HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 08-27-2007-c1ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING BOARD
PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: August 27, 2007
Action Agenda
Item No. CA
SUBJECT: Zoning Ordinance Text and Map Amendments — Proposed Efland-Cheeks
Highway 70 Corridor Zoning Overlay District and Amendment to Section 6.23.3 of the
Zoning Ordinance pertaining to Impervious Surface Ratio regulations
DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) Yes
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Proposed Zoning Ordinance text
amendments
2. Map depicting proposed boundaries of
ECOD
3. Notification letter, Q&A document that
was included with notification letter,
and Certificate of Mailing
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Craig Benedict, 245-2592
Perdita Holtz, 245-2611
Michael Harvey, 245-2607
PURPOSE: To consider making text and map amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and
Zoning Atlas regarding a proposed new zoning overlay district — Efland-Cheeks Highway 70
Corridor Overlay District (ECOD) and to consider amending impervious surface limits prescribed
in Section 6.23.3 of the Zoning Ordinance in regards to the Upper Eno and Back Creek
Protected Watersheds.
BACKGROUND: One of the recommendations ofthe adopted Efland-.Mebane Small Area
Plan (EMSAP) is to allow commercial development in certain areas along the Highway 70
corridor and to allow for conversion of some residential structures to office type uses. A Land
Use Element text amendment regarding 10 -Year Transition areas was heard at the May 21,
2007 Quarterly Public Hearing and is on the August 21, 2007 BOCC meeting agenda for
adoption consideration. This Zoning text and map amendment is the next step towards allowing
non-residential uses in specific areas along the Highway 70 corridor. This is a smaller scale
economic development opportunity that is being expanded in appropriate areas.
The typical steps in planning changes are:
1. Small Area Plan Adoption (June 2006) with Recommendations
2. Land Use Element Text Amendments (QPH May 2007)
.3. Land Use Element Map Amendments (n/a in this case)
4. Zoning Text Amendments
5. Zoning Atlas/Map Amendments
6. Petitioner Application
'I 2f I 'uh I t" 00 1:':E A i iL :au! I I'm
The proposed text amendment would add a new Zoning Overlay District to the Zoning
Ordinance. The name of the proposed new Zoning Overlay District is the Efland-Cheeks
Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD). The following Sections would be added to the
Zoning Ordinance: Section 4.2.33 and Section 6.25 with appropriate sub-sections.
Additionally, the Zoning Atlas would be amended to delineate the extent of the ECOD on the
County's official zoning maps. There * are two (2) specific designations within the proposed
ECOD - the general ECOD area and the pre-designated commercial area. A total of 607 acres
of land are contained within the ECOD boundaries with 148 acres of the total acreage in the
pre-designated commercial area.
Proposed Zoning text changes include adding sections of intent, application criteria, permitted
uses, development standards, access, outside storage limitations, prescribed architectural
standards to preserve community and corridor character, landscaping, signage, and parking.
Amendments are also proposed to Section 6.23.3 of the Zoning Ordinance to increase the
permitted Impervious Surface Ratio (ISR) to 40% for non-residential uses in 10-year Transition
areas, with structural BMPs if the ISR is greater than 12%, if the parcel is located in the Upper
Eno or Back Creek Protected Watershed.
Because the proposed amendments affect the Zoning Atlas, notification letters to affected
property owners are required by State statutes and by County Ordinance. A total of 456
notification letters were mailed on August 10, 2007 to property owners of property in the
proposed ECOD and to property owners within 500-feet of the proposed ECOD boundary.
The proposed amendments are consistent with the recommendations contained in the adopted
EMSAP. The EMSAP Implementation Focus Group (IFG) was involved in drafting the proposed
changes and IFG members have reviewed the proposed amendments. A 2-page "Q & A"
document that explains the most important details of the proposed ECOD was included with the
property owner notification letters that were mailed and is included as Attachment 3.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct financial impact. Staff time has been accounted for in
the departmental budget.
RECOMMENDATION: The Administration recommends that the proposed Zoning Text and
Atlas amendments be referred to the Planning Board fora recommendation to be returned to
the County Board of Commissioners for consideration at the October 9, 2007 BOCC regular
meeting.
Ill iN It A,q 'fl 1
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 3
Section 4.2.33 Efland- Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD):
a) Intent. The Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District is established to provide for
compatibility of uses between existing single - family residential land uses and non-
residential developments along a designated portion of Highway 70 within Cheeks
Township. The Highway 70 corridor covered under this overlay district is part of the
adopted Efland Mebane Small Area Plan which outlines acceptable levels of
development within the study area, including allowing for additional non- residential
development along Highway 70.
These regulations are designed to preserve and enhance the character of the community
while allowing for mixed, but compatible, land uses by permitting logical expansion of
existing non - residential developments throughout the corridor.
It is the intent of this district to encourage land use patterns that will:
1. Protect existing single- family residential land uses,
2. Protect the character of the area,
3. Enhance property values,
4. Maintain the economic viability and carrying capacity of the corridor,
5. Preserve open vistas whenever possible,
6. Encourage small businesses to locate in appropriate areas, and
7. Continue to promote and provide for the general welfare of local citizens and
property owners.
Standards are hereby established to allow for the development of additional non-
residential land uses within the Highway 70 corridor in order to maintain and enhance the
economic vitality of the area while protecting the less intensive mixture of existing
residential land uses.
b) Applicability. This district is intended for properties adjacent to Highway 70 within
Cheeks Township of Orange County in accordance with the boundaries shown on the
map below and on the Orange County Zoning Atlas.
3
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 4
Efland - Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District Boundaries
c) Application Criteria. The requirements of this Section apply to all non - residential
land uses and developments within the Highway 70 Overlay District except for existing
non - residential land uses located within previously established general commercial or
Existing Commercial Five (EC -5) zoning districts.
d) Location of Non - residential development: Non - residential development within the
Highway 70 Corridor shall be limited to the following:
1. Pre - designated commercial area as indicated on the Orange County Zoning
Atlas, and
2. Along Highway 70
In accordance with the standards contained within this Ordinance.
El
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 5
Section 6.25 Extra Requirements for the Efland- Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor
Overlay District (ECOD)
Section 6.25.1 Permitted Uses
Within the ECOD, uses of land and structures shall be permitted as follows:
1. Non - residential development within the pre - designated commercial area shall
adhere to the permitted and special uses outlined for the Neighborhood
Commercial Two (NC -2) zoning district as contained within Section 4.3 Table of
Permitted Uses of this Ordinance.
2. Non - residential uses within the Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District, shall be
limited to professional office and similar institutional uses (numbers S28 and S29
on the Permitted Use Table found in Section 4.3) and abide by the standards
contained herein.
3. No more than forty percent (40 %) of the Highway 70 corridor outside of the pre -
designated commercial areas shall be permitted for non - residential uses. This
figure shall be calculated by the sum of the street frontage of lots used for non-
residential purposes compared to the total street frontage of all lots on both sides
of the roadway outside of the pre - designated commercial areas along the overlay
district corridor.
Section 6.25.2 Approval Requirements
Within the ECOD, no construction activity shall begin nor shall any conversion of
existing single - family residence to a non- residential land use, excavation, soil removal,
grading or disturbance of vegetation including trees, land disturbing activity associated
with a non - residential land use, be commenced, nor any sign erected until such time as a
site plan has been approved and a permit issued by the Zoning Officer in accordance with
Section 21.4 and in Article 14 of this Ordinance.
Section 6.25.3 Site Plan Requirements
In addition to the requirements outlined within Article Fourteen (14) Site Plan Approval
Procedures, the following additional information shall be required for non - residential
land uses developing within the ECOD:
(a) A development summary including total acres, proposed use(s), total
building square footage, required and proposed parking spaces.
(b) The dimensions and acreage of each lot or portion thereof to be built
upon or otherwise used.
(c) The layout of the entire project including the proposed uses of all
building and their relation to surrounding properties.
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 6 .
(d) The location and dimensions of present and proposed streets and
highways.
(e) The location of points of entry and exit for motor vehicles and internal
vehicular circulation pattern.
(f) All existing and proposed topography at contour intervals of five (5)
feet.
(g) Grading, drainage, sedimentation and erosion control activities.
(h) The location of existing and proposed plantings and screenings.
(i) The location of walls, fences, railings and beams and an indication of
their height and construction materials.
(j) The location and size of all existing and proposed utilities including
water, sewer, gas, and electric lines and structures.
(k) Identification and location of all site improvements including
buildings, streets, water and sewer lines, storm drainage facilities and
any other significant site features.
Section 6.25.4 Non - residential Development Standards:
The following development standards shall apply to all applicable non - residential
development within the pre - designated commercial areas and along the Highway 70
corridor.
1. Minimum Lot Width. The minimum lot width for all lots created after the
effective date of the Highway 70 Overlay District shall be one hundred and
thirty (130) feet, unless the lot is served by public sewer and shared
ingress /egress in which case the minimum lot width shall be seventy -five (75)
feet.
2. Setbacks and Building Height. The setbacks and building heights for all
structures, regardless of the proposed land use, shall conform to the setbacks of
the underlying zoning district. If Building Height Limitation modifications are
pursued in accordance with Section 6.2.1, in no case shall building height
exceed thirty -five (35) feet. Where applicable, the front yard setback shall be
measured from any future right -of -way as designated in the Orange County
Thoroughfare Plan.
3. Floor Area Ratio. The maximum floor area ratio for non - residential uses in the
pre - designated commercial area shall be 0.200 with a maximum building square
footage total of 20,000 square feet. The maximum floor area ratio for non-
residential uses along the Highway 70 Corridor shall be 0.100 with a maximum
building square footage total of 6,000 square feet.
4. Yard encroachments: No fences shall be permitted in the front yard of non-
residential uses unless a demonstrated need can be shown. In no case shall
chain link or similar fencing be permitted in the front yard of residential uses.
n
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 7
Chain link or similar fencing shall not be permitted anywhere on the lot of a
non - residential use.
5. Ingress and Egress. The following standards shall regulate ingress and egress
points within the corridor:
a. For purposes of determining the allowable number of ingress and egress
points on any particular lot, all lots recorded at the effective date of this
Ordinance shall be granted at least one (1) ingress and egress point per
road front unless access can be provided through some internal means.
Minimization of the total number of driveways along the Highway 70
corridor is desirable.
b. Entrances: On all corner lots, no vehicular openings shall be located
closer than sixty (60) feet from the point of intersection of the street right -
of -way lines. To manage access on Highway 70, corner lots may be
required to provide ingress and/or egress from the adjacent street.
Entrances /exits shall not exceed thirty -six (36) feet in width measured at
the property line; however, in instances where parking lots serve
tractor /trailer traffic, the driveway entrance /exit may be increased to forty
(40) feet in width. Exits for parking facilities containing more than thirty -
six (36) parking spaces shall contain holding lanes for left - turning and
right - turning traffic unless the Planning Department determines that due to
the physical features of a site, holding lanes would be unsafe and in
accordance with established traffic mitigation standards, should not be
required.
c. Multiple curb cut requirements: A lot fronting on Highway 70 shall
have a minimum of six hundred (600) feet of road frontage along the street
before two (2) curb cuts are allowed unless the project meets one (1) of the
following criteria:
i. Any mixed -use development where two (2) curb cuts are approved
as part of a Special Use Permit or other approval procedures as
prescribed by the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
ii. In instances where multiple non - residential land uses are proposed
with contiguous frontage along Highway 70, within either a new
structure or within a previously existing single - family residence,
the County shall require shared driveway cuts for all land uses.
The County shall require the recordation of reciprocal easement
agreements between the separate property owners allowing for the
development of a service road to channel access from Highway 70
to each property. An example of the shared access is as follows:
W
DRAFT for QPH
Attachment 1
Highway 70
Non - residential developments shall be required to designate stub
outs to adjoining properties so that this shared access can be
developed if and when the adjacent property is developed for non-
residential purposes or in cases where an individual curb cut for a
residential land use is deemed to be a traffic safety hazard by the
County and NC DOT.
iii. Non - residential developments within the pre - defined commercial
areas of the Highway 70 Corridor are required to develop shared
access points as part of the planning approval process for the
project.
d. The creation of offset driveways and/or intersections is not permitted,
unless no practical alternative exists.
e. All driveway entrances must have an approved NCDOT driveway permit
and must be paved to NCDOT standards from the edge of the existing
roadway pavement to the existing right -of -way limit on the interior of the
property.
6. Outside Storage of Materials. All outside storage of materials on non-
residential lots shall be prohibited. This shall include the storage of goods or
materials which are not an integral part of the use of the property and which are
not obviously for sale. This shall not preclude any situation where the primary
use of the property includes the outside display of goods for sale such as
automobiles, boats, mobile homes, etc.,
7. Architectural Standards:
i. Buildings:
1. Under no circumstances shall modern corporate franchise
building design be permitted. Franchise or `chain'
businesses desiring to locate in the Highway 70 Overlay
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 9
District shall be required to design the building in
accordance with these guidelines.
2. Drive- through facilities are prohibited on all non - residential
uses.
3. Mirrored glass shall be strictly prohibited.
4. Similar architectural style and orientation should be
observed to compliment surrounding structures
5. Similar building materials should be utilized when
constructing the new structure including exterior finish.
Acceptable materials include: brick, wood, stone, stucco,
marble, and other similar materials
6. Building elevations shall be designed to be architecturally
treated to avoid long, blank building fagades
7. Windows on the street frontage side of a building shall be
limited to forty percent (40 %) of the total building' facade,
8. The principle, functional doorway for public or direct -entry
access into a building should be from the fronting street.
Corner entrances should be provided on corner lot
buildings. This standard does not preclude the ability to
provide additional entrances to a building,
9. Decorative cornices shall be provided for buildings with a
flat roof, defined as roofs with a pitch less than 3:12.
Alternatively, eaves should be provided with a pitched roof,
defined as roofs with a pitch greater than 3:12. Pitched
roofs are generally preferred over flat roofs,
10. All rooftop mechanical equipment (i.e. vents, ducts,
communication antennas, HVAC units, etc) shall be
screened from view or designed and installed in a manner
using materials and colors compatible with the building
architecture,
11. Highly reflective roofing materials shall be avoided. All
proposed metal roofing should be standing seam or copper.
Galvanized steel and tin roofs are permitted.
Additional Architectural Standards for existing single - family
structures being converted into non - residential use:
1. The exterior facade of an existing single - family residence
proposed for conversion into non - residential use shall not
be altered to accommodate new non - residential land uses
except where modifications are necessary to address
building or fire code requirements,
E
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1 10
2. Any structures proposed for removal shall either be
moved to another location for re -use or be deconstructed
in such a manner that the resultant materials are suitable
for re -use in building projects.
ii. Site Design for all construction /renovation:
1. Non - residential developments are required to
maintain/control the first half-inch of stormwater runoff
on site, or off -site with a binding agreement.
iii. Landscaping and Buffering:
1. In lieu of the requirements outlined in Article 12 regarding
the width of Landscaped Buffers, there shall be a minimum
ten (10) foot vegetative buffer along all rights -of -ways
comprised of vegetation that compliment surrounding
plantings and which includes trees planted in accordance
with Section 12.4.1 where possible.
2. In lieu of the requirements outlined in Article 12 regarding
the width of Landscaped Buffers, there shall be a minimum
fifteen (15) foot vegetative buffer along all common
property lines separating non - residential and residential
land uses. The required plantings shall be in accordance
with those required for Buffer Yards Type A outlined
within Article Twelve (12) of the Zoning Ordinance. There
shall be a minimum eight (8) foot landscaped strip along all
property lines separating non - residential uses from non-
residential uses. The landscaped strip shall be comprised of
vegetation that forms a semi - opaque intermittent visual
obstruction from the ground to a height of at least fifteen
(15) feet. Joint use agreements between adjacent property
owners for shared ingress /egress and/or parking may result
in a waiver regarding the exact location(s) of the required
buffers.
3. The entire area surrounding the foundation of the new
building shall be landscaped in scale with adjacent
structures,
iv. Signage
1. Signage for non - residential uses shall conform to all
requirements within Article Nine (9) of the Zoning
Ordinance except that monument style signs that do not
exceed six (6) feet in height shall be required within the
10
DRAFT for QPH Attachment 1
Highway 70 Zoning Overlay District. Pole signs shall not
be permitted.
v. Site Design and Layout for all construction/renovation:
1. The natural topography of the property shall be preserved to
the greatest extent possible to avoid stormwater runoff onto
adjacent properties,
2. Any and all existing natural features (i.e. streams, ponds,
hillsides, unique vegetation, mature trees, etc) shall be
protected and preserved through the site planning and
development process,
3. The siting of buildings shall be done to preserve to the greatest
extent possible scenic views/vistas.
vi. Parking Lot Design:
1. Required parking shall be located at the side or rear of the
structure,
2. Shared parking areas shall be encouraged for contiguous non-
residential land uses as defined within Article Ten (10) of the
Zoning Ordinance,
3. Provision of parking areas in excess of ten percent (10%) of the
minimum parking requirements within Article Ten (10) shall
not be permitted,
4. Interior landscaping of the parking lots shall be provided as
outlined within Article Twelve (12) of the Zoning Ordinance.
11
(Excerpt of Section 6.23.3)
2. Non-Residential Development
Amended 114/94:10/19/99:8/21/01
Attachment 1 12
DISTRICT
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE/DETENTION POND REQUIREMENTS
(NON-RESIDENTIAL)
UNIV-CA
Same as Residential (See previous Table)
UNIV-PW
CANE-CA
5-acre minimum lot size, with potential of up to five lots as small as
two acres for lots of record October 19, 1999 (Amended 10-19-99);
AND
6% impervious surface limit.
* BMPs cannot be used to satisfy watershed impervious surface
requirements.
U-ENO-CA
2-acre minimum lot size
AND
6% impervious surface limit.
* BMPs cannot be used to satisfy watershed impervious surface
requirements.
CANE-PW
5-acre minimum lot size with potential of up to five lots as small as
two acres for lots of record October 19, 1999 (Amended 10-19-99);
AND
50% ISR for all fire stations and solid waste collection centers;
AND
12% ISR for all other non-residential uses;
AND
on-site infiltration of the first inch of stormwater runoff;
AND
a limit of 1.0% of the watershed for non-residential use (139 acres
in CANE-PW).
* BMPs cannot be used to satisfy watershed impervious surface
requirements.
LITTLE-PW
2-acre minimum lot size
AND
50% ISR for all fire stations and solid waste collection centers;
AND
12% ISR for all other non-residential uses;
AND
on-site infiltration of the first inch of stormwater runoff;
AND
a limit of 1.0% of the watershed for non-residential use (139 acres
in CANE-PW).
* BMPs cannot be used to satisfy watershed impervious surface
requirements.
* BMP's as mandated by the Stormwater Management Program for Lands within the Neuse River Basin are allowed.
(Excerpt of Section 6.23.3)
Attachment 1 13
U-ENO-PW
70%
BACK-PW
ISR in Commercial and/or Industrial Nodes as designated in the
Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan (high-density
option) with structural BMPs if ISR > 12%;
AND
50% ISR for all fire stations and solid waste collection centers
outside of Commercial and/or Industrial Nodes as designated in the
Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, with structural
BMPs if ISR > 12%;
AND
40% ISR for all non-residential uses in'10-year Transition areas as
designated in the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive,
Plan,
with structural BMPs if ISR > 12%;
AND
12% ISR for all other non-residential uses outside of Commercial
and/or Industrial Nodes as designated in the Land Use Element of
the Comprehensive Plan (*. BMPs cannot be used to satisfy
watershed impervious surface requirements);
AND
on-site infiltration of the first inch of stormwater runoff;
AND
A limit of 1,151 acres of non-residential use throughout U-ENO-PW
(5.0%) and 163 acres throughout BACK-PW (I %).
HYCO-PW
50% ISR for all fire stations and solid waste collection centers;
FLAT-PW
AND
12% ISR for all other non-residential uses;
AND
on-site infiltration of the first inch of stormwater runoff;
AND
a limit of I % of the watershed for non-residential use (37 acres in
HYCO-PW, 66 acres in FLAT-PW).
* BMPs cannot be used to satisfy watershed impervious surface
requirements.
L-ENO-PW
70% impervious surface, with structural BMPs required when
impervious surface exceeds:
24% (w/ curb and gutter); or
36% (w/o curb and gutter).
HAW-PW
24% impervious surface limit.
JORDAN-PW
* BMPs cannot be used to satisfy watershed impervious surface
requirements.
Attachment 3 15
ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT
Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director
®p
Administration ��` 4 '�� 306F Revere Road
(919) 245 -2575 P O Box 8181
(919) 644 -3002 (FAX)° Hillsborough,
www.co.orange.nc.us °!!b �a =� North Carolina, 27278
August 10, 2007
Dear Property Owner,
This notice is being sent to you because property you own is either proposed for inclusion into a
new Zoning Overlay District (the Efland- Cheeks Overlay District) or you own property within
500 feet of the boundary of the proposed Zoning Overlay District. The map on the reverse side
of this letter shows the boundary of the proposed new Zoning Overlay District.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Orange County Planning Board will hold a
joint public hearing on August 27, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Judge F. Gordon Battle Courtroom
of the new Orange County Courthouse (106 E. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough). The purpose of
the public hearing is for the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the Planning Board to
hear comments from the general public, affected parties, and staff on this and other proposals. A
decision on the proposed Zoning Overlay District will made by the BOCC at a later date at a
regular BOCC meeting after the BOCC receives the Planning Board's recommendation on the
proposal.
The enclosed materials explain the proposed Efland- Cheeks Overlay District. The complete text
of the proposed Efland- Cheeks Overlay District can be viewed on the Planning Department's
webpage at: hqp: / /www.co.orange.ne.us /planning /index.asp (in the Current Interest Projects
section). The proposed text is also available in the Planning Department offices (306 -F Revere
Road, Hillsborough) during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday). This proposal is one of the implementation measures of the Efland- Mebane Small Area
Plan which was adopted by the BOCC on June 27, 2006 after 18 months of work by an
appointed Task Force comprised of community members and other interested parties.
If you have any questions or need additional information, you may contact Perdita Holtz, Special
Projects Planner, at (919) 245 -2611 or via e -mail at pholtz@co.orange.ne.us or Michael Harvey,
Zoning Enforcement Officer at 245 -2607 or via e -mail at mharvey@co.orange.nc.us.
Sincerely,
(o /s Craig N. Benedict)
Craig N. Benedict, AICP
Planning Director
Attachment 3 16
Efland- Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD)
The following provides information to frequently asked questions regarding the proposed
Efland- Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD).
What is being proposed?
A new zoning overlay district is being proposed that would apply to a specific area along
Highway 70 between Efland and Mebane (see map for specific boundaries). There are
two categories within the ECOD — a "pre- designated commercial area" and a general area
that is within the boundaries of the ECOD.
Within the "pre- designated commercial area," a variety of commercial uses could be
possible. Outside of the "pre- designated commercial area" but within the ECOD, non-
residential uses would be limited to professional offices and similar low- impact uses.
How does a zoning overlay district work?
A zoning overlay district is essentially a special set of regulations that supplement the
base zoning district regulations in a specific geographic area. The special regulations can
be either more permissive or more restrictive than the base zoning district regulations,
depending on what intended outcome is being sought. The base zoning district does not
change; properties that are currently being used in conformance with their base zoning
district can continue to be used as they currently are and do not become "non- conforming
uses." The zoning overlay district regulations are applied only when a property owner
wishes to apply for a permit to use their property in a way that is allowed by the zoning
overlay regulations.
What kind of uses will be allowed in the ECOD?
In the proposed "pre- designated commercial area," the uses allowed would be those that
are classified as "Neighborhood Commercial" in the County's zoning ordinance.
Examples of Neighborhood Commercial uses are low- to medium- impact commercial
uses such as banks, beauty shops, dry cleaners, professional offices, and restaurants
(although drive -thru restaurants are not included).
In the ECOD areas outside of the "pre- designated commercial area," the only non-
residential uses allowed would be offices and professional services that attract either few
or a moderate number of customers and traffic volumes and that have no adverse impacts
beyond the lot boundaries. Additionally, non - residential uses would be capped at no
more than 40% of the Highway 70 corridor outside of the "pre- designated commercial
area."
Attachment 3 17
How will property adjacent to non-residential uses be protected?
The requirement of the ECOD endeavor to minimize or eliminate impacts non-residential
uses may have on adjacent properties. For example, non-residential uses will be required
to provide vegetated buffers at the perimeter of the lot; along the Highway 70 corridor
outside of the pre-designated commercial area, no more than 40% of the corridor will be
permitted for non-residential uses; development standards for non-residential uses have
been proposed which include: floor area ratio restrictions (floor area ratio is a ratio
between the maximum building square footage and the size of the lot), restrictions on
fencing and the use of chain link fencing, the number of ingress and egress points
permitted with requirements that should eventually decrease the number of access points
on Highway 70 through the use of service roads, restrictions on signage and parking, and
a variety of architectural design standards for non-residential buildings that seek to
enhance the built environment along the corridor.
Attachment 3 18
ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT
Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director
eo,�TOP of e,
Administration S 's 306F Revere Road
(919) 245 -2575 P O Box 8181
(919) 644 -3002 (FAX)° Hillsborough,
www.co.orange.nc.us 0rrs Cate' North Carolina, 27278
CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
ZONING ATLAS AMENDMENT
ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
I, Craig N. Benedict, Zoning Officer, Orange County, North Carolina, DO HEREBY
CERTIFY that I have mailed, or have had mailed, by first class mail, postage affixed, a
Notice of the Public Hearing to be held on the proposed Zoning Atlas Amendment
regarding the proposed Efland- Cheeks Highway 70 Corridor Overlay District (ECOD) to
each property owner, as listed on the Tax Records, as required by Article 20, Section
6.3 of the Orange County Zoning Ordinance.
The mailed notice specified the date, time, place, and subject of the Public Hearing.
WITNESS my hand, this 10th day of August 2007.
(o /s Craig N. Benedict)
Craig N. Benedict, AICP
Planning Director