ATTACHMENT A

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Jim Ward, Council Member

SUBJECT:      Comprehensive Plan

DATE:                        October 24, 2005

Recently the Council briefly discussed the possibility of revisiting all or portions of the Comprehensive Plan, to consider in greater detail, areas within the Town’s zoning jurisdiction, where additional density may be appropriate. The Council requested that the Manager prepare a report with options for the Council’s consideration about how the Council might approach updating segments or all of the Comprehensive Plan.

As one of our considerations, I believe we need to understand the effects of denser development on demand for water supply and wastewater treatment. I believe the density changes considered by the Council to date (i.e., downtown economic development initiative and  University Village) will not have a significant effect on either water supply or waste water treatment capacity. However, as we advance the broader issue of increased density within our urban services boundary, it is important that we schedule early and ongoing input from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) in order to ensure the adequacy of water and sewer services for the long term.

Therefore, I request that the Council seek a briefing from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority about projected capacities of water supply and waste water treatment systems and the assumptions upon which their projections are based, along with discussion of the potential effects of allowing greater density within the Town’s zoning jurisdiction.