TITLE
Title
PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVAL OF UPDATES TO THE ALAMANCE CREEK, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, NORTHERN LAKES, ROCK CREEK, SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN AREA PLAN LAND USE MAPS
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
J. Leslie Bell
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BACKGROUND
Background
Staff requests a public hearing and approval of the updates to the Alamance Creek, Northeast, Northwest, Northern Lakes, Rock Creek, Southwest and Southern area plan land use maps. The Airport and Heart of the Triad Plans are not being updated at this time. The updates reflect jurisdictional boundary changes, property rezonings, and roadway improvements (existing and proposed) since the last updates occurred in 2007-2008. Maps are on file in the Planning & Development department for review.
Additionally, staff and the Planning Board requests that the Board of County Commissioners approve the process of updating land use plans, at minimum, on an annual bases where Planning Board rezonings also include a change in land use designation. This allows land use classifications to be updated in conjunction with rezoning decisions (where applicable) for consistency.
Land use planning maps are designed to guide land use, zoning, and other land development decisions in the unincorporated areas of Guilford County. Meetings for updates to the seven (7) Area Plans were held throughout Guilford County between October 13, 2015 and November 2, 2015 to solicit public/citizen input and to present changes since the last update.
Staff sent approximately 148 Area Plan meeting notices to consider proposed area plan updates; distributed public notices to approximately fifteen (15) predominantly African-American churches; distributed 139 notifications through the Guilford County Planning & Development distribution e-mail list; and posted public notices at key locations within each of the seven (7) plan areas (e.g., municipal town halls, grocery stores, retail establishments, and banks); and social media.
As part of this process, a notice of public hearing was advertised for the Planning Board public hearing held on August 10, 2016, in which the Planning Board unanimously recommended to the Board of Commissioners that the proposed Area Plan updates be approved (see attached Regular Planning Board meeting minutes). A public hearing notice has been published for this Public Hearing.
Key observations include the following:
• Between 2008 and 2014, approximately 1200 acres were rezoned in the unincorporated area of Guilford County (some of which land use designations are being updated for consistency with these land use maps). The proposed land use maps also include updates through December 31, 2015;
• More than 28% of all the rezonings from 2008 through 2014 occurred in the Northern Lakes Plan Area;
• Termination of Water & Sewer Agreement with City of Greensboro impacted recent development activities in unincorporated Guilford County;
• Change in legislation regarding municipal annexations contributes to the type of development activity in unincorporated Guilford County;
• Total acreage for Area Land Use Plan inconsistencies with City of Greensboro = 2,442.1 acres predominantly along, and just off of, the I-85 Corridor;
• Citizen Range of Concerns
• Environmental Concerns (i.e. watershed protection);
• Traffic impacts ranked high on list of citizen concerns;
• Infrastructure concerns (e.g. water, sewer, roads);
• Loss of farmland; and
• More recreation / sidewalk / healthy living opportunities
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Conduct a public hearing and request approval of the updates to the Alamance Creek, Northeast, Northwest, Northern Lakes, Rock Creek, Southwest and Southern Area Plan Land Use maps. Approve the process of updating land use plans, at minimum, on an annual basis where Planning Board rezonings also include a change in land use designation, which updates land use classifications in conjunction with rezoning decisions (where applicable) for consistency.
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