ORANGE : Proposed Revisions to Zoning Ordinance Vigorously Debated
A philosophical split between preservationists and property rights advocates reached a boiling point this week at a public hearing on the city’s zoning ordinance.
City Council members withdrew parts of a proposal--including an entire section on Old Towne design standards--for further refinement but passed the rest by a 4-1 vote.
The update of the city’s zoning ordinance, which is the first in more than six years, aims to streamline regulations and make them more comprehensible for builders and residents.
The merits of various aspects of the zoning policy stirred heated debate.
“It is a taking away of freedom and liberty,” resident Ken Brimlow said.
Councilman Dan Slater praised the revised ordinance but ultimately voted against it to protest delayed action on a contentious issue having to do with building-to-lot-size ratios.
That part of the update was proposed to avoid “mansionization,” where a house is built almost to the edge of the property line. Orange currently has no ratio restrictions.
The council postponed a decision on that section of the ordinance, as well as Old Towne design standards, until the council’s May 9 meeting.
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