Orange County and the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill will hold a special ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Rural Buffer. The event will be held Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 5 - 6:15 p.m. at Blackwood Farm Park (4215 NC 86 South, Hillsborough).
The Rural Buffer was developed as part of the Joint Planning Agreement created by the county and towns in November 1987. It was formally adopted by all three governing boards in the summer of 1988.
The JPA has guided development in the areas immediately surrounding Chapel Hill and Carrboro but outside the extraterritorial planning jurisdictions of the two towns. The interlocal pact limited urban growth with defined annexation limits and transition areas and created a low-density “rural buffer” of more than 36,000 acres of farmland and residential property around both municipalities.
"Without this agreement, Orange County would be drastically different today," said Orange County Chair Mark Dorosin. "This historic agreement has achieved its intended goals of protecting the environment, curbing urban sprawl, protecting farmland and natural areas and preserving the rural character of the county."
The public is invited to share in this celebration.