QUARTERLY PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA

May 23, 2005, 7:30 P.M.

JUDGE F. GORDON BATTLE COURTROOM

ORANGE COUNTY COURTHOUSE (new)

106 E. MARGARET LANE

HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA

NOTE: INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR THE CLERK’S OFFICE

NOTICE TO PEOPLE WITH IMPAIRED HEARING: Audio amplification equipment is available on request. If you need this assistance, please call the County Clerk’s Office at 732-8181 or 967-9251.

7:30

A. OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR

7:35

B. PUBLIC CHARGE

The Board of Commissioners pledges to the citizens of Orange County its respect. The Board asks its citizens to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner, both with the Board and with fellow citizens. At any time should any member of the Board or any citizen fail to observe this public charge, the Chair will ask the offending member to leave the meeting until that individual regains personal control. Should decorum fail to be restored, the Chair will recess the meeting until such time that a genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. All electronic devices such as cell phones, pagers, and computers should please be turned off or set to silent/vibrate.

C. PUBLIC HEARING ITEM

7:40

1. Orange County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance Amendments

a. Amend the existing 1981 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance according to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IV suggestions and the new State of North Carolina model for non-coastal jurisdictions.

b. Continue participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) which can moderate property insurance costs.

c. Review Administrative Procedures for the issuance of development permits near floodplains.

D. NON-PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS

(These items are for general discussion at this time. They are not formally part of the legal public hearing process that is a prerequisite for a land use zoning change).

8:00

1. Update on Rural Enterprises Project

Planning and Economic Development staff will address questions and comments from the February 28, 2005 Joint County Commissioners/Planning Board Work Session on the Rural Enterprises (agricultural-related business) project. In addition, the process of review for these new uses based on their range of intensity will be discussed including a conditional district zoning proposal.

8:30

2. Orange County Comprehensive Plan - Land Use Element Update Text Amendments

a. Overview of what has been processed to date with stakeholder involvement, what comprehensive questions need to be answered, and what steps lie ahead.

b. Outline for the Land Use Element including Introduction, Existing Conditions, Growth Management and Future Land Uses, Goals, Objectives, and Policies, Implementation, and Monitoring Procedures.

c. Outline for the Entire Comprehensive Plan and the specific interest areas addressed by each element.

9:00

3. Update on Residential Zoning Density and Minimum Lot Size Text Amendments

a. Planning Staff will present six (6) options for Residential Zoning Density within the County’s rural planning jurisdiction that range from existing zoning density to increasingly resource-based, limited-density plans addressing water and air quality and limiting traffic. No changes are suggested for Urban Transition Areas or Rural Activity Nodes.

b. Presentation of a proposal to raise the Minimum Lot Size from 0.92 acres (40,000 sf) to two (2) acres (87,120 sf) to address identified growth challenges in the areas of sustainability, water and air quality, and groundwater recharge.

9:30

E. ADJOURNMENT