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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-01-2005-9bORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 1, 2005 Action Agen?la? It, SUBJECT: Consideration of Non-Public Hearing Discussion Items on February 28, 2005 DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) NO ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Benedict, Planning Director, ext 2592 Dianne Reid, Economic Development Director, ext. 2326 Geoffrey Gledhill, County Attorney, 732- 2196 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider potential discussion/report items for presentation on February 28, 2005, a date originally scheduled for a Quarterly Public Hearing. BACKGROUND: The next regular quarterly public hearing date is February 28, 2005, but no items have been received or scheduled for this hearing. Staff is proposing four non-public hearing items for discussion and, of course, there may be other items the Board wishes to consider on that date. NON-PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS 1. Update on Agricultural Business Options Project: The purpose of this item is to update the Board on staffs progress with the Rural Enterprises project and to introduce the idea of conditional district rezoning as a new planning construct to allow farm-related businesses in the rural parts of the county. Since the winter of 2002, Staff from several departments and the County Attorney have been working on an initiative to provide more income-producing options for local farmers. The key elements of the project have included: • Clarifying what a bona fide farm is (exempt) and what it is not (subject to zoning); • Identifying new land uses which can offer farmers supplemental income; • Determining which of these uses should require a permit, and which type of permit; Developing a system to allow uses that are commercial or industrial in character at a rural scale to occur in residential zoning districts in a way that is consistent with the Land Use Element. A key component of this agenda item is the introduction of a new planning construct for Orange County - conditional district rezoning. After considerable discussion and review of other jurisdictions with successful agricultural programs, Staff (Planning, EDC and ERCD) proposes this tool as the mechanism for allowing intensive agricultural business operations such as processing facilities into the rural portions of the County's residential zoning districts with appropriate land use compatibility guidelines. 2. Transportation Issues a. State Transportation Improvement Program Priority List: Biennially, the North Carolina Board of Transportation (BOT) adopts a multi-year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) that specifies needed transportation improvements across the state. The process starts with local jurisdictions drafting local transportation priority lists. Federal and state regulations provide for public input into the process. The NC BOT, in July of 2004, voted to change the program period from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years, with STIP adoption in even-numbered years. The next STIP will be for FY 2007-2013 and the public hearing process has been changed from October - November of 2005 to the spring of 2005. (The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has not yet published a public hearing schedule.) The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO or DCHC) Transportation Advisory Committee JAC), at its last meeting on January 121H approved the 2007-2013 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) development schedule. March 14th is the deadline for local jurisdictions to submit priority lists to the Lead Planning Agency (LPA) for the 2007-2013 MTIP. NCDOT, because of the short time frame, suggests that local jurisdictions submit priority lists developed for the 2006-2012 TIP plus any new projects that those jurisdictions may wish to add. b. Creation of a Unified Transportation Advisory Committee: The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), at its annual planning retreat on January 22, 2005, directed Staff to explore membership options for a transportation advisory board that would study transportation issues in Orange County, and as appropriate, advise the BOCC. A Unified Transportation Advisory Committee (UTAC) would provide a means for improved coordination of all county interests pertaining to transportation. Staff will present recommendations for the work group formation and other particulars in the abstract for the February 28, 2005, meeting for the Board's discussion. 3. Update of the Rural Character and Farmland Protection Work Group: The purpose of this item is to update the Board of County Commissioners on the status of the Planning Board's Rural Character and Farmland Protection Work Group's activities and products. At the August 4, 2004 regular Planning Board meeting, the Board formed a Work Group charged with the following Mission: "Examine strategies and make recommendations, if any, regarding approaches for the protection of rural character and farmland in Orange County, taking into account the comments from the public outreach process that is ongoing." The Work Group consisted of five (5) Planning Board members, a local surveyor, and a representative from each of the following: Agriculture Preservation Board, ERCD, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Environmental Health Department, with Planning Staff providing support. Between August and November 2004, the Work Group met eight (8) times, and in general, discussed the following topics: American Farmland Trust's list of farmland protection tools, elements of cluster subdivisions, wastewater treatment options, additional applications of temporary and permanent easements, and existing subdivision regulations. The Work Group prepared and presented its 'outline of options' report to the Planning Board at the January 12, 2005 regular meeting. The full Board requested additional background information on the Work Group's efforts and recommendations, which will be discussed greater detail at the Planning Board's February 2 meeting. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board consider the above-listed items for non-public hearing discussion on February 28, 2005.