HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-20-2014 - 7cORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 20, 2014
Action Agenda
Item No. 7 -c
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SUBJECT: Orange Unified Transportation Board Request to Authorize the Planning Staff
to Review Private Road Standards, Access Standards, and Trail System
Standards of the Unified Development Ordinance; Amendment Outline
DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No
ATTACHMENTS:
Amendment Outline Form
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Abigaile Pittman, Transportation /Land
Use Planner, 245 -2567
Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning
Supervisor, 245 -2579
Michael Harvey, Current Planning
Supervisor, 245 -2597
Craig Benedict, Director, 245 -2585
PURPOSE: To consider instructing Planning staff to review the private road, access and trail
system standards, and develop recommended amendments to the Unified Development
Ordinance (UDO) for consideration.
BACKGROUND: In its accepted 2014 Work Plan, the following activity was identified for the
Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard):
• Begin examination of UDO Section 7.8 Access and Roadways with respect to the goals
and objectives of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan to determine
consistency, and seek BOCC authorization to develop recommendations of applicable
amendments to the UDO to take to the Planning Board.
Likewise, in its accepted 2014 Work Plan, the Planning Board identified the following activity as
a concern /emerging issue:
• Emergency Access: Work with appropriate staff /departments to better ensure properties
can be reached by emergency personnel (e.g., driveway width and clearance, bridge
weight limit signage and sufficiency to allow a fire truck to pass, gate width, and curve
radii sufficient for emergency vehicles).
This Work Plan activity relates to the following Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives:
• 2030 Comprehensive Plan Transportation Goal 2, Objective T -2.3. Increase countywide
access for emergency vehicles, including ways to improve response times, both for
existing and new developments; and
• 2030 Comprehensive Plan Services and Community Facilities Goal 7, Objective PS -T -3
Establish and maintain an appropriate level of service for law enforcement and
emergency services and ensure the provision of adequate public safety protection
standards for residential, commercial, and industrial development throughout the County.
The impetus for this work plan task stems primarily from issues relating to the County's private
road regulations found in Sections 7.8.4 and 7.8.5 of the UDO. The County's two - tiered
approach to regulating private roads was originally intended to allow an affordable development
option for small subdivisions of no more than 5 lots. However, problems have been reported by
the County's Emergency Services Department and the Volunteer Fire Departments regarding
the 12 -foot travel -way width permitted by the Class B private road. The narrow width of the
Class B road has presented public safety issues because it does not provide adequate access
for emergency services vehicles, and thus impacts response times for emergency services.
Additionally, the UDO does not have a requirement that all newly created lots have access to a
complying road, including those in statutorily exempt subdivisions (lots greater than 10 acres).
Because of the exempt nature of these subdivisions, County staff cannot guarantee viable
access to created lots. Like the situation with Class B private roads, the creation of land- locked
properties presents public safety access issues for emergency services vehicles.
Further, long -term maintenance costs of private roads have led to many requests for the North
Carolina Department of Transportation ( NCDOT) to accept these roads into the State -
maintained system. The construction standards for NCDOT acceptance are higher than the
County's Class B private road standards, and are typically prohibitively expensive to overcome.
Subdivision roads with a right -of -way dedicated, recorded, or with preliminary approval from a
county planning board dated after September 30, 1975 will not be added to the State system
unless the road is built to the minimum construction standards of the Division of Highways. The
minimum State construction standard is 18 feet of pavement within a 50 -foot right -of -way.
The OUTBoard also noted potential public safety concerns with providing access for emergency
service vehicles on trail systems. The OUTBoard discussed the need for staging areas for
vehicles to access trail users in times of emergency.
On April 16, 2014 the OUTBoard reviewed and discussed these issues relating to selected
private road and access standards of the UDO. The Board is recommending that the BOCC
direct the Planning staff to review these standards, and also trail system standards, and develop
amendments to the UDO for consideration. In the review of these standards the Planning staff
would seek input from the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation
(DEAPR), and the Emergency Services Department.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Other than staff time, there is no financial impact associated with
receiving, considering and authorizing the staff to proceed with reviewing the County's private
road, access and trail systems standards.
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RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board move forward with the
OUTBoard's recommendation to-
1 . Authorize the Planning staff to review the private road standards, access standards, and
trail system standards of the UDO;
2. Authorize the Planning Board to provide review comments to the Planning staff;
3. Authorize the Planning staff to solicit comments from Department of Environment,
Agriculture, Parks and Recreation staff and the Commission for the Environment and /or
Parks and Recreation Council;
4. Authorize the Planning staff to solicit comments from the Emergency Services staff and
the Fire Chief's Council; and
5. Return to the BOCC in the Fall of 2014 with an update and request to proceed with text
amendment(s).
ATTACHMENT 1
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN / FUTURE LAND USE MAP
AND
UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE (UDO)
AMENDMENT OUTLINE
UDO / Zoning- 2014 -11
Private road standards, access standards, and trail system standards
of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)
A. AMENDMENT TYPE
Map Amendments
❑ Future Land Use Map-
From-
To:
❑ Zoning Map:
From
To
❑ Other:
Text Amendments
❑ Comprehensive Plan Text:
Section(s).
❑ UDO Text:
❑UDO General Text Changes (Pending further BOCC authorization)
❑UDO Development Standards (Pending further BOCC authorization)
❑UDO Development Approval Processes
n(s): To include (but may not be limited to):
1. Section 7.8 Access and Roadways, and
2. Section 6.2 Lot Standards
of the UDO to review the private road, access and trail system
standards and develop amendments for consideration.
❑ Other:
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B. RATIONALE
1. Purpose /Mission
In its accepted 2014 Work Plan, the following activity was identified for the
OUTBoard:
• Begin examination of UDO Section 7.8 Access and Roadways with respect to
the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan to determine consistency,
and seek BOCC authorization to develop recommendations of applicable
amendments to the UDO to take to the Planning Board.
On April 16, 2014 the OUTBoard reviewed and discussed selected private road and
access standards of the UDO with respect to Comprehensive Plan Goals and
Objectives. The Board recommended requesting the BOCC to instruct the Planning
staff to review the private road, access and trail system standards, and develop
amendments for consideration.
2. Analysis
Additional analysis will be part of the subsequent evaluation.
3. Comprehensive Plan Linkage (i.e. Principles, Goals and Objectives)
a. Transportation Goal 2, Objective T -2.3: Increase countywide access for
emergency vehicles, including ways to improve response times, both for
existing and new developments.
b. Services and Community Facilities Goal 7, Objective PS -T -3: Establish and
maintain an appropriate level of service for law enforcement and emergency
services and ensure the provision of adequate public safety protection
standards for residential, commercial, and industrial development throughout
the County.
4. New Statutes and Rules
N /A_
C. PROCESS
1. TIMEFRAME /MILESTONES /DEADLINES
a. BOCC Authorization to Proceed
May 20, 2014
b. Quarterly Public Hearin
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c. BOCC Updates /Checkpoints
Fall of 2014 - BOCC Update and request for authorization to proceed with text
amendment(s)
d. Other
N/A
2. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM
Mission /Scope: To review existing private road, access standards, and trail system
standards with respect to providing an appropriate level of service for emergency
services vehicles and ensuring the provision of adequate public safety protection
standards for development, and within this framework providing a reasonable and
affordable development option for small subdivisions.
a. Planning Board Review:
August 6, 2014
September 3, 2014
b. Advisory Boards:
N/A (at this time
c. Local Government Review
DEAPR staff; and boards to include Emergency Services staff; and the
the Commission for the Environment Fire Council — from May to August,
and /or the Parks and Recreation 2014.
Council - from May to August, 2014.
d. Notice Requirements
At this time, only notice for advisory board meetings as required.
e. Outreach:
❑ General Public: N/A
❑ Small Area Plan Workgroup: N/A
❑ Other: N/A
3. FISCAL IMPACT
Other than staff time, there is no financial impact associated with receiving,
considering and authorizing the staff to proceed with adoption steps for reviewing the
County's private road standards, access and trail systems standards.
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D. AMENDMENT IMPLICATIONS
N/A
E. SPECIFIC AMENDMENT LANGUAGE
N/A
Primary Staff Contact:
Abigaile Pittman, AICP
Planning Department
919- 245 -2567
abipittman @orangecountync.gov