by Avery Yale Kamila
Published in SOSUpdate
(April 2002) Most North Carolinians are familiar with sprawl. The state's rapid
growth has converted farmland and former open space to roads, subdivisions, apartment
complexes and strip malls. Many of these projects have been built in the absence of
long-range land use plans. Fortunately, this is changing.
Many counties and communities have begun to realize that unchecked, low-density
development means tax increases to pay for new roads, public utilites and schools;
lower air and water quality; a loss of wildlife habitat; and a reduced number of
outdoor recreational opportunities.
Mecklenburg County is leading this trend and is acquiring open space as part of
their overall planning strategy. To date, the county has
preserved 15,000 acres.
According to Wayne Weston, Director of Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
Department, "The success of our efforts goes back to 1985 when we adopted our first
land use plan, which made land preservation a priority."
At the heart of Mecklenburg's preservation efforts is the projection that the
county will be "built up" by 2005. This means that all available land will either
be developed or preserved within three years. Purchasing developed land costs more
than purchasing undeveloped land, so county officials have been motivated to
buy land now rather than put purchases off into the future.
Mecklenburg's preservation efforts have also been assisted by a recent county
decision to consolidate all real estate experts, who previously worked at diverse
county agencies, into one department. Mr. Weston recommends that other counties
who want to ensure a similar level of open space for future generations begin a
master planning process that includes a high level of public participation.
Orange County's focus on land preservation is more recent. In April of 2000 the
Orange County Commissioners established the Environment and Resource Conservation
Department (ERCD), which administers the county's Land Legacy program. This was
followed by a successful bond referendum in November of 2001 that provides $7
million for preservation efforts.
"The County Commissioners wanted to step up efforts to preserve areas that are
part of the countyıs unique identity," said Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager,
ERCD.
Each year the county develops a yearly action plan that complements the ten-year,
long-range plan. Current priorities include parks, watershed protection, historic
and archaeological sites and farmland. Since 2000, the department has protected
794 acres for a total of roughly 14,000 protected acres.
The County's Planning Department encourages open space by requiring developers
to submit two plans for the same parcel of land. The conventional plan contains
lots of similar sizes with minimal open space. The flexible plan clusters the house
lots together and leaves at least 33 percent of the acreage as open space. The
Planning Board then decides which plan is better suited to the land being
developed.
Mr. Shaw attributes much of Orange County's success to an extensive inventory of
protected lands and lands that are important to protect, careful prioritizing and
partnering with local land conservation groups.
"If you have the support of the Commissioners and the public," he said.
"You can get a lot done in a hurry."
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