HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-24-1989 (no agenda) PAGE 1
APPROVED 2/21/89
MINUTES
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SPECIAL MEETING ON THE RURAL CHARACTER STUDY
JANUARY 24, 1989 6:00 P.M.
A special meeting was held on January 24, 1989 at 6:00 p.m. at Huey's Seafood
Restaurant, Hillsborough, North Carolina for the purpose of receiving a report from
Consultant Lane Kendig on the Rural. Character Study.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr. , and Commissioners Stephen Halkiotis,
John Hartwell, Shirley E. Marshall and Don Willhoit.
ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill.
STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr. , Planner Gene Bell, Clerk to the
Board Beverly A. Blythe and Planning Director Marvin Collins.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS,
Chair Moses Carey emphasized that the Board of Commissioners is interested in
preserving the rural character for all of Orange County. Marvin Collins made additional
remarks about the study.
REMARKS FROM CONSULTANT LANE KENDIG
Kendig explained the process that is being followed to encourage citizens to
participate in the process and voice those things now that usually come out later in the
process. The procedure he uses involves listening to the people to find out what their
concerns are. The consulting firm has met with special interest groups as well as
citizen groups and are looking at four things:
(1) Agricultural Preservation
(2) Rural Buffer
(3) Resource Protection
(4) Visual Resources
All have basically the same issue -- they are viewing the land as a resource that needs
to be protected and something that doesn't renew itself automatically. On the other
side is the commodity view of the land. The two views are fully compatible with each
other.
•
Kendigs' next visit will involve taking the four components of farmland, natural
resources, growth management and visual resources and begin to set down all the kinds of
policies that may provide guidance for the County Co preserve the rural character of the
County.
He explained that their focus is on all four components although the study may, in
the final analysis, be focused on only one of those components.
He explained that they are using several techniques and are listening to the people.
The process includes going out to the people and listening to find out what their real
concerns are. On this trip the emphasis is shifting to more of an educational program.
The next trip they will be doing the issue statements.
"Community Character" is very important and essential. The landowners want to do
what they want with their land. Part of the problem is that the growth is changing what
is happening in the County. On the one hand is the urban community and this study is
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about the rural character and in between you have suburban. Basically the Rural Buffer
is not really rural at all. The suburban areas are split into full service and non full •
service areas. In the suburban areas you have some decisions to make about what
services will, be offered and who will offer those services. The meetings held this time
are aimed at getting the people to think about what kind of community they want.
ISSUES
They will meet with small groups a number of times and try to get a consensus on
what techniques the citizens feel are appropriate for their area. The next step is to
write the plan and get a consensus.
QUESTIONS
Julie Andresen asked Kendig how many communities he has seen with an urban and a
suburban area with some services - not complete services. Kendig indicated that there
are some.
Commissioner Marshall asked what would be done to help the citizens who don't
understand the restrictions that must be placed on the land and Kendig indicated that
this would be covered in the natural resources part of the study.
In answer to a question from Livy Ludington about the uniqueness of things, Kendig
stated that many of the things are the same and some things are unique. The same
tensions are there and they are moreso or sharper here than other communities because of
the growth being so heavily concentrated in the Chapel Hill area. In general the
reactions are very common reactions. He expressed a little surprise because the
citizens think, the Board of Commissioners is not looking after them. They want to be
left alone. The process is designed to find out what the people are concerned about and
respond to that. It is important to get the people involved and let them help create
the plan.
Commissioner Willhoit asked how you deal with the diversity and if these will be
different plans for different parts of the County and how this would be approached.
Chair Carey asked if the consensus would be built in the Township Advisory Boards?
Kendig responded that groups will be structured in different areas and right now
there are six groups plus special interest groups. They want to get people with
different interest to interact and talk with one another.
Chair Carey explained that the Township Advisory Councils formed a starting point
and in the last series of meetings, they were divided into special interest groups.
Those special interest groups will be divided by townships and groups will be formed by
region.
Lane Kendig explained that some of the issues cross township lines.
Commissioner Marshall asked if there was enough municipal representation on these
regional groups and if their input was being heard.
Lane Kendig explained that one of the special interest groups was local government
as well as one for local utilities. If we don't feel we are getting enough input, we
will go back to the group.
Commissioner Hartwell noted that there are people who live in towns who have an
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interest in this.
Commissioner Marshall stated that, although all the areas that are being studied are
extremely important, the study has jumped from the Rural Buffer to the entire rural area
and that a critical answer for that Rural Buffer area is needed.
Lane Kendig shared the format for the public meeting being held the following
evening. If the vast majority of people have seen the presentation it will not be
repeated. If, on the other hand, there are new people in attendance the presentation
will be done for them. The staff will be requested to continue the dialogue with the
different groups to ascertain what they want for their community. As soon as the issue
papers come out, then work will be started to move the groups together.
John Link asked if after the issue statements are developed will they then go back
to the Township Advisory Committees in an effort to finalize the techniques and start to
quantify what these specific techniques would mean today. This will then begin to
address those misconceptions.
Commissioner Hartwell stated that what is clearly crucial in this is that the
location of the airport will have an influence on this study.
Commissioner Halkiotis stated that the Board received feedback after the first
series of meetings about mistrust of the County. This concerned him and he questioned
if this level of mistrust was typical and how a balance could be brought about.
Lane Kendig stated that he was surprised that people don't trust the County. Some
of that is part of what he sees as an inherent problem. The rural person who doesn't
believe in zoning wants to be left alone. Its part of the political process that takes
place when the rural people are outnumbered by those who want to buy the land. The
intent is to get these citizens involved in the process so they won't be able to say
that we have not involved them. A lot of people in the rural area think that they are
being stifled as to what they can do with their land.
Julie Andresen expressed a concern that as the Rural Buffer fills up, at what point
those people pay taxes for the services they receive.
Commissioner Willhoit stated that one of the problems with the Rural Buffer is the
impact that increased traffic will have on an area.
John Link asked Marvin Collins if he has shared the strategic plan with Lane Kendig.
He stated that there are a lot of things that interact. There are other things such as
the transportation plan, the University Lake Watershed Study, etc. that would have an
impact on this study. He emphasized that as the County begins developing the issues and
applying resources versus money, there is a need to stress what the benefits and costs
are in the Rural Buffer and weigh the economic or noneconomic costs of greater traffic
and less freedom. These issues need to be real and concrete.
Lane Kendig stated that he has found that those communities with the strictest of
standards draw more economic development.
With no further comments, Vice-Chair Halkiotis adjourned the meeting.
Moses Carey, Jr. , Chair
Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk