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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-04-1986 NOTES FROM THE PLANNING WORK SESSION AT MOOREF I E'LL'S 4 December 1986 I. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION A. Citizen Notification 1. Postcards Sending postcards, using Central Land Records data, is the most effective means of notifying affected property owners, although it is one of the more expensive methods. The cost for rural buffer notification was approximately $ 400 for the 3900 cards. Question arose as to what point must be reached before notification of each individual property owner becomes necessary. Suggestion: Develop criteria for levels of notification. 2. Legal Notices Putting required notices in as a regular advertisement is so much more expensive than insertion as a legal notice that it becomes less cost effective than postcards. Suggestions: 1) Consider regular advertisements instead of legal notices. 2) Seek media help in weaving notification of hearings into local news stories. 3) notices should not only announce rezoning but explain the ramifications of that action. 3 . Alternatives Citizen groups have been created to deal with specific. issues. They include Mobile Home Parks and Landscape Requirements. Suggestions: 1) Make greater use of advisory councils 2) TACs should serve as a greater means of public participation 3) Make greater use of public information meetings. They allow for looser use of language and notification. B. Receptive and Efficient Office The following actions should improve the office: 1) Department review, which acquainted all staff members with all divisions 2) Restructuring of workloads and job descriptions 3) Moving to Carr Building, which will consolidate all land use divisions Suggestions: 1) More than one person should bear the onus of greeting the public 2) Instructions and applications should be in lay terms. C. Public meeting There was a consensus that public abuse at meetings has i gotten out of hand and steps should be taken to insure civility. • Suggestions: 1) Statement on agendas concerning decorum 2) Have deputy at meetings 3) Conduct of boards and staff should also reflect civility and a decorous atmosphere D. Visibility Suggestions: 1) All appropriate libraries in the county should have copies of county ordinances 2) Prepare a slide show for use at civic group' s meetings. II. WATER Commissioners consensus is that the Planning Board should be involved in initial strategies, not just the narrow final site decisions. III. COOPERATIVE PLANNING A. Overview 1) Structured coordination with H'boro 2) Board is still mixed on joint planning 3) Buffers between OC/Durham. OC/Chatham 4) Concept of rural buffer needs to be redefined One concern raised was not to ignore northern Orange County because of joint planning and rural buffer issues. Suggestions: 1) Increase discussions with Durham city and county. 2) pursue idea of no extensions into the buffer. 3) press Carrboro to agree not to extend water and sewer lines into the watershed. 4) Reexamine design standards for the rural buffer. What is its purpose? 5) More emphasis on TDRs and impact fees. IV. FARMLAND PRESERVATION Needs to be initiated by farmers themselves. TACs should become more involved in any efforts. A. Zoning and Protection The issues of farmland protection and zoning are intertwined. The problems at hand are different in the two unzoned township. In Little River it is growth. Tn Cedar Grove the issue is water quality. Can alternatives to zoning be developed to address those problems? Are alternatives preferable? There is some belief on the Planning Board that countywide zoning is preferable, providing uniformity. B. State Enabling Legislation The 1986 bill was too watered down to be effective in the County. There is still a push to include a provision concerning nuisance suits. r R'hnrn r.ivPstocrk Market r The Economic Development Commission (EDC) is working on the issue, but the county is not presenting a unified position. One problem is disagreement over the reasons foY. the closing of the market. decreasing demand by area farmers or inefficient management by FCX. V. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT There seems to be some conflict between EDC and Planning Board goals although none have really been specified. The problem stems in part from a lack of definition of Economic Development and the EDC role in planning. EDC needs to reinforce the idea that it is an indispensible part of the county. Suggestion: Explore the idea of prezoning. Involve EDC in the process. VI. TRANSPORTATION The county should not wait for NCDOT to take the lead on county road issues. Suggestion: Scenic road study with the potential for creating MTC-like standards for US and NC highways in the county. VII. STRATEGY FOR UPDATING THE LAND USE PLAN The Planning Department needs direction in developing a strategy incorporating as many of the current ideas as possible-master recreation plan. scenic roads study. etc-in order to avoid constant amendments. VIII. AVAILABLE AND POTENTIAL TOOLS A. Planned developments B. Phasing C. Natural limits Projections can be self-fulfilling. Do we set limits or accomodate growth? D. Legislative action 1) Impact fee enabling legislation Should be high priority 2) TDR enabling legislation 3) Real estate transfer tax 4) NC County Commissioners Association will soon decide its legislative agenda for the next session.