TITLE: Title
Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is for the Board of Aldermen to receive an update on Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee activities.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Jeff Kleaveland - 919-918-7332, jkleaveland@townofcarrboro.org.
INFORMATION: Amy Jeroloman, Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee (NTAAC) Chair, will provide the update.
Section 15-27 of the Land Use Ordinance describes the NTAAC. Subsections (a) and (h), excerpted below, describe the geographic area and commission makeup, and powers and duties:
(a) There shall be a Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee consisting of five members, three appointed by the Orange County Board of Commissioners and two by the Board of Aldermen. If the Board of Commissioners fails to make these appointments within ninety days after receiving a resolution from the Board of Aldermen requesting that they be made, the Board of Aldermen may make them. All members shall be residents of the Northern Transition Area. For the purposes of this section, the Northern Transition Area shall include those unannexed portions of the Northern Study Area. The Northern Study Area is defined as follows:
The boundaries of this area are Carrboro’s joint planning jurisdiction line to the north and Carrboro’s Town limits to the south. The Carrboro/Chapel Hill joint planning jurisdiction line serves as the boundary to the east. It begins north of Eubanks Road, follows Rogers Road to Homestead, then proceeds southwest on Homestead road to High School Road and finally turns south and east to the railroad right-of-way. A primary ridge line serves as the northwest boundary line just east of Union Grove Church Road down to Dairyland Road, where the road serves as the boundary heading southeast until it intersects, and Old NC 86 serves as the boundary then turning southeast and running along Hillsborough Road to Greensboro Street.
(h) The committee shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) Review zoning amendment requests and special and conditional use permit applications for developments within the Northern Transition Area and make recommendations on the same to the board of adjustment or Board of Aldermen, respectively.
(2) Initiate studies related to the special character of the Northern Study Area.
a) Inventory of areas of cultural, archaeological, or historical significance.
b) Inventory of open space character and scenic qualities.
c) Inventory of agricultural uses
1. Land in Use Value
a. Horticultural
b. Agricultural
c. Timber
2. Farming as business
a. Large field crops
b. Metro farms, specialty crops
d) Inventory of biological value
1. Tree species diversity, exceptional tracts of forest land
2. Rare occurrences (i.e. Upland Depression Swamp)
3. Wildlife
a. Audubon annual bird count
b. Deer population
(3) Use the studies above as the basis of its development of, and recommendations for, additional policies, objectives, goals, plans, ordinances, and administrative actions that will preserve and enhance that special character, and relate to its growth.
(4) Develop and recommend to the Board of Aldermen policies, ordinances, administrative procedures and other means for carrying out plans in an efficient and coordinated manner.
(5) Track and review other studies and plans that will have an impact on the Northern Study Area - including those of the Chapel Hill Town Council, The Orange County Board of County Commissioners and their appointed committees - and give feedback to the originating governing body.
(6) Meet annually with the Carrboro Planning Board for a joint planning session.
(7) Submit regular reports to the Orange County Board of Commissioners
(8) Perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Aldermen.
The NTAAC typically meets once a month, on the first Thursday.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:r N/A