Documents
NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan (Adopted August 21, 2007)
Adopted by BOCC on August 21, 2007. (Implementation regulations to follow at a later
date.)
Link to document: NC Highway 57 Plan
Minutes from the August 21, 2007 BOCC meeting can be found here
Explanation of Small Area Plan process:
(The following is a Memo to the Orange County Citizens and Property owners from Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director and Diane Reid, Economic Development Director - July 13, 2006)
On June 27, 2006 the Board of County Commissioners’ authorized the Planning and Economic Development staff to begin the process of developing a Small Area Plan for an area of the County near the Person and Durham County borders approximately seven hundred (700) acres in area.
As you are already aware there are two (2) initial community outreach meetings scheduled to begin this process. The purpose of these initial meetings is to allow staff members to explain what has prompted the land use evaluation effort, discuss how the process of developing the Small Area Plan will work, and to obtain initial feedback from attendees on the possible development opportunities and constraints within the area.
The purpose of this handout is to supplement the information supplied by staff during the initial community meetings and to provide you with more detailed answers to the background of this project.
BACKGROUND:
The Small Area Plan study area is located within the Little River Township, which came under the Orange County zoning jurisdiction in 1994. The majority of the property within the study area is currently zoned Agricultural Residential (AR) with an existing parcel zoned Existing Commercial Five (EC-5). The area in question is also located within the Flat and Little River protected watersheds. The study area is predominately residential in nature with four (4) commercial land uses, including the Orange County Speedway and a rock quarry, currently in operation.
The various existing commercial operations in the study area were established prior to the adoption of comprehensive zoning regulations. As a result, they were allowed to continue operation as nonconforming land uses per Article Eleven (11) of the Orange County Zoning Ordinance. The existing nonresidential land uses are not consistent with the current zoning of the area and would not be allowed to develop under current County regulations.
The nonresidential uses of property within the area are also inconsistent with the policy statements and goals of the Orange County Land Use Element and Land Use Element Map. The area in question is designated as Agricultural Residential on the Land Use Element Map. In reviewing the Land Use Element, the Agricultural Residential area is intended to allow for agricultural land uses and associated residential activities. The various existing commercial land uses, therefore, are not a recognized permitted land use under the Land Use Element as currently written.
ISSUE:
When the Orange County Planning Department began working on updating the current Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan, staff began to review the existing land uses throughout the County. In reviewing the land uses along Highway 57, staff determined that the goals and policy statements concerning the existing non-residential land uses within this area of the County needed to be studied and re-evaluated.
While reviewing the existing land uses in this area, staff determined that there needed to be additional emphasis on reviewing the A concern over allowing additional nonresidential development within the area centers on the availability of an adequate public water supply to support such development.
In reviewing this issue, Planning staff has been considering the appropriateness of a revision to the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan and to the Orange County Zoning Ordinance to create a rural economic development area in the northeastern portion of the County.
This review is being conducted in conjunction with existing efforts amongst the Economic Development and Environmental Resource and Conservation Departments to expand rural economic opportunities throughout Orange County.
As previously indicated this process was intended to be part of the proposed Land Use Element update. Now that work on this update has been placed on a different timeline for completion and review, staff believes that this proposal can be reviewed and acted upon independently.
SMALL AREA PLAN – PURPOSE:
The purpose of a Small Area Plan is to analyze, evaluate, and review the constraints and opportunities of allowing for additional development, beyond the existing Land Use and Zoning regulations, within a specified area. The process of developing a Small Area Plan has been designed to solicit and encourage direct public involvement with all aspects of the Plan development. In this case, the County intends to study the Highway 57 area near the Orange County Speedway to determine if the expansion of additional rural enterprises is feasible and, if so, what safeguards need to be implemented to address local residents concerns. In completing the Small Area Plan County staff, at a minimum, will focus on answering the following questions:
1. Is the creation of the proposed new district consistent with the goals and objectives of the existing Orange
County Land Use Element?
2. Will the proposed new district be consistent with the desire to allow for additional non-residential
development within the rural areas of the County?
3. What is an appropriate level of nonresidential and residential development within the identified study area?
4. How will buffering and transitioning of existing, and possible future, nonresidential and residential development be
accomplished to avoid impacts on existing, and possible future, developments within the area?
5. How will the County address noise levels generated by the Speedway and go-kart track?
6. What types of additional nonresidential land uses are to be considered for the area and how will their impact be
mitigated?
7. What additional traffic related issues will be generated by potentially allowing for additional nonresidential and
residential development?
8. How will allowing for additional nonresidential and residential development within the area affect the existing
groundwater public water supply and how will existing, and future, developments be protected from the increase in
demand?
9. What will be done to protect the environmental integrity of the Flat River and Little River Watershed Overlay districts?
10. What ancillary impacts will be generated in Person and Durham Counties as a result of potentially allowing for
additional development within the identified study area?
The answer to these questions, with input from local citizens and property owners and direction from the Task Force, shall influence the findings and overall recommendations outlined within the Plan.
SMALL AREA PLAN – TASK FORCE:
The Small Area Plan will be developed under the direction of a Task Force, made up of local residents and property owners, that will be selected by the Orange County Board of Commissioners in late summer of 2006 to assist with the development and completion of this Small Area Plan. The rationale for appointing a Task Force is to ensure that the Plan represents the vision and needs of local residents and property owners.
All local residents and property owners are encouraged to apply for positions on the Task Force. Staff will supply all interested parties with applications at the Community Outreach Meetings or you may visit the Orange County Web Site at www.co.orange.nc.us and apply on-line or download an application in Adobe.pdf format by clicking on the “Volunteer Boards” icon. You may also contact the Office of the Clerk to the Board at (919) 245-2125 or email at mevans@co.orange.nc.us to request that an application be mailed to you.
The recommended membership of the Task Force for this project is as follows:
1. Three (3) residential property owners,
2. Three (3) commercial property owners,
3. Three (3) at large members,
4. One (1) Orange County Planning Board member,
5. One (1) Orange County Board of Commissioner liaison,
6. One (1) or two (2) Durham and Person County representatives
Once the Task Force has been appointed, additional Community Outreach Meetings will be scheduled to encourage ongoing public participation in the development of the Plan.
SMALL AREA PLAN – ORGANIZATION:
A Small Area Plan contains, at a minimum, the following individual sections:
I. Introduction
II. Mission Statement
III. Previous Plans/Studies
IV. Area Description
A. Location and other contextual details
B. Demographics: existing conditions and emerging trends
V. General Issues and Prioritization of Planning Concepts
VI. Planning Aspects
A. Land Use
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
B. Infrastructure (including Transportation, Water/Sewer, Drainage)
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
C. Environment (including Historic and Cultural)
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
D. Economic Development
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
E. Housing
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
F. Recreation, Parks, and Open Space
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
G. Community Character and Form
1. Existing Conditions
2. Major Issues
3. Recommendations
VII. Intergovernmental Coordination
VIII. Implementation Options Related to Planning Concepts
IX. Small Area Plan Final Product Format
X. Appendices (as needed)
XI. List of Maps
During the development of a Small Area Plan the appointed Task Force for the project is responsible, with staff input, on establishing the process where each area of concern shall be reviewed and addressed.
Task Force members may determine that an identified Planning Aspect area may not have any relevance to a specific project. On such occasions, the Task Force members shall have the ability to modify the contents of the Small Area Plan outline to ensure proper attention is focused on issues relevant to the identified study area based on local citizen and property owner comments.
SMALL AREA PLAN – PROCESS:
Once the Task Force has been appointed by the County Board of Commissioners a formal timeline to complete the project will be completed and approved. The following is a rough outline of the process that will be utilized for this project.
| Key Dates: | Proposed Activity: | Product: |
| July 13, 2006 | Community Outreach Meeting: First Community Outreach meeting to discuss the development of the Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan. Staff shall solicit discussion among local property owners about the constraints and opportunities for additional development within the area. |
1. Development of an initial listing of development constraints and opportunities within the area, 2. Identification of desirable uses based on existing commercial and residential development. |
| Mid July 2006 | Notification of Second Community Outreach Meeting: Staff shall send out notices to local property owners informing them of the date and time of the second meeting. |
|
| August 3, 2006 | Second Community Outreach Meeting: This meeting shall continue the review of constraints and development opportunities within the area as well as discuss the intended outline of the Small Area Plan. |
|
| Mid August 2006 | Completion of report summarizing identified constraints and development opportunities within the area | A detailed synopsis of community responses and feedback on development opportunities and constraints in the area |
| August 22, 2006 | Update of Progress Submitted to BOCC – Appointment of Task Force: Staff shall present a synopsis of the identified development opportunities and constraints within the boundary area of the NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan to the County Board of Commissioners County Commissioners shall finalize appointments to the Task Force as needed. |
County Board of Commissioners finalize appointments to Task Force |
| Key Dates: | Proposed Activity: | Product: |
| Late August | Notification of Appointment: Staff shall notify all Task Force members of their appointment and send them copies of the synopsis of the identified development opportunities and constraints within the area. |
|
| Late August | Notification of third Community Outreach meeting: Staff shall send out notices to local property owners and members of the Task Force of the date for the third Community Outreach meeting to be held sometime in early September 2006. |
|
| Early September 2006 | Third Community Outreach meeting: Review and discuss the synopsis of development opportunities and constraints and discuss the outline of the Small Area Plan. |
|
| Mid September 2006 | Notification of fourth Community Outreach meeting: Staff shall send out notices to local property owners and members of the Task Force of the date for the fourth Community Outreach meeting to be held sometime in late September or early October 2006. |
|
| Late September early October 2006 | Fourth Community Outreach meeting: Review and discuss the synopsis of development opportunities and constraints and discuss the outline of the Small Area Plan. Staff shall seek authorization to begin developing a rough draft of the Small Area Plan utilizing this approved outline. |
Approval of a rough outline of the Small Area Plan and authorization by the Task Force to begin developing a rough draft of the Small Area Plan. |
| Key Dates: | Proposed Activity: | Product: |
| October 2006 | Completion of Rough Draft of Plan: Utilizing the synopsis of development opportunities and the approved Small Area Plan outline, staff will complete a rough draft of the Small Area Plan, which shall include language for the proposed new Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Element amendments for review by the Peer Review Team to include the following: i. Comprehensive Planning, ii. Economic Development Commission, iii. Environmental Health, iv. Environmental and Resource Conservation Department, v. North Carolina Department of Transportation, vi. The Orange County Planning Board, vii. The Person County Planning Department, viii. The Orange County Sheriff and Emergency Management Departments, ix. The Durham City/County Planning Department. |
Obtain feedback on the issues/concerns surrounding the development of a rural economic development district within the Study Area from various planning partners. |
| October 2006 | Revision of Small Area Plan – submission to Task Force for review: Once staff has obtained feedback from the Peer Review Team, the rough draft of the Small Area Plan, which shall include language for the proposed new Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Element amendments, shall be sent to the Task Force members for review and comment. |
Send out revised rough draft of Small Area Plan to Task Force committee members for review |
| Late October 2006 | Notification of Fifth Community Outreach Meeting: Staff shall send out notices to all parties associated with the Small Area Plan, including neighboring property owners, of the next Community Outreach meeting sometime in late October early November 2006. |
Detailed letters informing all parties of the next Community Outreach meeting. |
| Late October early November 2006 | Fifth Community Outreach Meeting – Presentation of Rough Draft of Plan: Present rough draft of the NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan to local residents and members of the Task Force committee for review and comment. |
Prepare and present final draft of the Small Area Plan for review and comment. |
| Key Dates: | Proposed Activity: | Product: |
| Late October early November 2006 | Revision of Small Area Plan: Complete NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan by incorporating comments from Fourth Community Outreach meeting | Final document |
| November 2006 | Notification of Sixth and Final Community Outreach Meeting: Send out final document to Task Force committee members for review. Staff shall also send out notification to all local residents of the final Community Outreach meeting scheduled for mid November 2006. | Send out final document |
| November 2006 | Prepare BOCC Abstract on Small Area Plan: Prepare all necessary documentation to present NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan for public comment at the Orange County Board of Commissioners and Planning Board November 20, 2006 Quarterly Public Hearing | Completed Abstract |
| Mid November 2006 | Final Community Outreach Meeting: Final Community Outreach meeting to allow for the Task Force to review and approve final draft of document | Approved final document by Task Force committee and local residents |
| November 20, 2006 | Public Hearing: Present final Small Area Plan for review at the Quarterly Public Hearing | Review of the Small Area Plan as well as implementation language within the Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Element |
Study Properties as of July 13, 2006