HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-24-2007-4lORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 24, 2007
Action Agenda
Item No. ~- - ~
SUBJECT: Energy Conservation Amendment to Board of County Commissioners Planning
Principle #3
DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) ~ N
Planning Department
ATTACHMENT(S):
None
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Commissioner Mike Nelson
Craig Benedict, Planning Director
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
PURPOSE: To modify a BOCC adopted planning principle to include energy conservation as a
linchpin to promoting air quality and effective transportation.
BACKGROUND: During the development of the update to the Comprehensive Plan, the BOCC
adopted in October 2004 certain fundamental principles that reflected BOCC values.
These 8 principles noted below underlie the process of updating the various elements of the
Comprehensive Plan.
1. Efficient and Fiscally Responsible Provision of Public Facilities and Services;
2. Encouraging Sustainable Growth and Development;
3. Encouraging Air Protection and Development of an Effective Transportation System;
4. Natural Area Resource Preservation;
5. Preservation of Rural Land Use Patterns;
6. Water Resource Preservation;
7. Promotion of Economic Prosperity and Diversity; and
8. Preservation of Community Character
Goals and objectives developed by the various boards during the Comprehensive Plan update
process will help define, set direction and create achievable steps towards operationalizing the
conceptual principles.
Although these principles do not have to be overly specific at this time, the BOCC suggested at the
April 10, 2007 meeting and authorized Commissioner Nelson to work with the planning director to
accent the importance of energy conservation in developing existing Principle #3:
Encouraging Air Quality Protection and Development of an Effective Transportation System.
The minor amendment is suggested as amended Principle #3:
Encourage energy efficiency, lower energy consumption and the use of non-polluting
renewable energy resources while promoting air quality protection and an effective
transportation system.
2
The timing of this amendment is appropriate since many Comprehensive Plan element managers
and related advisory boards will be developing draft goals this spring and these principles in total
are base assumptions with which the boards should be familiar as they begin their work.
This amendment will highlight the necessary increased awareness about energy efficiency as
buildings are constructed, as well as, prompting an efficient pattern of land use to promote an
effective transportation system. All of these issues relate to the real concerns about global warming
that stand as a premier environmental issue of today.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The. Manager recommends amending the principle as revised and
forwarding to the Planning Board for inclusion in the Comprehensive Plan update process.