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D. ADJOURNMENT OF PUBLIC HEARING
The public hearing was adjourned at 7:26 p.m.
E. WORK SESSION
1. Review of Minimum Lot Size and Density Allowances for Subdivisions – To review
and discuss the County’s subdivision development and review processes focusing
primarily on minimum lot size and density limitations as they relate to the clustering of
proposed subdivision lots.
David Stancil, Department of the Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation
(DEAPR) Director provided background regarding the Rural Character Study. He said in 1987,
the BOCC created a Joint Planning Area with the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. He said
part of this Joint Planning Area was the designation of the Rural Buffer. He said the mechanism
to implement this rural buffer was the implementation of the two-acre minimum lot size. He said
a study committee was created to consider how best to protect the rural integrity of the land. He
said the first area focused on the rural buffer, and the second area focused on the remaining
rural areas of the County. He said, simply put, the conclusion was to create a sliding scale
between open space and the ability to achieve a smaller lot size. He said a great deal of
thought went into the decisions and the process was a high point in his time in Orange County.
Craig Benedict said Orange County’s population has increased by about 50,000 people
since the rural character study was completed. He said the majority of these people went into
the cities but about 45% went into the unincorporated area. He said the original goals of the
study started out as an open space preservation plan, balancing agricultural protection. He said
the interesting part of this report is that, in large part, cooperation with the plan was voluntary.
He said developers would submit two plans: a conventional one (10 acres, divided into five 2-
acre lots), and a flexible plan (10 acres, with five 1-acre lots, and five acres of open space). He
said the plans were reviewed, and the decision of which plan to use was placed on the
developer. He said initially the majority of developers chose the conventional plans but slowly
moved towards flexible plans. He said the process moved from voluntary to being a bit more
direct, in order to achieve the outlined goals.
Craig Benedict said the conversation now shifts to the next 50,000 people moving into
Orange County and considering where they will live. He said projections are for lots of singlefamily
development to occur in the rural buffer due to demand. He said one of the goals from
the rural character study that remains in place today is the growth management goal: to have
urban growth boundaries; to have efficient forms of development; balance the natural resource
goals with pattern development and growth management.
Commissioner Rich said there was previous discussion about the gross overstatement
of projected population growth. She asked if there was an update on these numbers.
Craig Benedict said the original numbers were done for the entire triangle region. He
said he will give a presentation on March 2 to Planning Board about how these numbers were
developed for the 2040 plan. He said the 2045 plan is currently being worked on and it is hoped
that the control totals, which are provided to the County, can be reviewed and more appropriate
estimates garnered. He said the formula for the projections (one house per every two acres),
cannot be altered, but the numbers can be reviewed for realistic estimates.
Michael Harvey, Orange County Current Planning, reviewed the following background
and PowerPoint slides:
PURPOSE: To review and discuss the County’s subdivision development and review
processes focusing primarily on minimum lot size and density limitations as they relate to the
clustering of subdivision lots. This item was developed to address a petition submitted by