Project Update
March 20, 2025
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On March 11, 2025, the Board of County Commissioners received a presentation with a preliminary draft Land Use Plan 2050. Board review and feedback on the draft was requested to inform any changes to the draft required prior to the opening of Community Engagement Window #3.
Following the meeting, the Board requested additional background information from County staff for the purpose of further informing its review. The additional information requested is anticipated to be collected and presented to the Board over the course of several meetings.
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Community Engagement Window #3, which was scheduled for May – July of this year, has been postponed to allow additional time for the Board's review. Please stay tuned for future project updates, including the rescheduling of Community Engagement Window #3, to unveil a draft Plan to the public later this year.
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To sign up for project updates, please use the form at the bottom of this page. Please direct any questions to County Planning staff at landuseplan@orangecountync.gov.
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Thank you for your interest and participation in the Land Use Plan 2050 project!
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Project Overview
In 2023, Orange County launched a major effort—called the Orange County Land Use Plan 2050 —to establish a cohesive, county-wide land use vision for the future and an actionable strategy to achieve that vision. This planning process will result in a rewrite of one of Orange County’s key policy documents—the Land Use Plan. Click here to view the currently adopted plan.
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The Orange County Land Use Plan 2050 will serve to guide the County's growth and conservation efforts through the year 2050. By setting goals and objectives, County officials can use the document to guide policy decisions that effectively provide a high quality of life for community members. The Land Use Plan will consider a variety of topics related to physical planning in the community, including:
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Community Equity
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Community Resiliency and Climate Change
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Economic Development
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Farmland Protection
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Housing
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Natural and Cultural Systems
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New development and redevelopment
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Parks and Recreation
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Services (Utilities) and Community Facilities
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Transportation
This site is your go-to source for information throughout the planning process. Sign up here to be alerted of important opportunities to share your opinions about the future of Orange County.
Why is this planning effort important?
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The Orange County Land Use Plan 2050 is a critical opportunity to shape our community’s future and drive real action. The planning process will result in policies and implementation strategies that will guide change in our community over the next 20 years, including identifying areas for new development.
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Each member of our community is impacted in some way by land use decisions and this process allows for a robust discussion of future options in a meaningful way. The process will focus on eliciting the opinions of community members and will educate community members so that they can make informed choices about the County’s future.
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County leaders are listening and want to hear from you. This process will be carefully facilitated so that a kind and thoughtful conversation about the future of Orange County can be accessed by all.
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All opinions and ideas will be considered, and policy direction will be informed by community support. Ideas and opinions will be documented and themed throughout the process. Community support will be the foundation for policy direction. The plan will provide a community vision to guide decision-makers, as well as specific policies and actions.
News & Updates
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New Opportunities to Share Your Input! Join us for a second round of engagement at the following events:
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Wednesday, September 25th
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Gravelly Hill Middle School
4801 W Ten Rd, Efland, NC 27243
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Thursday, October 3
6pm – 7:30pm
American Legion Post 6
3700 NC-54, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
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The Orange County Land Use Plan Fact Book is now available. Check out the Resources page to learn more. ​​