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February 27, 1995
There was a special meeting of the Randolph County
Planning Board held at 7: 00 p.m. , on Monday, February 27,
1995, in the Randolph County Office Building, 725 McDowell
Road, Asheboro, North Carolina. Chairman Charles Adams
called the meeting to Order. Hal Johnson, Planning
Director, called roll of the Board members : Charles Adams,
Chairman, present; Aweilda Williams, Vice Chairman, present;
Tim Poole, present; Jim Routh, present; Lynden Craven,
present; Bill Dorsett, present; Phil Brower, absent; and
Maxton McDowell , Alternate, present.
Johnson explained that this was an informal working
session of the County Planning Board to discuss their views
and concerns of land development in Randolph County.
Johnson said we are beginning the process of examining our
current land development regulations and growth in the
County to determine what changes need to made (in our
regulations) to control growth in the future. Johnson
thanked the Board for attending the special January joint
Commissioners/Planning Board meet where he presented land
development statistics . Johnson explained that Randolph
County is one of the fastest growing counties in the
Piedmont. Johnson reviewed a few of the statistics
discussed in that meeting:
(These statistics reflect growth during the years 1989-94)
Total Construction Cost in Randolph County $443 million
Commercial Construction Cost $73 million
Residential Construction Cost $265 million
**Cost based on Permitting Fees not Tax Values**
3 , 047 individual site built homes were constructed
4 , 756 mobile homes were located in the County
168 Special Use Permits were issued
80 new restricted residential subdivisions were approved
**consisting of 1400 lots
67 new mobile home subdivisions were approved
**consisting of 1064 lots
127 requests for Commercial/Industrial zoning were approved
(Johnson noted that approximately 40% of zoning cases
processed are denied. )
4075 citizens have attended Planning Board hearings from
`-- 1989 through 1994 .
Johnson presented the Board with a map of the zoning
approvals since 1987 . Johnson noted development patterns of
site built subdivisions primarily locating north of Hwy
64/49 and mobile home subdivision primarily locating in
southern Randolph County.
Johnson said that the concerns being heard in the
Planning Department, during Planning Board meetings, and by
the Commissioners, from the County citizens , are the effects
that new development may have on their rural quality of
life. Property division of a single lot here or there is
not the concern but major subdivisions are effecting the
character of life for the County.
Johnson presented the 1995 Planning Agenda with 4
specific issues to be reviewed:
1 . Update and Rewrite the County Zoning Ordinance and
Subdivision Regulations:
Several issues have been identified by citizens during
various rezoning public hearings , Planning Department
operational experiences and the Strategic Planning
process that reflect the need to update these
Ordinances developed in 1986 .
y Johnson said Randolph County is still a fast developing
community. Johnson said the County has a handle on
industrial and commercial growth, but not on
residential growth. The concern for residential growth
is the large subdivisions developing at extreme
distance from urban areas with little or no change of
ever have available public water or sewer. Johnson
said it is time to clarify the grey areas in the
ordinance, make the ordinance more user friendly, and
update the Land Use Plan for the County.
2 . Update County Land Use Plan:
There is a need to insure that our actual planning
document which accompanies the maps is consistent and
reflective of current Randolph County comprehensive
planning objectives. Johnson presented the current
Land Use Map. Currently all we have is generally
statistics and there is a need to redefine a new guide
(for development) as a Growth Management Plan. This
process will better define what philosophy the County
uses in making decisions and high light what we want to
accomplish.
3. Junk Vehicle Regulations:
1— Update the County' s ability to regulate and remove the
storage of junked or abandoned vehicles when they are
not located in approved storage facilities . Current
County regulations are not sufficient to manage this
extensive problem. Johnson described 1000 ' s of junked
vehicles sitting on private properties throughout the
County. There is a real need to enact tough
regulations to target unauthorized storage of junk with
the enforcement capabilities to have it cleaned up.
4 . Strategic Planning:
Continue the Strategic Planning process currently
underway and provide support for the Steering Committee
Implementation Committee as they continue work in the
areas of Water, Economic Diversification, Public
Education, and Aging. Johnson said that the County is
totally committed to Strategic Planning and considers
it to be their primary objective for 1995 . Johnson
said the County has been fortunate to have had the
services of the North Carolina Department of Commerce ,
Division of Community Assistance (Winston-Salem Field
Office) and have been thrilled with the work they have
done. Through this process this staff (David Long,
Chief Planner; Carol Rhea; Bill Smith; and John
Anthony) has developed a good knowledge of Randolph
County and is aware of long term needs of the County.
Johnson said this staff will continue to provide technical
assistance in these Planning Agenda items. This Planning
Agenda will be handled as a County Government Project with
Mike Walker, Environmental Health Specialist and David
Townsend, Public Works Director providing support. This
process will enhance all regulations to involve all
resources of County Government. Johnson stated that Frank
Willis, County Manager, is a tremendous asset and recognizes
the impact this will have on the County into the next
century. Johnson added Alan Pugh, County Attorney, excited
and interest in actively supporting this project.
Johnson turned the meeting over to Carol Rhea, Division
of Community Assistance, North Carolina Department of
Commerce. Rhea presented an outline of a Growth Management
Plan.
I. Introduction
A: Intent/Purpose
(Statement of County' s mission in guiding growth
over a period of time)
B: Definition of Growth Management
(Zoning should evolve from a Comprehensive Plan
and the Growth Management Plan would serve as this
plan. )
C: How the Plan works--relationship to land use and
land use regulations
(This is an "umbrella document" that presents a
natural flow of ordinances including junk vehicle
ordinance, Strategic Plan, Land Use Plan, etc . )
D: What the Plan can accomplish
(This document is not meant to replace all of the
Land Use Plan, but to explain the underlying
principles of why you plan and what you've planned
for the County. )
E: Elements of the Growth Management Plan
1 . Trends, Conditions, and Expectations
(Statistical Profile developed in 1993 would
be good to provide this information)
2 . Policies
(statements , objectives and goals the County
is striving for)
3 . Growth Management Areas
(descriptions of development)
F: Relationship of Policies to Growth Management
Areas
II. Past Trends , Current Conditions and Future Expectations
A: Population Growth
B: Land Use Patterns Over Time--Past to Present
C: Environmental Resources and Concerns
D: Development Pressures
E: Municipal/Urban Boundaries and Services
F: Growth Projections--population, urban areas
G: Projected Land Use Patterns Using Past Trends
III . Growth Management Policies
(Rhea described this portion of the plan as the "heart"
of the plan. )
IV. Growth Management Areas
(Rhea said that this portion flows out of the
policies. )
A: Growth Management Areas
B: Description: character, attributes, problems and
objectives
C: Growth Management Areas and Land Use
Johnson said the current Residential Agricultural
Zoning District is used to maintain a relatively low density
area of the County. The problem is that the lot size
requirements are approximately an acre and over a period of
time this has not proven to consistently maintain density
levels . Johnson said that we are considering a new
residential district called Rural Conservation District that
would require larger minimum lot sizes . This district would
be located in areas were water and sewer would never be
available far from urban areas. The hardest question the
County is faced with is what affect will these large major
subdivision (25-30+ homes) have on these communities
(installing this many wells and septic tanks in a
concentrated area) . The County is currently dealing with
many unknowns. A Growth Management Plan would really give
us all more understanding of development issues .
Bill Dorsett asked if the County is required to have a
Land Use Plan. Johnson answered yes , but this is not meant
... to replace the Land Use Plan, it is meant to enhance.
Dorsett said he is in support of this effort, because this
would help to answer questions that this Board is sometime
faced with.
Dorsett also felt the junk vehicle regulations would be
a good ordinance to adopt, as long as appropriate
enforcement measures were also included in the process .
Johnson said that the enforcement "teeth" would be placed in
the ordinance. Johnson said the County would also educate
the public on what can be done with junk vehicles.
Lynden Craven questions if we could incorporate
condemnation of buildings in this process . Johnson said
that would be Minimum Housing Codes that the County may
would check into in the future.
Johnson asked the Board consider this working session
and if they would contact the Planning Department of any
concerns they felt should be considered. Johnson said that
the old regulations were good at the time they were adopted
but not since the times have changed. Johnson used private
road problems as an example . Large acreage tracts currently
are allowed to use private dirt roads from lots with a
minimum size of 5 acres . The Ordinance did not mean to
allow 50 homesites on one private dirt road. Johnson said
these are the type of problems that need to be examined.
Tim Poole asked if the County plans to consider looking
`-' at the Minor Subdivisions during public hearing. Poole said
that these subdivisions were not meant to change the
character of communities, but they are. Johnson said these
are situations that we need to tighten the regulations.
Maxton McDowell expressed interest in more zoning
districts . McDowell said that currently the most
restrictive residential zoning district allows both site
built and mobile homes. McDowell said that the most
restrictive districts should be for the best development
possible. Aweilda Williams questioned if this district
could also exempt modular homes . Johnson said that the
County could exempt double-wide mobile homes but would have
to consider modular homes as site built homes.
McDowell asked Johnson if he could give any projections
of were the municipalities in the County plan to annex or
possibly run water or sewer. Johnson said that he did not
have this information and would not feel comfortable
speculating. Johnson said that the Water Task Force
(Strategic Planning) has laid the seed for municipalities to
work more with the County to assist with Land Development
Plans.
Dorsett expressed his concern of the southwest area of
the County creating this trend of mobile home development.
Dorsett said that this is a very scenic area of Randolph
County and the County should provide some guidance to turn
this trend around. Johnson said that this area also has a
timbering problem. Currently there are no laws or
regulations that require a property owner to replant timber
removed. The Economic Development Task Force (Strategic
Planning) is looking at the County to assist with this
problem by developing regulations . Williams expressed her
concern of this land devastation in the areas around the
Farmer Community and said that she would be in favor of any
regulations to assist in controlling this problem. Charles
Adams said that the County also needed to consider the fact
that if replanting is done it is usually with pines not
hardwood. Craven said that this is because pines is a
harvest of 30 years verses 130 years for hardwood. Craven
added that the Forestry Service needs to enforce some of
these problems .
Johnson said that these are some of the things that the
County will be looking to put on the table to be reviewed
and approved. The technical process has already begun and
the staff will be coming back to you with more concrete
materials . Then there will be a joint meeting with the
Planning Board and the Board of Commissioners. Johnson said
that Willis suggested to have this joint session to talk
about the Growth Management Plan and how it will be used by
the Planning Board, the Board of Commissioners and the
Planning Staff. Johnson said that we do not want this
�' process to take a year+ and hopefully we will have something
back to this Board by Spring. Johnson thanked Environmental
Health and Public Works for there involvement in this
process .
Carol Rhea said that it is interesting to see how long
it takes citizens to come from feeling like Land Use
Regulations infringe on their rights to feeling like Land
Use Regulations are the only thing that will protect them.
Randolph County has realized this really fast and this shows
the kind of pressure the County is under to control growth
through regulations .
Dorsett said that Hal Johnson and the County
Commissioners provided an extensive program in educating the
public in 1987 and this is the reason for the publics '
knowledge of the need for development regulations . McDowell
commented that the County will be under extreme pressure of
the forestry business community. McDowell said this would
be only a few of the entire County population and the Board
should hold steadfast to protect the many.
The meeting adjourned at 7 : 30 p.m.
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