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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-02-2021; 12-5 - Information Item - Memorandum Regarding Outreach Status as Follow-up to the Buckhorn Area Study 1 f ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA MEMORANDUM TO: Board of County Commissioners Bonnie Hammersley, Orange County Manager Travis Myren, Orange County Deputy Manager FROM: Craig N. Benedict, Planning Director Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning Supervisor DATE: August 16, 2021 SUBJECT: BOCC Information Item — Outreach Status as Follow-up to the Buckhorn Area Study ATTACHMENT(S): Future Land Use Map (For References Herein to Areas A & B) BACKGROUND: As requested by the BOCC in June, this memo is intended to provide follow-up information on the status of the Buckhorn Area Study. The most recent public outreach meeting on the Buckhorn Area Study was held on May 17, 2021 on the Zoom virtual platform. The purpose of the outreach meeting was to: • Continue engagement with the community as a follow-up to previous Buckhorn Area Study meetings; • Communicate that Areas "A" and "B" are to be the focus for outreach and planning coordination between Orange County and the City of Mebane; • Provide additional context for Outreach Focus Areas "A" and "B"; and • Collect public comments and common questions to guide the development of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for public and BOCC information. At its June 1, 2021 Business meeting, the BOCC received a report and detailed presentation from staff that included/addressed: • A summary of the May 17 Virtual Public Outreach meeting referenced above, including public comments/questions collected; • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Document; • Summary of previous Orange County meetings and agenda items; • Staff ideas for continued public engagement and coordination; • Consistency of potential growth areas with existing plans and agreements; • Municipal annexation powers consistent with NC General Statutes; and • The concept of a BOCC response to the City of Mebane prior to the summer Board meeting break. The BOCC received staff's June 1 report and conveyed the following direction to staff: • Request for more public outreach in Area "A", something informal over the summer to collect input from community leader(s) and a more-formal outreach in September; • Delay of Area "B" and any County implementation of plan amendments; • Continuation of coordination with City of Mebane staff; 2 • Development of a County webpage to include information and updates that may be helpful to the public for understanding plans, jurisdictions and where to obtain more information on any proposed development applications; and • The concept of a County response over the summer to the City of Mebane was not discussed by the BOCC. Over the summer, Orange County staff and City of Mebane staff have met together twice, virtually, for the purposes of sharing information and discussing feedback received from the BOCC and intentions for additional educational outreach. Orange County Planning staff has also been in communication with BOCC Chair Price to discuss outreach plans, including the impacts of the COVID-19 Delta variant on educational outreach. NEXT ORANGE COUNTY STEPS EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH MEETINGS: Planning staff, in coordination with Chair Price and Quintana Stewart, Orange County Health Director, are planning to conduct a virtual educational outreach meeting in October 2021. While staff and the BOCC were hoping for in-person outreach meetings this fall, recent turns in Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance and that of the Health Department has resulted in a change in outreach plans. Staff will also investigate the possibility of a hybrid meeting, consistent with social distancing and mask guidelines. When permissible, staff intends to have a few in-person educational outreach meetings in the communities near Area "A". Educational outreach will be formatted more for dialogue and Q & A than for a staff-heavy presentation. Staff will have maps at the ready to help with the public's questions on land use plans, zoning, transportation planning, jurisdictional boundaries (Mebane City Limits, Extraterritorial Jurisdiction, and County jurisdiction), sensitive environmental areas, and public water/sewer service areas as examples. Orange County Planning staff will continue to keep the BOCC apprised of its outreach plans. NEW WEBPAGE: Orange County Planning staff collects a variety of data on municipal development and annexations. At the request of the BOCC, staff has developed a new webpage to serve as a central location for links to western Orange County development, outreach information, and process documents for proposed developments in the area. Currently, the webpage features historical documentation of the Buckhorn Area Study, links to Mebane City Council agendas on the topic, and a table detailing Mebane annexation information since 2013. The intent of this website is not to be a final destination; instead, the intent is to help direct the public to the information and processes that may be of interest but that fall within municipal limits outside of the County's jurisdiction. The site can be accessed from the following link: http://www.orangecountync.gov/2736/Buckhorn-Area-Study. COURTESY REVIEW: Orange County Planning staff will continue to actively participate in Technical Review Committee (TRC) Meetings in Mebane when action is proposed in Orange County and provide courtesy memos to Mebane in accordance with Orange County Plans. JOINT BOCC/MEBANE CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Orange County Planning staff will coordinate with the Manager's Office regarding the need for another joint meeting 2 3 between the elected bodies before the end of this year in order to continue discussions of areas for coordination. The Mebane City Council joined the Orange County BOCC at its work session on March 9, 2021, and the concept of meeting again was discussed at that time. 3 Outreach Focus Areas A and B - Future Land Use 4 � o ■ z o ■ J 1➢ d � M 70 ■ m � � T � R .. 3 ■ CC r� A n i mm ��� ■ moo" [=3 Q Outreach Focus Areas m i , 0 010 0 ■ Jim am WEST TEN RD 10 Year Transition 20 Year Transition Rural Residential - Agricultural Residential • - City Limits _ r ETJ e Commercial-Industrial Transition Economic Development Transition c�J Streams - Water Bodies Q Water Supply Watersheds Critical Areascoo��Ro oR N 1 in=1,800 feet SNY Feet Q Water Supply Watersheds `�. e� COUNTY o ,800 Planning and Inspections Department(BC) - Resource Protection Areas 4/26/2021 Buckhorn Area Plan\Buckhorn Area Plan.aprx\Mailing-FLUM v-