06JunePB - Special Meeting 48.a4 1041
MINUTES
• 43/. RANDOLPH COUNTY PLANNING BOARD
F77S
June 30, 1988
There was a meeting of the Randolph County Planning Board on Thursday,
June 30, 1988, at 2:00 p.m. , in Courtroom B, Randolph County Courthouse, 145
Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina.
1 . Doyle Stout, Chairman, called to order the Randolph County Planning
Board meeting at 2:00 p.m.
2. Board members present at the meeting were: Doyle Stout, Chairman;
Guy Troy; Bill Dorsett; Lynden Craven; Maxton McDowell, Alternate;
and Arlie Culp, Alternate. Board members absent from the meeting
were: Ray Farlow, Tal Harrison, and Charles Adams, Vice Chairman.
3. Hal Johnson, Planning Director, explained that this special meeting was
called for a working session and there was no public hearings that would
be discussed. Johnson stated that the Planning Board is an advisory
Board to the County Board of Commissioners and at the last Planning Board
meeting there were approximately 175 people present. Approximately
100+ citizens were present at the June 7, 1988 meeting to express
their concerns for a large residential subdivision being planned in
their community. Johnson stated that the 1988 Randolph County is
extremely different from the 1984 Randolph County and that during this
time Randolph County has come further in Land Development Planning
than any other County. Johnson said that a year ago the concerns of
the citizens in Randolph County were uncontrolled high density mobile
home parks, uncontrolled commercial operations, and uncontrolled industrial
operations (junkyards, etc.) ; the County dealt with these issues with a
comprehensive land development plan. Since July 7, 1987, the Randolph
County Planning & Zoning Department has issued approximately 2,000+
zoning permits, 40+ subdivisions, and numerous rezoning requests. Countywide
zoning has given the citizens and the Planning Board the opportunity to
express their views and recommendations to the Commissioners on these issues.
The issues that County citizens are concerned with are different now than
a year ago and it is important that the Planning Board be concerned with
today' s issues. Randolph County citizens are now expressing their
concerns with large residential subdivisions being developed in rural
agricultural areas of the County . The County now needs to be focus on
whether these large developments are compatible with the area (they are
being developed in) and if the area will remain environmentally safe.
The Board also needs to review what impact these new high growth areas
have on all facets of County growth; and what effects this type of
development will have on well water supplies, septic tank systems, public
school systems, emergency services (police, amalance, etc.) , and the
quality of life in these communities. The Planning Board basis all of
its decisions on public health, safety, and welfare. Randolph County
has now become a prime area for development because it is centrally located
in North Carolina, it is part of the Piedmont, it has a low tax rate, and
it is a beautiful place to live. Each day 13,000+ citizens of Randolph
County commute outside of Randolph County for work. Johnson stated that
residential subdivision growth is the hardest issue to deal with as a
Planning Body becuase the issues are not clear. High density residential
growth is something new for Randolph County because for years and years
the County has remained a rural agricultural community (a farming community) .
These problems are accuring because the farmer is no longer there and his
children are developing the farm land into residential subdivisions. The
high density problems were only in Trinity township, then in New Market
township, now moving to Providence township, and it is only a matter of
time until it spreads all over Randolph County. The problem now is how
to deal with this change in the County because what use to farm land is no
longer there. It is the responsibility of the Planning Board to make
recommendations of regulations to the Board of Commissioners on how to
deal with this changing County. Johnson gave the Planning Board
example recommendations for changes in the Zoning & Subdivisions
Regulations:
1 . Increase minimum lot size in areas outside of Watersheds to 40,000 sq.
ft. with 125' minimum lot width at the Building line. (The County
currently requires 30,000 sq. ft. with 100' minimum at the building
line) . This will afford the same level of environmental protection
to those County citizens depending on well water and septic tank
systems as we currently provide for those residing in areas designated
Watershed areas. (Those areas where drainage flows into a source of
Municipal Water Supplies; i.e. Lake Reese, Randleman Lake, Polecat
Creek, and Sandy Creek.)
2. School Systems: Provide a copy of the Preliminary Plat to the
Superintendent of Schools along with a development letter indicating
the type of development; time stages of development; and the estimated
time of completion (this information will be provided by the developer
during the Preliminary Plat review) . This will allow the County School
System to make necessary preparations for additional residential growth
as it relates to schools.
3. Require that all new major subdivisions consisting of 10 or more lots be
located in Restricted-Residential Zoning Districts. This may require
Rezoning in most instances but would require that the residential
development be either site built homes or Class A Double Wide Manufactured
Houses on permanent foundations. This will also allow the County to
address the general quality of housing being planned for new major
residential subdivisions, and insure, within current N.C. law, that the
new housing is compatible with existing development. Each Manufactured
House would have to be sited on the lot with the widest dimension facing
the street.
4. Each lot in a Major Subdivision must be evaluated by the Health Department
prior to final plat approval as suitable for septic tank and well water.
This is an added envirnmental measure that would insure in advance that
each lot is large enough to meet the States subsurface soil requirements.
Johnson told the Board that what was decided on today would be presented
to the Board of Commissioners for their consideration on July 11 , 1988.
4. DISCUSSION:
Johnson stated that the majority of Randolph County was supplied water
by well water systems. Arlie Culp stated that not even the State had maps
of the water level under ground and that he felt this would good to
protect well water supplies at the same level as municipal water supplies.
Maxton McDowell asked what effect would this have on 5 acre tract
subdivisions. Guy Troy stated that he would have nothing against single
wide manufactured houses being located in subdivisions with lot sizes of
5 acres or greater.
Bill Dorsett stated that he felt that if the Planning Board lowered the
number of lots (major subdivisions) from 10 to 5 you would end up eventually
becoming a nicer looking County. Guy Troy stated that he would lean toward
over 5 instead of 10 lots because the County has several pockets of 5 or
so mobile homes in the County mixed in with fairly expensive site built homes
and in these cases the mobile homes are kept very nice and neat. Lynden
Craven stated that there were a couple of mobile homes on his neighbors
property and he hardly even notices these but if he had 50 single wides
out there it would be very noticeable.
Guy Troy asked Johnson if the mobile home park ordinance could also be
changed to require 40,000 sq. ft. lots in the case of individual wells and
septic tanks.
Maxton McDowell and Guy Troy expressed their approval on requiring the
Health Department- to approve (not evaluate) each individual lot in a
subdivision before the Planning Board approves the Preliminary Plat.
Johnson stated that this would mean to a developer that the process of
approving a Preliminary Subdivision Plat would take more time but it
would assure the Planning Board that the development would be environmentally
safe.
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Guy Troy asked if the Planning Board could deny a subdivision approval
on the reason that the school could not handle the added development.
Johnson stated that legally the Board could not deny a plat for that
reason. Bill Dorsett stated that the Board did not have to allow a
magnet out in the County to draw students to the area and if the property
had to be rezoned it could be turned down due to the hardship it would
�, place on the publics health, safety, and welfare.
Guy Troy stated he felt the Board should receive a report from the school
system explaining to the Board what type of an impact each development has
on the given school district. Doyle Stout stated that he felt this would
be fine if the information was strictly used as an information tool.
Johnson stated that all of these examples would allow the Planning Board
to look at the quality of housing and allow the economic factor take over.
Guy Troy asked if the Board could require that the roads in a subdivision
be paved before any housing development occurs. Johnson explained to Troy
that the State Department of Transportation sometimes recommends that the
developer wait until the road settles before he paves it. Johnson asked
if the Board would like him to invite Lex Kelly, District Engineer of the
Department of Transportation, to come and talk with the Board. Guy Troy
stated that he felt this would be good for the Board. Guy Troy added that
he would personally like to see paving, curbing and guttering, sewer, and
water provided before any building begins in a subdivision, because of erosion
problems.
Guy Troy also stated that he would like to see development fees and
processing fees charged to developers. The development fee would help
to provide County services such as police and emergency services to the
new communities and the processing fees would be to help pay for the staff
and supplies to process these new subdivisions. Bill Dorsett disagreed
with Troy and said he felt that since we require the developer to go through
this process with his subdivisions that there was such a thing as service
and we should provide it.
Bill Dorsett stated that he felt there should be something in the Ordinance
that states a time limit of how long a Special Use Permit is good for.
There is such a limit for the Board of Adjustment, but Dorsett feels there
should be a limit for the Planning Board also.
5. The Planning Board agreed on the following recommendations:
1 . Increase minimum lot size in areas outside of Watershed to 40,000 sq.
ft. with 125' minimum lot width at the Building line. (The County
currently requires 30,000 sq. ft. with 100' minimum at the building
line.) This will afford the same level of environmental protection
to those County citizens depending on well water and septic tank
systems as we currently provide for those residing in areas designated
Watershed areas. (Those areas where drainage flows into a source of
Municipal Water Supplies; i.e. Lake Reese, Randleman Lake, Polecat
Creek, and Sandy Creek.)
2. School Systems: Provide a copy of the Preliminary Plat to the
Superintendent of Schools along with a development letter indicating
the type of development; time stages of development; and the estimated
time of completion (this information will be provided by the developer
during the Preliminary Plat review) . Require the County School System
to provide the County with an impact study on how each new residential
subdivision effects the school system. This will allow the County
School System to make necessary preparations for additional residential
growth as it relates to schools.
3. Require that all new major subdivisions consisting of more than 5 lots
(less than 5 acres) be located in Restricted-Residential Zoning Districts.
This may require Rezoning in most instances but would require that the
residential development be either site built homes or Class A Double
Wide Manufactured Houses on permanent foundations. This will also
allow the County to address the general quality of housing being planned
for new major residential subdivisions, and insure, within current N.C.
law, that the new housing is compatible with existing development. Each
Manufactured House would have to be sited on the lot with the widest
3 of 4
dimension facing the street.
4. Each lot in a Major Subdivision must be approved by the Health Department
prior to final plat approval as suitable for septic tank and well water.
This is an added environmental measure that would insure in advance that
each lot is large enough to meet the States subsurface soil requirements.
5. Each new road must be paved before any development begins withina
subdivision.
6. Adjournment 3:30 p.m.
RANDOLPH COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
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Planning Di ctor
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