code — Residential). SECTION 3 - SCHOOL IMPACT FEES IMPOSED ON NEW RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS In addition to all other charges prescribed by ordinance or resolution now or hereafter in effect, there shall be public school impact fees charged to new residential dwelling units located within Orange County, and within the municipalities and their extraterritorial planning jurisdictions located within Orange County. No person may occupy any new residential dwelling unit until all applicable public school impact fees contained in the following schedule have been paid in full. No certificate of occupancy or other type of occupancy permit shall be issued for any new residential dwelling unit until the public school impact fees hereby required have been paid in full. Payment of such fees shall not relieve the feepayer from the obligation to comply with applicable land development regulations of Orange County or the municipalities located within Orange County. Schedule of Public School Impact Fees The amount of the public school impact fee will be $3,000' per single family detached residential dwelling unit and $1,4201 per residential dwelling unit for all other residential types in the Orange County School District. Amended June 25, 2001; effective July 1, 2001. GAComprehensive Planning Div \GENE \2006 Public Hearings \Feb 27 QPH\ SchoolsimpactFeeOrd\ EducationalFacilitieslmpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 4 Proposed Amendments: Strikethre = delete. Red = new text. 5 The amount of the public school impact fee will be $4,407' per single family detached residential dwelling unit and $1,979' per residential dwelling unit for all other residential types in the Chapel Hill - Carrboro School District. SECTION 4 - PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPACT FEE EXCEPTIONS Public school impact fees as provided in Section 3 shall not be imposed in the following circumstances: 1. Buildings or structures, including alterations, repairs, renovations or additions thereto, which are to be occupied and used solely for non- residential purposes. 2. Residential dwelling units for which a building permit was obtained prior to the effective date of this ordinance. 3. Alterations, repairs, renovations or additions to a residential dwelling unit. 4.2 Replacement of a building, structure or mobile home used for residential purposes, including the following: a. Installation of a replacement mobile home on a separate lot or mobile home park space when an educational facilities impact fee for such lot or space has been previously paid pursuant to this ordinance or where a residential mobile home legally existed on such lot or space on or before the effective date of this ordinance. For the purposes of this ordinance, 'legally existed" shall mean that a mobile home was located on the lot or space during the five -year period prior to the date of adoption of this ordinance. b. Replacement of a building, structure or mobile home damaged, destroyed or partially destroyed by: the exercise of eminent domain; human acts, such as riot, fire, accident, explosion; or flood, lightning, wind or other natural calamity, with a new building, structure or mobile home. A residential building, structure or mobile home may be replaced with a new building, structure or mobile home of the same or dissimilar dwelling type. For example, a mobile home may be replaced with a mobile home. Likewise, a mobile home may be replaced with a stick - built structure. In either case, however, the number of dwelling units may not be increased. 2 Amended April 3, 1995. GAComprehensive Planning Div1GENE12006 Public Hearings \Feb 27 QPHISchoolslmpactFeeOrdl EducationalFacilitieslmpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 5 Proposed Amendments: StFikethmugh = delete. Red = new text. 6 c. When an existing dwelling unit is replaced with a new dwelling unit, and the original dwelling unit is relocated to a location not previously used for residential purposes, a public school impact fee will be charged on the dwelling unit at the new location. d. If the lot from which a dwelling unit is being moved ceases to be used for residential purposes as a result of, but not limited to, rezoning, redevelopment, or the exercise of eminent domain, then a public school impact fee will not be charged for moving the dwelling unit to a new location in the same school district. 5. Accessory buildings and structures, including, but not limited to, garages, decks, storage buildings, and similar structures, provided they are not used for residential purposes. 6.3 Temporary buildings and structures, provided they are not used for residential purposes. However, public school impact fees shall not be levied in the following cases: a. A mobile home being used to provide custodial care under the provisions of an approved Special Use Permit. b. A mobile home being used as a temporary residential dwelling during the installation of a replacement mobile home or the construction of a stick -built dwelling unit. 3 Amended April 3, 1995. GAComprehensive Planning Div \GENE \2006 Public Hearings\Feb 27 QPH \SchoolslmpactFeeOrd\ Educational FacilitieslmpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 6 Proposed Amendments: StFakethFough = delete. Red = new text. 7 SECTION 5 - COLLECTION OF FEES A. CREATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL BENEFIT AREA TRUST FUNDS Public school impact fees collected by Orange County pursuant to this ordinance shall be kept separate from other revenue of the County. There shall be one trust fund established for each of the benefit areas. The benefit areas correspond to the school district boundaries as determined by the School Districts and as illustrated on the attached map labeled Public School Benefit Areas. B. RESPONSIBILITY FOR FEE COLLECTION All public school impact fees are due to Orange County and shall be paid to Orange County prior to a certificate of occupancy being issued for a dwelling unit. The fees will be collected by Orange County and /or by interlocal agreement between Orange County and a municipality located therein. All public school impact fees shall be properly identified by the appropriate benefit area and transferred for deposit in the appropriate trust account. Where there is an interlocal agreement in effect for collection of the public school impact fees by a municipality, the municipality shall remit the fees to Orange County as provided in the agreement, including a report of the amount of funds collected and the benefit area from which the fees were collected. Upon receipt, the County shall deposit the fees in the appropriate trust fund. C. LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS Funds withdrawn from public school impact fee trust accounts shall be used solely in accordance with the following provisions: 0 Funds shall be used for capital costs associated with the construction of new public school space, including new buildings or additions to existing buildings or otherwise converting existing buildings into new public school space where the expansion is related to new residential growth. Such capital costs include actual building construction; design, engineering, and /or legal fees; land acquisition and site development; equipment and furnishings; infrastructure improvements; and /or debt service payments and payments under leases through which to finance such costs. 2. Funds shall be used exclusively for capital improvements within the benefit area from which the funds were collected. 3. Funds may be used for providing reimbursements as permitted in Section 5.E. 4 Amended April 3, 1995; February 26, 1996. G:\Gomprehensive Planning Div \GENE\2006 Public Hearings\Feb 27 QPH\SchoolslmpactFeeOrd\ Educational FacilitieslmpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 7 Proposed Amendments: Sough = delete. Red = new text. 8 4. No funds shall be used for public school operating expenses, periodic or routine maintenance, or the administration of this public school impact fee program. 5. Following their collection, funds shall be expended within ten (10) years, the time frame coinciding with the public school facilities capital improvements program (CIP) school impact fee period. The disbursal of public school impact fee funds shall require the approval of the Board of County Commissioners upon recommendation of the County Manager. D. INTEREST ON FEES Any public school impact fee funds on deposit and not immediately necessary for expenditure shall be invested as allowed in N.C. General Statute 159 -30 for other public moneys. All income derived shall be deposited in the applicable trust fund. E.5 REIMBURSEMENT OF FEES Any funds not expended within the time frame established in Section 5.C.5. shall be returned to the feepayer, or the land owner if the address of the feepayer provided to Orange County is not current, with interest at a rate not to exceed that being paid on public school impact fees deposited in accordance with Section 5.D. If the Schedule of Public School Impact Fees as contained in Section 3 is reduced, the difference between the old and new fees shall be returned to the feepayer, or the land owner if the address of the feepayer provided to Orange County is not current, with interest at a rate not to exceed that being paid on public school impact fees deposited in accordance with Section 5.D. If the Schedule of Public School Impact Fees as contained in Section 3 is increased, no additional fees shall be collected from new construction for which certificates of occupancy have been issued. Where an impact fee has been collected erroneously, or where an impact fee has been paid, and the feepayer subsequently files for and is granted an exception as permitted in Section 4, the fee shall be returned to the feepayer. Application forms and instructions for requesting impact fee reimbursement can be obtained from the Orange County Planning and Inspections Department. 5 Amended April 3, 1995. GAComprehensive Planning Div \GENE \2006 Public Hearings \Feb 27 QPH\ SchoolslmpactFeeOrd\ EducationalFacilitiesimpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 8 Proposed Amendments: StFikethpaugh = delete. Red = new text. 9 F. ANNUAL REPORT A report shall be made to the Board of County Commissioners each year showing where public school impact fees have been collected, what projects have been constructed with such fees, and what reimbursements have been made. The report shall also include an evaluation of this ordinance, including its effectiveness and enforcement, and the methods and data used to calculate the Schedule of Public School impact Fees contained in Section 3. The Board of County Commissioners shall review the report to determine if, within each benefit area, all areas of new construction are being benefited by the fees. If the Board of County Commissioners determines that areas of new construction are not being benefited, then it shall readjust the capital improvements program to correct this condition. If, after review of the methods and data used to calculate the Schedule of Public School Impact Fees, the Board of County Commissioners determines that adjustments are required in the Schedule, then it shall direct the County Manager and staff to prepare a report which outlines recommended changes for its consideration. SECTION 6 - CREDITS6 Any conveyance of land for a public school site or construction of new school facilities received and accepted by Orange County, a municipality located in Orange County, and /or the Orange County or Chapel Hill - Carrboro School Board from a landowner may, at the election of the landowner, be credited against the public school impact fee due if the conveyance or construction meets the same needs as the public school impact fee in providing new public school facilities. If the landowner elects to receive credit against the amount of the public school impact fee due for such conveyance or construction, the landowner shall, prior to the agreement to convey land for or construct new public school facilities, or the conveyance of land for or construction of new school facilities, enter into a fee agreement with the County. The fee agreement shall provide for the establishment of credits and payment of the fee in a specified manner and time, and shall, upon its execution by the landowner and the County, be binding upon the heirs and assigns of the landowner. The value of land conveyed or facilities constructed by a landowner and accepted by the County, municipality or school board for purposes of this section shall be determined by an appraisal based on the fair market value of the land or facilities as established by the County. Construction shall be in accordance with applicable County, municipal, school board, and State standards. Any land conveyed for credit under this section shall be conveyed no later than the time at which public school impact fees are required to be paid. The portion of the public school impact fee represented by a credit for construction shall be deemed paid when the construction is completed and accepted for maintenance or when adequate security for the completion of the construction has been provided. 6 Revised February 26, 1996. GAComprehensive Planning Div\GENE12006 Public HeadngslFeb 27 QPH\ SchoolslmpactFeeOrdl EducationalFacilitiesimpactFee0rdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 9 Proposed Amendments: Stfikethmu# =delete. Red = new text. 10 SECTION 7 - PENALTIES In addition to any other remedy allowed by N.C. General Statute 153A -123, the failure to pay a public school impact fee is hereby declared to subject the person responsible for payment of the public school impact fee to a civil penalty. The amount of the penalty shall be equal to the amount of the unpaid school impact fee, plus an interest charge of one -half percent (1/2 %) per month compounded monthly and a service charge of one hundred dollars ($100.00). The County may assess this penalty against the landowner whereon new construction has occurred without payment of the public school impact fee. However, no service charge will be. assessed when the County staff has made an error in the fee determination. Furthermore, no penalty shall be assessed until the person or persons alleged to be in violation are served by registered mail, certified mail - return receipt requested, or personal service with notice to pay. The County Attorney is hereby authorized to institute a civil action in the name of Orange County in the appropriate division of the General Court of Justice in Orange County for recovery of the penalty. All moneys recovered shall be deposited in the appropriate trust fund. SECTION 8 - LEGAL STATUS PROVISIONS All ordinances and clauses in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of said conflict. If any clause or section of this ordinance or application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or application of this ordinance which can be given separate effect, and, to this end, the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable. This ordinance shall not diminish any prior contractual or special or conditional use district zoning obligation to pay for or install road, park or other improvements required by Orange County or a municipality located therein, nor shall the fulfillment of those obligations diminish any applicable public school impact fee owed to the County. This ordinance shall not diminish any prior obligation of the-County or a municipality located therein to reimburse persons for road, parks or other improvements, nor shall the fulfillment of those obligations by the County or a municipality diminish any applicable credit owed to the feepayer. SECTION 9 - APPEAL TO THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT [Reserved] SECTION 10 - EFFECTIVE DATE GAC-omprehensive Planning Div \GEI4E \2006 Public Hearings \Feb 27 OPH\ SchoolslmpactFeeOrd\ EducationalFacilitieslmpactFeeOrdinancePH- DP.AFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 10 Proposed Amendments: StFikethFough = delete. Red = new text. 11 This ordinance shall be effective from and after the 1st day of July, 1993. This ordinance shall only apply to residential dwelling units for which building permits are issued on and after the effective date of the ordinance or any amendment thereto. Adopted this 7th day of June 1993. Amended: April 3, 1995 June 5, 1995 February 26, 1996 June 3, 1996 June 25, 2001 GAComprehensive Planning Div \GENE \2006 Public HearingsTeb 27 QPH\ SchoolslmpactFeeOrd\ EducationalFaciliti esltnpactFeeOrdinancePH- DRAFT.doc Impact Fee Ordinance 11 eXAV UO <-d�� AS I D. ORANGE COUNTY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS (BOCC Public Hearing) 1. Amendments to Orange County Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance Amend Section 2 — Definitions, for consistency with the State Building Code and to provide definitions and examples for the following terms: single family detached, all other residential types, and new residential dwelling unit. Amend Section 4 — Public School Impact Fee Exceptions, to add an impact fee exception when a dwelling unit is moved to a new lot. Craig Benedict said that this is a public hearing on the Orange County Educational Facilities Impact Fee Ordinance. The original ordinance was put into effect in the early 90's and has been modified occasionally. The changes tonight have to do with definitions and the exceptions. He made reference to page three of the ordinance and the areas in red, which is the suggested new language for definitions. The exception section is on page six of the abstract. He explained the two items in red on page six. Chair Jacobs said that no member of the public has signed up to speak to this item. Allan Rosen said that he would like for the County Commissioners to pay particular attention to those situations of an efficiency apartment on an R1 or single - family lot and that it also not require a 100% impact fee in specific situations (mother -in -law apartments or other extended family members). Craig Benedict said that when the original impact fee study was done, there was not a clear differentiation of all the different categories. He said that the efficiency apartment would be clustered as another residential unit, which would be $1,420 per unit in Orange County and $1,979 in Chapel Hill /Carrboro. If there can be credible information about different types of units and different definitions, they can more clearly assess the impacts of how many children come forward from these types of apartments. Chair Jacobs made reference to the moving of the lots and said that it is missing one permutation - if someone moves a building from a lot and they have already paid an impact fee and they move it to a new spot, he sees no logic in extinguishing the development rights on the lot they left in order to preclude them from having to pay an impact fee again. He said that if a new structure is built on the lot they left, it seems logical that the new structure would have an impact fee associated with it. He does not understand why this is not the most logical possibility. Geof Gledhill said that the reason that the recommendation is the other way is that impact fees are land use regulations that run with the land and not with the buildings. A new house on a lot that had a house on it before would not trigger an impact fee. Chair Jacobs asked for something in writing analyzing this. He thinks that this is unnecessarily restrictive. Commissioner Gordon made reference to page six, item `d', and said that it does not make clear that the person doing this has any say in whether the development rights are extinguished or not. She suggested rewording it so that the development rights are not accidentally extinguished. Geof Gledhill agreed with the suggestion and said that one of the premises of the whole analysis is that the reason why the house is available is because of some change in the property and there will be something else going on. He will try and make this clearer and provide an analysis for Chair Jacobs. Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the comments by Allan Rosen and asked what prompted the staff to come back with the efficiency apartment piece. Craig Benedict said that there have been requests more recently from Carrboro that allow for these apartments to be built more liberally on the typical single - family lot. Orange County has always had the restriction for not more than 800 feet of additional structure for accessory residential uses. Commissioner Halkiotis asked Craig Benedict if he saw a difference in Carrboro that also may be appealing to a graduate student market and not necessarily an aging senior citizen market. Craig Benedict said that there are a lot of different uses for the additional apartments. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he has heard this issue raised with citizens over the last few years, and people are building extra rooms for their parents. In a case like this, he sides with the citizens because this would not be impacting the schools. Chair Jacobs said that if the public hearing is being left open, then they do not have to decide on this tonight. He verified with Geof Gledhill that he would be bringing back a report on the issue of moving a house and providing an exception to the impact fee. E. ORANGE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, LAND USE ELEMENT UPDATE 1. Draft Land Use Element Text Update This is the second of a three -part public hearing process for the Comprehensive Plan, Land Use Element (LUE) Update and is to present the LUE text update. Among other things, the update will: • Incorporate 2000 US Census data; • Reflect new growth trends; • Revisit Goals, Objectives, and Policies; • Include new subdivision data; • Revisit Future Land Use Map categories and descriptions; • Achieve desired land uses and densities; and • Develop a more user friendly and understandable document. The first public hearing was opened on November 21, 2005. Planning Board Chair Jay Bryan introduced this item. Comprehensive Planning Supervisor Tom Altieri reviewed some background information, including what a land use element is and where the County is in the update process. There have been outreach meetings in all townships and staff developed a rough draft of the text and staff received written comments from the Planning Board on the draft text. He said that the land use element text is being updated to incorporate 2000 US Census data; to reflect new growth trends; to revisit goals, objectives, and policies; to include new subdivision data; to revisit future land use map categories and descriptions; to achieve desired land uses and densities; and to develop a more user - friendly and understandable document. Tonight is the second of a three -part public hearing process for the land use element update. This public hearing will remain open until the May 22nd public hearing is held. The land use element is a policy guide and not a regulatory document and must be implemented through the zoning ordinance and /or subdivision ordinance. Per County ordinance, prior to the May public hearing, Planning staff will be sending a mail notice to any property owner affected or within 500 feet of an area to be affected by any future land use map amendment or zoning map amendment. The Board of County Commissioners will be hearing public comments at the public hearing before referring all of the items to the Planning Board for their recommendation anticipated in June or July of this year. The County Commissioners will close the public hearing at a subsequent meeting and a decision could be made as early as August 22 "d The citizens can obtain a copy of the draft text on the County's website — at the "Agendas" link under the February 27th Quarterly Public Hearing. It is also available at the Planning and Inspection homepage. Hardcopies are available for review at the Planning