|
Wednesday, 14 December 2005 01:09 |
By STEPHANIE THOMAS
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 6 unanimously agreed to hire a professional planning service that will update the county??s land use plan, incorporating recent changes to state laws that are not included in the original plan set forth in 1998.
?®As you well know, there??s a lot of development in this county since that time,?∆ Jon Creighton, assistant county manager, told the board during his presentation.
?®What staff has done is that we have negotiated a contract with LandDesign,?∆ Creighton noted. ?®Our plan is to basically have our buyers (meet), our planning boards who represent, have representatives throughout the
county, and go ahead and get the plan underway so that we can start redeveloping.?∆
In addition, the resolution states that LandDesign Inc. will receive $90,000 for its services and is an appropriate choice for the project because the company ?®prepared the existing Comprehensive Plan and is familiar with Buncombe County.?∆
Creighton added that a public comment hearing concerning the new land use plan is intended for late spring or early summer 2006.
Commissioner David Young responded to the presentation, noting that he ?®thinks it??s a good idea.?∆
?®We have grown rapidly. It??s been a long time ?±?± I didn??t realize it??s
been seven years,?∆ Young stated, adding later that ?®folks are going to
be really shocked when they see these two maps from seven years ago,
showing growth areas compared to what it is today.?∆
Creighton added that ?®with the major expansions we??ve got coming down, with the utility expansion of the
county,?∆ redeveloping the plan, which also states that it will help
?®predict and prepare for future development pattern,?∆ is a necessity.
Furthermore, Vice Chairman David Gantt shared with the board his views
concerning the update, while noting that feedback from citizens should
be an essential step in the process.
?®Getting public comment public, going out and seeing what it is people
want, having one place of analysis of what growth has been, what it??s
projected to be and what we want it to be?∆ should be top priorities,
Gantt
explained.
?®The land use plan is basically a voluntary agreement,?∆ he continued.
?®There??s no enforcement in here in the land use plan, but it does say
what we want to do, what we aspire to do and what the county should
do,?∆ he said, while adding that the Metropolitan Sewage District, which
is involved in developing the new plan, has made it clear that ?®they
want the county to decide on land use.?∆
While the board voted unanimously to pass the resolution, earlier
Chairman Nathan Ramsey voiced his concerns with how the county is
approaching the matter.
?®I think this board is making a mistake to the extent that I think we need to lay out the goals (regarding) why we
want to update the land use plan, the goals we want to achieve and how
to obtain those goals,?∆ Ramsey said. ?®I think it??s very appropriate to
delegate that responsibility to the planning board, but I think we
really haven??t talked significantly about what type of growth.
?®I mean, some good growth to some is bad growth to others,?∆ he
continued. ?®And I think that??s where, if there is a difference on this
board, and there might not be, I think that??s where it comes down to.?∆
Ramsey also responded to Gantt??s comments regarding the MSD.
?®I think that??s appropriate that they??re not the planning arm, but, you
know, the developer should propose an equality project ?±?± and is paying
for a sewer extension ?±?± is it appropriate for the county to say ?¥no,
you can??t do that.?? I think those are the type of discussions that this
board has to make ?±?± that??s why we??re elected. Our planning board, they
don??t stand for election, we have to stand for election, and we have to
be accountable to our citizens, and if we??re not doing the right thing,
we have to answer for that.?∆
Young agreed with Ramsey??s comments, noting that ?®in the end, we do
have a responsibility, and the chairman is correct, we will make that
final decision. Hopefully, the planning board and the land design
company we??re hopefully going to employ will give us good direction on
how to proceed.?∆
At the close of the discussion, Creighton noted that the county has ?®an
excellent planning board,?∆ and that ?®it doesn??t tilt one way or the
other?∆ with ?®representatives from throughout the county.?∆
?®In the end, you all have a lot of input in how the plan goes, too,?∆ he added.
In other action, the board unanimously approved:
?ÿ The appointment of Bill Stanley as vice chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners for 2006.
?ÿ Ordinance amendments for zoning in the Limestone township and Beaverdam community.
Jim Coman, with the county??s planning department, noted that recent
revisions made by North Carolina General Assembly to planning statutes
constitutes the zoning ordinance amendments, and that both are
?®minimal?∆ and allow for the locations to ?®come into compliance with the
North Carolina statutes.?∆
?ÿ An amendment to the county??s subdivision ordinance, which will allow
building permits to be denied if the developer subdivided illegally.
?ÿ A resolution authorizing the county manager to sign a petition that
would allow for the future closing of downtown streets due to the
redesign project for Pack Square, which includes City Hall drives North
and South and City Hall Circle.
?ÿ A resolution authorizing the chairman to execute an application for
community transportation program funding, and enter into an agreement
with the NCDOT to provide the necessary assurances.
?ÿ A resolution approving a revised passenger, vehicle and system safety program plan for Mountain Mobility.
?ÿ The appointments of David Gantt and Jon Creighton to the Metropolitan
Sewerage District Board; Alice Coppedge to the Historic Resources
Commission; Karen Gettinger to the Adult Care Home Community Advisory
Committee; and Lorraine Poe to the Workforce Development Board.
|
|
|
