2013-07-26 Special Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 32
SPECIAL MEETING WITH PLANNING BOARD,JULY 26,2013 PAGE 676
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for a Special Meeting on Friday, July 26, 2013, at
9:02 a.m. in the Harrell Conference Room at the New Hanover Count-v Government Center,230 Government Center
Drive, Wilmington,North Carolina.
Members present: Chairman Woody White: Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr. and Commissioner
Thomas Wolfe. Vice-Chair Beth Dawson arrived at 9:03 a.m.
Staff present: Assistant County Manager Tim Burgess: County Attorney Wanda M. Copley; County
Manager Chris Coudriet; Deputy Clerk to the Board Kymberleigh G. Crowell; Assistant County Manager Avril
Pinder; Strategy and Policy Manager Beth Schrader; Public and Legislative Affairs Manager Carey Disney Ricks:
and Clerk to the Board Sheila L. Schuh.
Planning Board members present: Vice-Chairman Daniel Hilla; Board Members Lisa Mesler; Tamara
Carter Murphy: Edward T. (Ted) Shipley, III: and David F. Weaver. Chairman Richard M. Collier and Board
member C. Andrew Heath,Jr.were absent.
Planning staff present: Planning and Inspections Director Chuffs O'Keefe and Plarming Manager Shawn
Ralston.
Others present: UNC School of Government Professor David W. Owens.
Chairman White called the Special Meeting to order and reported the purpose of the meeting was to receive
a presentation concerning the New Hanover County Comprehensive Plan and requested staff to make the
presentation. County Manager Chris Coudriet thanked everyone for attending, stated this process has been underway
for some months but this is considered the formal launch of how to move forward and commended staff for their
work on the plan.
OVERVIEW OF THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PROCESS
Planning and Inspections Director Chris O'Keefe provided an overview of the development patterns and
reviewed the maps of the existing conditions in New Hanover County noting:
• Planning is findamentally about people—particularly,where they live. To plan we have to understand
the various characteristics of the people in the community now, as well as anticipate the likely
characteristics of the people who will move into the community in the fixture.
• Once determined, projections of fixture population help determine the nature of demands on
community infrastructure such as schools, roads,parks,law enforcement, sewer and water supplies.
• Population change is the most findamental issue to address in the comprehensive plan. The population
of the community will stabilize, grow or decline, or even experience phases of both growth and decline
over time. Once determined,projections of fixture population help determine the nature of demands on
municipal facilities such as schools,parks,police, and water supplies.
• Comprehensive plans are based on a substantial analysis of existing characteristics of the population
(age, race, ethnicity, income, and educational attaimment) since these variables can have important
influences on fixture community needs and desires.
• Since 1974 when the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA)was passed, New Hanover County has
been involved in land use planning.
• Zoning of New Hanover County began in 1969 without benefit of land use plans.
• Road capacity in New Hanover County is at or above failure levels.
• I-40 has made large impacts on the northern part of the County since 1990.
• Since 1990 New Hanover County has moved from being primarily rural to largely urban.
• 2010 Census reported that New Hanover County is the third most densely populated county and has
the eighth largest population in the State.
• 2040 is the County's planning horizon and approximately 316,000 people are expected to live in New
Hanover County at that time.
• Currently, 2.5 houses are allowed per acre. A comprehensive plan will help the county determine if
that allowance is still current.
• Countywide, including the unincorporated county, there is approximately 57,000 acres undeveloped
land.
In response to questions, Director O'Keefe explained that the Exceptional Design Zoning District (EDZD)
designation has only been used for 2 projects. This type of development is in a node pattern so that mixed uses are
built together. While not a primary tool, it was created by staff to try to encourage mixed use developments due to
the market demands for this type and traditional type developments.
Director O'Keefe introduced UNC School of Government Professor David Owens stating he would give an
overview of comprehensive planning.
Professor Owens provided an overview of comprehensive planning with respect to State requirements and
options,use of a plan and lessons from others using a comprehensive plan,noting:
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 32
SPECIAL MEETING WITH PLANNING BOARD,JULY 26,2013 PAGE 677
• A comprehensive plan is an official policy document adopted by the local government to wide
decisions about the physical development of the community. It indicates a general way of how the
community should develop in the next 20 to 30 years.
• Comprehensive means that the plan considers the interrelatedness of the many components which play
a role in the development of a community so that they work in harmony and without conflict. A clear
and broadly communicated organizational structure, timeline, and identification of key decision points
are very useftil.
• A comprehensive plan provides a general guide to ftiture commercial, residential, and industrial
development. The plan helps to promote growth in appropriate areas, preserve sensitive lands and
resources identified as conservation, and neutralize the impacts of urbanization. It can be tailored to a
county's particular needs.
• A comprehensive plan is used as a guide by government officials, agencies, and private developers for
ftiture projects such as school construction,parks,utility expansions, and roadway projects. It does not
have legal binding effect.
• Other than CAMA provisions, there are no state mandates as to plan content,plaiming process or even
whether a county has a plan.
• Preparing a comprehensive plan can be an excellent vehicle to provide mutual and broadly based
education on important community topics. It is important to have public and/or stakeholder
participation in order for boards, staff,public and stakeholders to have a common understanding of the
various elements of the process and the timing of various decisions.
• In North Carolina both city and county zoning enabling statutes provide that zoning be"in accordance
with a comprehensive plan," and require that the governing board approve a statement on plan
consistency before adopting or rejecting any zoning amendment. (G.S. 153A-341).
• The comprehensive plan is often conftnsed with the zoning ordinance, zoning map, and subdivision
regulations: these are specific and detailed pieces of local legislation that are intended to cany out the
general proposals of the comprehensive plan. Additionally, a budget and a capital improvement
program are other tools to implement the comprehensive plan.
• New proposals are introduced to the community and decisions must be made concerning development,
traffic, public sei ices, education and other important issues. The comprehensive plan provides
guidance in making these decisions by providing established, long-range, general policies for the
physical development of the community in a coordinated, unified manner that can be continually
referred to in deciding upon the development issues that are brought forward.
In response to questions, Professor Owens stated that 75 — 80 counties have zoning plans and 15 — 20
counties do not: plans vary- widely in quality and detail. Schedules to update a plan can vary and be based on
physical changes in a county and/or policy changes with new boards of commissioners. A plan is considered
outdated at 10 years. A plan should be reviewed for validity and updated, if needed, every 5 years. New boards
should use old plans as reference guides and understand that the better the plan the less difficulty there will be
during the decision making process.
Director O'Keefe thanked Professor Owens for his presentation and announced that Plaiming Manager
Shawn Ralston would provide an ov ei iew of the comprehensive plan proposed timeline and efforts being made to
engage the community. Manager Ralston provided the following information:
• Now—October 2013: Staff is currently conducting a policy audit and data gathering will continue. A
land suitabilit-v analysis will be conducted in order show staff what a business as usual scenario will
look like by 2040. Staff plans to provide an update to the Board of Commissioners in October and
present a resolution for consideration.
• August 2013—March 2014: A public engagement plan will be developed and implemented. In March
2013, staff plans to provide an update to the Board of Commissioners,present a resolution for
consideration and request the Board appoint a Citizen Advisory Committee.
• March 2014 — October 2014: Policy Framework will be developed with staff providing the Board of
Commissioners an update and resolution for consideration toward the end of this time frame.
• October 2014 — February 2015: The plan will be finalized during this time and brought before the
Board of Commissioners in February 2015 with a request for the Board to adopt the plan. The plan
will include the vision, goals, priorities, objectives, policies, and strategies developed during the
creation process.
• 2015 — 2040: Plan implementation which will include updating/rewriting small area plans and the
zoning and subdivision ordinances during this time to fit with comprehensive plan.
Manager Ralston also provided an overview of what is being done to engage the citizens and other
community plamring efforts that staff will work with during the creation of the County's plan:
• Citizen Engagement:
• Using tag line: "New Hanover County 2040: Your County. Your Future."
• Public Engagement Plan
• Citizen Ads-isoiv Committee
• Public Meetings
• Public Suivev
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 32
SPECIAL MEETING WITH PLANNING BOARD,JULY 26,2013 PAGE 678
• Utilizing Existing Groups,Meetings,Activities
• Use of Peak Democracv tool—online town hall and will be embedded in the count-v website
• Engage other planning efforts in the community:
• Industiv Targeting Initiative
• Regional Branding Initiative
• Cape Fear Transportation 2040 and FOCUS
• Comprehensive Plans(Land Use)
• Cape Fear Public Utility Long Range Plan
• City of Wilmington Comprehensive Plan
Manager Ralston stated that an important note about the planning effort is that the current CAMA Plan
created largely in 2005 and adopted in 2006 is dated at this point. Through this effort staff will also be including the
CAMA plan update so the comprehensive plan will also meet the requirements of the CAMA Land Use planning
process. In response to questions, it was reported that discussions about the plan have been held with the New
Hanover County Schools and they will be part of the planning effort. The school system is very interested in what
the projection information will tell them about fixture growth and needs. In regard to the City of Wilmington's
plarming effort for the city limits area, the result of the County's plan will be for directing growth in the
unincorporated area. However, staff is working with City of Wilmington to make sure the two plans mesh.
County Manager Coudriet requested that as the County moves forward in this process that the Board
consider ensuring that the comprehensive plan conforms with the broad strategic plan that is already in place. He
further explained this is one tactic to help reach the outcomes in the strategic plan and the process will build the
framework and direction from a comprehensive perspective. The work being done on this plan is geared towards
meeting the strategic plan's intelligent growth and economic development policy priorities.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further discussion, Chairman White thanked everyone for attending and adjourned the
Special Meeting at 10:36 a.m.
Respectfirlly submitted,
Kvniberleigh G. Crowell
Deputy Clerk to the Board