BACKGROUND:

In work sessions on October 6 and on November 3, the Board of Supervisors reviewed the draft Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan as recommended by the Planning Commission.  The Board made several changes to the Plan at the work sessions and requested that those be incorporated into an updated draft Plan for the Board’s final review prior to scheduling a public hearing. 

STRATEGIC PLAN:

Goal 2.1:  Protect and/or preserve the County's rural Character.

DISCUSSION:

At the Board's request, the following changes have been made to the draft Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan:

• Page 28: Added “and reducing the potential overall level of residential development and loss of rural character” to the policy statement
• Page 34: Struck out text on central water and sewer systems
• Page 37: In strategy 1, removed reference to specific exceptions, deferring those to the implementation of the Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan
• Page 38: Strategy 2, removed reference to community open space for backup drainfield systems; added minimum 80% preservation parcel; added sentence that states that the residential lot size will be determined with implementation of the Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan
• Page 38: In strategy 4, fixed “non-title” typo; added “groundwater recharge areas” to areas to be protected in RPDs
• Page 38: Struck out strategy 6 regarding central water and sewer systems
• Pages 38 - 39: rephrased strategies 12, 13-18 to remove “Consider”
• Page 43: Added “Except for agricultural and forestal purposes” to strategy 5
• Pages 43-45: Struck out section on water and sewage disposal; relevant strategies are covered elsewhere in  Comprehensive Plan
• Page 47: In strategy 4, added "including transportation" when conducting a fiscal impact analysis of fiscal impacts of rural development.

These changes have been made in the attached new draft of the Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan.  All changes have been highlighted in yellow. 

Implementation:  Several specific and important aspects of strategies included in this draft Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan will be determined after adoption of the Plan through implementation measures such as ordinance revisions.  As such, the priorities, process and timeline for implementation of the Plan are critical to its success.  Staff is currently developing an implementation plan that reflects the Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan as drafted.  Staff will provide the implementation plan to the Board prior to the Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan adoption for the Board’s confirmation as to how these important implementation steps will be carried out.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Staff recommends that the Board review and confirm the changes to the Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan as reflected in the latest draft (attached) and schedule a public hearing for February 9, 2005.

ATTACHMENTS

A          Rural Areas Comprehensive Plan

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