Orange County’s Board of Commissioners recently met with Mebane to discuss ways to plan for the future of the city and how to accommodate its growing population. Although currently the county’s smallest municipality, it is also its fastest growing one.
In Dec. the city’s council adopted “Mebane 2045,” a comprehensive plan outlining future land use goals including a vibrant downtown, walkable and bikeable streets, and protected natural areas. With about half of that planned space located in Orange County, the March 19 joint meeting with the commissioners focused on shared goals for housing and development projects — especially as the county aims to adopt its own updated land use plan next year.
Mebane 2045 Comprehensive Plan. Its future land use map outlines areas for open space, residential, and industrial sectors. (Rendering via City of Mebane.)
“It’s [Orange County’s] first land use plan since 2008,” Orange County Planning and Inspections Director Cy Stober said. “So nearly 20 years later, and it is reflective of a changing county, changing dynamics, notably among that is Mebane.”
Despite currently being one of the county’s more affordable places to live, many of the elected officials noted how Mebane is not excluded from the county’s overall need for affordable housing. Mayor Ed Hooks explained how land prices are going up, citing water and sewer and less developable land as challenges.
Stober said those affordability concerns are something the county is working to examine amid its land use planning, particularly through roundtable discussions on housing markets and pricing.
“But we also have kind of a volume issue,” Stober added. “We don’t have many available homes period in Orange County for people across the spectrum, even at the one million plus range. We just don’t have many new homes coming online compared to what the demand is.”
Draft for Orange County’s Land Use Plan 2050. (Rendering via Orange County Government.)
Orange County Commissioner Earl McKee said he thinks Mebane will eventually see a population similar to that of Carrboro and Hillsborough, urging consistent and detailed conversation between the boards as that growth occurs. And to accommodate more types of people, he said he wants to see a mix of affordable housing types available.
“What I would not like to see going forward is picking one or two housing options as a priority,” McKee said. “Because otherwise you will eliminate a lot of the diversity. Everybody doesn’t like to live in a 5-acre lot with a lot of yard. Everybody doesn’t like to live in an apartment.”
Some officials, like Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford, suggested the potential for family housing near Orange County school district’s future elementary school, which will be near the existing Soccer.Com Center and Gravely Middle School. Orange County is also proposing the option for conservation subdivisions, or placing housing on smaller lots outside of city limits. While Stober said it would be a distinct change for Mebane, those neighborhoods could help achieve the city’s goals for more protected open space and increased housing overall.
“So go from one acre lots to half acre lots or even smaller,” Stober explained. “But we get double or triple the open space and ag land protection as part of that. And that’s a tough tradeoff. It’s a tough question for our commissioners. It’s a tough question for the public.”
Hooks noted how the city recently rejected a proposed development like that due to community pushback. However, the mayor ultimately expressed his support for the neighborhood type, stating how increased density and greenspace is something he wants for the city. Orange County Board Chair Jean Hamilton agreed, adding how it will also be important for the developments to expand Mebane’s connected greenway and trail networks.
City Council Member Katie Burkholder referenced a residential community along Saddle Club Road as an example of what the city is wanting to pursue. The clustered residential development approved by the council in 2024 features sidewalk access, as well as soccer fields for wider recreational use. Hamilton said she believes ensuring those spaces are available to the public will be important for any future developments.
“Personally, [that] is part of what I want to look for when we have a conservation subdivision, right? That that open space is actually accessible to others,” Hamilton stressed. “Not just a small group of people who happened to be clustered together and then have all this wonderful open space. But it sounds like we’re aligned with that vision. And so as we go forward, I think that’s something the county has to talk about.”
To view Orange County’s joint meeting with Mebane, click here.
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