Planning Board Regular Meeting

Minutes PLANNING BOARD Regular meeting 6:30 p.m. October 23, 2025 Town Hall Annex Board Meeting Room, 105 E. Corbin St. Present Planning Board: Chair Frank Casadonte, Vice Chair Hooper Schultz, and members Jeanette Benjey, Robert Iglesias, Carrie Winkler, and Sherra Lawrence Absent: Members Tiffney Marley and Sean Kehoe Staff: Orange County Planning and Inspections Director Cy Stober; Senior Planner Molly Boyle 1. Call to order and confirmation of quorum The meeting was called to order at 6:35 PM by Chair Frank Casadonte. He asked for confirmation of quorum. Senior Planner Molly Boyle confirmed the presence of a quorum. 2. Agenda changes and approval Boyle recommended removing Item 4B from the agenda, saying Senior Planner Tom King would present that topic in November instead. Motion: Vice Chair Hooper Schultz motioned to approve the agenda as amended. Seconded by member Jeanette Benjey. Vote: 5-0. Motion passed. Member Carrie Winkler arrived at 6:39 PM. 3. Approval of minutes A. Minutes for Regular Meeting on September 18, 2025 Motion: Benjey motioned to approve the minutes as presented. Robert Iglesias seconded. Vote: 6-0. Motion passed. 4. Discussion A. County planning discussion with Cy Stober, Orange County Planning and Inspections Director Boyle introduced the discussion, explaining that in her two years with the Town of Hillsborough, the Planning Board had reviewed seven rezonings and eighteen text amendments. With the upcoming Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) rewrite, she thought it wise to step back and look at the bigger picture. She emphasized that decisions about what and how to regulate in town should be informed by what is happening in the surrounding areas, not just within town limits. Boyle introduced Cy Stober, Orange County Planning and Inspections Director, and displayed his PowerPoint presentation on the screen (presentation enclosed). Stober introduced himself and provided his professional background. He gave an overview of Orange County's Planning and Inspections Department, which includes 101 E. Orange St., PO Box 429, Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-732-1270 | www.hillsboroughnc.gov | @HillsboroughGov PLANNING BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES | 1 of 4  PLANNING BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES | 2 of 4 Building Permitting and Inspections, Development Services (Current Planning and Zoning, Erosion Control, and Stormwater), and Long-Range Planning Administration. Stober explained the department's relationship with Hillsborough, noting the county provides several services to the town:  Erosion control under the Sediment and Pollution Control Act  Building inspections through a contract arrangement  Long-range planning administration with overlapping comprehensive planning efforts He detailed several formal agreements between Orange County and the Town of Hillsborough:  Capacity Use Agreement for the Eno River (1988)  Water and Sewer Management Planning and Boundary Agreement (2001)  Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (2001)  Courtesy Review Agreement (2003)  Central Orange Coordinated Area Agreement (2006)  Shared use agreement for utility extension to the Hillsborough Economic Development District (2017) Stober provided more detail on the Courtesy Review Agreement, which allows for mutual review and comment on projects of over 5 acres and/or 50 units. He showed examples of projects that fell below these thresholds and therefore were not subject to the courtesy review agreement:  Williams Glen (15-lot subdivision on Lawrence Road)  Stonewall (18-lot subdivision on Miller Road)  Cedar Ridge High School rezoning He noted that the Courtesy Review Agreement provides for comment opportunities but does not require joint approval, though it does allow for requesting joint meetings. Board members asked several questions about the specifics of the projects that Stober discussed, including lot sizes and utility services for subdivisions in the county. Stober explained the county's role in managing Lake Orange for ecological flows into the Upper Eno River to ensure adequate water supply for all users. Casadonte asked Stober about water resources in Hillsborough. Stober explained that while Hillsborough has ample water supply that could support growth for a hundred years, the limiting factor is wastewater treatment capacity. He noted that Hillsborough currently has a 1- million-gallon treatment capacity, but there are issues with expanding this capacity, particularly due to increased costs since COVID. Stober said the town was wise to protect its water supply by owning all the land around the West Fork of the Eno reservoir. This foresight allows Hillsborough to control any direct impacts to the reservoir, either by managing land use or preventing trespassing. The conversation then shifted to inter-governmental agreements. Stober emphasized that any changes to the Water and Sewer Management Planning and Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA) would require approval from multiple parties, including the county, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and OWASA. He explained that while getting these agreements on various boards' agendas is not necessarily contentious, it does require coordination among leadership from these communities. Stober then provided an overview of Orange County's comprehensive planning process. He explained that the county's current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2008 and is now nearly 18 years old. At 530 pages, it covers a wide range of topics beyond land use, including housing, solid waste, emergency services, economic development, and aging.  PLANNING BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES | 3 of 4 The new land use plan being developed is more narrowly focused on land use matters while still identifying shared initiatives with other departments. He noted that the county's current Future Land Use Map has over 20 land use categories and the zoning map is even more complex. The new plan aims to simplify these categories. Stober shared that county staff is proposing to reduce the number of activity nodes in the county as well. He explained that many of the existing nodes are in critical watersheds or no longer make sense from a planning perspective. The new approach focuses on selecting crossroads that make sense for transportation patterns and surrounding land uses to potentially support businesses that could serve nearby residents. The county is also incorporating the Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan and updated environmental assets mapping to prioritize areas for protection. Through conservation cluster development, the county aims to preserve nearly half of a property as open space while allowing development at appropriate densities. Regarding the timeline for the plan update, Stober indicated that while they had hoped to be further along, the process has been delayed by about a year. The Board of County Commissioners has requested answers to 17 broad questions before proceeding, and community engagement is still ongoing. The current projected adoption timeline is winter 2026-27. Stober invited the Hillsborough Planning Board members to participate in the next round of community engagement, which will likely occur in spring 2026. He noted that the county has not held a formal engagement event in Hillsborough except for a preliminary meeting at Bonnie B. Davis, which had low attendance. The county is planning to add virtual town halls to their next engagement window as well to increase participation from younger residents. Schultz asked why the draft Comprehensive Land Use Plan was difficult to find online. Stober explained that the Board of County Commissioners wanted certain questions answered and refinements made before posting the draft broadly for community engagement. With no further comments or questions, Casadonte thanked Stober for sharing his time with the Planning Board. 5. Updates A. Board of Adjustment Iglesias reported that the Board of Adjustment did not meet in October. B. Parks and Recreation Board Schultz reported that the Parks and Recreation Board met and discussed Kings Highway Park and its master plan. He noted the park has been flooding more lately. C. Staff and board members Boyle briefly discussed the upcoming public hearings on November 20, 2025: an annexation and a rezoning request, both on Oakdale Drive. She noted that Senior Planner Tom King would meet with the Planning Board after the hearing to continue the conversation on density in town. Casadonte asked if the board was fully staffed now. Boyle said no, there was still one vacant extra-territorial jurisdiction seat. Schultz asked about the Recommended Urban Service Boundary map from the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, wondering why it had not been formally adopted yet. Boyle said she was not sure but noted that the Assistant Town Manager, Matt Efird, and the Engineering Services Manager, Bryant Green, had recently presented to the Orange County Board of Commissioners on the topic. So there seemed to be some movement towards adoption. Member Sherra Lawrence asked if a decision had been made about changing the Historic District per the Planning Board’s discussion in September. Boyle said that decisions had not yet been made, but those conversations would continue with the UDO rewrite.  PLANNING BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES | 4 of 4 6. Adjournment Motion: Schultz motioned to adjourn the meeting. Lawrence seconded. Vote: 6-0. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:31 pm. Respectfully submitted, Molly Boyle, AICP, CZO Senior Planner Staff support to the Planning Board Approved: November 20, 2025 Encl: Orange County Planning & Inspections Director’s PowerPoint Presentation 10.23.2025  11/12/2025 Orange County & Hillsborough Planning Partnership Hillsborough Planning Board October 23, 2025 1 2 1  11/12/2025 Department Overview Organizational Chart 3 Department Overview Planning and Inspections Department +/- 33 Employees Among 3 Divisions Building Permits & Inspections Central Permitting Inspections Development Services Current Planning Erosion Control Stormwater and Engineering Long-Range Planning and Administration Special Projects Comprehensive Planning GIS Mapping 4 2  11/12/2025 History of Partnership Hillsborough EDD SAPFO WASMPBA COCA 1988 2001 2003 2006 2017 1988 2001 2003 2006 2017 Courtesy Review Agreement 5 Capacity Use Agreement for the Eno River • All water users in the Eno River Basin who withdraw more than 100,000 gallons of water per day from surface water or groundwater • Town of Hillsborough • Lake Ben Johnston • West Fork Eno River Reservoir. • Orange-Alamance Water System • Corporation Lake • Resco Products (formerly, Piedmont Minerals) • City of Durham • West Point Grist Mill 6 3  11/12/2025 Capacity Use Agreement for the Eno River • Orange County owns Lake Orange • Must manage and operate lake to meet specified flow targets in the Eno River through the release of water from Lake Orange 7 Courtesy Review Agreement “The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a method to foster coordinated planning between Orange County and the Town of Hillsborough. Further, the process is intended to provide a forum for discussion of development impacts and exchange information and ideas. This does not provide for joint approval.” 8 4  11/12/2025 Courtesy Review Agreement “The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a method to foster coordinated planning between Orange County and the Town of Hillsborough. Further, the process is intended to provide a forum for discussion of development impacts and exchange information and ideas. This does not provide for joint approval.” 9 Courtesy Review Agreement • Projects > 5 acres or 50 units • Provides for a Request for a Joint Meeting to discuss development proposals in Courtesy Review Area • Limits discussion to a menu of subjects 10 5  11/12/2025 Courtesy Review Agreement: Williams Glen 11 Courtesy Review Agreement: Stonewall 12 6  11/12/2025 Courtesy Review Agreement: Cedar Ridge High School 13 COCA Central Orange Coordinated Area • Adopted in 2013 • Work began in 2004 • Last amended in 2020 • 2014 Resolutions • “vision articulated by the Agreement has been achieved” • Annexation laws changed 14 7  11/12/2025 COCA Central Orange Coordinated Area 15 WASMPBA 16 8  11/12/2025 WASMPBA 17 WASMPBA • Water And Sewer Municipal Planning & Boundary Agreement • Signatories are Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, OWASA • Established “Primary Service Areas” for public water and sewer service. • Amendments require action by all 5 signatories. • “Long Term Interest Area” defined the first responding party if there is a public health emergency. 18 9  11/12/2025 Orange County & Planning Comprehensive Plan Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) 19 Orange County & Planning Unified Development Ordinance • Implements the Comprehensive Plan • Contains all development regulations • Table of Permitted Uses details allowable uses in each zoning district – Residential – Commercial Unified Development Ordinance – Industrial (UDO) – Etc. 20 10  11/12/2025 Orange County & Planning Comprehensive Plan Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) 21 Orange County & Planning Comprehensive Plan • CLUP provides framework for long-range land use decision making • 2030 Comprehensive Plan (Adopted, November 2008) – Features 9 chapters and 16 appendices – 530 pages long Comprehensive Plan 22 11  11/12/2025 Orange County & Planning Future Land Use Map Zoning Map (FLUM) (Atlas) 23 Orange County & Planning What is Different? 24 12  11/12/2025 Orange County & Planning What is Different? • No water/sewer utility • No municipal streets • Less transit • Solid waste • More open space • Tough standards (MHP, EDD buffers, etc.) 25 2050 Land Use Plan 26 13  11/12/2025 Land Use Plan 2050 Public Review Draft 27 27 Planning Process 3 Community Engagement Windows 8 Community Meetings and Workshops 9 Tabling, Presentation, or Other Engagement Activities 10 Briefings to Planning Board and BOCC 14 Staff Working Group Meetings 57 Stakeholder Interviews 355 Total In Person Attendees 584 Community Surveys Received 28 14  11/12/2025 Land Use Plan 2050 29 29 29 Overview of Plan Framework 30 15  11/12/2025 Vision Themes 31 Goals 1. Agriculture, Working Lands, and Open Spaces 2. Community Equity 3. Economy and Employment 4. Environment, Parks, Recreation 5. Housing Attainability 6. Regional and Local Growth 7. Resiliency 8. Services and Community Facilities 9. Transportation and Mobility 32 16  11/12/2025 Conservation Subdivision Example of a Conservation Subdivision development (right) versus a typical suburban development (left). 33 Rural Activity Node Description Rural Activity Nodes are key intersections of larger rural roads and state highways that can or do already serve the surrounding community with commercial retail and service uses. Nodes are located at strategic crossroads to provide daily commercial and service needs within a short drive of rural neighborhoods and home sites in the county. Existing development varies greatly by location but generally includes single-family homes, neighborhood-scale commercial uses such as service stations and convenience stores, farms, forestry, and undeveloped parcels. 34 34 34 17  11/12/2025 35 Environmental and Wildlife Habitat • Map identifies: • “Highest” and “Higher” priority wildlife habitat patches and corridors identified by the Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Plan • 100-year floodplain • Steep slopes • Wetlands • Resource Protection Areas (identified in 2030 Plan map) • Guided higher intensity Land Use Categories on the Conservation and Growth Framework map • Intended to guide land protection and site planning efforts, particularly for conservation subdivisions that have required open space set-asides 36 18  11/12/2025 Orange County & Planning 18 - 30 31 - 38 37 QUESTIONS? 38 19