Community Meetings for the Comprehensive Development Plan

1
Community Meetings for the Comprehensive
Development Plan

• Franklin County Planning Inspections Department
  with
• the State Department of Commerce, Division of
  Community Assistance

2
County Population Projections

• Assumptions 1. Current population projection as
  of July 1, 2007
• 2. Dwelling unit estimate based on 2.58 persons
  per household and 12.4 vacancy rate
• 3. Steady Growth State Demographers
  population estimate and
• 4. Accelerated Growth Hobbs, Upchurch
  Associates 2nd Order Polynomial population
  estimate

3
Steady Growth will add approximately 25,918 new
persons by 2027
4
Accelerated Growth will add approximately 38,197
new persons by 2027
5
The next 20 years of growth in Franklin County

• We have to decide where we should locate
  approximately 30,000 new residents, approximately
  12,000 new housing units and hundreds of new
  businesses with approximately 8,000 new employees
  over the next 20 years
• and decide how to pay for services associated
  with this growth over the next 20 years

6
Most growth in Franklin County occurs outside of
towns in the unincorporated area
7
Planned Growth for the CDP

• Focus development toward towns and priority
  growth areas
• Priority areas would be defined and capital
  improvement projects developed for funding
• Water and sewer allocations based on planned
  improvements and proximity to existing
  infrastructure capacity
• Some cost sharing with towns for infrastructure
  projects, but priority growth areas occur
  outside of towns
• Preservation of rural character through incentive
  programs and market-driven methods
• Economic development growth in towns and in
  priority growth areas

8
The 5 CDP Growth Model Principles

• Reduce the costs of growth and maximize the
  benefits of growth
• Plan for growth and share costs of growth with
  towns, State, Federal and private sector
• Protect the natural environment
• Encourage a range of suburban, small town, and
  rural development options
• Incorporate the Countys rural character and
  agricultural heritage in growth considerations

9
Growth Model Principle 1

• Reduce the costs of growth and maximize the
  benefits of growth
• Growing as we have been growing is expensive
• Increase in Sheriffs staff (2007)
• COPs Bonds - 17 million (2007)
• Increase in EMS crews (2006)
• School Bond - 30 million (2004)
• School operating expenses (2001 )

10
Growth Model Principle 2

• Plan for growth and share costs of growth with
  towns, State, Federal and private sector
• Growth has been expensive because
• The County pays for most infrastructure and
  service costs
• Mandatory connection policy allowed development
  to drive location and costs of infrastructure
  into areas with limited existing infrastructure
  capacity to support growth
• Countys development fees and criteria have not
  significantly offset the cost of infrastructure
  capacity replacement
• Paying for this growth hasnt allowed for
  accumulation of capital reserves for
  infrastructure repair and maintenance
• A spread out development pattern has created a
  high level of service demands across broad
  geographic areas

11
Growth Model Principle 3

• Protect the Natural Environment
• We need to take measures to ensure that new
  growth has a minimal adverse impact on the
  environment
• Recent Federal and State regulations have been
  imposed (or are expected to be in place)
• Inter-basin transfers
• Environmental review
• Sewer/Stormwater regulations
• Preserve environmentally sensitive areas and also
  limit the continuation of the spread out
  development pattern
• Examine future land use on a closer scale through
  the Small Area Plan process

12
Growth Model Principle 4

• Allow for a wide range of housing options
• Suburban
• Approximately 10,000 approved lots at suburban
  densities (1/4 acre to 1.5 acres lots)
• Approximately 4,500 of these with water and sewer
  allocations
• Small Town
• Allocate utilities to towns and partner on other
  government services
• Rural
• Preserve rural lifestyle through lower density
  zoning and limiting utility expansion to rural
  areas

13
Growth Model Principle 5

• Incorporate the Countys rural character and
  agricultural heritage in growth considerations
• Encroachment of suburban development
• Decreases viability of some agricultural uses
• Some rural/agricultural uses conflict with
  suburban lifestyle
• Necessitates use of Voluntary Agricultural
  Districts
• Reduces rural charm that attracted suburban
  development in the first place
• The rural lifestyle is essential to the Countys
  identity

14
CDP Growth - Conclusions

• The Growth Model Principles
• Increase revenues from and decreases costs of
  growth relative to status quo growth model
• Even under CDP growth model, there will still be
  substantial costs to local government for growth,
  but those costs can be
• Planned to allow for funding alternatives
• Phased as to reduce impact on taxpayers
• Reduced due to concentration of services and
• Shared with municipalities and private developers

15
CDP Growth - Conclusions

• The Growth Model Principles
• Reserve public water and sewer capacity for high
  value commercial and industrial projects
• Increase partnerships with Towns to share
  benefits of growth
• Focus growth to areas where county has
  competitive advantage to attract economic
  development
• Encourage increased residential density where
  appropriate - attracts retail and industry

16
CDP Growth - Conclusions

• What will the County look like (in 2027) under
  the CDP Growth Model Scenario?
• Accelerated growth in towns and utility service
  areas
• Cost of utilities and public services are
  reasonable because the majority of growth is
  contained to specific areas
• The County maintains its identity as the
  conveniently-located, rural alternative to Wake
  and Johnston Counties
• Residential and commercial growth are encouraged,
  but the majority of growth is contained to towns
  and utility service areas
• Franklin County is an attractive, affordable
  place to live

17
Next Steps

• Board Briefing on Public Meetings (January)
• CDPAC Meetings (January through May)
• Planning Board review (June)
• Board of Commissioners review (July)

18
Next

• The Visual Preference Survey

19
Identification of Issues

• Identify key issues on growth and development.
  (15 minutes)
• Consolidate issues based on common themes. (5
  minutes)
• Vote on issues based on priority. (5 minutes)

20
Rules for Participation

• Active participation by everyone Everyone
  expresses his or her idea
• No judgment or criticism of ideas All ideas are
  valid
• No need to repeat ideas already mentioned
• Okay to build on ideas of others
• One person at a time Do not interrupt when
  someone is offering an idea

21
Focus Question

• What are issues you feel need to be addressed by
  the Franklin County comprehensive plan?

22
Next

• The Mapping Exercise

23
Principals of Land Use Planning Franklin County
CDP Community Meetings
N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Community
Assistance Central Regional Office
24
Some Purposes of Planning

• Solves community problems
• Aids public decision-making
• Helps provide for efficient development of public
  services
• Protects cultural and environmental resources
• Meets legal requirements
• Promotes economic development
• Generally enhances the quality of the community

25
Some Planning is Necessary

• NC General Statutes Require
• Zoning must be in accordance with a
  comprehensive plan
• Protection of environmentally sensitive areas
  such as watersheds
• A land development plan is a prerequisite for DOT
  Transportation Plan

26
Plans are Advisory

• A plan is not a regulation
• Plans provide advice, and direction not a
  mandate
• Plans can be used as a foundation for regulatory
  approvals.

27
Comprehensive Plans

• Are a traditional focus of local planning
• Collect data and information
• Identify issues
• Set goals and objectives
• Make policy choices/set actions
• Take a long range view 1020 years

28
Future Land Use Exercise

• As you work on the mapping exercise ask yourself
• What do you want your community to look like?
• What types of land uses are needed?
• What do you want to protect?
• Where do you want different types of land uses to
  locate

29
What effects future land use?

• Development is affected by both man-made and
  natural factors

30
Environmental Factors

• Soil suitability
• Terrain (steep slopes, etc.)
• Floodplains
• Water supply watersheds
• Environmental regulations

31
Utilities Land Use Factors

• Transportation Road capacity, ability to
  expand, rail, airports
• Available public utilities (water sewer)
• Other Utilities (electric, gas, etc.)
• Existing development patterns
• Zoning