HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanNHC_LRN
E
W
S
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2016
Acknowledgements
Citizen Advisory Committee
Henry Adams
Jeff Bellows Dan Dawson
Karen Dunn Jessica Gray Don Harris
Bruce Holston
David Kellam Dani McKeon
Earla Pope Frankie Roberts Stephanie Smith
Project Manager
Jennifer Rigby, AICP
County Commissioners
Beth Dawson, Chairman
Jonathan Barfield, Jr., Vice-Chairman Woody White Skip Watkins
Rob Zapple
Planning Board Donna Girardot, Chairman
Anthony Prinz, Vice Chairman
Tamara Murphy Ernest Olds
Thomas (Jordy) Rawl
Edward (Ted) Shipley, III
David Weaver
County Manager Chris Coudriet
Planning & Land Use Department Staff Chris O’Keefe, AICP - Planning and Land Use Director
Ken Vafier, AICP, CFM - Planning Manager Ben Andrea, AICP, CZO – Current Planning Supervisor Christine Bouffard, CFM,CZO,CAMA LPO - Zoning Compliance Official
Denise Brown, Zoning Administrative Technician Sam Burgess, Senior Planner
John Townsend, Planning Specialist
Dylan McDonnell, Long Range Planner Linda Painter, CFM, CZO, CAMA LPO - Zoning Compliance Official Brad Schuler, AICP – Current Planner
Megan Upchurch – UNCW MPA Fellow Jackie Williams-Rowland, Planning Administrative Specialist
INTRODUCTION
PROLOGUE
New Hanover County is a vibrant, prosperous, diverse coastal community, committed to building a sustainable future for generations to come. With this in mind, citizens, elected officials, appointed officials, stakeholder groups, and planning staff have developed the first Comprehensive Land Use Plan for New Hanover County, titled Plan NHC. This plan is more than a document that provides land use policy recommendations. It is a series of reports, including statistical and historical information that incorporates extensive community input and provides a detailed implementation plan that will help achieve the overall vision for the future of New Hanover County. Plan NHC will provide guidance to elected officials and staff on development and redevelopment proposals, zoning regulations, as well as policies, programs and initiatives that will sustain New Hanover County as a vibrant, prosperous, and diverse coastal community.
New Hanover County is expected to experience a high level of employment and population growth. Currently, New Hanover County’s population is approximately 214,000. This figure includes the population of Wilmington, Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure beaches, as well as the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County. By 2040, population is projected to grow to 337,000. This represents an increase of 123,000 (57%) from current population levels. If thought about in a more tangible way, it would be the equivalent of adding another city the current size of Wilmington to New Hanover County. With growth comes the need for responsible development and redevelopment of land, as well as thoughtful consideration concerning the county’s infrastructure and natural resources. These are important topics to study because how the county grows and develops will have a direct impact on the ability of future generations to thrive and enjoy the natural beauty of this area.
COMMUNITY INPUT
New Hanover County’s Plan NHC was developed in large part from community input. Meeting
participants came from all walks of life, including college and high school students, local retirees,
young working families, as well as numerous stakeholder groups. Community members provided
planning staff with feedback through several mediums, including community meetings and surveys,
as well as designated theme committees. The theme committees represent principles created
by the American Planning Association that comprehensive plans should include. These theme
committees included: The Livable Built Environment, Harmony with Nature, Interwoven Equity,
Resilient Economy, Healthy Community, and Responsible Regionalism. Discussions from the
numerous theme committee meetings led to the creation of 21 goals that aided in the creation of
the future land-use map in Chapter 4: Visualizing the Future, as well as the implementation portion
in Chapter 5: Building the Future of the comprehensive plan. These goals, developed by a Citizen
Advisory Committee, will guide the next generation of development and ensure New Hanover
County becomes an even better place to live, work, and play.
WHAT THE PLAN WILL DO
Plan NHC will be vital in terms of fostering economic development. Employment Centers and
Commerce Zones, outlined in Chapter 4, will enable targeted industries to locate and flourish in
New Hanover County. Striking a balance between economic development and environmental
stewardship, Plan NHC also seeks to inform developers, elected and appointed officials staff, and
other stakeholders on how existing natural features and systems may influence development.
In addition, Plan NHC will act as a guide for the creation of a new zoning ordinance. The original
ordinance, written in 1969 and amended over the years, is outdated and does not entirely reflect
the vision of New Hanover County today. The vision of today reflects the need for a change in
development patterns and includes switching from traditional sprawling development patterns to
a denser, mixed-use style of land use. This will allow New Hanover County to achieve higher levels
of density where appropriate, leaving room to preserve and protect the county’s natural resources.
Additionally, mixed-use development will create more opportunities for citizens in terms of housing,
jobs and shopping choices, as well as foster a more active lifestyle.
Planning staff would like to thank the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, the New
Hanover County Planning Board, and the appointed Citizens Advisory Committee for their guidance
and leadership in developing this plan. In addition, the following groups and individuals were integral
in the development of Plan NHC through their active participation:
• Business Alliance for a Sound Economy (BASE)
• Business organizations
• Cape Fear Community College
• Cape Fear Public Utility Authority
• Financial services organizations
• Homeowner’s associations
• Interested citizens
• New Hanover County Schools
• New Hanover Regional Medical Center
• Non-profit organizations
• North Carolina State Ports Authority
• The City of Wilmington
• Tourism groups
• University of North Carolina at Wilmingon
• Wilmington Cape Fear Home Builders
Association
• Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
• Wilmington International Airport
• Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors®
CHAPTER 3: FRAMING THE POLICY
CONTENTS:
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 2: EXISTING CONDITIONS
Population
Land DevelopmentHousing
Transportation
Economy
Infrastructure and Urban Services
HealthEnvironment/Natural Resources
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 3: FRAMING THE POLICY
The Livable Built Environment
Harmony with Nature
Interwoven EquityResilient Economy
Healthy Community
Responsible Regionalism
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 1: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN
Mission and Vision
Purpose
ProcessOpportunities for Involvement
Public Relations
CONTENTS:
Mission and Vision
Purpose
Process
Opportunities for Involvement
Public Relations
CONTENTS:
CHAPTER 1: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN
CHAPTER 2: EXISTING CONDITIONS
Population
Land Development
Housing
Transportation
Economy
Infrastructure and Urban Services
Health
Environment/Natural Resources
The Livable Built Environment
Harmony with Nature
Interwoven Equity
Resilient Economy
Healthy Community
Responsible Regionalism
CONTENTS:
CHAPTER 5: BUILDING THE FUTURE
Implementation Initiatives
Implementation Guidelines
CONTENTS:
CHAPTER 4: VISUALIZING THE FUTURE
Place Type Descriptions
Natural Systems
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2014 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 5: BUILDING THE FUTURE
Implementation Action Plan
Implementation Guidelines
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 4: VISUALIZING THE FUTURE
Place Type Descriptions
Natural Systems
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 1: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN
Mission and Vision
Purpose
Process
Opportunities for Involvement
Public Relations
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 2
PURPOSE
New Hanover County (NHC) is committed to progressive public policy, superior service, courteous contact, judicious exercise of authority, and sound fiscal management to meet the needs and concerns of our citizens today and tomorrow.
We are a vibrant, prosperous, diverse coastal community, committed to building a sustainable future for
generations to come.
The purpose of NHC engaging our citizens is to:
• Increase the likelihood that a common vision for our future will be widely accepted.
• Create more effective policies.
• Provide citizen direction for use of public funds and priorities.
• Improve citizens’ knowledge and skills on specific issues, allowing citizens to see multiple sides of
complex issues.
• Empower and integrate people from different backgrounds.
• Create local networks of community members.
• Create several opportunities for discussing solutions.
• Increase trust in local governance.
• Engage citizens to allow for effective partnerships that are healthy for our community.
• Inclusivity – We are committed to providing an inclusive process where all citizens are encouraged to be involved.
• Diversity – We encourage a representation of differing viewpoints in an effort to seek a workable solution.
• Equality – Citizens should know that although it is not possible to implement all ideas, all ideas will be
heard in a respectful manner and considered with equal value.
• Transparency – All discussions, materials, and products will be
available to the public on our website or by contacting staff.
• Legitimacy – Decisions and recommendations will be justified through participants’ input.
• Deliberation – The process will lead to consensus.
• Substance – Opportunities for learning will be provided to all participants through webinars, field trips, and printed materials.
• Influence – The outcome of the citizens’ work will result in policy
changes.
• On-going – The process will allow time to review and consider the
issue before a decision is made.
• Accommodating – Opportunities will be structured in a manner to
accommodate all citizens and schedules.
NHC MISSION AND VISION
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 2
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 3
To ensure success with public engagement being inclusive of all residents, it is important to identify and seek
out the involvement of groups that are not typically involved in county-wide planning efforts. These groups
include college students, school-age children, seniors, and the Hispanic community.
Local middle and high school students and UNCW and Cape Fear Community College students will be engaged through facilitated focus groups where students will be asked what they like most and least about their community, recommendations for improvement, and ways we can retain them in our community after graduation.
Younger children are typically not included in planning efforts; however, their input is invaluable as a
community plans for the future. Children’s artwork will be gathered to seek their input as they illustrate their
vision for New Hanover County’s future, and appropriate children’s activities will be provided at large public
meetings.
Our community has experienced a significant increase in the senior population as the baby boomers have reached retirement age. Understanding the unique perspective this group of individuals brings to our community is important through the planning process. Specific efforts will be made to target seniors’ input through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNCW.
The Hispanic community is often underrepresented in planning efforts. Staff will have translators at all public
meetings. Likewise, brochures, press releases, and any other materials deemed necessary to engage the
Hispanic population will be translated into Spanish.
The comprehensive planning process has been divided into “chapters” sections. Each of these sections will
build on the previous to create the entire plan for the County. The plan is broken into these sections in order
to provide a systematic approach for citizen engagement. Individuals will be allowed to participate in as many
or as few opportunities as they desire.
Each chapter, or phase, of the plan will be presented to the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners as it is completed. This allows opportunity for each section of the plan to have a public hearing and adoption period. Therefore, encouraging participation from all citizens.
PROCESS
Evaluating the
Present
• Public Launch
• Survey
• Website Launch
• Sign up for Theme Committees
Framing the Policy
• Online Forum
• Theme Committee Meetings
• Citizen Advisory
Committee Meets
Visualizing the
Future
• Public Meeting in Southern NHC
• Public Meeting in Northern NHC
• Public Meeting on
Scenarios
Sustaining the
Vision
• Public Meeting to present policy, recommendations, and Future Land Use Map
WINTER 2014SUMMER 2014 FALL 2014 WINTER 2015
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 3
TARGETED POPULATIONS
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 4
Meetings: Public Meetings will be held throughout the planning process. Meetings will be held in familiar public buildings that provide a welcoming environment. Meeting times will vary throughout the day in order to gather input from as many different people as possible. Below is an estimated timeframe of public meetings for this process. Additional meetings can be scheduled as needed or desired by the public throughout the comprehensive plan.
• February 2014 – Public Launch to present current development trends and projected development
trends.
• September 2014 – Neighborhood Meetings in Southern NHC. A mapping demonstration to gather input
on areas of stability versus areas of opportunity.
• September 2014 – Neighborhood Meetings in Northern NHC. A mapping demonstration to gather input on areas of stability versus areas of opportunity.
• October 2014 – Public meeting and presentation on development scenarios.
• January 2015 – Public meeting to present policy recommendations and future land use.
In an effort for staff to speak with as many meeting attendees as possible and to build a welcoming and friendly environment, staff will wear navy shirts and khaki pants with their name badges. This allows citizens to immediately identify staff members in an informal and comfortable environment.
Public meetings can be stuffy and intimidating, particularly when they are technical in nature. Each public
meeting will have two meeting greeters at each entrance. The meeting greeters will be the speakers for
the evening. The purpose of this is to put people at ease, welcome them to the meeting, and provide a
friendly face. Additionally, music, balloons, and refreshments will be used to create a positive and inviting
environment. In an effort to encourage participation and promote local businesses, door prizes will be
provided at each public meeting. These will be centered on a community experience such as paddle boarding,
canoeing, museum admissions, passes to Airlie Gardens, sporting games, etc.
Finally, sign in sheets and name badges will be at every meeting and each meeting will be recorded to provide either a live feed or YouTube video of the presentation.
Survey: Staff is committed to gathering authentic feedback on the Comprehensive Plan and process. Staff will create and administer a statistically valid email survey at critical phases during the plan in order to gather input and direction from the community.
Website: New Hanover County staff understands that, while public meetings will be scheduled at varying times and locations to encourage participation, it is not always convenient for individuals to participate in a public meeting. Therefore, a significant web presence will be developed to further engage NHC citizens. A dedicated website for the NHC Comprehensive Plan will be user-friendly and include:
• The purpose of a comprehensive plan
• An overview of the process
• General questions and answers
• Resources and articles of relevance
• Press releases
• Minutes and videos of previous meetings
• All draft reports and maps
• An online engagement tool, County Forum
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 5
County Forum: An online public forum will be embedded into the county website. This forum will allow
members of the public to read material about the project and to comment on it after completing a one-time
registration with the site.
Online photo contests and children’s artwork contests will be posted throughout the project as a source of input and a way to generate interest in the planning process.
Theme Committees: Theme committees will be an exciting opportunity for citizens to participate in a round-table discussion where issues are identified, best management practices are discussed, and implementation strategies can be developed. Theme committees are identified and defined as:
• Livable Built Environment: Ensure that all elements of the built environment, including land use,
transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure work together to provide sustainable, green places for
living, working, and recreation, to produce a high quality life.
• Harmony with Nature: Ensure the contributions of natural resources to human well-being are explicitly
recognized and valued and that maintaining their health is a primary objective.
• Resilient Economy: Ensure the community is prepared to deal with both positive and negative changes
in its economic health and to initiate sustainable urban development and redevelopment strategies that
foster business growth through technology and innovation and build reliance on local assets.
• Interwoven Equity: Ensure fairness and equity in providing housing, services, health, safety, and livelihood needs of all citizen groups.
• Healthy Community: Ensure public health needs are recognized and addressed through provisions for healthy foods, physical activity, access to recreation, health care, environmental justice, and safe neighborhoods.
• Responsible Regionalism: Ensure all local proposals account for, connect with, and support the plans of adjacent jurisdictions and the surrounding region.
Citizens will be encouraged to sign up to participate in a theme committee of their choice. County staff members, elected officials and local agency representatives will be asked to participate on theme committees in order to provide knowledge and expertise on specific topics. Additionally, one member of each theme committee will be appointed by the County Board of Commissioners.
It is anticipated each theme committee will meet four times for two hours each. Below is an estimated
meeting time frame.
• March 2014 – First meeting to discuss issues.
• April 2014 – Second meeting to discuss best management practices and efforts other communities are implementing.
• May 2014 – Third meeting to rank recommendations.
• June 2014 – Fourth meeting to validate recommendations and select a member of the committee to serve
on the Citizen Advisory Committee.
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 6
In addition to these meetings, staff may schedule various webinars, speakers, and/or “on-site” learning
opportunities for the committees to better understand the workings of a particular issue. For example,
staff may organize an opportunity for theme committee members to ride public transportation in an effort
to better understand the benefits and challenges of the transportation system in our community. These
learning opportunities will be developed and scheduled based on the conversations of the theme committees
throughout the process.
Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC): The CAC will be comprised of the six representatives appointed by the Board of Commissioners to each Theme Committee and a representative of each theme group, selected by the group at large. The purpose of the Citizen Advisory Committee is to review the recommendations of all theme groups, identify policy conflicts, and finalize recommendations for the implementation plan. In addition to the committee meetings listed above, it is anticipated the Citizen Advisory Committee will meet three times for two hours each. Below is an estimated meeting time frame:
• August 2014 – First meeting to review all theme group recommendations
• September 2014 – Second meeting to review existing policies
• October 2014 – Third meeting to determine recommended policies
Media Relations: Developing a strong relationship with the media is an important part of communicating with
the public. Staff will utilize current resources through the Communications and Outreach department and
their staff to hold regular media work sessions at each phase of the comprehensive plan. These work sessions
will provide the media with a “sneak peak,” answer questions, and provide information on important concepts
and points.
In order to reach our target populations, press releases will be provided in Spanish and efforts will be made to target Hispanic, Senior, and children’s newspapers and publications, in addition to traditional media outlets such as radio, television, and billboards.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 7
Staff will also participate in New Hanover County Television (NHCTV) public service announcements and radio
broadcasts. A video will be created to illustrate the purpose of the plan and opportunities for involvement.
Social Media will be used as a mechanism for announcing public meetings and important dates; however, it will not be utilized as a source of information gathering.
Community Relations: It is important for New Hanover County Planning Staff to develop community partners
and relationships throughout this process. Talking points for each stage of the Comprehensive Plan will be
developed and shared with partners so information can be easily distributed throughout the community.
These community partners include, but are not limited to:
• Educational Representatives
• Business Development Leaders
• Environmental Experts
• Civic Organizations
• Citizen Groups
Festivals and Outreach Opportunities: Our community is fortunate to have many festivals and organized
community events. New Hanover County Planning Staff is committed to provide brochures and materials at
these venues to build awareness and encourage public participation. These events include, but are not limited
to:
• Airlie Concert Series
• SENC African American Heritage Festival
• Earth Day
• Festival Latino
• Azalea Festival
• Riverfest
Public Engagement Monitoring: The goal is to provide authentic public engagement, and it is important for staff
to remain flexible in our approach. Staff will monitor and evaluate public engagement throughout the process
to ensure all members of the community participate in the planning process. Staff will adapt engagement
activities that may not be working and increase opportunities for new avenues of engagement, as needed.
While the techniques may change slightly, the values will remain static.
PLAN NHC 2016 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN 7
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 2: EXISTING CONDITIONS
Population
Land Development
Housing
Transportation
Economy
Infrastructure and Urban Services
Health
Environment/Natural Resources
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 2
New Hanover County Historic Population Totals
The population of New Hanover County has
more than quadrupled since 1940, increasing
from slightly over 50,000 in 1940 to over 200,000
today.
The majority of New Hanover County’s growth occurred in the period following 1990 after Interstate I-40 was completed. The construction of I-40 improved access to New Hanover County and led to the in-migration of residents from other counties in North Carolina, as well as from other states. Historically, other periods of high growth include the 1940s, with the issuance of the G.I. Bill providing home loans for veterans.
Regional Population Comparison: 1980 – 2010
A look at the tri-county population (New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties) from 1980 to 2010
reveals that New Hanover County has nearly twice the population of Brunswick County and four times that
of Pender County (Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.3 illustrates population growth rates for the tri-county area over the last three decades.
Although New Hanover County
has a larger population,
Brunswick and Pender Counties
have experienced higher growth
rates than New Hanover County.
The tri-county area overall has
outpaced the state’s growth rate.
POPULATION
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
194019501960198019902000 2010
+32%+13%+16%
+25%
+33%
+26%
HISTORIC POPULATION GROWTH:NEW HANOVER COUNTY
FIGURE 2.1
200,000
100,000
150,000
50,000
250,000
0
1980 1990 2000 2010
NEW HANOVER
BRUNSWICK
PENDER
BRUNSWICK
PENDER
NEW HANOVER
NORTH CAROLINA
0.%10%20%30%40%50%
2000-2010
1990-2000
1980-1990
46.9%27.1%26.4%18.5%
43.5%42.4%33.3%21.4%
42.5%29.6%16.2%12.7%
TRI-COUNTY POPULATION 1980-2010
FIGURE 2.2
TRI-COUNTY POPULATION GROWTH 1980-2010
FIGURE 2.3
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 3
Figure 2.4 shows the average annual growth rates for New Hanover County, Brunswick County, Pender County, Wilmington, and the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County. Since 1980, Brunswick County experienced the highest growth rate among the tri-county area.
Population Projections
The tri-county area is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The region as a whole is expected to
grow nearly 90% by 2040, with New Hanover County capturing the majority of that growth at a rate of 66%.
As a part of the comprehensive plan, planners reviewed various methodologies for analyzing population projections, including those used by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitian Planning Organization (WMPO), and Moody’s Analytics (a globally recognized economics research organization). The low growth rate outlined below references the WMPO projections, and the high growth projections are calibrated from Moody’s Analytics to represent current trends in our three county region. For planning purposes, it is recommended that the high growth population projections be used.
1980-19901990 -20002000-20102010-2012
New Hanover 1.6%3.3%2.6%1.6%
Brunswick 4.2%4.3%4.7%2.2%
Pender 3.0%4.2%2.7%1.9%
North Carolina 1.3%2.1%1.8%1.1%
Wilmington 2.6%3.7%4.0%1.6%
Unincorporated New Hanover0.7%3.1%1.4%1.6%
AVERAGE ANNUAL POPULATION RATESFIGURE 2.4
POPULATION
POPULATION FORECASTS FOR SUB-AREAS OF REGION
FIGURE 2.5
Population 20102040
BaseLow Growth High Growth
New Hanover County202,667249,026337,054
Unincorporated85,973105,639152,157
Wilmington 106,476130,832167,904
Beach Towns 10,21812,55516,993
Brunswick County107,431212,355234,833
Leland 13,67227,02544,886
Other Brunswick93,759185,330189,947
Pender County 52,21790,261115,742
Southeast Pender21,19042,42360,186
Other Pender 31,02747,83855,556
3-County Region362,315551,642687,629
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS3
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 4
The majority of the population growth in the last decade consists of domestic in-migration (70%), while natural growth accounts for almost a quarter (22%) of population growth (Figure 2.6). As stated previously, this is likely due to the construction of Interstate 40 and the increased access to New Hanover County. Additionally, New Hanover County’s temperate climate is appealing to retirees and individuals who are able to work from home offices or telecommute.
New Hanover County Historic Population by Jurisdiction
The distribution of the majority of the County’s population has alternated between the City of Wilmington
and the unincorporated area of New Hanover County (Figure 2.8). Beginning in the 1960s, the City
of Wilmington began to experience a decline in population as suburban housing patterns in the
unincorporated areas became more attractive to residents. Major annexations of land by the City of
Wilmington in 1995 and 1998 contributed to the City’s increase in population during the 1990s. By 2000, the
population of New Hanover County was almost equally distributed between the City of Wilmington and the
unincorporated area. Today, the City of Wilmington contains the majority of the population. This fluctuation
will likely stabilize with the current legislative requirements regarding annexation.
POPULATION International8%
Domestic In-Migration70%
Natural22%SOURCES OF POPULATION GROWTH 2001-2012FIGURE 2.6
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
20012002200320042005200620072008200920102011
DOMESTIC IN-MIGRATION
INTERNATIONAL
NATURAL
NEW HANOVER COUNTY SOURCES OF ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE
FIGURE 2.7
19401950196019701980199020002010
New Hanover47,93563,27271,74282,996103,471120,384160,307202,667
Wilmington33,40745,04344,01346,16944,00055,28375,838106,476
Unincorporated 25,52133,06953,97657,81575,66885,996
Beach Towns 2,2083,7585,4957,1868,80110,195
TOTAL POPULATION 1940-2010
FIGURE 2.8
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 5
In 1960, 61% of New Hanover County’s population resided in the City of Wilmington. However, a shift occurred, and by 1980, more than half of the county’s population was living outside of the City’s limits or in the unincorporated areas of the County. In the last two decades, two major annexations of land by the City of Wilmington, along with other factors, have caused the distribution to reverse itself again, such that the City presently holds a majority of the population (52.5%).
POPULATION
YearWilmingtonUnincorporated Beach Towns
196061.3%35.6%3.1%
197055.6%39.8%4.5%
198042.5%52.2%5.3%
199046.0%48.1%6.0%
200047.3%47.2%5.5%
201052.5%42.4%5.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
PERCENT OF POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY JURISDICTION(Beach Towns include Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach)FIGURE 2.9
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
0
1960 1980 2010
BEACH TOWNS
UNINCORPORATED
WILMINGTON
10%
20%
30%
61.3%42.5%52.5%
42.4%35.6%52.2%
5%3.1%5.3%
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY JURISDICTION(Beach Towns include Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach)FIGURE 2.10
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 6
New Hanover County Racial Composition: 1990-2010
The racial composition of
New Hanover County in 2010
showed that the majority of
the population (77%) identified
themselves as white, and 14%
of the population identified
themselves as African
American.
In the last three decades, the proportion of the African American population in New Hanover County has decreased by approximately 5%, while the Hispanic population has grown and now represents approximately 5% of the County’s population.
In the 1990s, the City of Wilmington began to regain its population through annexation and through downtown revitalization efforts. This map illustrates the historical annexation of New Hanover County by the City of Wilmington.
POPULATION
HISTORICAL ANNEXATION
MAP 2.1
79%
17%
4%
77%
14%
9%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
78%
20%
2%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
1990
2010
2000
2000
79%
17%
4%
77%
14%
9%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
78%
20%
2%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
1990
2010
2000
2000
79%
17%
4%
77%
14%
9%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
78%
20%
2%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
1990
2010
2000
2000
79%
17%
4%
77%
14%
9%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
78%
20%
2%
WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISPANIC, AMERICAN INDIAN,
ASIAN, AND OTHER
1990
2010
2000
2000
CHART 2.11
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 7
New Hanover County Racial Composition by Jurisdiction: 1990-2010
New Hanover County’s African American and Hispanic populations represent higher proportions of the
population within the City of Wilmington than within the unincorporated areas of the county. Since 1990,
African Americans residing in the unincorporated area made up approximately 4% of the total county
population, compared to African Americans residing in the City of Wilmington, who made up approximately
10 to 15% of the total County population. In the last 20 years, the proportion of the white population has
decreased in the unincorporated area and increased in the City of Wilmington, likely due to annexation.
New Hanover County Population by Age: 1990-2010
As the population of New Hanover County
grows, its composition by age is changing.
Since 1990, the 25-44 year age group has
represented the largest proportion of the
total population, but this age group has
experienced a decline in its proportion of the
population in the last 30 years. The 25-44 year
age group is at risk of losing its majority to the
45-64 year age group, which now represents
nearly the same proportion of the population.
From 1990-2010, the population in New
Hanover County in general has become older,
with the largest percentage increase in the 45-
64 age group population. This is an important
factor for our community to consider as we
consider housing needs for the Baby Boomer
Generation.
POPULATION
White African American
American Indian
and Alaska Native
Asian and Pacific
IslanderOther Races
Hispanic
(of any race)
1990
Unincorporated43.00%4.36%0.20%0.24%0.05%0.33%
Wilmington29.98%15.64%0.14%0.27%0.14%0.40%
Beach Towns 5.91%0.03%0.02%0.01%0.01%0.04%
2000
Unincorporated41.17%4.72%0.20%0.40%0.24%0.76%
Wilmington33.38%12.21%0.17%0.47%0.54%1.24%
Beach Towns 5.36%0.04%0.02%0.02%0.01%0.04%
2010
Unincorporated35.61%4.28%0.22%0.57%0.98%2.00%
Wilmington38.63%10.44%0.25%0.66%1.39%3.20%
Beach Towns 4.87%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.03%0.08%
POPULATION PERCENT DISTRIBUTION BY RACE: 1990-2010FIGURE 2.12
POPULATION BY GROUP: NEW HANOVER COUNTY1990-2010FIGURE 2.13
65+
45-64
25-44
18-24
<18
13.9%12.8%12.6%
25.9%23.7%19.6%
27.8%30.5%32.5%
12.5%
12.0%12.5%
19.9%21.0%22.7%
2010
2000
1990
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 8
New Hanover County Generational Composition: 2010
Another way to look at New Hanover County’s age composition is by generation. As of 2010, Generation X
(born 1966-1985) and the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1965) represented the two largest segments of New
Hanover County’s population. The proportion of Baby Boomers continues to experience an upward trend,
while Generation X is losing its share of the population in New Hanover County.
New Hanover County Generational Composition by Race
Figure 2.15 shows the generational composition of New Hanover County broken down by race/ethnicity.
Among those who indicated Hispanic ethnicity (of any race), 85.8% were also younger than 45 years of
age, based on 2008-2012
estimates. By contrast,
only 58.6% of the White
population overall and
62.9% of the African
American population
overall fell below the age
of 45. Although those who
indicated Hispanic ethnicity
may also fall into another
racial category, based on the
Census Bureau’s definition
of this characteristic, this
finding is still significant,
showing the relative youth
of New Hanover County’s
Hispanic population
compared to other groups.
2010PERCENT OF POPULATION
Greatest Generation (85+)3,6732%
Silent Generation (65-85)24,41912%
Baby Boomers (45-65)52,42426%
Generation X (30-45)56,39328%
Generation Y/Millennial (15-30)31,99216%
Generation Z (1-15)33,76616%
POPULATION
NEW HANOVER COUNTY GENERATIONAL COMPOSITION: 2010FIGURE 2.14
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
0
White AfricanAmerican American Indian& Alaska Native
10%
20%
30%
Asian &Pacic Islander Some OtherRace Two or More Races Hispanic, of any race
Greatest Generation (85+) Silent Generation (65-84)
Baby Boomers (45-64) Generation X (25-44)
Generation Y/Millenial (15-24) Generation Z (1-15)
1.8%
27.8%
13.3%
26.4%
15.8%
15.0%
1.2%
24.7%
9.8%
26.1%
16.0%
22.2%
25.1%
9.7%
38.1%
16.7%
10.5%
27.7%
6.2%
23.9%
21.0%
20.4%
1.1%
14.2%
44.7%
21.0%
19.0%
0.4%
20.4%
3.0%
13.7%
25.3%
37.3%
0.7%0.1%
36.6%
1.8%
12.3%
19.1%
30.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey,
2008-2012 Estimates
POPULATION BY GENERATION AND RACEFIGUE 2.15
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 9
POPULATION
New Hanover County Population by Age and Jurisdiction
In both the City of Wilmington and the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County, the 25-44 year age
group represents the largest segment of the population. However, this is a declining trend, with this age
group’s growth rate being outpaced by the 45-64 year age group. In the last decade, the 45-64 year age
group’s 10-year growth rate was 21% for the unincorporated area and 62% for the City of Wilmington,
compared to only 2% and 32% respectively for the 25-44 year age group (see Figure 2.16).
Age GroupUnincorporated City of Wilmington
25-442%32%
45-6421%62%
Unincorporated%Wilmington%Beach Towns %
2010
<1818,54524.5%13,94218.4%1,10512.6%
18-245,3807.1%13,03317.2%8369.5%
25-4424,56632.5%21,59428.5%2,67830.4%
45-6419,51225.8%15,63220.6%2,91733.1%
65+7,66510.1%11,63715.3%1,26514.4%
10-YEAR GROWTH RATES (2000-2010)FIGURE 2.16
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY AGE AND JURISDICTION: 2010 (SOURCE: CENSUS)FIGURE 2.17
AGE GROUP TRENDS FOR UNINCORPORATED AREA: 2000-2010
FIGURE 2.18
AGE GROUP TRENDS FOR BEACH TOWNS: 2000-2010
FIGURE 2.19
2010
200065+
25-44
<18
13.5%10.1%
27.5%25.8%
22.4%
24.5%
7.4%7.1%
29.2%32.5%
2010
2000
65+
25-44
<18
15.8%
14.4%
33.7%33.1%
15.0%
12.6%
9.6%9.5%
25.9%30.4%
45-64
18-24
45-64
18-24
2010
200065+
25-44
<18
13.5%
10.1%
27.5%25.8%
22.4%
24.5%
7.4%7.1%
29.2%32.5%
2010
200065+
25-44
<18
15.8%14.4%
33.7%33.1%
15.0%
12.6%
9.6%9.5%
25.9%30.4%
45-64
18-24
45-64
18-24
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 10
Map 2.2 shows the location of residents aged 65 years and older. Porters Neck, Landfall, Lions Gate,
Downtown Wilmington, the 17th Street Corridor, Pine Valley, Beau Rivage, Wrightsville Beach and Kure Beach
are areas with moderate to high concentrations of elderly populations.
POPULATION
MAP 2.2
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 11
POPULATION
New Hanover County Population by Gender
Since 1990 the proportion of males and females residing in New Hanover County has remained almost evenly split, with a slightly higher percentage of females. This remains true for both the City of Wilmington and the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County. However, the beach towns show the opposite split, with a slightly higher percentage of males.
Year GenderNew Hanover %Unincorporated%Wilmington%Beach Towns %
1990 Male57,07147.4%
Female63,21352.6%
2000 Male77,37148.3%37,40949.4%35,39746.7%4,56551.9%
Female82,93651.7%38,25950.6%40,44153.3%4,23648.1%
2010 Male98,26948.5%42,22749.1%50,85747.8%5,18550.9%
Female104,39851.5%43,76950.9%55,61952.2%5,01049.1%
FIGURE 2.20
NEW HANOVER COUNTY POPULATION BY GENDER: 2010
FIGURE 2.21
POPULATION BY GENDER AND JURISDICTION: 2010FIGURE 2.22
51.5%48.5%
FEMALE
MALE
UNINCORPORATED WILMINGTON SMALL TOWNS
49.1%50.9%
47.8%
52.2%
50.9%49.1%
51.5%48.5%
FEMALE
MALE
UNINCORPORATED WILMINGTON SMALL TOWNS
49.1%50.9%
47.8%
52.2%
50.9%49.1%
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 12
LAND DEVELOPMENT
Definitions of developed land differ across municipalities and communities and are often determined by what data is available. The recent release of land cover data produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior gives a closer account of the physical land type than other available datasets. New Hanover County also produces a parcel by parcel dataset that is listed with tax data that includes land use. Though land cover and land use are fundamentally different, both datasets can be used to come to similar conclusions about undeveloped and developed land.
New Hanover County encompasses approximately 144,000 acres, which include land and water areas. Of
the total land and water area, approximately 126,000 acres (87%) is land area. The unincorporated area of
the county accounts for 106,000 acres, or 73%. While almost 60% of the physical land cover in New Hanover
County is considered developed in some form (housing, commercial, industrial facility, or road network), the
unincorporated area remains 70% undeveloped. A majority of the contiguous undeveloped areas of land are
located in the northwest section of the county and the Castle Hayne area as well as the northeastern section
of the county around the I-140 corridor, Sidbury Road and Holly Shelter Road.
MAP 2.3
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 13
Though the land cover data
will show more physical
undeveloped land, analysis of
developed and undeveloped
land based on a parcel scale
helps illustrate a different story
of land use.
Looking at the parcel level, the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County include approximately 45,000 acres of undeveloped land. Of that land, however, about 16,000 acres are considered protected. Protected lands are not available for development due to ownership. These lands are managed by local, state or federal agencies, including New Hanover County. Protected lands include parks, public trust lands, Cape Fear Community College research lands, land owned by the State of North Carolina and land owned by the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. Protected lands also include Dedicated Natural Preserves, which are conservation lands owned by state agencies like the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources and NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
MAP 2.4
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 14
MAP 2.5
Though undeveloped land is spread across the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County, some of the largest contiguous parts include the northwest corner and the northeast section of the county around the I-140 corridor, Sidbury Road, Holly Shelter Road and Greenview Ranches. Other major areas include Wrightsboro and Castle Hayne. Although the marsh area between Wrightsville Beach, Figure Eight Island and the Intracoastal Waterway appears undeveloped on the map, these areas are still parceled out and owned privately. Development in these areas is unlikely, but the land will continue to appear in parcel-based analyses.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 15
Figure 2.23 shows land use by land class for New Hanover
County, including the City of Wilmington and beach towns
(Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach).
FIGURE 2.23
AG/FOREST/FISH/MINING
UNDEVELOPED
MANUFACTURING
RESIDENTIAL
SERVICES
TRADE
TRANSPORTATION/COMMUNICATION/UTILITY
30%
40%
13%
5%
6%4%2%
MAP 2.6
Existing Land Use
This study catalogs the types, extent, distribution and intensity of the uses or activities found on parcels of land in the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County. Knowing what activities currently occur in different locations in a community and the relationship between those uses is critical information for determining future land use.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 16
AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL (AI)
AIRPORT RESIDENTIAL (AR)
BUSINESS (B-1)
HIGHWAY BUSINESS (B-2)
CONDITIONAL ZONING DISTRICT (CZD)
EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN ZONING DISTRICT (EDZD)
LIGHT INDUSTRY (I-1)
HEAVY INDUSTRY (I-2)
OFFICE & INSTITUTIONAL (O&I)
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-7)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-10)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-15)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-20)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-20S)
RURAL AGRICULTURE (RA)
RIVERFRONT MIXED USED (RFMU)
SHOPPING CENTER (SC)
I-2: 22.49%
R-15: 37.43%
R-10: 3.69%
R-7: 0%PD: 2.00%O&I: .41%
I-1: 1.27%EDZD: .01%CZD: .01%B-2: 1.89%B-1: .36%AR: 1.18%
A1: 2.50%SC: .01%RFMU: .03%
RA: 8.52%
R-20S:4.45%
R-20: 13.75%
FIGURE 2.24
AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL (AI)
AIRPORT RESIDENTIAL (AR)
BUSINESS (B-1)
HIGHWAY BUSINESS (B-2)
CONDITIONAL ZONING DISTRICT (CZD)
EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN ZONING DISTRICT (EDZD)
LIGHT INDUSTRY (I-1)
HEAVY INDUSTRY (I-2)
OFFICE & INSTITUTIONAL (O&I)
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-7)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-10)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-15)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-20)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-20S)
RURAL AGRICULTURE (RA)
RIVERFRONT MIXED USED (RFMU)
SHOPPING CENTER (SC)
I-2: 22.49%
R-15: 37.43%
R-10: 3.69%
R-7: 0%
PD: 2.00%O&I: .41%
I-1: 1.27%EDZD: .01%CZD: .01%B-2: 1.89%B-1: .36%AR: 1.18%
A1: 2.50%SC: .01%RFMU: .03%
RA: 8.52%
R-20S:4.45%
R-20: 13.75%
LAND DEVELOPMENT
Existing Zoning
The Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 1969 and is updated as needed through approval by the County Commissioners. New Hanover County’s zoning regulations detail the administration and enforcement of zoning for the promotion of health and general welfare of the community. Currently, New Hanover County has 5 main districts: residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use and overlay districts. Within those main districts, subdistricts define the specific regulations involved within each zoning area. There are seven residential districts: Airport Residential, Rural Agriculture, R-20S, R-20, R-15, R-10 and R-7; four business districts: (B-1) Business district, (B-2) Highway Business district, (O&I) Office and Institutional and (SC) Shopping Center; three industrial districts: Airport Industrial, (I-1) Light Industrial and (I-2) Heavy Industrial; three mixed use districts: (EDZD) Exceptional Design Zoning District, (PD) Planned Development and (RFMU) River Front Mixed Use; and five overlay districts: (COD) Conservation Overlay District, (CUD) Conditional Use District, (CZD) Conditional Zoning District, (SHOD), Special Highway Overlay District and (WSW) Water Supply Watershed. Each of the 22 districts specifies standards such as density, lot size minimum and setbacks.
AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL (AI)
AIRPORT RESIDENTIAL (AR)
BUSINESS (B-1)
HIGHWAY BUSINESS (B-2)
CONDITIONAL ZONING DISTRICT (CZD)
EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN ZONING DISTRICT (EDZD)
LIGHT INDUSTRY (I-1)
HEAVY INDUSTRY (I-2)
OFFICE & INSTITUTIONAL (O&I)
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-7)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-10)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-15)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-20)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-20S)
RURAL AGRICULTURE (RA)
RIVERFRONT MIXED USED (RFMU)
SHOPPING CENTER (SC)
I-2: 22.49%
R-15: 37.43%
R-10: 3.69%
R-7: 0%PD: 2.00%O&I: .41%
I-1: 1.27%EDZD: .01%CZD: .01%B-2: 1.89%B-1: .36%AR: 1.18%
A1: 2.50%SC: .01%RFMU: .03%
RA: 8.52%
R-20S:4.45%
R-20: 13.75%
MAP 2.7
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 17
LAND DEVELOPMENT
Almost sixty percent of the zoned land in unincorporated New Hanover County is residential. Thirty-seven percent of the land in residential districts is zoned R-15. The remaining residential zoning districts account for about 22 percent of the total zoned land in unincorporated New Hanover County. The second largest zoning district is I-2, heavy industry (23%). The majority of these districts are located in the northwestern and northeastern sections of the county along the Northeast Cape Fear River.
Urban Services Boundary
The Urban Services Boundary (USB) was established in conjunction with the creation of the 2006 New
Hanover County Coastal Area Management Act Plan (CAMA). The urban services boundary was a tool that
was used to help New Hanover County decision makers determine possible development and the cost
of providing infrastructure such as water and sewer. The need for the urban services boundary has been
studied through this planning process. A new Future Land Use map has been created to replace the 2006
CAMA Land Use map. Refer to Chapter 4 of the plan for additional information.
A majority of New Hanover
County falls within the urban
services boundary, with the
exception of areas below
Snow’s Cut: Carolina Beach,
Kure Beach and Fort Fisher.
Other areas not within the
USB include the northwest
section of the county bordered
by the Northeast Cape Fear
River, and the northeastern
section east of I-40, including
Sidbury Road, Holly Shelter
Road, the I-140 corridor and
Greenview Ranches. Other
notable areas outside the USB
include Wrightsville Beach
and Figure Eight Island. Areas
outside of the Urban Services
Boundary rely on septic tank
systems and well water.
MAP 2.8
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 18
CAMA Land Classification Map
The CAMA land
classification map was
created in 2006. This
map indicated the
location of each of the
land classes identified
in the 2006 CAMA
Land Use Plan: Urban,
Transition, Community,
Rural, Conservation and
Resource Protection.
This map is used to
aid decision makers in
future development
plans.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
MAP 2.9
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 19
Subdivisions
Subdivisions within the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County are processed through the Planning
and Inspections Department and the current planning staff. Subdivision regulation is located within
the adopted subdivision ordinance. The ordinance is to provide for orderly development: coordination
of existing and proposed streets and public facilities; the dedication or reservation of rights-of-way or
easements for streets and utility purposes; and for the distribution of population and traffic to avoid
congestion and overcrowding.
Since 1996, New Hanover County has received over 1,300 potential residential development projects. Of
those projects, 14,236 lots were granted final approval. As seen in Figures 2.25 and 2.26, 1996 saw the
greatest number of projects as well as the greatest number of final lots approved. After 1996,there was a
significant decline in the number of proposed projects and final lots approved, and the trend continued
until 2009 with few exceptions. In 1999 there was slight growth followed by a decline until 2003 when there
was growth until 2005. Another sharp decline can be seen in 2006, with an immediate rebound in 2007. The
rebound was followed by another decline with a slight increase in recent years.
The trend lines in the graphs can be attributed to important events occurring in the 1990s and 2000s. These events include the completion of Interstate 40 in 1990. Though not shown, I-40 contributed greatly to development in the early 1990s. The decline seen after 1996 shows the end of the development boom. The other major event, the economic recession in the mid 2000s, contributes to an almost complete halt of development. Though the incline of development in residential development can be correlated with an increase in economic activity, New Hanover County has much less undeveloped land than other North Carolina counties. As the second smallest county and the most developed, development trends will likely remain low compared to the 1990s.
Total Number of Subdivisions
5000
4000
3000
2000
2000
500
9 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
200
0
50
100
150
‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 2000 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13YEAR
YEAR ‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 2000 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13
Total Number of Subdivisions
5000
4000
3000
2000
2000
500
9 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
200
0
50
100
150
‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 2000 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13YEAR
YEAR ‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 2000 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13
TOTAL NUMBER OF NEW SUBDIVISIONS BY YEAR
FINAL LOTS APPROVED
LAND DEVELOPMENT
FIGURE 2.25
FIGURE 2.26
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 20
HOUSING
As New Hanover County’s population is expected to grow, so will the demand for housing and jobs. New
Hanover County has a diverse spectrum of housing, including single family, multi- family and mobile homes.
New Hanover County as a vacation destination is also host to many second homes. It is important to
understand the current housing characteristics and demographics in order to prepare for the future housing
market.
Housing Occupancy, New Hanover County
There are a total of 101,402 housing units in New Hanover County. Of that number, 85,183 are occupied, while 16,219 are vacant. Owners occupy 60% of occupied housing units in New Hanover County, while renters make up 40% of occupied units. Vacant housing units account for 16% of the total housing units in New Hanover County. The average household size of an owner-occupied home is 2.39, while the average size of a renter-occupied home is 2.22.
Affordable Housing Units by Location, New Hanover County
There are currently two affordable housing communities in the unincorporated area of the county: White
Oak Apartments and Gresham Place Apartments. Gresham Place Apartments is an apartment community
that is designated for seniors only and is located on Gordon Road in the northeastern part of the county.
White Oak Apartments are also located in northern New Hanover County and are available to those who are
considered to have low income.
Public Housing and Housing Assistance, New Hanover County
As of April, 2014, there were 1,577 people receiving Housing Choice Vouchers according to the Wilmington Housing Authortiy. The Authority distributes vouchers and oversees eight public housing communities which are all located within the City of Wilmington.
The figure listed to the right depicts New Hanover County
areas by zip code with the largest populations of those
receiving Housing Choice Vouchers. The 28401 zip code
represents the most Housing Choice Voucher recipients
with 725 people, accounting for 46% of total vouchers
distributed. This zip code represents the northwestern part
of the county. The zip codes with the least population of
Housing Choice Voucher recipients are 28480 and 28449.
Zip code 28480 represents Wrightsville Beach; and zip code
28449 represents Kure Beach.
OCCUPIED VACANT
84%
16%
OWNER
OCCUPIED
60%40%
RENTER
OCCUPIED Source: U.S. Census Bureau
PERCENTAGE OF OWNER-OCCUPIED VS. RENTER-OCCUPIED HOUSING2008-2012
PERCENTAGE OF OCCUPIED VS VACANT HOUSING UNITS2008-2012
FIGURE 2.27 FIGURE 2.28
28
4
0
1
28
4
0
5
28
4
0
3
28
4
1
2
28
4
1
1
28
4
2
9
28
4
0
9
28
4
2
8
28
4
4
9
28
4
8
0
725
250 234 204 6354 40 151
2010 OR LATER
2000 TO 2009
1990 TO 1999
1980 TO 1989
1970 TO 1979
1960 TO 1969
1950 TO 1959
1940 TO 1949
1939 OR EARLIER
5.4%
4.8%0.3%5.8%
8.2%
12.0%
16.7%
24.8%
22.1%
LESS THAN 15%
15 - 19.9%
20 - 24.9%
25 -29.9%
30 -34.9%
35% OR MORE
9.0%
45.4%
11.3%
13.2%
11.9%
9.2%
PERCENTAGE OF HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS BY ZIP CODE NEW HANOVER COUNTYAPRIL 2014
FIGURE 2.29
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 21
HOUSING
Homeowner Housing Cost Conditions, New
Hanover County
The median amount of income that homeowners spend on
monthly housing costs is $1,521. The median household
income for New Hanover County residents is $50,420.
Therefore, a household earning the median income is
spending $18,252 per year on housing-related costs. This
expense accounts for 36.2% of their annual income. The
chart to the left displays the percentage of income that
homeowners in New Hanover County spend on housing
costs. According to the graphic to the left, 37.2% of the
households in New Hanover County are spending more than
30% of their income on housing-related costs.
Renter Housing Cost Conditions,
New Hanover County
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 54.4% of New Hanover County renters spend more than 30% of their earnings on rental housing costs. The gross rent for an apartment in New Hanover County is $889. A person earning the per capita income of $29,834 would spend approximately $10,668 on rent each year, accounting for 35.8% of their income.
Housing Stock, New Hanover County
The timeframe that accounts for the highest percentage of housing units built are years 1990 to 1999.
Therefore, 24.8% of the housing units in New Hanover County were built 15 to 24 years ago, 22.1% built 5 to
14 years ago and 16.7% built 25 to 34 years ago.
Foreclosures
Out of the 100 counties in the State of North
Carolina, New Hanover County ranks 11th for
foreclosure filings. There were 198 foreclosure
filings in New Hanover County during the first
three months of 2014. Of the owner-occupied
housing units in New Hanover County, 72.3% have
a mortgage while the remaining 27.7% are without
a mortgage.
28
4
0
1
28
4
0
5
28
4
0
3
28
4
1
2
28
4
1
1
28
4
2
9
28
4
0
9
28
4
2
8
28
4
4
9
28
4
8
0
725
250 234 204 6354 40 151
2010 OR LATER
2000 TO 2009
1990 TO 1999
1980 TO 1989
1970 TO 1979
1960 TO 1969
1950 TO 1959
1940 TO 1949
1939 OR EARLIER
5.4%
4.8%0.3%5.8%
8.2%
12.0%
16.7%
24.8%
22.1%
LESS THAN 15%
15 - 19.9%
20 - 24.9%
25 -29.9%
30 -34.9%
35% OR MORE
9.0%
45.4%
11.3%
13.2%
11.9%
9.2%
28
4
0
1
28
4
0
5
28
4
0
3
28
4
1
2
28
4
1
1
28
4
2
9
28
4
0
9
28
4
2
8
28
4
4
9
28
4
8
0
725
250 234 204 6354 40 151
2010 OR LATER
2000 TO 2009
1990 TO 1999
1980 TO 1989
1970 TO 1979
1960 TO 1969
1950 TO 1959
1940 TO 1949
1939 OR EARLIER
5.4%
4.8%0.3%5.8%
8.2%
12.0%
16.7%
24.8%
22.1%
LESS THAN 15%
15 - 19.9%
20 - 24.9%
25 -29.9%
30 -34.9%
35% OR MORE
9.0%
45.4%
11.3%
13.2%
11.9%
9.2%
28
4
0
1
28
4
0
5
28
4
0
3
28
4
1
2
28
4
1
1
28
4
2
9
28
4
0
9
28
4
2
8
28
4
4
9
28
4
8
0
725
250 234 204 6354 40 151
2010 OR LATER
2000 TO 2009
1990 TO 1999
1980 TO 1989
1970 TO 1979
1960 TO 1969
1950 TO 1959
1940 TO 1949
1939 OR EARLIER
5.4%
4.8%0.3%5.8%
8.2%
12.0%
16.7%
24.8%
22.1%
LESS THAN 15%
15 - 19.9%
20 - 24.9%
25 -29.9%
30 -34.9%
35% OR MORE
9.0%
45.4%
11.3%
13.2%
11.9%
9.2%
PERCENTAGE OF RENTER INCOME SPENT ON HOUSING COSTS, NEW HANOVER COUNTY, 2008-2012
28
4
0
1
28
4
0
5
28
4
0
3
28
4
1
2
28
4
1
1
28
4
2
9
28
4
0
9
28
4
2
8
28
4
4
9
28
4
8
0
725
250 234 204 6354 40 151
2010 OR LATER
2000 TO 2009
1990 TO 1999
1980 TO 1989
1970 TO 1979
1960 TO 1969
1950 TO 1959
1940 TO 1949
1939 OR EARLIER
5.4%
4.8%0.3%5.8%
8.2%
12.0%
16.7%
24.8%
22.1%
LESS THAN 15%
15 - 19.9%
20 - 24.9%
25 -29.9%
30 -34.9%
35% OR MORE
9.0%
45.4%
11.3%
13.2%
11.9%
9.2%
PERCENTAGE OF HOUSING UNITS BUILT BY YEAR, 2008-2012
LESS THAN 20%
20 - 24.9%
25 -29.9%
30 -34.9%
35% OR MORE
32.8%
16.9%
28.8%
8.4%
13.1%
PERCENTAGE OF HOMEOWNER INCOME SPENT ON HOUSING COSTS, NEW HANOVER COUNTY2008-2012
FIGURE 2.30
FIGURE 2.32
FIGURE 2.31
1-UNIT DETACHED
1-UNIT ATTACHED
2 UNITS
3-4 UNITS
5-9 UNITS
10-19 UNITS
20 OR MORE UNITS
MOBILE HOME
BOAT, RV, VAN, ETC.
61.6%
MECKL
E
N
B
U
R
G
C
O
U
N
T
Y
1,203
707 603 380 369 259 231233 210201198
WAKE C
O
U
N
T
Y
FORSY
T
H
C
O
U
N
T
Y
CUMB
E
R
L
A
N
D
C
O
U
N
T
Y
ONSLO
W
C
O
U
N
T
Y
GUILF
O
R
D
C
O
U
N
T
Y
CABA
R
R
U
S
C
O
U
N
T
Y
DURH
A
M
C
O
U
N
T
Y
UNION
C
O
U
N
T
Y
GASTO
N
C
O
U
N
T
Y
NEW H
A
N
O
V
E
R
C
O
U
N
T
Y
NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES WITH THE HIGHES NUMBER OF FORECLOSURE FILINGS:JANUARY 1, 2004-MARCH 31, 2014
FIGURE 2.33
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 22
Housing Units by Structure, New Hanover County
Over 50% of New Hanover County housing units are defined as 1-unit detached in structure. The smallest
representation of housing unit structure is that which is classified as boat, RV, van, etc.
Housing Value, New Hanover County
The majority of owner-occupied housing units in New Hanover County are valued between $150,000 and
$499,999. Those valued at less than $150,000 represent 20.9% of the total number of owner-occupied units.
Scattered Site Housing
Beginning in 2001, Scattered Site Housing grants were awarded to approximately 33 counties on a non-competitive rotating basis every three years. The Scattered Site Housing Program was a grant category under the state-administered Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program that was awarded to local governments in non-entitlement areas. Cities with populations of less than 50,000,with the exception of cities that are designated principal cities of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and counties with populations less than 200,000 are considered as non-entitlement areas.
The Scattered Site Housing Program grant has
enabled the county to address the most critical
housing needs of very low income owner-occupied
households (incomes at or below 50% of the area
median) residing in the unincorporated county.
Under the Scattered Site Housing Program, the
County has expended more than one million dollars
to either rehabilitate or reconstruct 35 houses.
The county has also been awarded more than 1.7 million dollars in CDBG funds under the former Concentrated Need grant category. Under this grant category, funds were designated for a specific area. These funds were used to address critical housing needs in two specific areas for 51 very low income owner-occupied households and for sewer installation.
HOUSING
1-UNIT DETACHED
1-UNIT ATTACHED
2 UNITS
3-4 UNITS
5-9 UNITS
10-19 UNITS
20 OR MORE UNITS
MOBILE HOME
BOAT, RV, VAN, ETC.
61.6%
MECK
L
E
N
B
U
R
G
C
O
U
N
T
Y
1,203
707 603 380 369 259 231233 210201198
WAKE
C
O
U
N
T
Y
FORS
Y
T
H
C
O
U
N
T
Y
CUMB
E
R
L
A
N
D
C
O
U
N
T
Y
ONSLO
W
C
O
U
N
T
Y
GUILF
O
R
D
C
O
U
N
T
Y
CABA
R
R
U
S
C
O
U
N
T
Y
DURH
A
M
C
O
U
N
T
Y
UNIO
N
C
O
U
N
T
Y
GAST
O
N
C
O
U
N
T
Y
NEW H
A
N
O
V
E
R
C
O
U
N
T
Y
HOUSING UNITS BY STRUCTURE
1-UNIT DETACHED
1-UNIT ATTACHED
2 UNITS
3-4 UNITS
5-9 UNITS
10-19 UNITS
20 OR MORE UNITS
MOBILE HOME
BOAT, RV, VAN, ETC.
61.6%
MECKL
E
N
B
U
R
G
C
O
U
N
T
Y
1,203
707 603 380 369 259 231233 210201198
WAKE
C
O
U
N
T
Y
FORS
Y
T
H
C
O
U
N
T
Y
CUMB
E
R
L
A
N
D
C
O
U
N
T
Y
ONSLO
W
C
O
U
N
T
Y
GUILF
O
R
D
C
O
U
N
T
Y
CABA
R
R
U
S
C
O
U
N
T
Y
DURH
A
M
C
O
U
N
T
Y
UNIO
N
C
O
U
N
T
Y
GASTO
N
C
O
U
N
T
Y
NEW H
A
N
O
V
E
R
C
O
U
N
T
Y
FIGURE 2.34
MAP 2.10
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 23
TRANSPORTATION
As New Hanover County grows both in population and economic development, it will continue to draw employees, shoppers, business associates, tourists and visitors from outside the region. An effective transportation network will need to be maintained to allow visitors and citzens alike to move about the community. It will be important for this network to include roadways, multimodal, waterways and the port, as well as railways.
Roadways
Currently, the automobile is the dominant mode of transportation, but as the county grows it will become
more important to invest in different modes of transportation. Excessive automobile dependence will lead to
continued and worsening traffic congestion regardless of investment and widening.
The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) provides transportation planning services for New Hanover County, the City of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach as well as incorporated and unincorporated areas of Pender and Brunswick counties. The WMPO collects traffic counts at seventy (70) points along the unincorporated roadways of New Hanover County. Figure 2.35 provides the traffic count collection locations for the unincorporated area of New Hanover County.
STREET NAME DESCRIPTION VOL (2011)
BAVARIAN LANE BETWEEN FARLEY DRIVE AND NORTH COLLEGE ROAD 13,648
CAROLINA BEACH ROAD (US 421)NORTH OF MYRTLE GROVE ROAD 25,548
CAROLINA BEACH ROAD (US 421)SOUTHEAST OF ANTOINETTE DRIVE 29,835
CAROLINA BEACH ROAD (US 421)SOUTH OF SANDERS ROAD 34,585
CAROLINA BEACH ROAD (US 421)SOUTH OF MONKEY JUNCTION 39,871
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN SONDEY ROAD AND CROWATAN ROAD 10,894
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN NORTH COLLEGE ROAD AND MARATHON AVENUE11,270
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN MLK PARKWAY AND DIVISION DRIVE 12,582
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN SWARTVILLE ROAD AND OLD MILL ROAD 14,372
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)SOUTH OF OLD BRIDGE SITE ROAD 15,356
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN HICKORY STREET AND CHERRY STREET 17,751
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN YORKTOWN DRIVE AND NORTH 23RD STREET 17,478
CASTLE HAYNE ROAD (US 117/NC 133)BETWEEN BRENTWOOD DRIVE AND DIVISION DRIVE 52,065
GORDON ROAD EAST OF I-40 21,367
MARKET STREET (US 17 BUSINESS)NORTH OF SWEETWATER DRIVE 34,402
MARKET STREET (US 17 BUSINESS)BETWEEN EL OGDEN DRIVE AND MIDDLE SOUND LOOP ROAD46,898
MARKET STREET (US 17 BUSINESS)BETWEEN LENDIRE ROAD AND WENDOVER LANE 50,780
MASONBORO LOOP ROAD BETWEEN MOHAWK TRAIL AND SEMINOLE TRAIL 10,715
MASONBORO LOOP ROAD NORTH OF OLD MYRTLE GROVE ROAD 11,680
MOHICAN TRAIL EAST OF SOUTH COLLEGE ROAD 33,050
MYRTLE GROVE ROAD SOUTH OF PINER ROAD 8,781
NORTH KERR AVENUE BETWEEN BAVARIAN LANE AND TRUESDALE ROAD 10,724
FIGURE 2.35
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 24
NORTH 23RD STREET BETWEEN DIVISION DRIVE AND AIRPORT BOULEVARD 12,642
NORTH COLLEGE ROAD (US 117/NC 132)BETWEEN BLUE CLAY ROAD AND PARMELE ROAD 10,417
NORTH COLLEGE ROAD (US 117/NC 132)SOUTH OF BAVARIAN LANE 25,978
NORTH COLLEGE ROAD (US 117/NC 132)BETWEEN LONG RIDGE DRIVE AND BAVARIAN LANE 27,081
PINER ROAD EAST OF MONKEY JUNCTION 15,050
SOUTH COLLEGE ROAD (NC 132)BETWEEN JUNCTION CREEK DR AND JUNCTION PARK DR 29,576
TRANSPORTATION
The Federal Highway
Functional Classification
System classifies roadways
into the following four
hierarchical categories:
principal arterial (interstate,
freeway and other), minor
arterial, collector (major
and minor) and local
streets. These designations
characterize the role of a
roadway within the network
(i.e., a collector roadway
collects vehicles from local
roadways and carries
them to the next higher
functional class). Each
classification includes unique
characteristics that translate
into roadway design, speed,
capacity and relationship to
existing and future land use.
New Hanover County is served by two interstates, I-40 and I-140, enabling access to the northern portion of the County, and one freeway, Martin Luther King Parkway, allowing east/west access through the northern portion of the County. These roadways serve as critical access points for future development within New Hanover County.
MAP 2.11
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 25
TRANSPORTATION
New roadway projects and improvements within the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County are primarily the responsibility of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Division 3. Through the Strategic Mobility Formula and local input, roadway projects are scored and prioritized in accordance with criteria developed to evaluate benefit/cost, congestion, economic competitiveness, safety, and multimodal qualities of a roadway. Once scored, roadway projects are entered into the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). NCDOT also operates a roadway maintenance program for resurfacing and widening projects for primary and secondary roads that occurs within a five-year horizon.
MultiModal Transportation
As previously mentioned, automobile-dominated transportation will lead to continued traffic congestion that
will be difficult to remediate. Alternative modes of transportation are important for New Hanover County to
consider in the future. Alternative modes include: pedestrians, bicycles, public transportation, and multiple
occupant vehicles (carpools).
In New Hanover County, 14% of commuters use an alternative mode of transportation. Of those commuters, carpooling was the most popular alternative.
New Hanover County has the shortest commute time in the tri-county region at approximately 20 minutes.
Additionally, New Hanover County has a shorter commute time than the state or the national average.
81%
DROVE ALONE
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
9%
7%1%2%
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
66%
14%
15%
5%
25.4
23.5
20.1
23.7
27.3
US
NC
New Hanover
Brunswick
Pender
81%
DROVE ALONE
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
9%
7%1%2%
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
66%
14%
15%
5%
25.4
23.5
20.1
23.7
27.3
US
NC
New Hanover
Brunswick
Pender
81%
DROVE ALONE
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
9%
7%1%2%
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
66%
14%
15%
5%
25.4
23.5
20.1
23.7
27.3
US
NC
New Hanover
Brunswick
Pender
COMMUTING TO WORK2008-2012
NEW HANOVER NON-SINGLE OCUPANY VEHICLE COMMUTE
MEAN TRAVEL TIME TO WORK (MINUTES)
FIGURE 2.37 FIGURE 2.38
FIGURE 2.39
81%
DROVE ALONE
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
9%
7%1%2%
CARPOOL
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WALKED
OTHER
66%
14%
15%
5%
25.4
23.5
20.1
23.7
27.3
US
NC
New Hanover
Brunswick
Pender
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 26
Regionally, New Hanover has a lower carpool rate than Pender County and Brunswick County but higher percentages of commuters walking to work or riding transit.
Figure 2.41 shows the tri-county commuting patterns. Nearly 30% of Brunswick County’s and nearly 60%
of Pender County’s working residents commute to another county for work. These commuting patterns
suggest that New Hanover County serves as a regional employment hub.
Bus/Transit Service
Created in 1974, the Wilmington Transit Authority (WTA) was initially implemented to provide public transportation to the citizens of the Wilmington area.
In December 2002, the WTA adopted the name Wave, as well as a new logo and color scheme for the
Authority. This change reflected a new vision for public transportation in Wilmington. Capitalizing on our
coastal environment, the name Wave allowed greater name recognition throughout the area and positively
represented public transportation throughout the region.
Rapid sprawl and rising traffic congestion throughout the region led the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to enter into an historic agreement in June 2003. The City and County merged the WTA and New Hanover Transportation Services to form the Wilmington/New Hanover Transportation Agency (WNHTA). This agreement merged the respective organizations for one year, in order to provide oversight of both agencies under one public transportation authority.
TRANSPORTATION
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
USNC NewHanover Brunswick Pender
29.90%8.90%58.70%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
200120022003200420052006200720082009 2010
CARPOOLED
WALKED
PUBLIC TRANSPORTAION
OTHER
WORKED OUTSIDECOUNTY OFRESIDENCE
WORKED INCOUNTY OFRESIDENCE
NewHanoverBrunswick Pender
COMMUNTING TO WORK NON-SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLE 2008-2012
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
USNC NewHanover Brunswick Pender
29.90%8.90%58.70%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
200120022003200420052006200720082009 2010
CARPOOLED
WALKED
PUBLIC TRANSPORTAION
OTHER
WORKED OUTSIDECOUNTY OFRESIDENCE
WORKED INCOUNTY OFRESIDENCE
NewHanoverBrunswick Pender
TRI-COUNTY COMMUTING PATTERNS 2008-2012
FIGURE 2.40
FIGURE 2.41
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 27
TRANSPORTATION
In July of 2004 the WNHTA, the WTA and NHTS were dissolved and a new transportation authority was created. The merged entity officially became the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, but kept the name Wave Transit.
In an effort to better serve the community, Wave Transit has restructured all fixed routes in the region.
The new routes are based on a modern transfer facility, Forden Station, which is centrally located within
the service area. A new maintenance and operations facility off MLK Parkway is under construction.
Construction is expected to be complete in the fall of 2014. A downtown multimodal transportation center is
also in the early planning phase.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities
Bicycle and pedestrian facilities provide important health, social, ecologic and economic benefits. Health and social benefits include opportunities for safe, physical activity and connected communities. New Hanover County is an ideal location for bicycle and pedestrian movement given its flat terrain, temperate climate, and significant student and tourist/vacationing populations. New Hanover County has over 30 miles of existing trails located predominately within parks, nearly 50 miles of on-road bicycle facilities, and over 70 miles of sidewalks (see Map 2.12).
In 2013, New Hanover County, the City
of Wilmington and the beach towns
collaborated on New Hanover County’s
first comprehensive greenway plan. Map
2.12 shows the adopted future network of
bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
New Hanover County’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is emerging in an effort to safely accommodate residents, students and visitors who choose to walk or bike instead of drive. Planned bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure should address New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington’s high rates of pedestrian and bicycle crashes.
New Hanover County and the City of
Wilmington rank in the top ten statewide
for bicycle and pedestrian crashes
between 2008-2012 (University of North
Carolina Highway Safety Research
Center). New Hanover County has
recently become a part of the NC Watch for Me Program, a comprehensive approach to reduce bicyclist and
pedestrian crashes and fatalities in North Carolina. This campaign uses multi-media strategies to educate
motorists, pedestrians and cyclists and provides resources to law enforcement.
MAP 2.12
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 28
TRANSPORTATION
Rail
Rail Service in New Hanover County consists of
freight only and is operated by CSX with a short
line operated by Wilmington Terminal Railroad.
There are approximately 75 miles of historic
rail lines throughout the county. The rail lines
leading to Jacksonville were removed and the
right of way was deeded over to the adjacent
property owners. The State of NC purchased
the historic rail line from Wallace to Castle
Hayne. Currently, a feasibility study is being
conducted to reestablish these lines as freight
rail and long term passenger. New Hanover
County currently has 75 miles of active rail lines.
North Carolina Ports (Port of
Wilmington)
The Port of Wilmington and the Port of Morehead City combined contribute approximately $500 million annually to the State’s economy (Institute for Transportation Research and Education 2011). The ports’ economic contribution represented two percent (2%) of the state’s GDP in 2008 (ITRE). The movement of goods through the ports directly and indirectly supports over 65,000 jobs across North Carolina.
Container movement accounts for 85% of the
economic impact that the ports generate for
the state. The Port of Wilmington utilizes trucks
for container movement and utilizes rail service
provided by Wilmington Terminal Railroad and
CSX for bulk and breakbulk movement. The
Wilmington Port has acreage available for
future development that may include the
construction of internal roadways to improve
truck access. The development of a wood
pellet facility and associated infrastructure,
as well as the development of a cold storage
facility is underway at the Port of Wilmington.
Consistent imports at the Port of Wilmington over the last decade include chemicals and cement. In 2013, grain import nearly quadrupled in response to the drought in the midwest; fertilizer is a new import, as well as ores and minerals. Several important commodities tapered off in 2008/2009, including imported lumber and general merchandise, a reflection of the declining housing market and overall economy at that time.
MAP 2.13
PORT OF WILMINGTON TOP 5 COMMODITIES 2013
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
Gr
a
i
n
s
Ch
e
m
i
c
a
l
s
Fe
r
t
i
l
i
z
e
r
s
Eq
u
i
p
M
a
c
h
Or
e
s
&
Fo
r
e
s
t
Wo
o
d
c
h
i
p
s
Wo
o
d
p
u
l
p
Fo
o
d
Ge
n
TONNAGE
COMMODITY
IMPORT
EXPORT
FIGURE 2.42
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 29
TRANSPORTATION
At the Port of Wilmington, wood pulp and paper products, forest products, food products and general merchandise have been top exports over the last decade with periods of decline and rebound. Wood pulp and paper products, which represent the largest export, experienced a decline beginning in 2006 and began to rebound in 2011. Similarly, forest products have represented a significant export that declined in 2008 and rebounded by 2010. In 2007, chemical exports tapered off, as did military products in 2004. Since 2010, woodchips have been increasingly exported.
A quick snapshot of import/exports at the Port of Wilmington show that grains were the dominant imported
commodity and forest products remain the dominant export.
Airport
The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is a key economic engine for our 8.5 county catchment area
(where our passengers live) and a significant regional asset for our community.
In total, the airport property interests are approximately 1,780 acres, with 1,600 acres in fee-simple and 180 acres in easements. The airfield consists of two intersecting runways, Runway 17-35 and Runway 6-24, with Runway 6-24 achieving more favorable crosswind coverage and being better aligned with the prevailing ALL-Weather (IFR), capturing about 20% better wind coverage than Runway 17-35. Runway 6-24 is approximately 8,000 linear feet, accommodating air carrier, general aviation, and air cargo services and military aircraft.
Since 2003, the Wilmington International Airport (ILM) has experienced a 34.5% decline in total air traffic
aircraft operations. This
is consistent with national
trends.
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 30
TRANSPORTATION
Wilmington International Airport accommodates three classifications of aircraft: air carrier and taxi (for
hire/commercial airlines), general aviation (private/company aircraft) and military aircraft. Air carriers and
taxi operations represent commercial airlines, with air carriers being larger planes with more seats, and
air taxis being smaller aircraft with fewer seats. These operations have remained consistent, averaging
23,836 flights annually between 2003 and 2013. General Aviation (GA) represents small private aircraft and
corporate planes that are not for hire. These operations have been more dynamic and experienced a sharp
decline in 2008 coinciding with the recession. Wilmington International Airport also receives military aircraft
and has experienced consistent operations in the last decade due to its proximity to Camp Lejeune and
Naval Air Station Cherry Point. The presidential fleet and Coast Guard aircraft also frequent ILM for training
operations.
Itinerant flights represent flights that passed through
Wilmington International Airport (ILM) but did not begin
or end their flight at ILM. Local flights are flights that
either began or ended at ILM airport. ILM experiences a
much higher volume of itinerant flights than local flights.
Air Carrier & TaxiGeneral AviationMilitary
200318,434 51,9639,079
200420,707 53,4338,024
200523,431 45,2705,513
200623,535 55,6655,772
200725,022 53,5344,532
200824,252 39,3944,702
200921,438 30,0384,846
201021,309 30,0015,689
201120,610 29,5825,358
201219,783 25,3175,711
201319,840 26,6275,512
ILM TOTAL ANNUAL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS
ILM ANNUAL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS BY TYPE
20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
79,47682,16474,21484,97283,08868,34856,32256,99955,55050,81151,979
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
Year20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
AIR CARRIER & TAXI
GENERAL AVIATION
MILITARY
20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
79,47682,16474,21484,97283,08868,34856,32256,99955,55050,81151,979
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
Year20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
AIR CARRIER & TAXI
GENERAL AVIATION
MILITARY
FIGURE 2.43
FIGURE 2.44
FIGURE 2.45
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 31
TRANSPORTATION
Since 2003, both itinerant and local flight volumes have decreased, but local flights have decreased at a
more aggressive rate of nearly 78% over ten years. The primary factors for this decline are the economy,
high fuel costs, declining pilot population, declining student pilot population, cost of aging aircraft, and the
rapid decline of manufacturing new GA aircraft. GA forecsting by the FAA, however, has steadily remained
positive. For example, local GA and itinerant GA operations are forecast to grow over the next 20 years by
27.8%.
The Wilmington International Airport ranks fourth in North Carolina for most enplanements (passengers
boarding an airplane), behind Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, and has experienced an 84% increase over
the last decade. Over the past several years, the commercial aviation industry has experienced a dramatic
change. The number of domestic air carriers has declined from 21 to 8 with consolidations, mergers and
bankruptcies. Air carriers’ new business strategy is to focus on positive bottom lines and reduced costs.
Over the past 5 years, air carriers have reduced the number of departures by 14.2% and reduced seats
by 9.7%. Considering the current economic environment in aviation, ILM has done well to maintain their
enplaned passengers within 2%. Future air service at ILM looks very promising.
The Wilmington International Airport provides
US Customs and Border Protections Port of
Entry through the General Aviation/Fixed-Based
Operators apron areas. Because of the increases
in US Customs activity, this facility is in need of
expansion. The year 2007 represented the peak
of customs activity, with over 16,673 people
cleared through customs. On average, 24 people
are cleared daily through ILM, and during holiday
peak seasons, 20 to 30 passengers may be
cleared per hour. Similarly in 2007, 3,013 planes
were cleared through ILM customs, and during
peak seasons, up to 50 planes were cleared
hourly. In November 2008, ILM opened a new
state-of-the-art facility for Customs and Border
Protection.
Year EnplanementsDeplanementsTotal
2003216,220216,399432,619
2004288,471286,154574,625
2005350,980349,447700,427
2006322,542318,121640,663
2007405,072396,115801,187
2008409,281405,221814,502
2009405,874401,252807,126
2010412,264409,676821,940
2011403,836401,675805,511
2012400,109395,803795,912
20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Total Itinerant 60,70764,02062,03966,52567,85559,52650,21550,84848,31647,13547,827
Total Local 18,76918,14412,17518,44715,2338,8226,1076,1517,2343,6764,152
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000TOTAL ITINERANT AND LOCAL FLIGHTS2003-2013
FIGURE 2.46
FIGURE 2.47
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 32
TRANSPORTATION
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
PERSONS CLEARED
AIRCRAFT CLEARED
ILM receives no public funds or dollars from the County and therefore must be totally self-sufficient,
generating funds to support its $7.4 million annual budget. With air carriers looking for ways to reduce
their costs, they want airports to reduce the fees they charge airlines. Therefore, ILM has to find alternative
revenue streams to remain financially solvent.
The ILM Airport is aggressively promoting and receiving interest in nearly 230 acres of available landside area for development as business office and commercial purposes for both aviation and non-aeronautical companies. Beyond the financial incentives, the airport reports strong interest in business park development, in part because of the railroad track CSX Railway located between the airport and Blue Clay Road. Hall Drive provides a track crossing from Blue Clay Road into the ILM Business Park. Although the track is now infrequently used, the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization stated that rail access plans call for this track to become more active, including passenger service in the future.
The airport also houses
the National Weather
Service and the North
Carolina Museum of
Aviation, managed by
the Wilmington Aviation
Foundation, a not-for-
profit organization.
ILM CUSTOMS ACTIVITY
FIGURE 2.48
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 33
ECONOMY
The 2008-2012 American Community Survey 5-year estimates show that New Hanover County’s median family income is approximately $68,000 and household income (individuals not related, but living together in a household) is about $50,000. These estimates are higher than state and national incomes, with the exception of national households.
Per capita income represents the total income of a community (including wages, investment income, and government payments) divided by its population. According to the American Community Survey 2008-2012 5-year estimates, New Hanover County’s per capita income is higher than the state or the nation’s per capita income.
The vast majority of New Hanover
County’s jobs are located in the
private sector, representing
approximately 82% of employment.
Government jobs represent
approximately 18% of New Hanover
County’s employment. These
percentages are similar to the State
of North Carolina’s percentages.
Health care provides the largest proportion of employment in New Hanover County, followed by retail trade, then accommodation and food services. Combined, these three sectors account for nearly half of New Hanover County’s industry.
$67,853 $57,146 $64,585
$50,420 $46,450
$53,046
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
New HanoverNorth Carolina Nation
$28,051 $25,285
$29,834
$23,217 $27,100
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Nation State NewHanover Pender Brunswick
1%5%
12%
82%
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
STATE GOVERNMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PRIVATE
19401950196019801990
FAMILY
HOUSEHOLDS
MEDIAN INCOME 2008-2012 ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES
$67,853 $57,146 $64,585
$50,420 $46,450
$53,046
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
New HanoverNorth Carolina Nation
$28,051 $25,285
$29,834
$23,217 $27,100
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Nation State NewHanover Pender Brunswick
1%5%
12%
82%
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
STATE GOVERNMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PRIVATE
19401950196019801990
FAMILY
HOUSEHOLDS
PER CAPITA INCOME ACS 2008-2012
$67,853 $57,146 $64,585
$50,420 $46,450
$53,046
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
New HanoverNorth Carolina Nation
$28,051 $25,285
$29,834
$23,217 $27,100
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Nation State NewHanover Pender Brunswick
1%5%
12%
82%
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
STATE GOVERNMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PRIVATE
194019501960 19801990
FAMILY
HOUSEHOLDS
NEW HANOVER COUNTY EMPLOYMENT BY SECTOR 2013 Q2
FIGURE 2.49
FIGURE 2.50
FIGURE 2.51
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 34
ECONOMY
New Hanover Regional Medical Center is the largest single employer in New Hanover County followed by
New Hanover County Schools and the University of North Carolina Wilmington (Figure 2.53).
Company Name Industry Employment Range
1 New Hanover Regional Medical CenterEducation & Health Services1,000+
2 New Hanover County School SystemEducation & Health Services1,000+
3 University of North Carolina Education & Health Services1,000+
4 The Shaw Group Construction 1,000+
5 New Hanover County Public Administration 1,000+
6 Cellco Partnership Information 1,000+
7 PPD Development, LP Pharmeceutical 1,000+
8 Wal-Mart Associates Inc.Trade, Transportation & Utilities1,000+
9 Cape Fear Community CollegeEducation & Health Services1,000+
10 Corning Incorporated Manufacturing 1,000+
11 City of Wilmington Public Administration 1,000+
12 GE Hitachi Nuclear Americas LLCManufacturing 500-999
13 Mundy Industrial Contractors Inc.Construction 500-999
14 Harris Teeter Inc.Trade, Transportation & Utilities500-999
15 Global Network Fuel - AmericasManufacturing 500-999
16 General Electric Corp.Manufacturing 500-999
17 Food Lion LLC Trade, Transportation & Utilities500-999
18 Wells Fargo Bank Na (A Corp)Financial Activities 250-499
19 WHA Medical Clinic PLLC Education & Health Services250-499
20 Forever 21 Retail, Inc.Trade, Transportation & Utilities250-499
21 Lowes Home Centers, Inc.Trade, Transportation & Utilities250-499
22 C N Davis Health Care Center Education & Health Services250-499
23 Department of Defense Public Administration 250-499
24 Lowes Food Stores Inc.Trade, Transportation & Utilities250-499
25 AAI pharma Services Corp Manufacturing 250-499
0.13%0.25%0.82%1.76%
1.89%
2.44%2.59%2.69%2.78%3.31%5.14%5.15%5.34%
6.35%
6.63%7.78%
14.06%
14.08%
16.81%
0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%16%18%
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Finance and Insurance
Other Services, Ex. Public Admin
Construction
Manufacturing
Professional and Technical Services
Accommodation and Food Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
FIGURE 2.52
NEW HANOVER COUNTY INDUSTRY SECTORS 2013 Q2
FIGURE 2.53
TOP 25 EMPLOYERS IN NEW HANOVER COUTY
Source: NC Employment Security Commission
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 35
ECONOMY
Shown in Figure 2.54 is the percentage of employers grouped by industry type. Shown from this perspective, retail trade and accommodation and food services are among New Hanover County’s largest industry types representing nearly 30% of employment. Health care and social assistance represents the largest industry type in New Hanover County, representing approximately 17% of total employment.
Figure 2.55 shows the average hourly wage for occupations within New Hanover County’s three largest
industries (health care and social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation and food services). While
some of these occupations, such as healthcare practitioners, can pay high wages, many occupations pay
just slightly above the living wage. The living wage is the hourly rate that individuals must earn to support
themselves. According to research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the living wage for
a single adult in New Hanover County is $9.56 per hour.
As of 2012, New Hanover County’s wages were approximately 10% lower than the state’s average and 26%
below the national average.
Source: North Caro-lina Employment Se-
curity Commission,
Labor & Economic Analysis Division
16.81%
14.08%14.06%
7.78%6.63%6.35%5.34%5.15%5.14%3.31%2.78%2.69%2.59%2.44%1.89%1.76%0.82%0.25%0.13%
HEALT
H
C
A
R
E
TRAN
S
P
O
R
T
A
T
I
O
N
OTHER
S
E
R
V
I
C
E
S
WHOL
E
S
A
L
E
T
R
A
D
E
CONS
T
R
U
C
T
I
O
N
PUBL
I
C
MANU
F
A
C
T
U
R
I
N
G
ADMI
N
I
S
T
R
A
T
I
V
E
PROF
E
S
S
I
O
N
A
L
EDUC
A
T
I
O
N
A
L
S
E
R
V
I
C
E
S
ACCOM
M
O
D
A
T
I
O
N
RETAI
L
T
R
A
D
E
ARTS
REAL
E
S
T
A
T
E
INFO
R
M
A
T
I
O
N
FINAN
C
E
MANA
G
E
M
E
N
T
AGRIC
U
L
T
U
R
E
UTILIT
I
E
S
$19.79 $20.40
$33.52
$12.18 $9.93 $11.68
$17.11
$25.00
$30.00
$35.00
$40.00
$5.00
$10.00
$15.00
$20.00
$0.00 Total, AllOccupations Community and Social Services HealthcarePractitioners and Technical
HealthcareSupport Food Preparationand ServingRelated
Personal Careand Service Sales andRelated
ESTIMATED
AVERAGE WAGE (NHC)
LIVING WAGE $9.56
MINIMUM WAGE $7.25
$753$829
$948
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
0203040506070809101112
NHC
STATE
NATION
PERCENTAGE OF ESTABLISHMENTS NEW HANOVER COUNTY 2013 Q2
16.81%
14.08%14.06%
7.78%6.63%6.35%5.34%5.15%5.14%3.31%2.78%2.69%2.59%2.44%1.89%1.76%0.82%0.25%0.13%
HEALT
H
C
A
R
E
TRAN
S
P
O
R
T
A
T
I
O
N
OTHER
S
E
R
V
I
C
E
S
WHOL
E
S
A
L
E
T
R
A
D
E
CONST
R
U
C
T
I
O
N
PUBLI
C
MANU
F
A
C
T
U
R
I
N
G
ADMIN
I
S
T
R
A
T
I
V
E
PROFE
S
S
I
O
N
A
L
EDUC
A
T
I
O
N
A
L
S
E
R
V
I
C
E
S
ACCOM
M
O
D
A
T
I
O
N
RETAI
L
T
R
A
D
E
ARTS
REAL
E
S
T
A
T
E
INFO
R
M
A
T
I
O
N
FINAN
C
E
MANA
G
E
M
E
N
T
AGRIC
U
L
T
U
R
E
UTILIT
I
E
S
$19.79 $20.40
$33.52
$12.18 $9.93 $11.68
$17.11
$25.00
$30.00
$35.00
$40.00
$5.00
$10.00
$15.00
$20.00
$0.00 Total, AllOccupations Community and Social Services HealthcarePractitioners and Technical
HealthcareSupport Food Preparationand ServingRelated
Personal Careand Service Sales andRelated
ESTIMATED
AVERAGE WAGE (NHC)
LIVING WAGE $9.56
MINIMUM WAGE $7.25
$753
$829
$948
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
0203040506070809101112
NHC
STATE
NATION
AVERAGE OCCUPATIONAL WAGES 2013 Q2
FIGURE 2.54
FIGURE 2.55
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 36
It is important to note that while New Hanover County’s wages are lower than the state and the nation, the county’s median income and per capita income are higher than the state’s average. This may be attributed to other sources of income (other than wages) such as investment income, and government transfers such as social security.
ECONOMY
16.81%14.08%14.06%7.78%6.63%6.35%5.34%5.15%5.14%3.31%2.78%2.69%2.59%2.44%1.89%1.76%0.82%0.25%0.13%HEALTH CARE TRANSPORTATIONOTHER SERVICESWHOLESALE TRADECONSTRUCTIONPUBLICMANUFACTURINGADMINISTRATIVEPROFESSIONALEDUCATIONAL SERVICESACCOMMODATIONRETAIL TRADE ARTSREAL ESTATEINFORMATIONFINANCE MANAGEMENT AGRICULTUREUTILITIES$19.79 $20.40 $33.52 $12.18 $9.93 $11.68 $17.11$25.00$30.00$35.00$40.00$5.00$10.00$15.00$20.00$0.00 Total, AllOccupations Community and Social Services HealthcarePractitioners and Technical HealthcareSupport Food Preparationand ServingRelated Personal Careand Service Sales andRelated ESTIMATED AVERAGE WAGE (NHC)LIVING WAGE $9.56MINIMUM WAGE $7.25
$753
$829
$948
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
0203040506070809101112
NHC
STATE
NATION
57.1%62.9%64.6%
22.8%17.2%18.2%
20.1%19.9%17.2%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
120.0%
New Hanover NC Nation
0
5
10
15
20
0
3
20
0
4
20
0
5
20
0
6
20
0
7
20
0
8
20
0
9
20
1
0
20
1
1
20
1
2
20
1
3
Un
e
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
R
a
t
e
(
%
)
10.90%
12.40%
11.90%
9.90%
12.10%
14.90%
16.80%
15.20%
16.00%
18.00%
0.00%5.00%10.00%15.00%20.00%
US
Brunswick
Pender
WAGES
INVESTMENT INCOME
GOVERNMENT TRANSFERS
NEW HANOVER
BRUNSWICK
PENDER
NORTH CAROLINA
ALL PEOPLE
FAMILIES
AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGES HISTORICAL
ELEMENTS OF PER CAPITA INCOME
FIGURE 2.56
FIGURE 2.57
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS36
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 37
ECONOMY
Unemployment
Historically, New Hanover County has experienced a lower unemployment rate than Brunswick or Pender counties. Prior to the recession, New Hanover County’s unemployment rate was below both the state and the nation; but coming out of the recession, the nation, on average, has rebounded more quickly than the county or the state, with a national average unemployment rate of 7.4% for 2013 compared to NHC’s average annual unemployment rate of 8.3%.
Overall, poverty rates for families are lower than the poverty rates for individuals in the tri-county area, the state and the nation. New Hanover County’s family poverty rate is lower than the state and the nation. A lower family poverty rate than individual poverty rate might be attributed to a community’s strong social service providers.
57.1%62.9%64.6%
22.8%17.2%18.2%
20.1%19.9%17.2%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
120.0%
New Hanover NC Nation
0
5
10
15
20
0
3
20
0
4
20
0
5
20
0
6
20
0
7
20
0
8
20
0
9
20
1
0
20
1
1
20
1
2
20
1
3
Un
e
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
R
a
t
e
(
%
)
10.90%
12.40%
11.90%
9.90%
12.10%
14.90%
16.80%
15.20%
16.00%
18.00%
0.00%5.00%10.00%15.00%20.00%
US
Brunswick
Pender
WAGES
INVESTMENT INCOME
GOVERNMENT TRANSFERS
NEW HANOVER
BRUNSWICK
PENDER
NORTH CAROLINA
ALL PEOPLE
FAMILIES
AVERAGE ANNUAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATES (UNADJUSTED)2003-2013
57.1%62.9%64.6%
22.8%17.2%18.2%
20.1%19.9%17.2%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
120.0%
New Hanover NC Nation
0
5
10
15
20
0
3
20
0
4
20
0
5
20
0
6
20
0
7
20
0
8
20
0
9
20
1
0
20
1
1
20
1
2
20
1
3
Un
e
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
R
a
t
e
(
%
)
10.90%
12.40%
11.90%
9.90%
12.10%
14.90%
16.80%
15.20%
16.00%
18.00%
0.00%5.00%10.00%15.00%20.00%
US
Brunswick
Pender
WAGES
INVESTMENT INCOME
GOVERNMENT TRANSFERS
NEW HANOVER
BRUNSWICK
PENDER
NORTH CAROLINA
ALL PEOPLE
FAMILIES
PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE AND FAMILY INCOME BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL:AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY
FIGURE 2.58
FIGURE 2.59
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 38
Energy Generation and Usage
Presently, 100% of New Hanover County residents
receive their electricity through Duke Energy. Before
Duke Energy, Progress Energy was the main utility
company powering New Hanover County. The two
companies merged in July of 2012. Duke Energy
is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina,
and is the largest electric power company in the
United States, serving approximately 7.2 million
U.S. customers in the Carolinas, the Midwest and
Florida.
Additionally, Piedmont Natural Gas services
approximately 12% of New Hanover County’s
residents for heating purposes in their homes.
Piedmont Natural Gas has been in operation for
over 50 years, and is currently providing natural
gas service to more than 1 million residential
and business customers in North Carolina, South
Carolina and Tennessee.
The figures on the following page illustrate residential energy consumption in North Carolina for about the past 30 years.
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Waste Management and Recycling
New Hanover County provides county residents
and businesses with solid waste disposal services
and recycling processing services for refuse
collected within the County. During Fiscal Year
2012-2013, the County managed approximately
222,000 tons of materials through its system. The
major categories and quantities of materials were:
• 208,194 tons of municipal solid waste and construction and demolition material disposed of in the Subtitle D Landfill.
• 5,174 tons of sheetrock, wood waste, cardboard,
and carpet recycled from construction and
demolition waste.
• 3,412 tons of tires
• 5,076 tons of recyclables
In 1981, the County installed the first double-lined landfill in North Carolina. The County implemented an innovative constructed wetlands leachate treatment system, which provides a sustainable solution to the ongoing challenge of leachate disposal. During the Fiscal Year 2012 – 2013, the landfill received, on average, 700 tons of waste per day. The current permitted operating life of the landfill will last until approximately January 2019.
The Environmental Management Department
is currently working to permit an expansion to
provide nine 10-acre cells that are estimated to
extend the operating life of the landfill by 40 years
or until the year 2059.
The county operates five unmanned recycling drop-off sites throughout the unincorporated area, as well as a manned recycling drop-off site at the Sustainable Energy Facility and a manned convenience center at the landfill. A pilot mini-recyclable process at the Sustainable Energy Facility where cardboard, plastics, glass, aluminum, mixed paper and aluminum are processed for sale on the open market. The Department processes almost 6,500 tons of material annually, with 5,000 tons coming from county collection efforts and an additional 1,500 tons of materials delivered from other sources.
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 39
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA IN NC 1980 - 2011 (KWH)
In the figure to the left, the slope is an
indicator of the relationship between
electricity consumption and population
growth. An upward slope indicates that
electricity consumption is growing faster
than population. A downward slope (from
left to right) indicates that population
growth is growing faster than electricity
consumption. The smaller the slope, or the
more horizontal the slope is, the stronger
the correlation is between residential
electricity consumption and population
growth.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/residential.cfm/state=NC
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/residential.cfm/state=NC
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/residential.cfm/state=NC
2,000
3,2500
4,500
5,750
7,000
19801988199620042011
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
19801988 19962004 2009
Natural Gas
Electricity
Fuel Oil
Propane
Other/None
12%
13%
24%
49%
2%
Source: EIA SEDS database and US Dept. of Energy report on
North Carolina Residential Energy Consumption
2,000
3,2500
4,500
5,750
7,000
19801988199620042011
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
19801988 19962004 2009
Natural Gas
Electricity
Fuel Oil
Propane
Other/None
12%
13%
24%
49%
2%
SOURCE OF HEATING FOR NORTH CAROLINA HOMES
2,000
3,2500
4,500
5,750
7,000
19801988199620042011
3
4.5
6
7.5
9
19801988 19962004 2009
Natural Gas
Electricity
Fuel Oil
Propane
Other/None
12%
13%
24%
49%
2%
Approximately 58% of all households in the United States use natural gas. Not all pipelines extend to rural areas; therefore, alternate sources of heating are used for many households, such as electricity, fuel oil, propane, solar, and other or none. The graph to the right shows that, in North Carolina, electricity is the largest source of heating and natural gas is the second largest.
Source: 2000 US Census and US Dept. of
Energy report on North Carolina Residential
Energy Consumption
RESIDENTIAL CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL GAS PER CAPITA 1980-2009(MILLION BTU)
The small (more horizontal) slope of the curve
displayed in the graph to the left indicates that the
residential consumption of natural gas strongly
correlates with population growth over time.
Source: US Dept. of Energy report on North Carolina
Residential Energy Consumption
FIGURE 2.60
FIGURE 2.61
FIGURE 2.62
FIGURE 2.62
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 40
Further information regarding Duke Energy’s overall power generation and energy usage is shown below. The three pie graphs demonstrate the percentages of generation diversity capacity, actual energy generated and the percentage of energy used by each sector.
The Electrical System
Electricity is a secondary source of energy, and is a result of converting energy created by primary sources
such as nuclear, coal, hydroelectric, petroleum, natural gas, wind, solar, and biomass. Duke Energy
generates their electricity specifically from coal, natural gas, nuclear, petroleum, hydroelectric and some
renewable sources. This energy generation occurs in power generation facilities. These facilities are
connected to a network of transmission cables and power lines in order to provide electricity to consumers.
These transmission lines are a part of the U.S. electrical grid. The grid, or transmission system, is the
interconnected group of power lines and associated equipment for moving electric energy at high voltage
between points of supply and points at which it is delivered to other electric systems or transformed to a
lower voltage for delivery to customers. There are local grids, regional grids, and then the national grid that
connects all of the smaller grids to protect all parts of the country from blackouts. If one part of the country
has an outage of any of their power systems, then another part of the country can step in and send power to
the area in need. Duke Energy provides power for New Hanover County via transmission lines that deliver
electricity from a variety of power generation facilities throughout the region.
Power Sources Generated in New Hanover County
The only major power generation facility located within the County is the Sutton Power Plant. It was built as a coal-fired operation and has since converted to a natural gas-fired power plant. The first coal unit began operation in 1954, and two additional units were added at Sutton in 1955 and 1972. The coal-fired Sutton Plant had a capacity of 575-megawatt. In November 2013, the coal-fired combustion turbines were retired when a new natural gas-fired 625-megawatt combined-cycle unit began operation. The capacity of this new gas-fired plant is 625 megawatts, which is equivalent to powering about 500,000 homes.
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Coal
Natural Gas/Fuel Oil
17%
36%
40%
7%
Nuclear
Hydro
Coal
Natural Gas/Fuel Oil
Nuclear
Hydro and Solar
24%
33%
41%
2%
Residential
General Services
Industrial
Wholesale/Other
21%
31%
33%
15%
GENERATION DIVERSITY
(PERCENT OWNED CAPACITY)
GENERATED
NET OUTPUT GIGAWATT-HOURS (GWh)
CUSTOMER DIVERSITY
IN BILLED GWh SALES
Coal
Natural Gas/Fuel Oil
17%
36%
40%
7%
Nuclear
Hydro
Coal
Natural Gas/Fuel Oil
Nuclear
Hydro and Solar
24%
33%
41%
2%
Residential
General Services
Industrial
Wholesale/Other
21%
31%
33%
15%
GENERATION DIVERSITY
(PERCENT OWNED CAPACITY)
GENERATED
NET OUTPUT GIGAWATT-HOURS (GWh)
CUSTOMER DIVERSITY
IN BILLED GWh SALES
Coal
Natural Gas/Fuel Oil
17%
36%
40%
7%
Nuclear
Hydro
Coal
Natural Gas/Fuel Oil
Nuclear
Hydro and Solar
24%
33%
41%
2%
Residential
General Services
Industrial
Wholesale/Other
21%
31%
33%
15%
GENERATION DIVERSITY
(PERCENT OWNED CAPACITY)
GENERATED
NET OUTPUT GIGAWATT-HOURS (GWh)
CUSTOMER DIVERSITY
IN BILLED GWh SALES
FIGURE 2.63
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 41
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Renewable Resources in New Hanover County
According to the North Carolina State Energy Profile, “in 2013, 7.5% of North Carolina’s net electricity generation came from renewable energy resources, almost all of it from conventional hydroelectric power and biomass.” Here in New Hanover County, we have ten registered solar projects that contribute to the electrical grid. These ten solar projects are currently connected through NC Green Power. NC Green Power is a non-profit organization in North Carolina that is connecting consumers with green energy and carbon offset providers. NC Green Power receives their funding either directly from consumers, or through an additional payment to a utility company. NC Green Power and their contributors assist in the generation of approximately 28 million kWh in renewable energy each year, which is equivalent to powering roughly 1,900 homes annually. NC Green Power’s current generating sources are biomass, landfill-methane, solar, wind and hydro-power. The county’s projects are located at Kure Beach (1), Myrtle Grove (1), Wilmington (5), Kings Grant (1), and Porter’s Neck (2). These projects all contribute approximately 69,521 kWh annually. These are the only projects that are currently providing power back to the grid. There are a number of solar projects in the area that do not contribute directly to the grid, but do offset energy demand.
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) provides
water and wastewater services for New Hanover
County. CFPUA was established in July 2008 when
the previously separate systems of the City of
Wilmington and New Hanover County Water and
Sewer District were combined. CFPUA operates the
following water and sewer capital infrastructure in
service to the community:
• More than 50 well sites
• More than 60 miles of raw water supply lines
• 2 water treatment plants
• More than 1,000 miles of water lines
• 11 elevated water tanks
• More than 7,700 fire hydrants
• 3 wastewater treatment plants
• More than 960 miles of sewer lines
• More than 140 sewer pump stations
• More than 16,800 water and wastewater valves
CFPUA processes and distributes approximately 16 million gallons of drinking water daily to homes and businesses. CFPUA has existing supply, treatment and transmission capacity to distribute over 41 million gallons per day. The two sources of water used include the Cape Fear River (surface water) and twogroundwater aquifers, the Castle Hayne and the deeper Peedee. CFPUA’s multi-source abundant supply of raw water is a significant advantage for future growth and resiliency planning in the community.
The Sweeney Water Treatment Plant, CFPUA’s
largest water facility, is supplied through surface
water drawn from the Cape Fear River in Columbus
County and piped to the treatment plant. The
Sweeney Plant can treat up to 35 million gallons of
water per day. The Sweeney Plant’s distribution
area includes the incorporated area of the City
of Wilmington and increasing portions of the
unincorporated area of New Hanover County,
including Ogden, Monkey Junction and Kings Grant.
The second largest water treatment facility is the
Nano-filtration facility which services Murrayville,
Wrightsboro, Porters Neck and parts of Castle
Hayne and Ogden. The Nano-filtration facility is
supplied by groundwater wells. The Nano Plant has
the capability of treating up to 6 million gallons of
groundwater per day. There are also two smaller
groundwater well facilities at Flemington on U.S.
Highway 421 and Monterey Heights near Veterans
Park. Active capital projects are in planning to
supply the customers at Flemington and the
Monterey Heights systems with water from the
Sweeney Plant.
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 42
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority also operates
and maintains three wastewater treatment facilities,
M’Kean Maffitt (Southside), James A. Laughlin
(Northside) and Walnut Hills. The Northside Plant
is located near the ILM Airport and has a treatment
capacity of 16 million gallons per day. CFPUA
substantially upgraded the Northside Plant in both
treatment capacity and the quality of the treated
water returned to the river. The Southside Plant is
located on River Road and has a treatment capacity
of 12 million gallons per day. CFPUA has completed
the design and permitting to increase the capacity
of the Southside Plant up to 24 million gallons per
day, but plans to construct additional capacity by
increments only as needed to stay ahead of growth.
The Walnut Hills Plant is a 100,000-gallon-per-day
facility, and is nearing the end of its service life. An
ongoing capital project will install infrastructure to
pump the wastewater currently treated at the Walnut
Hills Plant to the recently upgraded Northside Plant.
A key element of CFPUA’s wastewater capacity
management plan is creating opportunities
to shift wastewater flows between different
wastewater plants, pump stations and force
mains. This provides a significant advantage over
previous conditions, prior to CFPUA, by increasing
opportunities to route sewer flows in pipes
around damaged pipes or work areas and shifting
flows from one plant to another to optimize
capacity and enable maintenance activities. This
resiliency reduces spills and enables growth
by enhancing opportunities for ready capacity
throughout the system ahead of service demand.
MAP 2.14
MAP 2.15
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 43
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Storm water
The New Hanover County Engineering Department is responsible for overseeing storm water as it relates to
new development and redevelopment. In 2000, the County adopted a storm water management ordinance.
This ordinance requires development to limit post-development discharge rates of storm water to the rate
of discharge prior to development. The restriction of discharge rate will better protect all new development
while it helps keep the flooding problem in existing areas from getting worse. The ordinance also addresses
water quality by encouraging non-direct discharges, requiring ponds to draw down from below water
surface which prevent oils and floating debris from being discharged.
Since the adoption of the storm water ordinance, over 9,000 acres have been permitted and 883 permits have been issued.
Availability New Hanover CountyNorth CarolinaNationwide
DSL 94.40%86.60%89.70%
Cable 99.90%90.50%88.60%
Speed:
Megabytes per second (Mbps)
Medium & Large Business
Median Download6.35 9.448.83
Median Upload 1.58 6.534.19
Small Business
Median Download 1.29 3.764.3
Median Upload 0.34 0.871.25
Telecommunications
With improvements in computing and
communication technology, the demand for
updated telecommunication infrastructure to
support new technologies becomes extremely
important. The need for higher speed broadband
internet connection and greater cell phone
coverage are the two greatest demands. Currently
99.9% of the populated areas of New Hanover
County, including Wilmington and the beach towns,
can receive internet speeds of at least 3 megabytes
per second (Mbps) and up to 25 Mbps. Availability
of internet speeds greater than 25 mbps drops to
93%. More significantly, only 4.5% of New Hanover
County has the availability of speeds greater than
100 Mbps. High speed broadband infrastructure
is an attractive amenity for businesses and is a
necessity for high tech companies.
New Hanover County’s medium and large scale
businesses have a median download speed of 6.35
Mbps, while small businesses’ median speeds are
only 1.29 Mbps. The median download speeds are
significantly slower than the state and national
benchmarks.
New Hanover County currently has 15 cell phone towers, eight of which are located in the unincorporated county. For improved network coverage, the County also has 51 non-tower antennas; half of those are located within the unincorporated County. A majority of the antennas in the unincorporated area are located in the northern section above the Wilmington city limit. The southern areas of the unincorporated county below Wilmington city limits only have one tower and one non-tower antenna.
MAP 2.16
FIGURE 2.64
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 44
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Education
Compared to the state and the nation, New Hanover County has a higher proportion of residents who have
obtained an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree. Nearly a quarter of New Hanover County residents
aged 25 or older possess a bachelor’s degree and 12% possess a graduate degree. Additionally, the
educational attainment of the in-migration to New Hanover County is higher than state or national levels.
Educational estimates between 2010 and 2012 reveal that nearly 16% of new residents to New Hanover
County possessed a graduate degree, compared to approximately 12% for the state and 13% for the nation.
Having an educated population is an important economic development tool that helps attract business and
industry to the community.
New Hanover County’s high school-aged students scored above the state and national averages in all three categories of math, critical reading and writing. New Hanover County’s 2013 composite score of 1536 is approximately 4% greater than the state average, and two-and-a-half percent above the national average.
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
516
526
494495
506
478
496
514
450
460
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
Critical ReadingMath Writing
1536
1400
1450
1500
1550
2010 2011 2012 2013
LESS T
H
A
N
9
T
H
G
R
A
D
E
GRAD
U
A
T
E
BACH
E
L
O
R
’
S
D
E
G
R
E
E
ASSOC
I
A
T
E
’
S
D
E
G
R
E
E
SOME
C
O
L
L
E
G
E
HIGH
S
C
H
O
O
L
G
R
A
D
U
A
T
E
9-12 G
R
A
D
E
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
488
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY PERCENT OF POPULATION AGE 25+ (2010-2012 ACS THREE-YEAR ESTIMATE)0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
516
526
494495
506
478
496
514
450
460
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
Critical ReadingMath Writing
1536
1400
1450
1500
1550
2010 2011 2012 2013
LESS
T
H
A
N
9
T
H
G
R
A
D
E
GRAD
U
A
T
E
BACH
E
L
O
R
’
S
D
E
G
R
E
E
ASSO
C
I
A
T
E
’
S
D
E
G
R
E
E
SOME
C
O
L
L
E
G
E
HIGH
S
C
H
O
O
L
G
R
A
D
U
A
T
E
9-12
G
R
A
D
E
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
488
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
SAT SCORES 2013
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
516
526
494495
506
478
496
514
450
460
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
Critical ReadingMath Writing
1536
1400
1450
1500
1550
2010 2011 2012 2013
LESS T
H
A
N
9
T
H
G
R
A
D
E
GRAD
U
A
T
E
BACH
E
L
O
R
’
S
D
E
G
R
E
E
ASSO
C
I
A
T
E
’
S
D
E
G
R
E
E
SOME
C
O
L
L
E
G
E
HIGH
S
C
H
O
O
L
G
R
A
D
U
A
T
E
9-12 G
R
A
D
E
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
488
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
NC
NATION
COMPOSITE SAT SCORES 2010-2013
FIGURE 2.65
FIGURE 2.66
FIGURE 2.67
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 45
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Crime
Non-violent crime, including larceny, burglary and motor vehicle theft represented 91% of the crime
committed in New Hanover County between 2003-2012.
Larceny (60%) and burglary (24%) consistently represent the most commonly committed crimes in New Hanover County.
0%1%
3%5%
24%
60%
7%
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
11,873 11,615 11,115 10,985 10,515 9,828 10,835 10,029 9,864 9,842
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Agg. Assault
Burglary
Larceny
MV Theft
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Agg. Assault
Burglary
Larceny
MV Theft
# of Offenses
TOTAL CRIME BY TYPE2003-3012 0%1%
3%5%
24%
60%
7%
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
11,873 11,615 11,115 10,985 10,515 9,828 10,835 10,029 9,864 9,842
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Agg. Assault
Burglary
Larceny
MV Theft
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Agg. Assault
Burglary
Larceny
MV Theft
# of Offenses
CRIME 2003-2012
0%1%
3%5%
24%
60%
7%
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
11,873 11,615 11,115 10,985 10,515 9,828 10,835 10,029 9,864 9,842
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Agg. Assault
Burglary
Larceny
MV Theft
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Agg. Assault
Burglary
Larceny
MV Theft
# of Offenses
TOTAL NUMBER OF OFFENSES2003-2012
FIGURE 2.68
FIGURE 2.69
FIGURE 2.70
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 46
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
In 2012, there were a total of 841 law enforcement personnel combined in New Hanover County, the City of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW).
Per capita, UNCW and Wrightsville Beach
have the most sworn officers in
their jurisdictions.
Offense Category2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Murder510871113711139
Rape5010010699918171646046
Robbery377313347453398371362326299300
Agg. Assault573701631577566524593507480481
Burglary2,9132,9142,8762,6152,4092,2632,4862,2552,1822,449
Larceny7,1426,8686,2886,4416,1505,8876,7306,2656,3116,057
MV Theft 723709859793890689586601519500
Total11,78311,61511,11510,98510,5159,828 10,835 10,0299,8649,842
2012
Sworn Rate Per
1,000 Pop
NHC3.7
Wilmington2.4
CB 4.5
KB 5.4
WB9.6
UNCW 10.7
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Law Enforcement
Employees678684748763803807806814826841
The crime rate in New Hanover County has been on a downward trend in the last decade with the exception
of 2009, when the crime rate increased 10%. In 2009, larceny and burglary were the most prevalent types of
crime.
FIGURE 2.71
FIGURE 2.72
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 47
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
Parks
New Hanover County contains 3,362 acres of parks and recreational areas, representing approximately 3% of the county’s total land area. The National Recreation & Park Association recommends a minimum of 10 acres of park/recreational space per 1,000 residents. New Hanover County provides approximately 16½ acres per 1,000 people of park/recreational space; most of these areas are publicly owned and available to the public at no charge. Map 2.17 shows the locations of 111 parks and open space areas ranging from mini-parks to regional parks. Additionally, there are 15 public water access locations in New Hanover County that provide access to lakes, creeks, the Cape Fear River and the Intercoastal Waterway.
Mini-parks are the smallest of park classifications and are generally less than 2 acres. These parks are very small and easily accessible by the residents immediately surrounding the park (1/4 - 1/2 mile radius). These parks are usually within walking distance to the area served and provide a very limited variety of activities. The county contains approximately 18 acres of mini-parks.
Neighborhood parks offer local citizens a convenient source of accessible recreation opportunities. These parks are located in residential areas and usually within walking distance of the area served (1/4 – 1/2 mile radius) and provide a variety of activities. Parks are generally under 10 acres in size. The county contains approximately 58 acres of neighborhood parks.
MAP 2.17
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 48
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
School parks are joint-use public facilities.
Facilities generally include playgrounds and
athletic fields and are open to the public
outside of school hours. The county contains
approximately 801 acres of school parks.
Community parks provide a varied range
of activities to support passive recreation,
active recreation and community activities.
Adequate space, parking and support
facilities are provided. Community parks
generally serve residents in a ½ mile to
3-mile radius and are 10-99 acres in size. The
county contains approximately 1,354 acres of
community parks.
Regional parks are typically large sites
that provide a wide and varied range
of both passive and active recreational
opportunities. These parks serve a
substantial number of people who are
willing to spend travel time to visit sites.
These parks are generally located on or
near major transportation corridors and
are easily accessible by a large number of
citizens. Regional parks generally serve
residents up to a 10-mile radius and are
100 acres or larger. The county contains
approximately 1,131 acres of regional
parks.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY PARK TYPES
40%
0%
2%
34%
24%
Community
Mini
Neighborhood
Regional
School
FIGURE 2.73
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS48
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 49
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
New Hanover County manages and operates neighborhood, school, community, and regional parks that offer a range of activities and amenities. These parks are generally in good condition and are heavily to moderately used. In 2006, a $35.5 million parks and greenspace bond was approved by New Hanover County residents that provided funding for the improvement and expansion of parks county-wide, including: Olsen Park, the Althea Gibson Tennis Center, Veteran’s Park, Ogden Park, River Road Park, Arrowhead Park, Monterey Park, Parkwood Park, Trail’s End Park, Smith Creek Park and Castle Hayne Park.
Map 2.18 shows the proximity of physical activity facilities, including public open spaces/recreation facilities, senior centers and beach/water access areas. Physical activity facilities were mapped utilizing quarter-mile, half-mile, or one-mile radii. Facilities within one-mile are generally accessible within a five-minute bike ride, and facilities within the quarter-mile radius can be accessed within a five-minute walk. Facilities beyond one-mile are generally accessed by vehicle. There are many areas of unincorporated New Hanover County that are not within walking/biking distance and require a vehicle to access.
MAP 2.18
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 50
Historic Architecture
New Hanover County’s vibrant past is reflected in a wide variety of historic sites found throughout the
county. In 1985, the Planning Department released an inventory of these properties which contained
143 different structures located in both the beach towns and the unincorporated county. The complete
guidebook offers brief descriptions of the architectural attributes of each of these structures, as well as
information about their histories.
In 2014, the Planning Department undertook several site visits to locate the structures identified in the original inventory. These visits included only the properties found in the current unincorporated area of the county, spanning the districts of Ogden/Scotts Hill, Castle Hayne, Wrightsboro, Myrtle Grove/Sea Breeze and the Wilmington Vicinity. Of the 43 historic properties visited, roughly 33 percent (14/43) are no longer standing. However, over the course of these visits, staff and community volunteers identified several properties that were not included in the 1985 inventory, such as a white bungalow on Edgewater Club Road built in 1901 (Ogden/Scotts Hill Vicinity) and several residential properties on Castle Hayne Road (Wilmington Vicinity). These additions offer exciting examples of historic architecture in the unincorporated county, some of which are estimated to date back to the nineteenth century.
Although several of the historic structures identified in 1985 are no longer in existence, many impressive historic structures from the original inventory remain. These include the Biddle House, a 1920s-era bungalow-style home that rests on a massive 25-acre lot along the Intracoastal Waterway (Myrtle Grove/Sea Breeze Vicinity); the Gulf Oil Company Storage Buildings, built in 1929 and featuring original wooden trusswork in the roofing; and the Martindale House, a farmhouse dating back to around 1823, whose architecture inspired the design of several newly constructed homes in the Belle Meade Woods subdivision (Myrtle Grove/Sea Breeze Vicinity). This juxtaposition of historic and contemporary homes offers a striking example of the unique cultural heritage that characterizes New Hanover County.
Staff and community
volunteers identified
additional historic
structures in the
Unincorporated County,
including these two
houses located at 2013
(left) and 2001(right)
Castle Hayne Road in the
Wilmington Vicinity.
The Biddle House, left, sits
on a 25-acre lot along the
Intracoastal Waterway and
is described in the 1985
guidebook as “an unusual
example of the formal, Neo-
Classical Revival style used in a bungalow form.” The Martindale House, right, a nineteenth-century coastal farmhouse, adds
history and character to the newly constructed Belle Meade Woods subdivision.
INFRASTRUCTURE & URBAN SERVICES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 51
In the last century, chronic disease has replaced infectious disease as the most common disease and killer among Americans. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death in New Hanover County and nationwide, yet they are preventable through lifestyle choices. Obesity is one of the most significant factors for increased risk of chronic disease. According to the 2010 Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Quick Facts, today’s youth may be the first generation to live a short and less healthy life than their parents, with a huge contributor being childhood obesity. Since 2005, North Carolina and New Hanover County continue to see more than 30% of children aged 2-18 years old who are either overweight or obese.
In 2011, the leading causes of death in New
Hanover County were heart disease, cancer and
cerebrovascular disease.
The map below shows areas of New Hanover County with populations vulnearable to chronic disease. Due to concentrations of the elderly and populations of low socioeconomic status,
Downtown Wilmington, Wrightsboro, Castle Hayne and a small segment in Porters Neck have populations that are vulnerable to chronic disease. These populations may face difficulty accessing healthcare, physical activity and fresh healthy foods.
Access to health care is important because it provides
preventive medical care which contributes to overall
health. In New Hanover County, there are 32.4
physicians per 10,000 residents, a ratio which is 30%
higher than the state average of 22.1 per 10,000
residents.
MAP 2.19
MAP 2.20
HEALTH
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 52
Annually, the University of Wisconsin Population
Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation release the overall health rankings for
counties nationwide based on health factors such
as a county’s built environment and a community’s
health behaviors.
In 2013, New Hanover County ranked 48th of North Carolina’s 100 counties in physical environment. New Hanover County has a much higher percentage of fast food restaurants than the national benchmark. The overabundance of fast food restaurants is compounded by the lack of access to fresh healthy foods or food deserts in New Hanover County as compared to the state or national benchmark.
New Hanover County reported 84 children (ages
0-14) with asthma hospital discharges in 2009, with
a rate increase from 175 per 100,000 in 2005 to 259
per 100,000 in 2009. Chronic Lower Respiratory
Disease (CLRD) is a leading cause of death among
New Hanover County residents between 40 – 85
years old. CLRD is a condition that affects the lungs
and makes it hard to breathe. Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema and chronic
bronchitis are grouped under CLRD. One of the main
causes of CLRD is tobacco use, which can include
secondhand smoke. However, asthma and asthma
irritants, exposure to air pollutants, genetic factors and
respiratory infections could also be risk factors.
The Air Quality Index considers principal air pollutants and determines unhealthy days based on the levels of pollutants. In 2010, the number of unhealthy days for the general public was zero. However, there were 14 unhealthy days for those who have asthma or lung disease in New Hanover County for 2010.
Proximity to healthy food is a key factor in the welfare
of a community. The map to the left shows the
locations of full-service grocery stores that provide
access to fresh fruits and vegetables, are open seven
days a week, and accept the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP), Electronic Benefits
Transfer (EBT), and Benefits for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC). In the unincorporated area of New
Hanover County, most residences are more than one
mile from a full service grocer and would require a
personal vehicle or transit to access.
HEALTH
MAP 2.21
MAP 2.22
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 53
Physical activity is one of the most effective
methods of fighting obesity. Bicycle and
pedestrian facilities provide opportunities
for active transportation and safe, accessible
recreational facilities for adults and children
to get the daily recommended allotment
of exercise. A 2008-2009 study by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) found that adults who moved into
denser, mixed-use communities increased
their levels of walking for both recreation
and transportation. These findings have
begun to shape community development
patterns towards more compact, walkable
neighborhoods with access to goods and
services.
Ecological benefits can be derived by increased non-motorized trips, which can lead to reduced pollution and emissions. There are also documented economic benefits of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including increases in residential property value and trail and race tourism.
Outside the downtown Wilmington core, opportunities
for active transportation begin to decline as distances
from facilities increase. According to the University of
Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, New Hanover County
ranked 48th of North Carolina’s 100 counties for the
physical built environment (2013).
MAP 2.23
HEALTH
MAP 2.24
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 54
New Hanover County is surrounded on three sides by water: the Cape Fear River, Northeast Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. The county’s location is susceptible to many natural hazards, including hurricanes, floods and storm surge. Its location also makes it vulnerable to pollution, especially water pollution, as it is at the end of the Cape Fear watershed. All contaminates that find their way to the Cape Fear watershed funnel into the waters that surround the county before making their way into the Atlantic. Along with numerous creeks, streams and wetland areas, New Hanover County is a diverse place with a wide range of ecosystems and habitats that are home to a variety of wildlife and plant species.
Water
Seventeen percent (24,000 acres) of New Hanover County is water. Some of the major water bodies, rivers, and creeks include the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape Fear River, the Northeast Cape Fear River, Smith Creek, Hewlett’s Creek, Bradley Creek, Sutton Lake, Greenfield Lake and Silver Lake. The County is also home to many inlets, streams, ponds, lakes and tidal marshes that provide numerous recreation opportunities. The diverse water features in New Hanover County also create unique habitats and ecosystems for many plant and animal species. The proximity to coastal waters provides excellent economic opportunities for fishing, shell fishing and all services that complement the fishing economic sector.
MAP 2.25
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 55
Watersheds
New Hanover County is part of the Cape Fear River basin which spans 27 counties. Beginning at the headwaters of the Deep and Haw Rivers, the Cape Fear River begins below the B. Everett Jordan Dam in Durham County. The Cape Fear River basin is the largest in North Carolina. Meandering its way southeast, the river joins the Northeast Cape Fear River on the northwest corner of New Hanover County. Within New Hanover County, there are 20 named sub-watersheds and 10 unnamed sub-watersheds that drain to either the Cape Fear River or the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Delineating watersheds is important when dealing with issues such as water pollution and storm water management.
Map 2.26 is a product from the City of Wilmington’s Public Services Storm-water Management department. The map was created as an educational tool to spread awareness of the flow of storm water runoff and the flow of contaminants that make their way into NHC waters. The green and blue green watersheds drain in the intra-coastal and Atlantic ocean. The orange, yellow and reddish colored watersheds drain to the Cape Fear River.
Water Quality
As one of the most developed counties in North Carolina, New Hanover County works with local, state, and private contractors, including the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, to evaluate surface and ground water quality.
New Hanover County’s annual report of water quality is produced by Coastal Planning and Engineering of
North Carolina, Inc. Water quality measurements are taken monthly throughout the year at 19 monitoring
stations for seven creeks. The creeks include Barnards Creek, Futch Creek, Lords Creek, Motts Creek, Pages
Creek, Prince Georges Creek and Smith Creek. The rating scale is a quantitative system based on a number
of parameters where levels of particulate matter are graded “Good” “Fair” or “Poor.” The ratings are based
on state standards, and the number of times a substance exceeds that state standard determines its final
rating.
MAP 2.26
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 56
Seen in Figure 2.74, all watersheds tested “Good” for turbidity and cholorphyll-a as well as dissolved oxygen
levels, with the exception of Pages creek and Prince Georges Creek. Pages and Prince Georges creeks tested
“Poor” for dissolved oxygen. Five of the watersheds, Barnards, Motts, Pages, Prince Georges and Smith
creeks all tested “Poor” for Enterococci, whereas Futch Creek tested “Good” and Lords Creek tested “Fair.”
Fecal coliform was assessed monthly for only Futch and Pages creeks. Both creeks received a rating of “Poor”
and generally exceed the state shellfish standard for the bacteria.
Data has been collected monthly since 2007, and long term trends show that since 2007 dissolved oxygen
levels have increased within surface samples 37% of the time in Prince Georges Creek, 29% of the time in
Pages Creek, 21% of the time in Futch Creek, and 10% of the time in Motts Creek. Smith Creek and Lords
Creek only exceeded the dissolved oxygen standard 4% of the time, while Barnards Creek only exceeded
the standard 1% of the time, respectively. Enterococci bacteria has been problematic in several creeks since
2007. Samples collected in Motts Creek, Barnards Creek and Smith Creek exceed the state standard 52%,
46% and 41% of the time. Prince Georges Creek exceeded the limit 31% of the time and Pages Creek 27%
of the time. Lords Creek and Futch Creek only exceeded the standard 9% and 1% of the time, respectively.
Turbidity and chlorophyll-a have not been problematic in any of the creeks, as only 16 out of 1,325 samples
had exceeded the standards. Turbidity standards have only been exceeded three times since 2007; twice for
Smith Creek and once for Pages Creek.
ParameterBarnards CreekFutch CreekLords CreekMotts CreekPages CreekPrince GeorgesCreekSmithCreek
Turbidity GOODGOODGOODGOODGOODGOOD GOOD
Dissolved Oxygen GOODGOODGOODGOODPOORPOOR GOOD
Chlorophyll-a GOODGOODGOODGOODGOODGOOD GOOD
Enterococci POORGOODFAIRPOORPOORPOOR POOR
Fecal Coliform N/APOORN/AN/APOORN/A N/A
FIGURE 2.74
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 57
Impaired Waters (303d)
The 303d list of impaired and threatened waters is a list of all stream/river segments and lakes where
pollution has exceeded the water quality standards set forth by the Clean Water Act. Waters that are too
polluted and degraded to meet the water quality standards must develop a Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL). A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum level of pollutants a body of water can receive and still meet
water quality standards. The TMDLS are monitored and reported to the Environmental Protection Agency
every two years. In New Hanover County, almost all of the major creeks, including the Cape Fear River,
are listed as impaired. Monitoring stations have been placed throughout the county by various agencies,
including New Hanover County, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the University of
North Carolina at Wilmington. Impaired New Hanover County waters have caused the closure of shellfishing
areas and have limited recreational opportunities. It is vitally important to work on reducing the amount of
pollution in NHC’s waters in order to enjoy all the recreational and economic opportunities.
MAP 2.27
MAP 2.28
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 58
Primary Nursery Areas
Primary Nursery Areas (PNA) include primary, secondary and special secondary areas that are important for initial post-larval and juvenile development of finfish and crustaceans. They are found in the uppermost reaches of estuaries including Futch Creek, Pages Creek, Howe Creek, Hewletts Creek, Whiskey Creek, Bradley Creek, The Cape Fear River and Northeast Cape Fear River. PNAs are also found in tidal marsh areas between barrier islands and the main land.
Specifications on the use of specified fishing
equipment are regulated in Primary Nursery Areas
to protect not only the animal species but bottom
structure (sea grasses, oyster rocks, sand and mud),
and adjacent wetlands. Shoreline development
is also regulated around Primary Nursery Areas
which mainly include dredging operations. Primary
Nursery Areas are classified as High Quality Waters
which limit point source discharges and storm
water runoff. The North Carolina Division of Marine
Fisheries (DMF) is responsible for delineating,
preserving, protecting and developing Primary
Nursery Areas for commercially important finfish
and shellfish.
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
Air Quality
New Hanover County monitors three of the major
air pollutants: Ozone, Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM
2.5), and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). Ozone is a chemical
reaction of other pollutants (nitrogen dioxide and
volatile organic compounds) in the presence of sunlight.
In NHC and the surrounding region, motor vehicles and
industrial utilities are the largest contributors to the
formation of ozone. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) provides the air quality index which rates
the level of ozone quality based on a point scale from
0-300. The index ranges from “Good” (no expected
health impacts) to “Very Unhealthy” (avoid outdoor
activity). Particulate Matter 2.5 is a measurement of tiny
particles of solid or liquid matter in the atmosphere.
High levels of PM 2.5 are exacerbated by all types of
combustion from motor vehicles, residential wood
burning, forest burning, agricultural burning and
some industrial processes. The last air pollutant NHC
monitors is sulfur dioxide. The largest sulfur dioxide
emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power
plants and industrial facilities. High levels of ozone, PM
2.5 and sulfur dioxide aggravate lung diseases such as
asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and can
even lead to heart disease and premature death.
EPA’s standard for Ozone is currently set at 75 in order to protect public health. Annual averages for the region and the county have been within that standard over the last 10 years. There has been a downward trend in
annual averages, and much of this can be attributed
to more stringent air quality requirements for
automobiles and industrial facilities. EPA is considering
lowering the current standard, which could eventually
put New Hanover County in jeopardy of exceeding this
standard if averages remain at the level they are now.
For PM 2.5, the EPA has currently set the standard for particulate matter at 35 to protect public health. All annual averages collected in our county are currently within that standard, with a noticeable spike in 2010 due to the wild fire at the Holly Ridge Game Shelter in Pender County.
EPA’s standard for Sulfur Dioxide is 75, and this EPA’s
standard was enacted in 2011. While past years have
recorded averages above the standard, averages over
the past three years have been under the standard
and within compliance. Much of this decrease can be
attributed to more stringent air quality regulations for
industries, and the closure of some older industrial
facilities in the region. The conversion of the Duke-
Progress Sutton Power Plant from coal to natural gas
should also decrease the annual averages even further.
MAP 2.29
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 59
Hazard Areas
New Hanover County, due to its location and proximity to water, is vulnerable to flooding from severe
weather, such as hurricanes and severe rain events. As required through the County’s participation in the
National Flood Insurance Program, Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) are delineated areas that have the
potential to be covered by floodwaters of the base flood, or 100 year flood event. These are managed areas,
and regulations must be enforced where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies. The SFHA
zones in New Hanover County include AE, AE floodway and VE. The flood zones range in severity and are
based on a percentage chance that flooding is likely. Land in the AE flood zones has the highest chance of
being inundated, and therefore has an established base flood elevation level. AE flood zone areas have a
one percent annual chance of flooding,
and a 26 percent chance of flooding
over the life of a 30-year mortgage.
Areas in the VE flood zones have the
same potential chance of flooding as
AE, but also have the added potential
for velocity hazards or wave action.
Although there are areas in the county
with lower chances of flooding, such
as areas in the two percent chance, all
development in flood zones should
take into account the potential risks
associated with flooding. New Hanover
County regulates development in
these flood zones in accordance with
FEMA, NFIP, and local regulations.
A majority of AE flood zones lie along the Cape Fear River in the northwest and northeast sections of the county, along the banks of inlet areas and the major streams, and the backsides of the barrier island beach communities (Wrightsville Beach, Figure Eight Island, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach). VE flood zones are primarily found on the front sides of the barrier islands of the beach towns and the tidal marshes of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Due to New Hanover County’s
proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, storm
surge is a serious hazard. Defined by
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), storm surge is
“an abnormal rise of water generated
by a storm, over and above the
predicted astronomical tides.” Though
there are many factors to contribute
to the intensity of storm surge, it
is mainly produced by water being
pushed towards shore by the force of
wind. In general, more intense storms
have the potential to produce more
intense storm surges. Storm surges
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
MAP 2.30
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 60
have the potential to cause damage as slight as
minor beach erosion or as great as the destruction
of homes, businesses and major infrastructure.
The most at-risk populations from storm surge include those on the beach, including Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Figure Eight Island. Though the barrier islands provide some protection from storm surge, areas in proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway, inlet areas and the Cape Fear River are vulnerable to surge.
In 2013, the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency partnered to release the Community Resilience Pilot Project. The report focuses on the impacts of sea level inundation and storm surge on New Hanover County’s water and wastewater treatment facilities. The report identifies the at-risk facilities and provides adaptation strategies to reduce community impacts.
Storm surge also has a great effect on the natural
environment, which can include the change of the
physical landscape as a result of erosion and sand
migration. Effects on the physical land can cause
dramatic changes and degradation to natural
habitats for plant and animal species.
In New Hanover County, there are four general forms of erosion: coastal erosion, which occurs on the barrier islands by natural processes; tidal creek erosion; inland estuarine erosion; and erosion from development sites. Coastal erosion can happen both slowly and quickly by natural forces. Slower erosion occurs from the natural rise and fall of tides, as well as from other natural processes that cause sediment to migrate. Coastal erosion is a threat to New Hanover County’s natural and social resources and must be managed to sustain the longevity of both. One of the biggest attractions to New Hanover County is its beautiful beaches and coastal atmosphere, convincing many to purchase coastal homes or invest in businesses on New Hanover County’s coastal islands. In order to protect businesses, the tourism industry, the local, state and federal tax base, and other public and private infrastructure, New Hanover County participates in three coastal storm damage reduction projects in coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers. The three projects aim
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS60
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 61
to reduce storm damage in Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach. Each project includes a periodic sand relocation process that involves pumping sand from a borrow source location onto the beaches. In Wrightsville Beach, sand is pumped from an inlet source every four years. Carolina Beach has an inlet source, and Kure Beach sand is relocated from an offshore site every three years. All projects are overseen and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers through congressional authorizations and appropriations. Funding for the storm damage reduction projects are shared by federal and non-federal sponsors. Sixty-five percent of the cost is paid by the federal government; the remaining 35% is paid by non-federal sponsors: 50% is paid by the state of North Carolina and 50% by the local room occupancy tax. Maintaining these coastal storm damage reduction projects is important for protecting the social and natural resources that make New Hanover County a unique place.
Inland estuarine erosion, such as that seen in
creeks and streams, also varies in severity.
Heavy rainfall or long periods of precipitation
cause erosion along stream and creek banks,
and increased erosion causes increased levels
of turbidity that effect overall water quality.
Erosion rates are exacerbated by development
and increased expanses of impervious surfaces.
Impervious surfaces and stormwater systems
increase the amount of water introduced into waterways. Permeable surfaces allow precipitation to infiltrate the ground, reducing the amount of water and reducing the force and speed of water received by streams and creeks. Construction sites and sites of new developments also act like impervious surfaces, as barren land does not absorb rainfall like grassy and wooded lands do. Exposed soil found on new development sites during rainfall events washes into streams and creeks, increasing sediment loads that affect the natural ecosystems found in streams and creeks.
The New Hanover County Engineering Department
is responsible for managing and regulating erosion
and sedimentation controls for all development
sites within the unincorporated county, as well
as for the City of Wilmington. Both jurisdictions
are subject to the New Hanover County Erosion
and Sediment Control Ordinance, as well as to
state regulations. Development that disturbs
more than one acre of land is required to have a
land disturbing permit. The ordinance and state
guidelines specify the mitigation of erosion by way
of silt fencing and other practices used to prevent
the overloading of sediment into streams and
creeks.
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 62
Wetlands
Wetlands are generally described as areas where water covers the soil or is present at or near the surface.
Wetlands provide habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial species and can vary greatly depending on the
underlying soils, topography, climate, hydrology and vegetation. Coastal wetlands, such as the ones found
in New Hanover County, provide natural habitats for many unique plant and animal species. Wetlands also
act as natural barriers and can mitigate the effects of storm surge, erosion and flooding during heavy rain
events, tropical storms and hurricanes. They also act as natural water filtration systems that are critical to
surface water quality. Additionally, wetlands are important natural resources for recreation and education,
and provide economic opportunities and commodities such as fish, rice, timber and peat.
New Hanover County hosts different types of wetlands, including freshwater emergent, forested/shrub, estuarine and marine, which account for approximately 35,000 acres (24%) of the total land and water area. Wetlands are extremely sensitive and can be altered by the slightest amount of human influence and natural climate shift. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has conducted analysis and created the Costal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) Atlas which can be used to view change in land cover in coastal locations in the U.S. Their analysis has showed a decrease in wetlands from 1996 to 2010 by almost three percent.
Much of New Hanover County’s wetlands are found in the tidal marshes between the barrier islands and the
Intracoastal Waterway. Other large tracts of wetlands can be found along the Northeast Cape Fear River in
the northwest section of the county and along the Cape Fear River around Sutton Lake. Due to the county’s
location near the ocean and its low elevation, pockets of wetlands are scattered inland throughout the
county, most notably around the I-140 corridor and Greenview Ranches.
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 63
Soils
Soils in New Hanover County vary greatly, and depending on their composition, play a key role in determining development potential. The type of soil differs from location to location as some soils are location specific. For example, similar soils found in New Hanover County may be found in surrounding coastal communities but not in areas further inland. Data regarding soils and soil types is provided by the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS). As a public/private partnership of federal, state, and local entities, the NCSS is responsible for all soil survey activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
An important aspect of soil types is
suitability for the use of septic tank
systems. New Hanover County, in
1980, released the soil classification
report. The report describes the
classification system used to identify
which areas have an appropriate
soil composition for the use of septic
tank systems. Classes range from 1 to
4, where 1 is suitable or has a slight
limitation and 4 is unsuitable and
generally not economically feasible or
environmentally desirable. The report
details the classification system and
details the economic and physical limitations of each soil class.
Shown in Map 2.31, the largest unsegmented areas with the highest suitability rating can be found in the Porters Neck area located in the northeast corner of New Hanover County and adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as along the HWY 421 Corridor and south of Sanders Road in the Beau Rivage area. The largest unsegmented areas of Class II soils are located in the central north-eastern section of the county, north of the Wilmington City limits. A majority of the soil in New Hanover County is designated as less suitable Class III. Most unsuitable Class IV soils can be found along the Northeast Cape Fear River corridor, the marsh lands in the Intracoastal Waterway and along stream and river segments.
Soil characteristics are also used to determine soil types that are considered prime for agriculture. The same
data that is used to classify soil suitability for septic tank systems is also used to rate agricultural lands. The
USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service provide the classifications of soils into five categories:
prime farmland, farmland of statewide importance, farmland of unique importance, prime farmland if
drained, and not prime farmland. Prime farmland is described as land that has the best combination of
physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops. Along with
soil, growing season, climate, water supply, permeability, erosion and flood risk are other important factors
used to delineate farmland classifications.
MAP 2.31
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 64
Areas designated as “Prime Farmland”
are scattered throughout New Hanover
County, but some of the larger contiguous
areas include circular area in Castle
Hayne east of Castle Hayne Road, and
areas in Wrightsboro. A majority of the
classified farmland in New Hanover County
is designated as farmland of unique
importance. These are areas where the
land has a special combination of unique
characteristics to economically produce high
yields of a specific crop. In New Hanover
County, those areas would be a target for
blueberries; however, a majority of those
areas are wetlands in their natural state and
protected by law. Currently undeveloped
areas that have farmland of unique
importance include the northeast section of
the county around Greenview Ranches, the
I-140 corridor and Sidbury Road.
Conservation easements
Over the years, the unincorporated county
has obtained properties for the purpose
of conservation. One of these properties
is Airlie Gardens, a 67-acre site which
New Hanover County purchased from the
Corbett family to serve as an important
buffer along Bradley Creek. Airlie Gardens
also acts as an outdoor laboratory and
educational site and includes a combination
of formal gardens and walking trails. In
addition, in 2001, NHC purchased a .75 acre tract off of Middle Sound Loop Road with funds granted by
the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Located on Howe Creek, the property remains one of the few
undeveloped parcels along the northern shoreline. The Clean Water Trust Fund was also used to purchase
four additional properties from 2001-2003, including the Dobo Property (16.5 acres) in the Hewlett’s Creek
watershed, the Peterson Property (17.35 acres) in the Pages Creek watershed, the Skipper Property (13.43
acres) on Foys Creek within the Futch Creek watershed, and the Duckhaven Property (10.01 acres) located
south of the Duckhaven Golf Course off of Eastwood Road in the Bradley Creek watershed. The county
has also received two properties by donation. In 2007, the Smith Property (14 acres) located along Smith
Creek was donated in an effort to create a continuous conservation easement along the creek. Two other
properties were donated in 2007 totaling 41 acres and will join the Smith Property in an effort to create a
continuous conservation easement along Smith Creek.
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
MAP 2.32
PLAN NHC 2016 EXISTING CONDITIONS 65
Biodiversity
New Hanover County’s diverse landscape plays a critical role in the types of plant and animal species that call New Hanover County home. New Hanover County is within the Middle Atlantic Coastal plain, where three different ecoregions weave in and out of the county. These ecoregions include the Carolinian Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Carolina Flatwoods, and the Mid-Atlantic Floodplains and Low Terraces. Factors used to determine ecoregions include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife and hydrology. Ecoregions are used by many federal, regional and state agencies to determine stream reference sites, development of biological criteria and water quality standards, and the establishment of management goals for nonpoint-source pollution as well as overall ecosystem management goals.
Significant Natural Heritage Areas were created as a requirement of the Nature Preserves Act adopted by the
the NC General Assembly. Significant Natural Heritage Areas (SNHAs) are sites that are evaluated based on
the presence of rare plant and animal species, rare or high quality natural communities, and special animal
habitats. The SNHAs are the best representation of the state’s locations for supporting natural diversity
and are ranked by their degree of importance for conservation. New Hanover County’s diverse landscape
and geographic location make it home to a variety of habitats that support many different plant and animal
species. The Natural Area Inventory of New Hanover County produced by Richard LeBlond and Gilbert Grant
in 2003 is the latest account of biodiversity within the county. Cape Fear Arch, NC Department of Environment
and Natural Resources and non-profit partners are continuously working to update and identify SNHAs and
target areas for conservation. Continued research and striving for conservation and sustainability are essential
to maintaining the vast array of wildlife that makes New Hanover County a destination for eco-tourists and
visitors alike.
MAP 2.33 MAP 2.34
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 3: FRAMING THE POLICY
The Livable Built Environment
Harmony with Nature
Interwoven Equity
Resilient Economy
Healthy Community
Responsible Regionalism
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 2
As New Hanover County charts the course for the future, it is critical to create aspirational goals and implementation strategies to guide future development. These goals and implementation strategies will assist in guiding development for the next twenty five years.
New Hanover County was one of ten communities
selected by the American Planning Association as a pilot
community to create comprehensive plan standards for
sustaining places. By participating in this capacity, County
Planning was able to use best management practices from
across the county to create a format by which goals and
implementation strategies were created. The American
Planning Association created six principles that each
comprehensive plan should include. These principles
included topics that comprehensive plans have not always
addressed, but acknowledge that the way our community
responds and shapes development has a direct correlation to these planning principles. Staff created
an opportunity for our community to hold conversations based on these six principles in an effort to
include them in the overarching vision for the future of New Hanover County. Six theme committees were
formed to explore the following areas:
• The Livable Built Environment
• Harmony with Nature
• Interwoven Equity
• Resilient Economy
• Healthy Community
• Responsible Regionalism
Each of these committees, called theme committees, were led by citizen members. Staff reached out to the community to encourage all interested citizens to participate in these conversations about the future of New Hanover County. Additionally, staff targeted groups or organizations that had specific expertise on areas that would be relevant to each theme committee. New Hanover County staff members were also encouraged to participate and aid in facilitation of each theme committee. The general intent and spirit was that everyone was welcome, no one would be turned away from a meeting, and all perspectives would be respected discussions in conversations. Each theme committee met four times to discuss the issues within the community, best management practices, and ways in which New Hanover County can appropriately address these topics. Meetings were held at the New Hanover County Government Center from the hours of 11am to 1pm. A light and healthy lunch was provided by our sponsor, Clean Eatz, during these meetings. Below is an in-depth into each of the theme committees, the purpose, the discussion, and the recommendations from our citizens.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 2
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 3
THE LIVABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Renewable Resources in New Hanover County, North Carolina
According to David Godschalk, FAICP, with the American Planning Association, “the Livable Built
Environment seeks to ensure that all elements of the built environment, including land use,
transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure work together to provide sustainable places for living,
working, and recreation, to produce a high quality of life”.
The Livable Built Environment Theme committee was facilitated by New Hanover County Planning staff
members Ken Vafier, Sam Burgess, and Karyn Crichton. This group discussed seven main issues at the
first meeting: open space, mixed use development, industry and commerce, infrastructure, conservation
of resources, building and design standards, and methods for financing infrastructure. These
conversations and discussions developed further over three additional meetings into a framework for the
future.
The Framework document, with supporting and detailed information, is included in the Appendix;
however, the recommendations included:
• Preserve open space and agricultural land.
• Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage safe, walkable communities.
• Create a mix of housing types to promote diversity and strengthen existing residential areas.
• Encourage sustainable development.
• Invest in community infrastructure.
• Revitalize commercial corridors.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 3
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 4
The Harmony with Nature theme committee was facilitated by New Hanover County Parks and Gardens
staff Matt Collogan and Jodi Dellinger. According to the American Planning Association, “Harmony
with Nature seeks to ensure the contributions of natural resources to human well-being are explicitly
recognized and valued, and maintenance of natural resources health is a primary objective”.
The Harmony with Nature theme committee discussed five major areas at the first meeting. These included linking major habitats, promoting the region through natural resources, water access and quality, air quality, and solid waste and recycling. These issues were further refined through three subsequent meetings, and recommendations were formally included in the Harmony with Nature Framework located in the appendix. The recommendations for the Harmony with Nature theme committee included:
• Promote sustainable growth and green infrastructure.
• Improve solid waste management and recycling.
• Preserve open space, farmland, and natural beauty, and address critical environmental areas, such as those prone to flooding.
• Link major habitats.
• Promote the region through natural resources.
• Address concerns related to water supply, quality, and conservation issues.
• Promote air quality and renewable energy.
• Encourage sustainable growth and green infrastructure.
HARMONY WITH NATURE
INTERWOVEN EQUITY
The Interwoven Equity theme committee was facilitated by New Hanover County Planning staff member, Wanda Coston, and Legal staff member, Sharon Huffman. This theme committee “sought to ensure fairness and equity in providing for the housing, services, health, safety, and livelihood needs of all its citizens and groups”.
The Interwoven Equity theme committee began discussions surrounding the topics of: a range of housing
types, jobs and housing balance, disadvantaged neighborhoods, services and health care for minority
and low income individuals, infrastructure upgrades in older neighborhoods, work force development,
protecting vulnerable neighborhoods from natural disasters, and promoting environmental justice. These
conversations evolved over four meetings and were organized into an information framework. The
recommendations were:
• Provide a range of housing types, opportunities and choices.
• Increase workforce housing and workforce development.
• Upgrade housing development with the installation of new infrastructure and existing infrastructure.
• Strengthen neighborhoods through redevelopment of blighted areas and ensure environmental equity.
• Create opportunities for health care and services to distribute widely throughout the community in an
effort to reach all New Hanover County citizens equitably.
• Environmental justice grants and initiatives provide underserved communities with a voice in land use equity.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 5
The Resilient Economy theme committee was facilitated by New Hanover Chief Strategy and Budget
Officer, Beth Schrader. According to the American Planning Association, a Resilient Economy “ensures
the community is prepared to deal with both positive and negative changes in its economic health and to
initiate sustainable urban development and redevelopment strategies that foster business growth through
technology and innovation and build reliance on local assets.”
Much of the discussion in the Resilient Economy theme committee was complimentary to the Pathways to
Prosperity project by Jay Garner. This project identified target industries and ways in which New Hanover
County can attract these industries. Additionally, the committee held conversations regarding the four
recommendations outlined in the Framework:
• Encourage redevelopment and infill development for commercial corridors through a balance of uses.
• Create unique and special places that attract individuals and companies by creating a sense of place.
• Use public improvements to leverage private development and look for win-win opportunities that focus
on common interests.
• Support local and small business success and workforce development.
RESILIENT ECONOMY
HEALTHY COMMUNITY
The Healthy Community theme committee was facilitated by New Hanover County Parks and Garden’s staff Tara Duckworth and Janine Powell, and Health Department staff Joshua Swift. The Healthy Community theme committee’s conversations were about ensuring that “public health needs are recognized and addressed through provision for healthy foods, physical activity, access to recreation, health care, environmental justice and safe neighborhoods”.
Creating a healthy community was the central theme of this committee’s conversations. The discussion
evolved into the following recommendations as outlined in
the framework (located in the appendix):
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
• Promote disease prevention and mental health awareness.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy
foods.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 5
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 6
The Responsible Regionalism theme committee was facilitated by New Hanover County Planning staff Ben
Andrea, and Chris O’Keefe. This theme committee was tasked with ensuring that all local proposals account
for, connect with, and support the plans of adjacent jurisdictions and the surrounding region.
The Responsible Regionalism theme committee held discussions regarding a regional approach to housing development, economic development, transportation and management and environmental management. The conversations continued over four meetings and concluded with the following draft policies:
• Utilize a regional approach to housing development.
• Create a regional approach to economic development.
• Promote a regional approach to transportation and management.
* Godshalk, David FAICP, "What Makes a Good Comprehensive Plan?" The Commissioner, Fall 2013.
RESPONSIBLE REGIONALISM
The culmination of these theme committees was presented to the public on August 12, 2014. Approximately
161 individuals participated in these conversations about the future of New Hanover County and
contributed more than 800 hours of volunteer time to this effort. This represents a significant amount of
thought, creativity, and energy toward a better future for New Hanover County. The public meeting on
August 12, 2014 was designed to demonstrate to the community the work of the theme committees, identify
overarching goals and strategies, encourage feedback, and initiate the next phase of this important process.
The next step, the Citizen Advisory Committee, was to refine and organize the theme committees' work into
the overarching vision for New Hanover County.
INFORMAL FRAMEWORK FOR A BETTER FUTURE
PARTICIPANTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 6
Adrienne Garwood
Alison Russell
Andy Olonko
Bob Barden
Bob Hammond
Bobby Chappell
Brian Chambers
Charles Elam
Charlotte Buckley
Chris Johnson
Dan Dawson
Dani McKeon
David Kellam
Don Harris
Donald Thackston
Duane Truscott
Eddie Anderson
Gary McSmith
Harry Tuchmayer
Jane Steigerweld
Jim Herstine
Julia Worth
Karen Dunn
Kayne Darrell
Kenny Bundy
Lynn McIntyre
Maggie O’Conner
Meg Young
Meredith Jackson
Mike McGill
Paul D’Angelo
Phil LaMotte
Sherry O’Daniell
Stephen Whitney
Suraiya Rashid
Tamara Murphy
Thomas Congleton
Tom Gale
Tom West
Tyler Newman
A special thank you to Karen Dunn who represented the Livable Built Environment on the Citizen Advisory Committee.
The Livable Built Environment:
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 7
PARTICIPANTS (CONTINUED):
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 7
Angela Faison
Barbara Rowe
Bobby Chappell
Cary Paynter
Charley Winterbauer
Dani McKeon
Dave Silvia
David Kellam
David Todd
Debbie Elliott
Don Ellson
Earla Pope
Heather Caveny
Gary McSmith
Gus Simmons
Kat Pohlman
Kayne Darrell
Kenny Bundy
Jared Taylor
Jodi Dellinger Rich
Joe Suleyman
John Taggart
Julie Hurley
Julia Worth
Lara Berkley
Maggie O’Connor
Matt Collogan
Meg Young
Melanie Doyle
Nancy Jones
Phil Prete
Randall Johnson
Roger Shew
Ryan McAlister
Scott Johnson
Scott Whitham
Shane Johnson
Sherry O’Daniell
Tyler Newman
Zachary Keith
A special thank you to Earla Pope for representing the Harmony with Nature theme committee on
the Citizen Advisory Committee.
Harmony with Nature
Althea Johnson
Andrea Tarantino
Angela Faison
Atiba Johnson
Chris McNamee
Dan Ferrell
Dani McKeon
Frankie Roberts
Gail Ginsberg
Gary McSmith
Gloria Garton
JC Skane
Jenny Biddle
Jessica Gray
John Edge
Joshua Swift
Karen Dunn
Katrina Knight
Laura McCabe
Kenny Bundy
Mary Canel
Mechelle Estes
Meg Young
Phil Lamotte
Phil Prete
Regina Penna
Rob Zapple
Roger Kelley
Shane Johnson
Sharon Huffman
Stan Turner
Steve Spain
Suzanne Rogers
Tanya Gurganious
Terri Burhans
Tyler Newman
Vivian S. Wilson
Wanda Coston
A special thank you to Frankie Roberts for representing the Interwoven Equity theme committee on the Citizen Advisory Committee.
Interwoven Equity
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 8
PARTICIPANTS (CONTINUED):
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 8
Adrienne Cox
Al Sharp
Ashley Daniels
Bob Warwick
Bobby Chappell
Christine Hughes
Chuck Kuebler
Connie Majure-Rhett
Dave Spetrino
Gary McSmith
Jeremy Tomlinson
Jessica Gray
Jim Morton
Justin Murphy
Karen Dunn
Kellin Dougherty
Kim Hufham
Meg Young
Mike McGill
Miles Murphy
Priss Endo
Rob Zapple
Steve Kohler
Terri Burhans
Tyler Newman
Will Purvis
Resilient Economy
A special thank you to Jessica Gray who represented the Resilient Economy theme committee on the
Citizen Advisory Committee.
Angelia Clinton
Bob Barden
Christina Bauman
Christine Hughes
Craig Johnson
David Kellam
Dalia Nir
Dani McKeon
David Howard
Doug Carriker
Eric Blaesing
Erin Fritz
Everardo Morales
Gary McSmith
Jane Steigerwald
Janine Powell
Jean Murtagh
Jessica Gray
Joshua Swift
Karen Dunn
Kayne Darrell Kenny Bundy
Kristy Hubard
Latanya Howard
Linda Reece
Mark Briggs
Meg Young
Miles Murphy
Paige Owens
Perry Shaw
Sara Burroughs
Schorr Davis
Sharon Boyd
Shahnee Haire
Steve Kohler
Tom Lamont
Travis Greer
Wes MacLeod
Healthy Community
Al Sharp
Albert Corbet
Ben Andrea
Bill Jayne
Brian Chambers
Brianna Grella
Bruce Holsten
Christine Hughes
Dan Dawson
Dani McKeon
David Kellam
Gary Broughton
Gary McSmith
Hal Kitchin
JC Skayne
Jessica Gray
Karen Dunn
Kenny Bundy
Karen Sagett
Kellin Dougherty
Meg Young
Miles Murphy
Mitch Lamm
Phil Prete
Selah Hebbard
Shane Johnson
Stephanie Ayers
Suraiya Rashid
Tyler Newman
Xavier Butler
Responsible Regionalism
A special thank you to Dani McKeon for representing the Healthy Community theme committee on the
Citizen Advisory Committee.
A special thank you to Bruce Holsten for representing the Responsible Regionalism theme committee
on the Citizen Advisory Committee.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 9
As presented in Chapter 1, the Public Engagement Plan, the Citizen Advisory Committee was comprised of 12 individuals: six individuals appointed by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners and one individual selected from each theme committee to represent the work of that committee.
The purpose of the Citizen Advisory Committee was to review and study the work of the theme committees
and further refine the framework into attainable and actionable goals and implementation strategies for the
comprehensive plan.
The committee was designed to be
representative of the county’s diverse
community. The group proved to be an
excellent representation of our community and
offered great conversation and deliberation
about the future of New Hanover County.
The first Citizen Advisory Committee meeting was designed to introduce everyone to each other, offer individuals the opportunity to present their goals and intentions and provide an opportunity for each theme committee representative to informally present the recommendations and conversations held in the theme committees.
The second Citizen Advisory Committee meeting
was organized to gather input from members
on the theme committee goals and how to
implement them. Citizen Advisory Committee
members first determined that decisions would
be made by a majority instead of unanimously.
Additionally, Citizen Advisory Committee
members decided to govern themselves with the following guidelines: to start and end meetings on time, all
members would participate respectfully, agendas would be sent to members one week ahead of meetings,
and members would conduct research and read materials in preparation of all meetings. Citizen Advisory
Committee members were then presented with 20 goals on boards and asked to indicate if they supported
the goal, if the goal should be implemented by incentives or requirements, if the goal was appropriate for all
of New Hanover County or a portion of New Hanover County, and suggestions for implementing the goal.
Staff compiled the Citizen Advisory Committee’s feedback and worked with Renaissance Planning Group to develop implementation strategies based on the feedback. This information was sent to Citizen Advisory Committee members in a survey format for representatives to indicate if they supported, did not support, or needed additional information about implementation strategies. Additionally, Citizen Advisory Committee members were encouraged to provide comments and recommended strategies for consideration. As determined by the group, the implementation strategies that received a simple majority were moved forward and strategies that received feedback requesting additional information were presented at the following meeting.
CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 9
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 10
The following goals and implementation strategies were noted as needing additional information:
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste in the development process.
• Conserve open space for long term agriculture and rural areas.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
• Provide a range of housing types, opportunities and choices.
• Attract individuals and companies by creating a unique sense of place.
• Support local and small business success.
At the Citizen Advisory Committee’s third meeting, staff presented additional information on these topics and facilitated a spirited discussion on these topics. After the meeting, staff presented the committee with an additional survey outlining changes and modifications based on the conversation at the third meeting. The Citizen Advisory Committee was then able to respond and move a number of additional goals and implementation strategies forward based on a simple majority.
The fourth and final meeting of the Citizen Advisory
Committee was designed to review the final draft
of goals and implementation strategies developed
by staff and based on conversations and feedback
from the previous meetings. The Citizen Advisory
Committee discussed the goals and strategies to
refine them so that every member could support the
document as a whole.
It is critical to understand the intent of these goals. The following twenty goals exemplify an interwoven framework of economic, environmental, and social responsibility for New Hanover County. Each goal represents a course of action. Collectively, they steer the County towards prosperity and provide a vision for the future. These goals are not meant to be considered in order of priority.
Consistent with our process for endorsing each chapter by resolution, the goals established by the Citizens
Advisory Committee were taken to theNew Hanover County Planning Board for endorsement. The Planning
Board elected to endorse 17 of the 20 goals, as well as one additional goal, and make edits to three of the
existing goals. The appendix outlines the work of the Citizens Advisory Committee and the recommended
edits of the Planning Board.
The following sections outline the final goals and implementation strategies, as recommended by staff and approved by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners.
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 11
PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
Explanation: Where and how growth occurs can have an impact on environmental resources. Responsible
growth includes strategies to encourage the desired levels of new growth, while minimizing negative impacts
on natural resources.
Implementation Strategies:
• Promote a mixture of uses, where appropriate, in an effort to cluster development and minimize impacts on natural resources.
• Adopt and implement a green infrastructure plan that identifies a network of natural lands and open
spaces and provides ecosystem conservation as well as alternative transportation modes through trails
and greenways.
• Partner with regional governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations to acquire and protect
environmentally sensitive land (establish a regional land bank).
• Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities through encouraging infill and redevelopment.
PROMOTE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
Explanation: There is a cost to the tax payer to provide services and infrastructure for growth. Appropriate growth patterns can help to achieve efficient provisions of services and equitable distribution of costs between the public and private sectors.
Implementation Strategies:
• Coordinate infrastructure from a regional perspective, including water, sewer, and transportation.
• Regionally coordinate of educational facilities, such as community colleges and workforce training, as they support targeted industries.
• Encourage infill development on vacant or blighted pieces of existing communities by providing a variety
of incentives such as grants, density bonuses, and/or a reduction of parking requirements and/or
setbacks.
• Encourage the redevelopment of single-use into mixed-use developments, where appropriate.
• Encourage redevelopment of aging corridors to support and strengthen adjacent neighborhoods.
• Encourage development where existing infrastructure is available.
PLAN NHC GOALS
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 11
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 12
INCREASE RECYCLING AND REDUCTION OF SOLID WASTE
Explanation: Solid waste management and recycling are ways to positively affect our community, and a focus on diverting waste can help eliminate constraints of future development.
Implementation Strategies:
• Work with the private sector and other regional jurisdictions to implement a countywide recycling program, including construction demolition debris and consumer product packaging material.
• Work with the private sector to identify recycling and other innovative strategies to divert material from the landfill (composting, gasification, anaerobic digestion, etc.).
• Encourage adaptive reuse of buildings to limit construction and demolition waste production.
• Encourage consumer-based responsibilities for waste reduction, recycling, and reuse.
INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY BY REDUCING CRIME THROUGH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Explanation: New growth and community investments can use design features to reduce crime in areas.
Implementation Strategies:
• Encourage best practices and design strategies in the built environment to help reduce crime.
• Encourage a walkable community that creates more human interaction between neighbors, to promote eyes on the street and in social spaces.
CONSERVE OPEN SPACE FOR LONG TERM AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL USES
Explanation: Agricultural lands provide opportunities for economic development by creating locally-sourced foods. These lands can contribute to the overall rural character, where appropriate, in locations throughout the County.
Implementation Strategies:
• Allow developments to have urban farms to satisfy open space requirements.
• Encourage voluntary preservation of agriculture land.
CONSERVE ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL AREAS
Explanation: Environmentally critical areas have a meaningful place in our community, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, supporting healthy watersheds, and maintaining critical habitats.
Implementation Strategies:
• Partner with governmental and nongovernmental
organizations to acquire and protect environmentally-
sensitive land.
• Discourage development in wetlands, flood plains, and other flood-prone areas.
• Educate the public on the value of protecting
ecosystems.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 13
INTEGRATE MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION INTO MIXED LAND USES THAT ENCOURAGE SAFE, WALKABLE COMMUNITIES
Explanation: A mixture of land uses allows for individuals to perform daily tasks without the use of
an automobile. Incorporating walking, cycling, and transit into the built environment increases the
accessibility and safety of these areas.
Implementation Strategies:
• Review existing design standards and apply best practices to ensure transportation infrastructure is safe for all multimodal users.
• Educate and promote all users to safely share the transportation infrastructure.
• Work with school district and DOT to allow and encourage students to walk and bike to school safely.
• Review existing parking lot design standards to determine if changes are needed to encourage safety for all users.
• Encourage provision of transit-supportive land uses and infrastructure where appropriate.
PROMOTE PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION THAT IS TIED TO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES
Explanation: The Cape Fear region is naturally bio-diverse and home to many unique species. This unique
feature of our community can be used as a way to promote and encourage economic development.
Implementation Strategies:
• Create and promote a network of greenways, blueways, and trails highlighting environmental assets.
• Coordinate and partner with various agencies to develop future public water access points.
• Revitalize waterfront parks and public spaces to encourage opportunities for formal and informal socialgatherings.
• Preserve, conserve, and/or maintain coastal infrastructure features including natural and man-made,
which are critical to our quality of life, economy, and coastal environment.
ACTIVELY PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY EDUCATIONAL AND DIVERSE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW HANOVER COUNTY RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
Explanation: The future work-force of New Hanover
County requires high quality education and diverse
opportunities to sustain the economic vitality of our
community and enrich the lives of current and future
residents.
Implementation Strategies:
• Work with New Hanover County Public Schools, as well
as community stakeholders and institutions, to support
high quality pre-K, primary and secondary educational
opportunities to meet current and future needs of
County residents.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 13
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 14
• Form diverse partnerships to maximize utilization to improve access of recreational and cultural opportunities and assets for New Hanover County residents and visitors.
• Partner with New Hanover County
Schools, UNCW, CFCC, and economic
development stakeholders to develop
and promote educational programs
that support the full range of skill sets
employers need, and target specific
economic development opportunities
within New Hanover County.
PRESERVE AND PROTECT WATER QUALITY AND SUPPLY
Explanation: New Hanover County is
located on the coast and, therefore, is subject to many concerns regarding water supply and quality.
Accommodating more growth in our region will require more strategies to conserve water resources and
preserve water quality.
Implementation Strategies:
• Continue to enhance a regional water quality program to include ocean, river, and estuarine water-
quality monitoring in cooperation with the University of North Carolina Wilmington and others.
• Continue to identify watershed-specific indicators of water quality degradation, establish baseline measures, and establish watershed development practices to achieve goals.
• Consider establishing water quality improvement goals for the County in cooperation with others.
• Identify and prioritize water quality improvement projects, including wetland and stream restorations, which will improve water quality.
• Identify and pursue funding sources for priority projects.
• Explore the value and benefits of reestablishing the Watershed Management Advisory Board.
• Continue to develop drainage systems and design standards that reflect the natural carrying capacity
of the watershed.
• Continue to participate in the development of state standards and advance the adoption and implementation of local best management practices; thereby ensuring the retention, acquisition, and management of natural vegetation and riparian buffers in order to preserve, maintain, and protect water quality.
• Continue to participate in the development of statewide regulations of subdivision design standards
and advance the adoption and implementation of local best-management practices to protect and
improve water quality in sensitive areas.
• Continue to develop and update education and other strategies to deal with point and non-point source impacts on water quality.
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize an inventory of retrofit opportunities to reduce water quality impacts
from stormwater runoff on receiving waters.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 15
• Identify water specific sources of pollutants to help direct protection and improvement measures.
• Promote expansion of water and sewer systems to protect and enhance water quality.
• Consider establishing a groundwater and aquifer protection ordinance in conjunction with a regional drinking water study.
• Consider removing barriers in codes/ordinances that hinder and prohibit low impact development.
INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PROMOTE HEALTHY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLES
Explanation: Our built environment has the ability to encourage active life-styles, which directly affects individuals health. Creating development patterns that support walking and biking encourages people to increase their level of physical activity.
Implementation Strategies:
• Encourage a mixture of uses in developments that allow individuals to walk, rather than rely upon vehicles.
• Encourage siting of schools into the community that allow for students to walk and bike, while
considering traffic impacts.
• Connect walkways, parking lots, greenways, and developments to encourage pedestrian activity.
ENSURE NHC REMAINS IN ATTAINMENT FOR AIR QUALITY, IN SUPPORT OF CLEAN AIR AND IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES TO SUPPORT CONTINUED GROWTH
Explanation: The Environmental Protection
Agency places requirements on communities with
regards to air quality to protect human health.
The built environment has a direct relation to air
quality. Protecting our air quality supports public
health and enables our community to retain and
attract quality development and industries.
Implementation Strategies:
• Promote compact development, mixture of
uses, and infill that minimizes trips and vehicle
miles traveled.
• Encourage development patterns and
neighborhood street designs that are
conducive to pedestrian and bicycle use.
• Discourage open burning of yard waste and
trash in densely populated areas.
• Consider a program for NHC staff to work with
North Carolina Department of Environment
and Natural Resources to review air quality
monitoring site data and stay abreast of current
and proposed Clean Air Act requirements that
could affect the Non-Attainment status of New
Hanover County.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 16
INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AND CONVENIENT HEALTHY FOODS
Explanation: Providing access to healthy foods has a direct impact on individuals’ health. Ensuring the built
environment encourages access to healthy foods increases the likelihood individuals will consume them
and improve health outcomes.
Implementation Strategies:
• Ensure zoning and land use regulations that encourage and allow for community gardens and urban
agriculture.
• Build on health gaps analysis report and target strategies to promote the locations of farmers markets, grocery stores, and other venues that have healthy food offerings.
PROVIDE FOR A RANGE OF HOUSING TYPES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHOICES
Explanation: Understanding that New Hanover County is comprised of a diverse group of individuals with a diverse group of housing needs helps to ensure individuals do not become overburdened with the costs or availability of housing.
Implementation Strategies:
• Enhance and update incentives to reduce development costs to private developers, such as density bonuses when work-force housing is included in development proposals.
• Consider creating an affordable housing task force to define affordability and work with the private sector to provide it.
• Strategically work with developers experienced in providing affordable and subsidized housing through
federal and state programs, and locate affordable housing developments in areas of highest need.
REVITALIZE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND BLIGHTED AREAS THROUGH INFILL AND REDEVELOPMENT
Explanation: Areas of blight consist of underutilized properties within our community that likely have
access to services such as water and sewer. Reducing regulatory barriers to redevelop underutilized
property helps to provide for responsible growth, strengthen existing neighborhoods and support
economic revitalization.
Implementation Strategies:
• Implement a program to identify and dispose of vacant or abandoned buildings that cannot be
redeveloped.
• Facilitate programs to encourage reuse, rehabilitation, and redevelopment of existing residential,
commercial, and industrial buildings and properties where appropriate.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 17
LINK MAJOR NATURAL HABITATS
Explanation: Linking natural habitats promotes biodiversity, provides continuity for wildlife corridors, access
to open spaces, and recreational opportunities.
Implementation Strategies:
• Identify and prioritize natural areas for acquisition, preservation, and conservation to promote linkage
opportunities.
• Consider developing a conservation land acquisition strategy.
• Review and update incentives for development to dedicate land and/or easements to achieve habitat
linkages.
CONSERVE AND ENHANCE OUR UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE TO ATTRACT INDIVIDUALS, COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Explanation: New Hanover County has a strong sense of place due to its history and natural environment with many unique features. Using these features to create a sense of identity and pride encourages businesses and individuals to locate to New Hanover County.
Implementation Strategies:
• Focus on public spaces and opportunities for formal and informal social gathering places.
• Increase, enhance, and manage public access to water and natural resources.
• Consider creating a strong place-based economic development strategy.
• Make a case for sustainable funding sources to improve the County’s economic development
infrastructure and identify opportunities to leverage the funds effectively.
• Encourage conservation and enhancement of the unique environment, character, and history of the County.
USE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO LEVERAGE PRIVATE INVESTMENTS
Explanation: Infrastructure is an expensive investment for a community. Where, how and when infrastructure investments are made has a significant influence on where private investments will likely be made. Making infrastructure investments in areas where growth is desired with positive financial returns allows the community to capitalize on its public investments.
Implementation Strategies:
• Work with Cape Fear Public Utility Authority
(CFPUA) on a targeted long-range plan for
water and sewer infrastructure.
• Work with Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) on a targeted long-range plan for transportation infrastructure.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 18
• Consider revising zoning ordinances to support mixed uses and a holistic approach to development.
• Consider strategies to encourage increased private sector investment in the provision of infrastructure.
SUPPORT BUSINESS SUCCESS
Explanation: Local and small businesses are a vibrant part of New Hanover County’s economy. Working
together to create successful businesses can significantly benefit New Hanover County’s economy. In
addition to incentives for large businesses, support for local and small businesses may include strategies to
ensure there are adequate locations for start-ups and programs to kick-start small businesses.
Implementation Strategies:
• Streamline the permitting process for targeted industries.
• Advocate for, and develop realistic and sustainable incentive policies for New Hanover County.
• Align County zoning ordinance to encourage targeted businesses in appropriate areas.
• Increase communications with small businesses by creating a resources link on the County webpage
for new businesses, as well as a staff culture to shepherd new businesses through the development
process.
• Support provisions for providing the public free, high-speed internet access throughout New Hanover
County.
SUPPORT HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION WHILE MINIMIZING DEBILITATING EFFECTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
Explanation: Built environment and community policies can have a direct impact on physical and mental
disabilities through location of services, integrated land uses, and sensitivity to the disabled population.
Implementation Strategies:
• Encourage public spaces and health related facilities (gyms, pharmacies, physician offices, etc.) to be
smoke free.
• Promote awareness of physical and mental disabilities and disease prevention.
SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR ALL
Explanation: The workforce of a community is a valuable tool for economic development. Providing a place-based economic development strategy that attracts quality workforce talent and provides opportunities to train our existing workforce is a strategy to retain and attract businesses and companies to New Hanover County.
Implementation Strategies:
• Partner with educational facilities to provide opportunities for training in targeted industries.
• Continue to enhance education program, facilities, and offerings.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 19
These goals are intended to be the overarching vision for development within New Hanover County. As
development and implementation of this plan occurs, these goals will be utilized by staff and decision
makers to deliberate and interpret the vision of our community.
GUIDING DOCUMENTS:
It is important to note, many additional studies have been, or are, in the process of being conducted that
focus on specific areas that also help support and achieve the vision of our community. It is intended that
future development will support the goals and strategies of the following studies and plans:
• Comprehensive Greenways Master Plan
• Pathways to Prosperity – The Garner Study
• Cape Fear Transportation 2040
• Focus – Cape Fear Regional Framework Plan
• Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Parks and Gardens Master Plan
Because the Comprehensive Plan focuses on the next twenty-five years of New Hanover County, an important part of creating a vision for the future included meeting with students from various parts of the County. Staff met with students who were involved in their school’s student council/governments. These students, along with rest of the County’s younger population, will be leaders, workforce, taxpayers, and parents during the implementation of the comprehensive plan. Staff discussed the overall goal of the plan and allowed the students to come up with their own ideas and goals for the future. The students then wrote and/or illustrated their ideas.
During the months of January, February, and March, planning staff visited four elementary schools, one
middle school, and one high school. The elementary schools were Castle Hayne, Walter L. Parsley, H.C.
Bellamy, and Mary C. Williams. The middle school
visited was Emma B. Trask. The high school visited
was Isaac Bear Early College. Throughout the visits,
staff observed that, at each school, the students
were conscientious about issues both within
their area and the outside world. The student
focus groups discussed topics along the same
lines as those discussed within the adult theme
committees.
Staff engaged 75 elementary school children through artwork and discussion. The student’s artwork ranged from cars that could instantly transport you anywhere, to more sidewalks and bike paths, to environmental concerns, and everywhere in between. Each student had certain ideas that their artwork clearly communicated:
Castle Hayne students were mostly focused on
environmental protection. They wanted more
trees, less waste, more parks and recreation areas,
and protection for wildlife and natural resources.
SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT 2015
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 20
Parsley students saw the need for more transportation and recreation options. Many walked to school and wanted more sidewalks in order to walk and bike to school safely.
Bellamy students wanted more options within the
built environment near their homes. They drew
parks, a zoo, and more mixed use options around the
neighborhoods.
Mary C. Williams student’s artwork focused on environmental concerns surrounding beach conservation, wildlife protection, and planting more trees.
Trask Middle School's Student Council participated
in a focus group in which the students listed ideas
for the future. Six locations were set up around the
classroom with each location representing one of the
six principle themes. Students were encouraged to
write their ideas on flip charts at each location. Planning staff spoke with students throughout the process
to learn more about their ideas and answer any questions they had.
Isaac Bear Early College's student government listed goals pertaining to each of the six principle themes. The students wrote their goals under each of the associated themes. During this process, the students discussed positives and negatives that stood out to them about living in New Hanover County, and they shared possible solutions. After the goals were discussed, the students then voted for the goals they believed were most important for the future.
Young people have alternative perspectives and understandings
of the area that differs from adults. They see what affects their
lives currently and in the future. They focused on more sidewalks
and bike paths to get to school safer, closer parks to walk and bike
to and from homes, additional homeless shelters, greater wildlife
conservation, and more trees. Students discussed the future of
the County and changes
they would like to see in
order to stay in the area or
come back to in the future.
By engaging a range of
students from various areas
and backgrounds, the staff
was able to observe how
students perceive the area.
The students' input allowed
staff to gather information
that would not only benefit
the next generations but
also the current ones.
PLAN NHC 2016 FRAMING THE POLICY 20
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 4: VISUALIZING THE FUTURE
Place Type Descriptions
Natural Systems
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 2
Visualizing the Future
The fourth chapter, Visualizing the Future, helps our community focus on how we implement the goals
and values of Chapter Three into the built environment through the Future Land Use Map. The Future
Land Use Map was created using the following data inputs:
• Existing Conditions Analysis: population growth and environmental constraints;
• Community input on development patterns through theme committees;
• Development of alternative futures from the regional planning initiative;
• Coordination with regional partners including the City of Wilmington, and Pender County; input from
stakeholders including: Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, New Hanover County School System, NC
Department of Transportation, Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, owners
of large land parcels, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders
Association, Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors®, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, and
many interested and dedicated citizens.
The Future Land Use Map replaces the 2006 CAMA Land Use Map and will be used to direct development over the next 25 years. This will primarily be done by guiding development decisions through rezoning, special use permits, variance requests and other decisions on development and capital improvement projects; and utilizing the associated land-use categories, known as “place types,” to create new zoning classifications and districts. It will also be used to determine areas that need further study through detailed area and corridor plans.
The predominant focus of the new Future Land Use Map is the concept of mixing land uses – including
commercial, residential, recreational, educational, and others – to create a vibrant and diverse
community.
Some of the benefits of mixed-use development are:
• Reduction of air pollution from vehicles.
• Reduction of impervious surfaces (parking lots and roadways) to reduce stormwater runoff;
• Increase walking proximity to shops and stores creates a healthier lifestyle.
• Increasing the number of people on the street to enhance the security of an area.
• Greater financial benefits, including increased property values, tax revenues, retail lease rates, retail sales,
hotel occupancy rates.
• Reduced transportation costs and barriers for the elderly and disabled.
PLAN NHC 2016 2VISUALIZING THE FUTURE
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 3
Moving Forward
The intent of the Future Land Use Map is not to be legally binding, but to be a general representation
of the vision for New Hanover County’s future land use, developed by the citizens and community
leaders that participated in the Plan NHC process. The county’s land-use regulations are expected to be
amended to reflect this vision as a major implementation strategy of this plan.
The goals of the Future Land Use Map place types are to identify overall areas of applicability for each. However, the individual place type locations should not be interpreted as being parcel specific like a zoning classification would be. Instead, place type locations are interpretations of future development opportunities within the areas that help create a community. This map will serve as a tool for planners to help reach the goals set by the citizens through future development. This map will also be an important tool when developing the new zoning map and the county’s new unified development ordinance.
Place types describe the desired character and function of the different types of development that collectively make up a community: neighborhoods, employment centers, and services. By focusing on development character and function, place types set the framework for policy making and, ultimately, zoning determinations. Utilizing the 21 goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy and the findings from the alternative futures analysis, staff worked with Renaissance Planning Group to develop the following place types in preparation for the New Hanover County Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Commerce Zone
This place type serves to provide areas for employment and production hubs, predominantly composed
of light and heavy industrial uses, though office and complementary commercial uses are also allowed.
Densities are dependent, in part, on the type of industry. Commerce Zones, unlike Employment
Centers, discourage residential uses. Commerce Zones require arterial or major collector road access
connecting them to areas outside their boundaries.
The areas applicable for this place type are the U.S. 421 Corridor, GE, and airport vicinity. Pedestrian amenities should include sidewalks, street and shade trees, street furniture, and bike racks.
Building height could range from one to seven stories depending on the use.
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the Commerce Zone place type:
• Promote environmentally-responsible growth.
• Promote fiscally-responsible growth.
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved
public health outcomes to support continued growth.
• Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and redevelopment.
• Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investments.
• Support business success.
• Support workforce development and economic prosperity for all.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
PLACE TYPE DESCRIPTIONS
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 4
Employment Center
This place type identifies areas to serve as employment and production hubs, where office and light
industrial uses are predominate. Densities are dependent, in part, on the type of industries located
here. Employment Centers can also include residential, civic, and recreational uses, but should be
clearly delineated from rural and conservation areas. Commercial uses designed to serve the needs of
the employment center are appropriate. Employment Centers require arterial or major collector road
access connecting them to areas outside their boundaries. Types of uses include office, industrial,
single-family and multi-family residential, commercial/retail, and recreation.
The areas applicable for this place type are the airport vicinity, Dutch Square, Northchase, and Hermitage Road. Pedestrian amenities should include sidewalks, street and shade trees, street furniture, and bike racks.
Building height could range from one to seven stories. The ideal density for single-family residential is
low (ranging up to approximately eight units per acre) and the ideal density for multi-family residential
is moderate (around 12-15 units per acre).
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the Employment Center place type:
• Promote environmentally responsible growth.
• Promote fiscally responsible growth.
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage safe, walkable communities.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes to support continued growth.
• Provide for a range of housing types, opportunities, and choices.
• Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and redevelopment.
• Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investments.
• Support business success.
• Support workforce development and economic prosperity for all.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy food.
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 5
General Residential
This place type focuses on lower-density housing and associated civic and commercial services.
Housing for the area is typically single-family or duplexes. Commercial uses should be limited to
strategically located office and retail spaces, while recreation and school facilities are encouraged
throughout. Access to areas outside these residential areas are provided by arterial roadways,
but still allow for interconnection between other place types. Limiting cul-de-sacs is encouraged
to promote better internal circulation and minimize high-volume traffic roads within the
area. Types of uses include single-family residential, low-density multi-family residential, light
commercial, civic, and recreational.
The areas applicable for this place type are Middle Sound, Myrtle Grove, Castle Hayne, Piner Road, Porter’s Neck, Gordon Road, Wrightsboro, and Masonboro Loop. Pedestrian amenities should include sidewalks, street and shade trees, and open space.
Building height could range from one to three stories. The ideal density for multi- and single-
family residential is low (ranging up to approximately eight units per acre). Density within the
General Residential place type may be limited by flood plain, wetlands, or other natural or man-
made features and generally should be consistent with nearby communities.
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the General Residential place type:
• Promote environmentally responsible growth.
• Promote fiscally responsible growth.
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Increase public safety by reducing crime through the built environment;
• Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage safe, walkable
communities.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes to support of continued growth.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
• Provide for a range of housing types, opportunities and choices.
• Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and redevelopment.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
• Actively promote high quality educational and diverse cultural opportunities for New Hanover
County residents and visitors.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 6
Urban Mixed Use
This place type promotes development of a mix of residential, office, and retail uses at higher
densities. Multi-family residential uses are preferred, though higher-density single family
developments will not be prohibited. Mixed uses are encouraged in the same parcel, but they can
also be adjacent, or separated by lower traffic local and collector roads. This place type can include
big box retail that has appropriate urban design features. These areas place an emphasis on
multimodal transportation through the requirement of sidewalks on all non-local streets, crosswalks
at all intersections, dedicated bicycle lanes or wide outside lanes, and bus access. Types of uses
include office, retail, mixed use, small recreation, commercial, institutional, single-family and multi-
family residential.
The areas applicable for this place type include Ogden, Kirkland, Monkey Junction, North Kerr Avenue, Cape Fear Community College North Campus area, and North College Road. Pedestrian amenities should include sidewalks, street trees, street furniture, shade trees, bike racks, lighting, crosswalks, plazas, and pedestrian malls.
Building height could range from one to seven stories depending on the use.
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the Urban Mixed Use place type:
• Promote environmentally responsible growth.
• Promote fiscally responsible growth.
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Increase public safety by reducing crime through the built environment.
• Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage safe, walkable
communities.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes to support continued growth.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
• Provide for a range of housing types, opportunities and choices.
• Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and redevelopment.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
• Support business success.
• Support health promotion and disease prevention while minimizing debilitating effects of mental and physical disabilities.
• Support workforce development and economic prosperity for all.
• Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investments.
• Actively promote high quality educational and diverse cultural opportunities for New Hanover
County residents and visitors.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 7
Community Mixed Use
This place type focuses on small-scale, compact, mixed use development patterns that serve all modes
of travel and act as an attractor for county residents and visitors. These areas share several qualities
with higher-intensity mixed use place types, including first-floor retail with office and housing above,
wider sidewalks, and an emphasis on streetscaping. However, these centers are generally small and no
more than a few square blocks. Civic uses, particularly recreation and meeting places, are encouraged
here. Typically, large-scale, lower density commercial and industrial developments are incompatible. The
centers are generally smaller and encourage more housing options. Types of uses include office, retail,
mixed use, recreational, commercial, institutional, and multi-family and single-family residential.
The areas applicable for this place type include Castle Hayne, Sidbury Road, Carolina Beach Road, Ogden, and Northchase. Pedestrian amenities should include sidewalks, street and shade trees, street furniture, and bike racks.
Building height could range from one to three stories depending on the use. The ideal density for multi-
family and single-family residential uses are moderate (ranging up to 15 units per acre). However,
lower-density single-family residential development may be acceptable when limitations to mixed-use
development exists. Density within the Community Mixed Use place type may be limited by flood plain,
wetlands, and other natural or man-made features. Mixed use centers should be appropriately located
where infrastructure can be available to serve the needs of a mixed use community. Areas disconnected
to mixed use centers may not be appropriate for increased density.
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the Community Mixed Use place type:
• Promote environmentally responsible growth.
• Promote fiscally responsible growth.
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Increase public safety by reducing crime through the built environment.
• Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage safe, walkable communities.
• Promote place-based economic development in the region that is tied to our natural resources.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes in support of continued growth.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
• Provide for a range of housing types, opportunities and choices.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
• Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and redevelopment.
• Support business success.
• Support health promotion and disease prevention while minimizing debilitating effects of mental and
physical disabilities.
• Support workforce development and economic prosperity for all.
• Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investments.
• Actively promote high quality educational and diverse cultural opportunities for New Hanover County
residents and visitors.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 8
Rural Residential
This place type focuses on rural areas where new development occurs in a manner consistent with
existing rural character, while also preserving the economic viability of the land. Residential uses are
the predominant, but not exclusive, use. Agricultural and rural recreational uses are intermixed with
large-lot residential areas. Clustering of homes in smaller lots can provide for conservation of other
land while still providing opportunities for residential and agricultural growth. Rural areas have minimal
transportation infrastructure requirements, and rural collector and arterial roads are sufficient. Types
of uses include single-family residential, agriculture and forestry, recreation, and open space.
The area applicable for this place type is Castle Hayne. Pedestrian amenities should include recreational trails, open space, and shade trees. The ideal density for the single-family residential is very low with a maximum range of approximately three units per acre.
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the Rural Residential
place type:
• Promote environmentally responsible growth.
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Conserve open space for long term agricultural and rural uses.
• Promote place-based economic development in the region that is tied to our natural resources.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes to support continued growth.
• Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
• Support business success.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
• Link major natural habitats.
• Actively promote high quality educational and diverse cultural opportunities for New Hanover County
residents and visitors.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 9
Conservation
This place type covers areas of natural open space and is intended to protect the natural
environment, water quality, and wildlife habitats. They serve the public through environmental
education, low-impact recreation, and in their natural beauty. Protection may also extend to
important cultural or archaeological resources and to areas where environmental hazards are
known to exist. Conservation areas and tools may apply to land that also falls into another zoning
category, such as single-family residential, though density is limited and conservation requirements
generally take precedence. In these areas, increased density would be discouraged, and low impact
development methods would be required. Such requirements place limits on development to ensure
the protection of resources. Active efforts to acquire these areas should be pursued.
The areas applicable for this place type include Masonboro Island, managed lands, conservation easements, Futch Creek, Howes Creek, Lords Creek, and public land trusts. Additional areas such as Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC) and Special Flood Hazard Areas might be coded as conservation, but this does not prohibit development as long as applicable regulations can be met.
The following goals from Chapter 3: Framing the Policy will be promoted within the Conservation
place type:
• Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
• Conserve environmentally critical areas.
• Promote place-based economic development in the region that is tied to our natural resources.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and
improved public health outcomes in support continued growth.
• Link major natural habitats.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 10
Growth Nodes
Growth nodes are intended to be focus areas of development, encouraging high-density
developments that promote pedestrian activity and alternative transportation options. The
growth nodes pertaining to the Future Land Use Map are individualized focus areas within the
unincorporated county that have seen and/or are seeing exponential growth. The intent is to cluster
growth in these areas so that public transportation connections can be accomplished.
Community Input and Meetings
The Planning Department held extensive community meetings during the months of January, February, and March of 2015. These meetings were held in various locations across the county as an open house format. Large-scale maps were placed around the room at each meeting that focused on the individual place types from the Future Land Use Map, two full Future Land Use Maps, a map showing environmental features, and the 2006 CAMA Land Use Map. The community members were encouraged to view each map and add their individual comments either directly on the maps or on notecards. Planning staff was in attendance to answer questions and engage with the public. Overall, there were 236 people in attendance over the course of the public meetings.
In addition to the community meetings, staff attended neighborhood organization meetings,
Chamber of Commerce meetings, and meetings with other groups and organizations.
All of these conversations, along with online input, helped staff to further refine the draft Future Land Use Map into the final version included on the following page.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 10
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 11
NEW HANOVER COUNTY FUTURE LAND USE MAP
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 12
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 13
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 14
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 15
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 16
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 17
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 18
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 19
In coordination with the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management and by incorporating
feedback from the Future Land Use Map comment period, planning staff created additional
resource maps that showcase New Hanover County’s natural systems. These maps are intended
to be a source of information used in conjunction with the Future Land Use Map by New Hanover
County’s Planning staff, Planning Board, and Board of Commissioners. They are also intended to
inform citizens and developers about valuable and critical environmental areas.
Baseline data used in the creation of the natural systems maps was obtained from federal, state,
and local sources and has not been modified by New Hanover County. The portrayal of natural
systems data is for informative and planning purposes, and to aid in the development process by
providing awareness to the possibility of hazard and critical environmental areas. Final delineation
of resources must be conducted in the field by an expert.
In New Hanover County, natural systems are areas that are valued and protected to ensure the
longevity of the county’s natural environment and safety of its citizens. The natural landscape
and geographic location of New Hanover County have combined to create a unique environment
for rare plant and animal species. The location of the county, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean,
possesses natural hazard threats, including flooding, wind, and wave damage during hurricanes
and severe storm events. The delineation of natural features and hazard areas are critical when
planning for future development and their impact on the community. The following section
identifies environmental and flood-hazard areas that are governed by the state of North Carolina
and the Coastal Resource Commission (CRC) through the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA).
The delineation of these areas are to be used in conjunction with the Future Land Use Map to aid
in the development process by providing foresight of possible hazard and critical environmental
areas.
Background
In accordance with Chapter 7 of Title 15A of the North Carolina Administrative Code (NCAC) and the North Carolina Environmental Policy Act, CAMA established a state management plan to administer valuable coastal resources. CAMA utilizes two elements to protect land and water resources: a local land use plan created by local jurisdictions, which sets forth desired land-use patterns; and the designation of areas of environmental concern or environmental sensitivity. This section of the Comprehensive Plan will outline principals within CAMA and the objectives of North Carolina’s CRC.
Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA)
In 1974, North Carolina adopted CAMA as a requirement of the North Carolina Environmental
Policy Act of 1971. CAMA requires that the 20 coastal counties of North Carolina establish
a cooperative coastal land management program between local and state government for
preparing, adopting, and enforcing local land-use plans. CAMA planning guidelines ensure the
protection, preservation, and management of coastal resources as well as the promotion of
orderly development along coastal regions of North Carolina.
Since 1976, New Hanover County has updated the original plan five times with the latest update
in 2006. Over the past nine years, New Hanover County has grown, developed, and flourished
with new businesses, homes, shopping centers and improved infrastructure. However, current
trends in planning and development are changing so the tools used to plan for the future must
change also. Adapted as part of a larger planning initiative, this update of New Hanover County’s
CAMA plan is being integrated into the Comprehensive Plan. CAMA planning guidelines have been
NATURAL SYSTEMS
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 20
an essential resource over the years and an important component during this process. Building on CAMA’s vision to adapt to growth while preserving the values of coastal communities, the goals established in the New Hanover County Comprehensive Plan that further support the mission and vision of CAMA and the protection of the resources therein are as follows:
• Promote environmentally responsible growth.
• Conserve open space for long-term agriculture and rural uses.
• Conserve environmentally critical areas.
• Promote place-based economic development in the region that is tied to our natural resources.
• Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
• Ensure New Hanover County remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes to support continued growth.
• Link major natural habitats.
• Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies, and organizations.
Special Flood Hazard Areas
The land area covered by the floodwaters of the base flood zone is known as the Special Flood
Hazard Area (SFHA) on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) maps. Shown in this section, the
SFHA map includes two kinds of flood areas: AE and VE. AE flood zones have a one percent chance
of flooding per year. VE flood zones also have a one percent chance of flooding each year but
have the risk of additional hazards due to velocity from wave action during storm events. Both are
delineated by the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program and approved by FEMA.
New Hanover County is unique because it is bordered by the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, making it susceptible to flooding during heavy rain and major storm events. To protect private home and business investments, North Carolina has building code requirements for structures built in the AE and VE flood zones, which include elevating the structure above the base flood elevation level. Emergency planning operations are also in place to protect life and property in flood prone areas. Additionally, banks and lending institutions require that home buyers purchase flood insurance for a home in a SFHA, which includes the AE and VE flood zones found in New Hanover County.
New Hanover County is part of the NFIP and has adopted a floodplain management ordinance in
order to provide affordable flood insurance to its citizens. For this, the county has agreed to adopt
and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to reduce the risk of flooding.
Flood maps are available to the public and shown on the SFHA natural systems map.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 21
Public Trust Waters
Public Trust Waters are the coastal waters and submerged lands that are open for public use and include activities such as fishing, boating or swimming. These waters often overlap with other classifications of coastal waters such as Outstanding Resource Waters, estuarine waters, tidal creeks, and inland waters such as streams and tributaries. Waters that are considered public trust waters include: the Atlantic Ocean and the land underneath from the normal high water line to the state’s official boundary three miles offshore; all navigable natural water bodies and lands underneath, not including privately owned lakes; and all water in artificially created water bodies that have significant public fishing resources and are accessible to the public from other waters. The types of public trust waters described below illustrate how the different waters reflect the goals set by CAMA.
Public Coastal Waters
Public coastal waters are public trust waters that include tidal creeks, sounds, inlets, and – locally – the
Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. These waters provide for many recreational activities,
including fishing and shell fishing, boating, and swimming. They are described as having high levels
of salinity and providing a habitat for plant and animal species that thrive in salt water environments.
Coastal waters are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Coastal Management (DCM) and are
subject to CAMA regulations and the Coastal Resource Commission’s CAMA minor permitting process.
Degradation due to pollution can affect the overall health of coastal waters, which has a direct effect on the shellfish, fishing, and tourism industries. High levels of contamination can close shellfish fishing areas and pose health risks to those consuming contaminated shellfish. The overall health of both inland and coastal waters is correlated, because they are connected and influence each other. New Hanover County’s coastal waters are a main attraction for tourism, with its many recreational opportunities as well as its ability to provide locally-sourced fish and shellfish.
The North Carolina Division of Water Resources (DWR) under the Department of Environmental
Quality (DEW) establishes classifications for water bodies in the state. In addition, the North Carolina
DCM, under DEQ, has recently concluded a comprehensive estuarine shoreline mapping project.
Partnering with East Carolina University, the mapping project is the first ever continuous digital map
of more than 12,000 miles of estuarine shoreline in North Carolina.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 21
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 22
Public Inland Waters
Public inland waters are public trust waters and tributaries, such as creeks and streams, which flow into coastal waters. Examples include tidal creeks, sounds, inlets, and – locally – the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The headwaters of inland waters are fresh in nature but may turn brackish with levels of salinity increasing as water nears coastal waters. Jurisdiction of inland waters belongs to the Wildlife Resource Commission; however, under certain circumstances, inland waters may also fall under the jurisdiction of CAMA and be subject to the Coastal Resource Commission’s CAMA permitting process.
Acting as the main natural discharge path for storm water into New Hanover County’s major tidal
creeks, inland water health is correlated to the health of the major tidal creeks. The county monitors
water quality at various locations, including inland waters. Degradation to inland waters poses human
health risks and decline of the natural environment. The deterioration and pollution of these creeks
can affect the health of the major tidal creeks. High levels of contaminates can trigger the closure of
shell fishing areas and impact the safety of recreational use in waters.
The North Carolina DWR, under the DEQ, establishes classifications for water bodies in the state. Inland waters are overseen by the Wildlife Resource Commission unless they exhibit indications of coastal influence. Segments of inland waters that exhibit coastal influence fall under the authority of the DCM. Determinations if an inland water is within the jurisdiction of the DCM is based on the existence of indicators such as specific types of plant and animal species or areas that are tidally influenced. The verification of the presence of indicators is conducted by the DCM field experts. Inland waters that are determined to be within the DCM’s jurisdiction are subject to the CAMA permitting process.
Outstanding Resource Waters
Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) are waters with exceptional ecological significance that are
used for commercial fishing, shell fishing, and primary recreation, and are important for aquatic life
propagation. ORWs are a subset of surface water classifications designated by the North Carolina
DWR. Each subset has its own classification and associated rules which may be designed to protect
water quality, fish, and wildlife, or other special characteristics. For ORWs, the classification is
intended to protect unique and special waters. These waters must have an “excellent” rating by
the Division of Water Resources and be of “exceptional state” or national ecological or recreational
significance.
New Hanover County’s unique location and geography is significant to ORWs. ORWs are regulated by CAMA and enforced by the DCM and by New Hanover County. When looking to buy land and/or develop areas in or near ORWs, there are additional rules regulating or restricting certain activities.
ORWs are defined by the North Carolina DWR under the North Carolina DEQ. The North Carolina DWR
establishes the Surface Water Classifications for each water body in the state. Classification rules are
based on the minimum protection rules of state and federal agencies. In order to be classified as
an ORW, the water must be rated “excellent” by the DWR and have one of the following outstanding
resource values:
• Outstanding fish habitat and fisheries.
• Unusually high levels of water-based recreation or the potential for high levels of recreation.
• A special designation, such as North Carolina Natural and Scenic River or National Wildlife Refuge.
• Incorporate an important component of state or national park or forest.
• Have a special ecological or scientific significance (i.e., rare or endangered species habitat, or research or educational areas).
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 23
Much of New Hanover County’s ORWs are also classified as SA Waters which include Class SB and Class SC waters. Class SA waters are best used for commercial shell fishing and other uses specified by SB and SC. Many of the county’s SA waters are also classified as ORW. Class SB waters are best used for primary recreation and other uses specified by the SC class. Class SC waters are best used for aquatic life propagation and survival, fishing, wildlife, and secondary recreation. More information on water classifications can be found in the appendix section of this plan or on the North Carolina DEQ’s website.
Potential Significant Natural Heritage Areas
Significant Natural Heritage Areas, also known as Natural Heritage Natural Areas, are identified as
terrestrial and aquatic sites that have special biodiversity significance. These areas of significance
may be due to the presence of rare species, exemplary natural communities, or important animal
assemblages. These areas are designated by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP)
and are categorized as having national significance, state significance, regional significance, and local
significance.
The Cape Fear Region is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the Southeastern United States. Preserving and protecting endangered and threatened species is required under the federal and state Endangered Species Act. The NCNHP is part of the Division of Land and Water Stewardship within the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. This program has developed the most comprehensive database of natural resource information by combining on-the-ground surveys, GPS services, and GIS mapping technology. The boundaries are based on field surveys conducted by the NCNHP staff and other professional biologists. These boundaries are considered approximate. New Hanover County’s Natural Area Inventory was created in May 2003 by Richard J. LeBlond and Gilbert S. Grant. Information in the Natural Heritage Natural Areas database, formally known as the Significant Natural Heritage Areas database, is included on a natural systems map.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 23
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 24
Potential Wetland Areas
Wetlands are present throughout New Hanover County and it is important for wetlands to be
identified in the development process so that they can be considered for preservation or utilization in
project plans.
Wetland information and data for North Carolina comes from two main sources: the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) database (updated for North Carolina in 2011) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (created in 1999).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the NWI database, which has produced wetland maps and
wetland data since 1974. This effort focuses on creating maps for public reference as well as reporting
on national wetland trends. The database provides the approximate extent of wetlands and classifies
these wetlands under the Cowardin system of wetland classification. The NWI is advisory in nature
and is not relied upon to establish the presence or boundary of wetlands subject to federal law, due
primarily to the scope and scale at which it is conducted and the lack of sufficient field verification. The
National Wetland Inventory can be found on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website at http://www.
fws.gov/wetlands/NWI/Index.html.
The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management also maintains a wetland areas database, which utilizes NWI data, soil surveys, and satellite imagery. Wetland data is available on their website at http://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/coastal-management/coastal-management-estuarine-shorelines/wetlands.
Additional information on wetlands can be found on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
website at https://www.epa.gov/wetlands.
Aquifer Sensitivity Areas
New Hanover County has two sources for clean water supply: the Cape Fear River and an aquifer system. Approximately 80% of the county’s water supply comes from the river and the remaining 20% is pumped by Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) from the aquifer system.
A recent US Geological Survey indicates that water flows in the lower Cape Fear River are decreasing
as a result of water being drawn from the river to meet the needs of growth and development
upstream. Coupled with the expected population growth and increased water demand for New
Hanover County, it is reasonable to expect an increased dependence on our aquifer system over the
next 25 years.
The two main areas of focus regarding the aquifer are quality, ensuring the water in the aquifer is clean, and quantity, ensuring that there is sufficient supply.
Failing septic and storage tanks and a proliferation of wells pose the biggest risk to the aquifer’s water
quality. Failing septic tanks may leak sewage or hazardous materials into the ground water, and the
large number of wells can cause further salt water intrusion into the aquifer. The implementation
strategies in Chapter Five of this report recommend the extension of public water and sewer
throughout the county, and specifically in environmentally-critical areas. This eliminates the need for
wells and septic tanks and it also supports the mixed-use development encouraged though out the
plan. The extension of public water and sewer is further supported by eliminating the Urban Services
Boundary which was part of the 2006 CAMA Land Classification Map.
The second area of focus is related to maintaining sufficient water supply in the aquifer system to support the county’s projected growth. Currently, there is not adequate information on the aquifers in New Hanover County to fully understand the water supply. A detailed study of the aquifer system would provide understanding of how the aquifer functions, the supply of water within the aquifer, and how the aquifer system can be recharged.
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 25
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 26
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 27
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 28
PLAN NHC 2016 VISUALIZING THE FUTURE 29
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER 5: BUILDING THE FUTURE
Implementation Action Plan
Implementation Guidelines
CONTENTS:
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 2
One of the most important elements of a Comprehensive Plan is the strategy developed to implement the plan. New Hanover County is committed to ensuring the work of so many citizens is implemented in order to make our community an even better place to live and work.
Throughout the planning process, much has been
learned about the way in which the citizens of New
Hanover County would like the community to grow
over the next twenty five years. Twenty one goals
and implementation strategies were established in
Chapter 3: Framing the Policy. These goals will drive
the development of the next generation and ultimately
shape our future.
The Comprehensive Plan therefore, is not the
end of the process, but rather the beginning of a
long intensive series of actions to create a better
community that truly represents the citizens of New
Hanover County. This vision; generated through
many citizen participation activities, refined by the
appointed Citizens Advisory Committee, and vetted
through the public hearing process at the Planning
Board and Board of Commissioners level; results in
specific goals, implementation strategies, Place Types
of development and a new Future Land Use Map.
To ensure implementation; a two-pronged approach has been created to clearly outline initiatives and
guidelines for future development.
One of the major concerns staff heard from the community during this process was the desire to overhaul the 1969 Zoning Ordinance into a Unified Development Ordinance; resulting in predictability and clarity for the development community, citizens, and County staff. Many updates have occurred over the years, but a successful overhaul has not occurred. With this in mind, staff created a two-pronged approach to implementing the Comprehensive Plan. Below outlines how each established goal is broken down into Implementation Initiatives (programs or projects) and Implementation Guidelines (a framework for a new Unified Development Ordinance and a guide for development decisions).
Each year, the County Manager presents to the Board of Commissioners a budget based on the Board of
Commissioners’ priorities and the New Hanover County’s Strategic Plan. Staff has utilized the Goals and
Implementation Strategies from Chapter 3 to create an annual “Plan NHC Action Plan” with Short Term,
Mid Term, Long Term and Ongoing Efforts tied directly to the three overarching goals of the New Hanover
County Strategic Plan; Intelligent Growth and Economic Development, Superior Education and Workforce,
and Superior Public Health and Public Safety. In coordination with the adopted New Hanover County
budget, staff will review the Implementation Initiatives as they relate to the overarching goals of Plan NHC
and the Strategic Plan to monitor the implementation of the plan. Items that have been completed will be
removed from the Plan NHC Action Plan and new items will be added based on need and available funding.
This Action Plan will become an opportunity for staff to work with the Board of Commissioners and the
Executive Leadership Team to ensure consistency with New Hanover County’s Strategic Plan and Capital
Improvement Plan.
ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
GOAL
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
Plan for accomplishing Goal
IMPLEMENTATIONINITIATIVESProgram to accomplish strategy goal
IMPLEMENTATIONGUIDELINESRule/Instruction to accomplish strategy goal
ANNUAL ACTIONPLAN
BUDGET
FRAMEWORK FORORDINANCE
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 3
2016 Plan NHC Action Plan
2016 Plan NHC Action Plan
Strategies
Short Term Initiatives Mid Term Initiatives Long Term Initiatives Ongoing Efforts
Intelligent Growth and Economic Development
• Update the Zoning Ordinance
• Coordinate with CFPUA on Capital Improvement Plan and Infrastructure extensions.
• Create an Housing Affordability task force.
• Develop Public Private Partnerships to maximize public investment.
• Parks & Gardens Master Plan
• Partnerships and funding for Land Bank (Environmentally Sensitive Areas)
• Performance Criteria for connectivity.
• Streamline permitting procedures for workforce housing.
• Improve freight and passenger rail service.• Create small area plans.
• Review all development proposals to assure consistency with the County’s adopted plans and policies.
• Support programs to encourage preservation through development.
Superior Education and Workforce
• Create a round table to support targeted industry work force.
• Coordinate efforts on an incentive policy for target industries.
• Partner with WRAR/WBD/ RCA on a real estate portfolio of industrial, commercial, and office development sites.
• Develop a liaison program between the county and businesses considering investment.
• Provide free high-speed internet through NHC.
• Work with Econ. Dev official to tour and familiarize site selectors with NHC.
• Work with schools to align curricula with entrepreneurial skills.
• Identify partnerships, grant opportunities, and a coordinated strategy for attracting new companies and organizations.
Superior Public Health and Public Safety
• Parks and Gardens Master Plan
• Develop a mobile household hazardous waste and electronics recycling program
• Develop a construction debris recycling program
• Add Sherriff’s representative to the TRC Committee.
• Explore groundwater protection and surface water issues for long term water supply planning.
• Neighborhood design incentives to create community spaces.
• Identify watershed-specific indicators of water quality degradation and establish baseline measures.
• Work to ensure public water and sewer for all NHC residents.
• Create an inventory and study of retrofit opportunities to reduce water quality impacts.
• Support Neighborhood watch programs.
• Ensure adequate response times to emergencies.
• Support programs to encourage bike/walk to school.
• Partner with organizations that support healthy local foods.
• Code Enforcement to emphasize housing quality and preservation.
• Monitor the status of air quality to ensure attainment.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 4
As a part of our implementation initiatives, a new Unified Development Ordinance has been recommended and funds have been approved to begin this project immediately following the completion of the Comprehensive Plan. Because the current Zoning Ordinance has many inconsistencies with the established vision of the Comprehensive Plan, a detailed set of Implementation Guidelines has been crafted based on the work of the Citizens Advisory Committee and categorized according to the adopted New Hanover County Strategic Plan. As future development occurs, it is important to provide clarity and predictability to the development community, the citizens of New Hanover County, staff, the Planning Board and the Board of Commissioners. These Implementation Guidelines are intended to provide guidance on the ways in which development can meet the goals and implementation strategies outlined in Chapter 3: Framing the Policy. It is important to note that all local and state standards must be met during the permitting of any project in New Hanover County and the purpose of these guidelines is not to supersede any local or state ordinances or regulations.
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES
STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREA: INTELLIGENT GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Strategic Plan Objective: Promote a strong diverse economy and high quality growth
Goal I: Support business success.
Desired Outcome: A vibrant economy for New Hanover County based on business success.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Streamline permitting process for targeted industries.I.A.1 Encourage target industries in Employment Centers, Commerce Zones, and Growth Nodes.
B. Advocate for and develop a realistic and sustainable incentive policy for New Hanover County.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Align county zoning ordinances to encourage targeted business in appropriate areas. I.C.1 Develop performance controls to address odor, noise, lighting, and other impacts on surrounding uses.
I.C.2 Develop strategies for encouraging office, retail, and other light intensity nonresidential uses within existing residential areas to provide community level service.
D. Increase communications with small business by cre-ating a resource link on the county webpage for new business and an ongoing process to shepherd new businesses through the development process.
I.D.1 Explore updating existing zoning regulations to as-sist in streamlining the commercial review process.
E. Support provisions for providing public free, high-speed internet access throughout New Hanover County.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
Goal II: Support workforce development and economic prosperity for all.
Desired Outcome: Retain and attract businesses and companies with workforce talent that is aligned with our targeted industries.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Partner with educational facilities to provide opportu-nities for training in targeted industries. Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
B. Continue to enhance educational programs, facilities, and offerings.II.B.1 Encourage clustering of educational facilities and employment centers in the built environment.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 5
Strategic Plan Objective: Create and support a vibrant and culturally diverse community that encourages private investment
Goal III: Promote fiscally responsible growth.
Desired Outcome: Growth patterns that achieve efficient provisions of services and equitable distribution of costs between the public and private sector.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Coordinate infrastructure from a regional perspective including water, sewer, and transportation.III.A.1 Encourage the expansion of water and sewer in-frastructure to provide orderly and efficient development consistent with CFPUA’s plans and policies.
III.A.2 Provide connectivity between transportation modes, in growth nodes outlined on the Future Land Use Map, and within new development where practical.
III.A.3 Ensure all traffic calming devices and gated areas accommodate emergency service delivery and intercon-nectivity.
III.A.4 Encourage street connections to adjoining unde-veloped property and connect existing streets to improve accessibility and safety to development sites.
B. Coordinate regional facilities such as community colleges and workforce training as they support targeted industries (as identified in County approved Economic Development strategies).
III.B.1 Encourage the development of educational facili-ties and transportation infrastructure in Employment Centers and Commerce Zones as identified on the Future Land Use Map.
C. Encourage infill development on vacant or blighted
pieces of existing communities by providing incen-tives such as grants, but not limited to; density
bonuses, and/or a reduction of parking requirements and/or setbacks.
III.C.1 Encourage a mixture of uses that create opportuni-
ties for shared parking and setback requirements to serve the overall community.
D. Encourage the redevelopment of single uses into mixed-use developments where appropriate.III.D.1 Encourage incremental transformation of single uses into compatible mixed use centers that are compat-ible with the surrounding neighborhoods.
E. Encourage redevelopment of aging corridors to sup-port and strengthen adjacent neighborhoods.III.E.1 Encourage revitalization and redevelopment of blighted infill sites into compatible mixed uses that en-hance nearby residential areas through incentives such as density bonuses, shared parking, and/or innovative buffering.
F. Encourage development where existing infrastruc-ture is available.III.F.1 Encourage increased density in Urban Mixed Use areas within close proximity of City of Wilmington jurisdic-tion and Growth Nodes as identified on the Future Land Use Map (Porter’s Neck/Kirkland, Monkey Junction, and I-40/I-140 Interchange) in an effort to create densities that can support future infrastructure.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 6
Goal IV: Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investments.
Desired Outcome: Coordinated efforts of public and private investment to maximize improvements.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Work with CFPUA on a targeted long range plan for water and sewer infrastructure.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
B. Work with MPO on a targeted long range plan for transportation infrastructure.IV.B.1 Coordinate with NC DOT, WMPO, and property owners to complete a collector street network plan for unincorporated areas.
IV.B.2 Encourage driveway standards to promote better traffic flow in the county.
IV.B.3 Continue to require street connectivity and discour-age cul-de-sacs and gated communities that impede con-nectivity and emergency response.
C. Consider revising zoning ordinances to support mixed uses and holistic approach to development. IV.C.1 Encourage new development to consider allocation of space for new community services such as fire stations, schools, libraries, and museums.
IV.C.2 Encourage public investments to consider locating near existing communities.
D. Consider strategies to encourage increased private sector investment in the provision of infrastructure.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
Goal V: Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and redevelopment.
Desired Outcome: Strong existing neighborhoods and corridors where the highest and best uses are promoted in an effort to increase economic revitalization.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Implement a program to identify and dispose of vacant or abandoned buildings that cannot be rede-veloped.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
B. Facilitate programs to encourage reuse, rehabilitation, and redevelopment of existing residential, commer-cial, industrial buildings and properties where appro-priate.
V.B.1 Incorporate reuse and rehabilitation of existing structures when feasible and cost effective in new devel-opments.
V.B.2 Continue to maintain standards for landscaping and tree protection for parking lots, sidewalks, and in street rights-of-way for both public and private projects.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 7
Goal VI: Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals, companies and organizations.
Desired Outcome: Enhance our reputation as a desirable community to live and operate a business based on New Hanover County’s rich history, natural environment, and unique features.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Focus in the public spaces and opportunities for formal and informal social gathering places. Increase, enhance, and manage public access to water and natural resources.
VI.A.1 Encourage the development of public shorefront access areas and boat access areas that do not adversely affect estuarine resources or public trust waters.
VI.A.2 Encourage the development of public spaces in mixed use developments through public, private partner-ships.
VI.A.3 Allow uses of estuarine and public trust waters that provide benefits to the public and satisfy riparian access needs of private property owners while encourag-ing shared boating facilities instead of individual boating docks.
VI.A.4 Consider including Form Based Code elements in development regulations to enhance or create community focal points.
B. Consider creating a strong place-based economic development strategy.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Make a case for sustainable funding sources to im-prove the County’s economic development infrastruc-ture and identify opportunities to leverage the funds effectively.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
D. Encourage conservation and enhancement of the unique environment, character and history of the county.
VI.D.1 Update New Hanover County inventory of historic places.
VI.D.2 Encourage preservation and conservation of his-toric sites identified in the county’s historic sites survey.
VI.D.3 Encourage preserving the character of the area’s residential neighborhoods and quality of life by supporting development that is consistent with adopted Small Area Plans and enhances existing land uses.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 8
Strategic Plan Objective: Support a planned environment that enhances community and preserves and protects our natural resources.
Goal VII: Promote place-based economic development in the region that is tied to our natural resources.
Desired Outcome: Coordinate economic development efforts with New Hanover County’s naturally bio-diverse region and unique features.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Create and promote a network of greenways, blueways, and trails high-lighting environmental assets.
VII.A.1 Identify the environmental assets and locations where greenways, blue-ways, public access, and trails would enhance economic development while not diminishing the resource.
VII.A.2 Provide for the protection and development of public shorefront and boat access areas.
B. Coordinate and partner with various agencies to develop future public water access points.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Revitalize waterfront parks and public spaces to encourage opportunities for formal and informal social gather-ings.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
D. Preserve, conserve, and/or maintain coastal infrastructure features includ-ing natural and man-made; which are critical to our quality of life, economy, and coastal environment.
VII.D.1 Development or expansion of marinas (as defined herein) in prima-ry nursery areas, outstanding resource waters, or open shell fishing waters may occur when the following conditions exists:
• There exists a previously permitted channel which was constructed or maintained under permits issued by the State or Federal Govern-ment. If a natural channel was in use, or if a human-made channel was constructed before permitting was necessary, there shall be clear evidence that the channel was continuously used for a specific purpose; and
• Excavated material can be removed and placed in an approved dis-posal area without significantly impacting adjacent nursery areas and beds of submerged aquatic vegetation; and
• The original depth and width of a human-made channel or natural channel will not be increased to allow a new or expanded use of the channel.
VII.D.2 Develop guidelines and standards for community boating facilities and other water dependent uses through updated ordinances.
(Marina: Any publically or privately owned dock, basin, or wet storage facility constructed to accommodate more than 10 boats and providing any of the following services: permanent or transient docking spaces, dry storage fueling facilities, haul out facilities, or repair services. Ex-cluded from this definition are boat ramp facilities allow access only, temporary docking that includes none of the previous listed services, and community boating facilities.)
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 9
Goal VIII: Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage safe, walk-able communities.
Desired Outcome: A community with a mixture of land uses that allows for individuals to perform daily tasks without the use of an automobile. A community where individuals can safely walk, bike, and access transit.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Review existing design standards and apply best prac-tices to ensure transportation infrastructure is safe for all multimodal users.
VIII.A.1 Encourage bicycle friendly design treatments such as wide outside lanes, signage, dedicated routes, bike lanes, and shared use paths into new developments.
VIII.A.2 Encourage “complete streets” consistent with NCDOT complete streets design guidelines and adopted plans.
B. Educate and promote all users to safely share the transportation infrastructure.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Work with school district and DOT to allow and en-courage students to walk to school safely.VIII.C.1 Continue to require sidewalks in new develop-ment and redevelopment in accordance with the recom-mended Place Type descriptions.
D. Review existing parking lot design standards to deter-mine if changes are needed to encourage safety for all users.
VIII.D.1 Review, and if needed, consider updated per-formance design standards in new parking lot design to ensure driver, pedestrian and bicyclists’ safety.
VIII.D.2 Encourage/permit shared parking between com-patible land uses to reduce development costs, impervi-ous surfaces, and reduce/minimize access locations on roadways.
E. Encourage provision of transit supportive land uses and infrastructure where appropriate.VIII.E.1 Encourage pedestrian, bicycle, and public trans-portation circulation and infrastructure considerations (such as cross walks, bike lanes, shelters, pedestrian islands, and others that promote safe havens for alterna-tive transportation).
VIII.E.2 Concentrate development in nodes and high growth areas depicted on the Future Land Use Map to ul-timately produce densities that can support multi modal transportation and Transit Oriented Development.
VIII.E.3 Provide alternatives to automobile transportation by encouraging new development, redevelopment, and transportation improvements to include provisions for a network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including pedestrian causeways, bridges, and crossings on collector streets and major arterials.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 10
Goal IX: Promote environmentally responsible growth.
Desired Outcome: Development that accommodates population growth while minimizing negative impacts on natural resources.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Promote a mixture of uses where appropriate in an effort to cluster development and mini-mize impacts on natural resources.
IX.A.1 Encourage mixed use development that rewards develop-ment practices which exceed minimum standards.
IX.A.2 Establish open space criteria that encourages preservation of natural areas, buffers, trees, and wildlife habitats, while work-ing in harmony with the built environment.
IX.A.3 As part of the development ordinance, include mixed use district guidelines that achieve the intent of the Community and Urban Mixed Use place types and are consistent with City of Wilmington districts.
B. Adopt and implement a green infrastructure plan that identifies a network of natural lands and open spaces and provides ecosystem conservation as well as alternative transporta-tion modes through trails and greenways.
IX.B.1 Encourage best management practices that enhance devel-opment and minimize adverse environmental impacts of the built environment.
IX.B.2 Use incentives to create flexible guidelines as well as out-reach and education to encourage the use of native vegetation in landscaping and discourage invasive species.
IX.B.3 Identify and promote access opportunities to existing open space and incentivize these spaces for active and passive recre-ation.
IX.B.4 To enhance recreation, conservation, and transportation infrastructure, consider prioritizing connections of open space, parks and greenways as identified in the Parks Master Plan.
C. Partner with regional governmental agencies and nongovernmental organization to acquire and protect environmentally sensitive land (eg. Establish a regional land bank).
IX.C.1 Provide opportunities to legally transfer density and imper-vious surfaces out of areas where exceptional resources may be impacted.
IX.C.2 Encourage the use of best management practices through education and incentives to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
IX.C.3 Continue promotion of New Hanover County as a “no dis-charge zone” and promote the Clean Marina Program.
IX.C.4 Prohibit floating home development where pump-out fa-cilities or sewer connections are not available in order to protect public trust and estuarine areas and to minimize risk of loss to persons and property.
D. Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities through encouraging infill and redevelopment.
IX.D.1 Encourage incremental inclusion of mixed uses into areas that are single use dominated where the uses are compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods.
IX.D.2 Encourage infill development to maximize use of previ-ously developed sites for highest and best use.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 11
Goal X: Conserve environmentally critical areas.
Desired Outcome: Utilize environmentally critical areas for outdoor recreation, healthy watersheds, and main-tenance of critical habitats.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Partner with governmental and nongov-ernmental organizations to acquire and protect environmentally sensitive areas.
X.A.1 Encourage development patterns that preserve natural areas, buf-fers, and significant trees.
X.A.2 Ensure the protection and preservation of undeveloped barrier and estuarine system island by purchase or dedication in order to re-strict development, support research, and encourage passive recreation as their primary uses.
B. Discourage development in wetlands, flood plain, and other flood prone areas.X.B.1 Encourage connection to public water and sewer in environmentally sensitive areas to minimize potential contamination from failing septic systems.
X.B.2 Encourage lower density development and/or alternatives to de-velopment (ie. acquisition through clean water trust funds and grants) in ocean erodible areas, inlet hazard areas, high hazard flood areas, coastal and federally regulated wetlands.
X.B.3 Encourage lower density development and/or alternatives to devel-opment (ie. acquisition through clean water trust funds and grants), and minimal impervious surface coverage within the 100-year floodplain (1% annual chance floodplain). The following applies:
• Development projects may be allowed within the floodplain where adverse impacts to the estuarine system can be shown to be negligible.
• Low intensity uses on a site, such as open space and passive recreation, may be appropriate in the floodplain.
• Projects should comply with hierarchical principles of impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation for unavoidable im-pacts.
• Evaluate the need to develop standards for the protection of envi-ronmentally significant areas during development and redevelop-ment.
X.B.4 Encourage preservation of existing natural wetlands and construct-ed wetlands as a stormwater mitigation technique where practical.
X.B.5 Encourage preservation of existing natural buffer areas for conser-vation resources to preserve their natural functions.
X.B.6 Incentivize, through the development process, the use of Best Man-agement Practices such as Low Impact Development where possible to ensure environmentally critical areas are conserved.
X.B.7 Encourage the use of native vegetation in landscaping.
C. Educate the public on the value of pro-tecting ecosystems.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 12
Goal XI: Conserve open space for long term agricultural and rural uses.
Desired Outcome: Provide opportunities for locally sourced food and contribute to the overall rural character of locations within the County defined on the Future Land Use Map.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Allow developments to have urban farms to satisfy open space requirements.XI.A.1 Incentivize the inclusion of urban farms and com-munity gardens as amenities or open space in develop-ment proposals.
XI.A.2 Identify opportunities for preservation of open space in new development projects.
B. Encourage voluntary preservation of agricultural land.XI.B.1 Support voluntary preservation of agricultural lands in the portions of the County where in demand.
Goal XII: Link major natural habitats.
Desired Outcome: Connected open space and recreational opportunities that promotes biodiversity and provides continuity for wildlife through corridors.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Identify and prioritize natural areas for acquisition, preservation, and conservation to promote linkage op-portunities.
XII.A.1 Encourage the provision of open space that pro-tects our natural environment and wildlife habitats, and provides educational and recreational opportunities.
B. Consider developing a conservation land acquisition strategy.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Review and update incentives for development to dedicate land and or easements to achieve habitat linkages.
XII.C.1 Encourage new developments to work together on connecting open spaces in a manner that creates efficient and cohesive natural areas in an effort to provide greater benefit.
PLAN NHC 2016 12BUILDING THE FUTURE
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE
13
Goal XIII: Preserve and protect water quality and supply.
Desired Outcome: Accommodating anticipated growth in a manner that is sustainable to New Hanover County’s water supply and water quality.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Continue to enhance a regional water quality program to include ocean, river and estuarine water quality monitoring in cooperation with UNCW and others.
XIII.A.1 Continue efforts to preserve and restore shell fishing to SA waters and restore the water quality of non-supporting sur-face waters to levels necessary to support their use designations.
B. Continue to identify watershed specific indica-tors of water quality degradation, establish baseline measures, and establish watershed development practices to achieve goals.
XIII.B.1 Dredging activities in Primary Nursery Areas (PNA), Out-standing Resource Waters (ORW), and Shell fishing Waters (SA), should be avoided except for the purpose of scientific research, projects designed for the purpose of protecting and enhancing water quality, and where supported by sound scientific and tech-nical knowledge. Limited exceptions may be allowed for the ur-ban waterfront and Wilmington’s ports, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Cape Fear River Corridor Plan (1997), the Wilmington Vision 2020 Plan (2004), and other adopted plans and for inlet management projects as permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Maintenance dredging may occur when the following conditions exists:
• There exists a previously permitted channel which was constructed or maintained under permits issued by the State or Federal Government. If a natural channel was in use, or if a human-made channel was constructed before permitting was necessary, there shall be clear evidence that the channel was continuously used for a specific purpose; and
• Excavated material can be removed and placed in an approved disposal area without significantly impacting adjacent nursery areas and beds of submerged aquatic vegetation; and
The original depth and width of a human-made channel or natural channel will not be increased to allow a new or expanded use of the channel.
C. Consider establishing water quality improve-ment goals for the County.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
D. Identify and prioritize water quality improve-ment projects, including wetland and stream restorations, which will improve water quality.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
E. Identify and pursue funding sources for priority projects. Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
F. Explore the value and benefits of reestablishing the Watershed Management Advisory Board. Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
G. Continue to develop drainage systems and de-sign standards that reflect the natural carrying capacity of the watershed.
XIII.G.1 Encourage stormwater management systems that mimic the predevelopment hydrology of the site.
XIII.G.2 Continue to ensure drainage from land use activities has rate of flow and volume characteristics as near to predevelop-ment conditions as possible.
H. Continue to participate in the development of state standards and advance the adoption and implementation of local best management prac-tices to ensure the retention, acquisition and management of natural vegetation and riparian buffers to preserve, maintain and protect water quality.
XIII.H.1 Encourage the retention, acquisition, and management of natural vegetative buffers to preserve, maintain, and protect water quality.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 14
I. Continue to participate in the development of statewide regulation of subdivision design standards and advance the adoption and imple-mentation of local best management practices to protect and improve water quality in sensitive areas.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
J. Continue to develop and update educational and other strategies to deal with point and non-point source impacts on water quality.
XIII.J.1 Encourage subdivision design that protects and improves water quality.
K. Identify, evaluate, and prioritize an inventory of retrofit opportunities to reduce water quality impacts from stormwater runoff on receiving waters.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
L. Identify water specific sources of pollutants to help direct protection and improvement mea-sures.
XIII.L.1 Protect surface water quality by prohibiting new and eliminating existing collection systems that directly discharge storm water to surface waters.
XIII.L.2 Ensure that stormwater runoff from roadways does not directly discharge to surface waters.
M. Promote expansion of water and sewer system to protect and enhance water quality.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
N. Consider establishing a groundwater and aqui-fer protection ordinance.XIII.N.1 Explore methods to protect groundwater aquifers.
XIII.N.2 Research and develop appropriate performance metrics for uses that may have adverse impacts on ground water aqui-fers.
O. Consider removing barriers in codes/ordinances that hinder and prohibit low impact develop-ment.
XIII.O.1 Encourage low impact development and other best man-agement practices.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 15
STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREA: SUPERIOR EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE
Strategic Plan Objective: Prepare all students to be successful in a 21st century world
Goal XIV: Actively promote high quality education and diverse cultural opportunities for New Hanover County residents and visitors.
Desired Outcome: High quality education and diverse opportunities that sustain the economic vitality of our community and enrich the lives of current and future residents.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Work with New Hanover County Public Schools as well as community stakeholders and institutions to support high quality pre-K, primary, and secondary educational opportu-nities to meet current and future needs of County residents.
XIV.A.1 Encourage schools to locate in areas where they provide the maximum benefit to adjoining neighborhoods.
XIV.A.2 Plan and locate schools to allow for future expansion and to ensure better and shared use of the facilities and campus.
B. Form diverse partnerships to maximize utilization and im-prove access to recreational and cultural opportunities and assets for New Hanover County residents and visitors.
XIV.B.1 Where development projects include protect-ed cultural resources, encourage promotion of the resource as an asset to the development.
C. Partner with New Hanover County Schools, UNCW, CFCC, and economic development stakeholders to develop and promote educational programs that support the full range of skill sets employers need and target specific economic development opportunities within New Hanover County.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
Strategic Plan Objective: Enhance the self-sufficiency of individuals and families
Goal XV: Provide for a range of housing types, opportunities, and choices.
Desired Outcome: Citizens are not overburdened with the costs or availability of housing, but have a diverse range of options that are affordable at different income levels.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Enhance and update incentives to reduce develop-ment costs to private developers such as density bo-nuses when work force housing is included in devel-opment proposals.
XV.A.1 Explore an ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units that are compatible with existing neighborhoods.
XV.A.2 Encourage a mixture of uses in an effort to provide diversity of housing choice.
XV.A.3 Review zoning regulations where appropriate to accommodate populations with special needs such as the elderly and disabled.
XV.A.4 Incentivize, through the development process, the inclusion of diverse housing choices and opportunities in urban and community mixed use areas so that safe and conveniently located communities are available regardless of age or income.
B. Consider creating an affordable housing task force to define affordability and work with private sector to provide it.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Strategically work with developers experienced in providing affordable and subsidized housing through
federal and state programs and locate affordable housing developments in areas of highest need.
XV.C.1 Encourage a mixture of housing types near employ-ment centers.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 16
STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREA: SUPERIOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Strategic Plan Objective: Reduce and prevent crime
Strategic Plan Objective: Increase the safety and security of the community
Goal XVI: Increase public safety by reducing crime through the built environment.
Desired Outcome: New development patterns that focus on increased public safety.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Encourage best practices and design strategies in the built environment to help reduce crime.XVI.A.1 Encourage best management practices for reduc-ing crime such as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, Firewise, etc.
B. Encourage a walkable community that creates more human interaction between neighbors (eyes on the street/ social space).
XVI.B.1 Incorporate multiple points of access to the existing transportation network to ensure safe traffic operations.
XVI.B.2 Ensure transportation facilities are designed to ac-commodate the proposed development and are consistent with the place type in which they are located.
Strategic Plan Objective: Reduce health risks and diseases
Goal XVII: Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
Desired Outcome: Divert solid waste to eliminate constraints of future development.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Work with private sector and other regional jurisdic-tions to implement a countywide recycling program including construction demolition debris and consum-er product packaging material.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
B. Work with private sector entities to identify recycling and other innovative strategies to divert material from the landfill. (Composting, gasification, anaerobic digestion, etc.)
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
C. Encourage adaptive reuse of building to limit con-struction and demolition waste production.XVII.C.1 Encourage adaptive reuse for vacant or dilapi-dated structures and sites rather than demolition when practical or fiscally responsible.
D. Encourage consumer based responsibilities for waste reduction, recycling, and reuse.Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 17
Goal XVIII: Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles.
Desired Outcome: A built environment that encourages active life styles and increased health through walking and biking.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Encourage a mixture of uses in developments that allows individuals to walk rather than rely upon ve-hicles.
XVIII.A.1 Provide sidewalks and/or multi-purpose paths within development projects.
XVIII.A.2 Encourage the inclusion of areas for physical activity in the design of residential open space areas.
B. Encourage siting of schools into the community al-lowing for students to walk or bike to shcool, while considering traffic impacts.
XVIII.B.1 Provide sidewalks or multiuse paths within close proximity of schools and other community facilities.
C. Connect walkways, parking lots, greenways, and devel-opments to encourage pedestrian activity.XVIII.C.1 Encourage dedication or provision of easements for multi-use paths consistent with the Greenway Master Plan and other adopted plans.
XVIII.C.2 Allow payment in lieu for recreational facilities.
Goal XIX: Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
Desired Outcome: Increased community health.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Ensure zoning and land use regulations encourage and allow for community gardens and urban agricul-ture.
XIX.A.1 Allow agricultural uses in open space areas.
B. Build on health gaps analysis report, target strate-gies to promote location of farmers markets, grocery stores, and other venues that have healthy food offer-ings.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
Goal XX: Support health promotion and disease prevention while minimizing debilitating effects of mental and physical disabilities.
Desired Outcome: A built environment that supports citizens with mental and physical disabilities through the location of services, integration of land uses, and sensitivity to the disabled population.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Encourage public spaces and health related facili-ties (Gyms, pharmacies, physician offices, etc.) to be smoke free.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
B. Promote awareness of physical and mental disabilities and disease prevention.XX.B.1 Sidewalks, pedestrian amenities, and residential common areas should be designed to be inclusive of per-sons with limited mobility.
PLAN NHC 2016 BUILDING THE FUTURE 18
Goal XXI: Ensure NHC remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and improved public health outcomes in support of continued growth.
Desired Outcome: New Hanover County to remain in attainment for air quality to protect public health and re-tain and attract quality development and industries.
Implementation Strategies Implementation Guidelines
A. Promote compact development, mixture of uses, and infill that minimizes trips and vehicle miles traveled. XXI.A.1 Promote compact development and infill with a mix of integrated community uses (e.g. housing, shops, workplaces, schools, parks, and civic facilities) within walk-ing or bicycling distance that minimizes vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled.
XX1.A.2 Encourage development be located and designed to be convenient for access to public transit, thereby bring-ing potential riders closer to transit facilities and increas-ing ridership.
B. Encourage development patterns and neighborhood street designs that are conductive to pedestrian and bicycle use.
XXI.B.1 Encourage “complete street” design to accommo-date all users and encourage alternative modes of travel.
XXI.B.2 Promote street, sidewalk, and greenway designs that support and enhance access between neighborhoods and to neighborhood-based commercial developments.
C. Discourage open burning of yard waste and trash in densely populated areas. XXI.C.1 Discourage open burning in densely populated areas.
D. Consider a program for NHC staff to work with NCDENR to review air quality monitoring site data and stay abreast of current and proposed Clean Air Act Requirements that could affect the Non-Attainment status of New Hanover County.
Guidelines are not part of this strategy.
APPENDIX
Appendix | i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Appendix
Chapter 1 Resolution ...............................................................................................................2
Comprehensive Plan Sustainability Standards .....................................................................3
What Makes a Good Comprehensive Plan? ........................................................................10
Six Theme Principles Definition Matrix
Harmony with Nature ........................................................................................................17
Healthy Community ...........................................................................................................19
Interwoven Equity ..............................................................................................................20
Livable Built Environment ................................................................................................22
Resilient Economy .............................................................................................................24
Responsible Regionalism ...................................................................................................25
Chapter 2 Appendix
Chapter 2 Resolution .............................................................................................................30
Population
Historical Annexation: Map 2.1 .........................................................................................31
Concentration of the Elderly (65+): Map 2.2 ....................................................................32
Land Cover: Developed and Undeveloped Land: Map 2.3 ...............................................33
Land Cover: Map 2.4 .........................................................................................................34
Conservation Lands: Map 2.5 ............................................................................................35
Land Development
Land Use: Map 2.6 .............................................................................................................36
Zoning Districts: Map 2.7 ..................................................................................................37
Urban Services Area: Map 2.8 ...........................................................................................38
CAMA Land Classification: Map 2.9 ................................................................................39
Housing
Community Development Block Grant: Map 2.10 ............................................................40
Transportation
Appendix | ii
Road Classifications: Map 2.11 .........................................................................................41
Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities: Map 2.12 ........................................................................42
NHC Rail Lines: Map 2.13 ................................................................................................43
Infrastructure & Urban Services
CFPUA Sewer Service: Map 2.14 .....................................................................................44
CFPUA Water Service: Map 2.15 .....................................................................................45
Telecommunications: Map 2.16 .........................................................................................46
Parks & Boat Access: Map 2.17 ........................................................................................47
Proximity to Physical Activity: Map 2.18 .........................................................................48
Health
Chronic Disease Vulnerability: Map 2.19 .........................................................................49
Proximity to Medical Facilities: Map 2.20 ........................................................................50
Proximity to Dental Facilities: Map 2.21 ...........................................................................51
Proximity to Grocery Stores: Map 2.22 .............................................................................52
Proximity to Active Transportation: Map 2.23 ..................................................................53
Proximity to Physical Activity: Map 2.24 .........................................................................54
Environmental/Natural Resources
Waters of NHC: Map 2.25 .................................................................................................55
NHC Watersheds: Map 2.26 ..............................................................................................56
NHC Shellfishing: Map 2.27 .............................................................................................57
NHC Water Quality: Map 2.28 ..........................................................................................58
NHC Primary Nursing Areas: Map 2.29............................................................................59
FEMA Flood Zones: Map 2.30 ..........................................................................................60
Soils Classifications: Map 2.31..........................................................................................61
Agricultural Lands: Map 2.32 ............................................................................................62
Biodiversity/Wildlife Habitat Conservation: Map 2.33 .....................................................63
Significant Natural Heritage Areas: Map 2.34 ..................................................................64
Appendix | iii
Chapter 3 Appendix
Chapter 3 Resolution .............................................................................................................66
Informal Framework .............................................................................................................67
Planning Board Recommendations for Goals and Implementation Strategies ...............73
Citizen Advisory Committee Signature Page ......................................................................81
School Children Involvement
Elementary School Drawings ............................................................................................82
Trask Middle School Input and Comments .....................................................................120
Isaac Bear Early College Input ........................................................................................124
Chapter 4 Appendix
Chapter 4 Resolution ...........................................................................................................127
Alternative Futures Report Summary ...............................................................................128
Population and Employment Forecasting .........................................................................128
Land Use Availability and Attractiveness Assessment .....................................................130
Alternative Futures Scenarios ............................................................................................131
Community Input and Meetings ........................................................................................134
Reference Documents
Acronym Reference Guide ..................................................................................................140
Glossary ................................................................................................................................142
Map Sources .........................................................................................................................149
List of Plans and Policies .....................................................................................................151
Surface Water Quality Classes ...........................................................................................153
CAMA Matrix ......................................................................................................................155
Chapter 1 Appendix
Appendix | 2
Appendix | 3
Comprehensive Plan Sustainability Standards
August 6, 2013
APA Plan Standards Working Group:
David Godschalk FAICP (Chair), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Uri Avin FAICP, National Center for Smart Growth
Ben Herman FAICP, Clarion Associates
Gil Kelley AICP, Gil Kelley and Associates
David Rouse AICP, Wallace, Roberts, & Todd
Emily Talen FAICP, Arizona State University
Karen Walz FAICP, Strategic Community Solutions
APA staff members:
Bill Klein AICP
Jeff Soule FAICP
Erin Musiol AICP
David Morley AICP
Stacey Williams
1.0 Purpose
Sustainability is a defining challenge of our times and local comprehensive plans are important
tools for sustaining places. The purpose of this APA Plan Standards Working Group paper is to
lay out a set of practice standards to be used in the preparation of comprehensive plans aimed at
sustaining places. The paper describes the standards, the process used to identify and test them,
and a potential approach for applying them to future plans.
2.0 Background
In 2012 APA President Mitchell Silver and Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer suggested that a
working group of members and staff explore the possibility of accrediting comprehensive plans
and similar planning documents. This suggestion was similar to a recommendation in the report
of APA’s 2010-2011 Sustaining Places Task Force that plans should be able to be accredited as
sustaining places comprehensive plans if they embody certain principles, best practices, and
characteristics. The task force report was later modified and turned into a Planning Advisory
Service report (Godchalk and Anderson, 2012, Sustaining Places: The Role of the
Comprehensive Plan, APA PAS Report 567).
The Task Force defined planning for sustaining places as:
“a dynamic, democratic process through which communities plan to meet the needs of current
and future generations without compromising the ecosystems upon which they depend by
balancing social, economic, and environmental resources, incorporating resilience, and linking
local actions to regional and global concerns.”
Appendix | 4
Initiated in 2012, the APA Plan Standards Working Group with APA staff explored the
possibility of using a set of best practice standards for preparing and evaluating comprehensive
plans that seek to sustain places. Using posts on a Base Camp site, emails, and further tested
them with students in a planning class and participants in a one-day workshop at the National
Planning Conference in Chicago in April 2013.
3.0 Framework
Three types of standards are proposed:
Principles- the overall goals for comprehensive plans aimed at achieving sustainable
communities, including livable built environment, harmony with nature, resilient
economy, interwoven equity, healthy community, and responsible regionalism.
Process- the standards for participation and implementation activities in comprehensive
planning for sustainable communities.
Attributes- the standards for the content and characteristics of comprehensive plan
documents for sustainable communities.
Standards for achieving these principles, processes, and attributes are met by the inclusion of
best practices in comprehensive plans and planning:
Best Practices- the plan actions or elements, such as goals, objectives, policies,
priorities, implementation or action steps or tasks, and maps that demonstrate a
community’s commitment to pursue sustainability; these are the planning tools employed
by the community to guide its planning, development, and decision-making.
Specific best practices that support the recommended principles, processes, and attributes are
listed in Tables 1, 2, and 3. Working definitions of individual best practices are provided in an
appendix, Comprehensive Plan Best Practices: Definitions and Scoring Matrix. This matrix is
designed to assist a community in assessing the extent to which the best practices are addressed
in the plan.
4.0 Principles
The six principles that must be recognized in the plan were derived from a review or current
comprehensive plans by the APA Sustaining Places Task Force. As stated in the Task Force
report, Sustaining Places: The Role of the Comprehensive Plan (Godschalk and Anderson 2012),
the principles include:
Livable Built Environment - Ensure that all elements of the built environment, including
land use, transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure work together to provide
sustainable, green places for living, working, and recreation, to produce a high quality
life.
Harmony with Nature - Ensure the contributions of natural resources to human well-
being are explicitly recognized and valued and that maintaining their health is a primary
objective.
Resilient Economy - Ensure the community is prepared to deal with both positive and
negative changes in its economic health and to initiate sustainable urban development and
redevelopment strategies that foster business growth through technology and innovation
and build reliance on local assets.
Appendix | 5
Interwoven Equity - Ensure fairness and equity in providing housing, services, health,
safety, and livelihood needs of all citizen groups.
Healthy Community - Ensure public health needs are recognized and addressed through
provisions for healthy foods, physical activity, access to recreation, health care,
environmental justice, and safe neighborhoods.
Responsible Regionalism - Ensure all local proposals account for, connect with, and
support the plans of adjacent jurisdictions and the surrounding region.
Best practices that support implementation of the sustaining places principles in the plan range
across a wide spectrum of plan statements and actions. They include plan goals, objective, and
policies, as well as implementation targets and measures. Best practices commonly associated
with each principle are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Sustaining Places Plan Principles and Best Practices
Principles Livable Built
Environment
(11)
Harmony
with Nature
(10)
Resilient
Economy (7)
Interwoven
Equity (9)
Healthy
Community
(7)
Responsible
Regionalism
(9)
Practice 1. Multi
modal
Transportatio
n choices
12. Natural
habitat
protection
22. Economic
growth
capacity
29. Range of
housing types
38. Toxin
exposure
reduction
45. Local
land use
plans
coordinated
with regional
transportatio
n
Practice 2. Transit-
oriented
development
13.Green
infrastructure
23. Balanced
land use mix
31.
Jobs/housing
balance
39. Public
safety
increase
through crime
& injury
reduction
46. Local &
regional
housing plan
coordination
Practice 3. Regional
transportation/
job clusters
14. Natural
topography
respect
24. Access to
employment
centers
31.
Disadvantage
d
neighborhood
improvements
40.
Brownfield
mitigation &
redevelopmen
t
47. Local
open space
plans
coordinated
with regional
frameworks
Practice 4. Complete
streets
15. Carbon
footprint
reduction
25. green
business &
jobs support
32. At-risk
population
health &
safety
41. Physical
activity &
healthy
lifestyles
48. Transit-
served
growth area
designation
Practice 5. Mixed land
use in
walkable
patterns
16. Air
quality
standards
26.
Community
based
economic
development
33. Services
& health care
for minority,
low income
42. Accessible
parks,
recreation,
open space
49.
Cooperation
with region
on resource
sharing
Practice 6. Infill 17. Climate 27. 34. 43. Healthy 50. Local
Appendix | 6
development change
adaptation
Infrastructure
capacity
Infrastructure
upgrade in
older
neighborhood
local food
access
activity
center &
regional
destination
connection
Practice 7. Urban
design
standards
18.
Renewable
energy
28. Post-
disaster
economic
recovery plan
35. Workforce
development
policy
44. Equitable
access to
health care,
schools,
public safety,
arts & culture
51. Linked
local &
regional
economic &
population
projections
Practice 8. Accessible
public
facilities &
spaces
19. Solid
waste
reduction
36. Protect
vulnerable
neighborhood
from natural
hazards
52. Regional
development
visions
recognized in
local plans
Practice 9. Historic
resource
conservation
20. water
conservation
and supply
37. Promote
environmental
justice
53.
Consistent
local CIP
regional
infrastructure
priorities
Practice 10. Green
building
design
21. Stream,
watershed,
and floodplain
protection
Practice 11. Hazard
zone
avoidance
5.0 Processes
Key features of plan-making that must be part of plan making and implementation include
processes for involving the public and for carrying out plan objectives and proposals. These
processes were addressed by the APA Sustaining Places Task Force, who stated them as follows
(Godschalk and Anderson 2012):
Authentic Participation- ensure that the planning process actively involves all segments
of the community in analyzing issues, generating visions, developing plans, and
monitoring outcomes.
Accountable Implementation- ensure that responsibilities for carrying out the plan are
clearly stated, along with metric for evaluating progress in achieving desired outcomes.
Best practices in support of comprehensive planning processes include a variety of activities,
procedures, and commitments, as listed in Table 2. While some of these will be evident in the
Appendix | 7
resulting plan, it may be necessary to evaluate the use of others through knowledge about the
specific local planning process and how it was carried out.
Table 2. Sustaining Places Planning Processes and Best Practices
Processes Authentic Participation (6) Accountable Implementation
(7)
Practice 1. Include all stakeholder 1. Align plan goals with CIP
Practice 2. Seek diverse participation 2. Link plan objectives with
annual budget
Practice 3. Promote leadership
development
3. Coordinate implementation
responsibilities
Practice 4. Provide ongoing
information
4. Commit funds for priority
implementation
Practice 5. Use variety of
communication channels
5. Use benchmarks, indicators,
targets, & other metrics to
monitor implementation
progress
Practice 6. Involve public in policy
reviews and decisions
6. Adjust goals if targets not
met
Practice 7. Regularly report
implementation status
following plan adoption
6.0 Attributes
To be effective, plans must articulate persuasive visions and communicate goals clearly. While
these attributes apply to all comprehensive plans, not just those associated with plans for
sustaining places, they are nonetheless very important for the latter. Whether or not to include
them in the formal plan scoring system is discussed in the report on accreditation. However, even
if they are not scored as sustainability criteria, design of the plan document should address key
features of plan content and characteristics, including:
Consistent Content- ensure that the plan contains a consistent set of visions, goals,
policies, objectives, and sections that are based on evidence about community conditions
as well as major issues and impacts.
Coordinated Characteristics- ensure that the plan includes creative and innovative
strategies and recommendations, and coordinates them internally with each other,
vertically with federal and state requirements, and horizontally with plans of adjacent
jurisdictions.
Best practices for attributes will be evident in plan language in some cases; in other cases, the
intent of the plan in terms of consistency and coordination must be deduced or derived from
other sources. These relationships are illustrated in the listing of best practices for attributes in
Table 3.
Appendix | 8
Table 3. Sustaining Places Plan Attributes and Best Practices
Attributes Content (9) Characteristics (8)
Practice 1. Identify major strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, &
threats
1. Comprehensive: Cover wide range of topics
Practice 2. Describe & analyze facts
on community conditions
2. Integrated: Include recommendations for other
plans
Practice 3. Lay out future vision 3. Innovative: Include creative & innovative
strategies
Practice 4. State goals to be sought
through public initiatives
4. Persuasive: Communicate clearly and
persuasively
Practice 5. Specify policies to achieve
goals
5. Consistent: Frame proposals in consistent
systems format
Practice 6. Set measurable objectives 6. Coordinated: Coordinate vertically with federal
& state plans & horizontally with plans &
forecasts of adjacent jurisdictions
Practice 7. Create action agenda to
implement plan
7. Compliant: Comply with mandates, standards,
& laws on comp plans
Practice 8. Monitor & evaluate plan
outcomes & changes
8. Transparent: Provide explicit rationales for
goals, objectives, policies, actions, and plan maps
Practice 9. Maps, tables, graphics, &
summaries for communication
7.0 Application of Standards
At this time, the working group believes that the best application of the standards will be to use
them in the preparation of comprehensive plans now underway or contemplated to be prepared in
the near future. In this way planners can use the standards as a resource to help guide their
thinking about how to incorporate sustainability into community planning. In essence they would
form the basis for self-evaluation of the degree to which sustainability criteria are built into
contemporary comprehensive plans. The standards are listed and defined in the appendix,
Comprehensive Plan Best Practices: Definitions and Scoring Matrix, which can serve as a guide
for self-evaluation.
The working group spent considerable time discussing how to resolve the issue of “one-size-fits-
all” standards, when the localities preparing the plans vary widely from urban to rural, large to
small, city to county, and progressive to conservative. To explore the ramifications of these
important variances, APA might enlist several communities of varying characteristics to “test”
the standards in developing comprehensive plans.
In the future, once experience has been gained in applying the standards then APA might want to
consider a more formal evaluation process. Using the outcomes of plans prepared in accordance
with the standards could help to answer questions about the feasibility and usefulness of a plan
accreditation process carried out by APA. Another advantage of waiting for two to three years
before proceeding with accreditation would be to gain evidence about the degree of
implementation that could result from plan goals and policies. The working group’s thought
Appendix | 9
about a future accreditation process are spelled out in our second report, Comprehensive Plan
Accreditation: Issues and Benefits.
Thus the working group recommends that APA:
make the information from this comprehensive plan standards report available to
practitioners,
monitor the impact of the standards on comprehensive plans prepared over the coming
years,
test the standards in a number of different type communities and governmental
institutions, and
take a future look at the desirability of formal comprehensive plan accreditation after
experience has been gained with the use of the standards
References:
Berke, Philip, and David Godschalk, 2008, “Searching for the Good Plan: A Meta-Analysis of
Plan Quality Studies.” Journal of Planning Literature.
Berke, Philip, David Godschalk, and Edward Kaiser. 2006. Urban Land use Planning. Chicago:
University of Illinois Press.
Bunnell, Gene, and Edward Jepson, Jr. 2011. “The Effect of Mandated Planning on Plan Quality:
A Fresh Look at What Makes a “Good Plan.” Journal of the American Planning
Association 77:4, Autumn.
Feiden, Wayne. 2011. Assessing Sustainability: A Guide for Local Governments. PAS Report
565
Godschalk, David, and William Anderson. 2012. Sustaining Places: The Role of the
Comprehensive Plan, APA Pas Report 567.
Ryan, Brent D. 2011. “Reading Through a Plan: A Visual Interpretation of What Plans Mean and
How They Innovate.” Journal of the American Planning Association 77:4, Autumn.
Rouse, David, and Ignacio Bunster-Ossa. 2013. Green Infrastructure: A Landscape Approach.
APA PAS Report 571
Shuford, Scott, Suzanne Rynne, and Jan Muller. 2010. Planning for a New Energy and Climate
Future. APA PAS Report 558
U.S. DOT. Best Planning Practices: Metropolitan Transportation Plans. March 2012. John A.
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.
Appendix | 10
What Makes a Good Comprehensive Plan?
Noteworthy Trends
David R. Godschalk FAICP
For The Commissioner Fall 2013
The standards for judging a comprehensive plan are changing. Instead of simply asking how well
the plan meets traditional state legal requirements, the new standards assess how well the plan
responds to current and projected economic trends, how well it protects the health and safety of
its population, and how well it responds to the needs and desires of its citizens. Today’s
comprehensive plan is more multi-dimensional than traditional plans, more targeted toward
community priorities, and more creative in its linkage of actions and development goals.
The Good Comprehensive Plan
A good plan today is expected to not only meet traditional requirements for comprehensive
coverage, internal consistency, and compliance with state enabling acts. It must also aim for
long-term community sustainability, foster economic development and public health, reach out
to citizens, and effectively implement its public policies. Instead of simply recommending future
land use and transportation patterns, leading plans now incorporate a wealth of specific best
practices for sustainable development. They must shape walkable neighborhoods, encourage
mass transit, and seek environmental and economic resilience.
The hallmarks of a good contemporary comprehensive plan are:
Strategies for achieving sustainability and resilience, including recognition of the effects
of climate change
Urban design for mixed-use, walkable, and transit-friendly neighborhoods and accessible
activity centers
Economic development objectives and incentives that encourage job creation, labor force
training, and green enterprises
Public health programs that promote local agriculture and local food availability, as well
as safe and healthy behavior
Natural hazard policies that not only mitigate and adapt to hazards, but also guide future
development to safe locations
Public involvement and outreach that brings all sectors of the population into the plan-
making and plan-implementation processes
Linkages between plan proposals and public decision-making through action plans that
tie into the annual budget and capital budgets
On-line and digital plan information coupled with graphic depictions of development
goals, popular writing, and accessible data.
These hallmarks are built into good plans through the use of “best practices”—planning tools and
techniques that exemplify the profession’s most progressive ideas and actions for guiding their
planning, development, and decision-making. As employed in leading comprehensive plans,
these best practices demonstrate the ongoing efforts and evolving understandings of planners and
their communities as they attempt to pursue sustainability under current and future demands of
urban and regional development.
Appendix | 11
APA convened a Plan Standards Working Group identify and describe current best practices as a
resource for preparing and assessing comprehensive plans. (See Sidebar: APA Plan Standards
Working Group.) Their report, based on a review of leading plans, defined a series of best
practices according to the principles set forth in the APA Planning Advisory Report, Sustaining Places: The Role of the Comprehensive Plan (Godschalk and Anderson 2012). The principles and associated best practices are shown in Table 1 and described below.
The Livable Built Environment principle seeks to ensure that all elements of the built
environment, including land use, transportation, housing, energy, and infrastructure work together to provide sustainable places for living, working, and recreation, with a high quality of life. It is supported by best practices that challenge auto-dominated urban sprawl by providing
transportation choices, encouraging mixed land use in walkable patterns, making public facilities
accessible, conserving historic resources, green building design, hazard zone avoidance, and
other sustainable urban design approaches.
For example, the Growth Framework of the Raleigh, North Carolina, Comprehensive Plan
integrates land use, transportation, and environmental areas into a vision of future urban
development. Growth Centers of varying sizes are located within the Major Thoroughfares
system to enhance accessibility and guide future growth into sustainable patterns. By designating areas of higher density, the plan avoids sprawl and creates opportunities for mixed use development projects. (http://www.raleighnc.gov).
Appendix | 12
The Harmony with Nature principle seeks to ensure that the contributions of natural resources
to human well-being are explicitly recognized and valued, and maintenance of natural resources
health is a primary objective. It is supported by best practices that protect natural habitat, provide
green infrastructure, respect natural topography, reduce carbon footprints, meet air quality
standards, adapt to climate change, encourage renewable energy, and other environmental
protection measures.
For example, the Keene, New Hampshire, Comprehensive Master Plan includes a section dealing
with its unique natural environment, which addresses both natural areas (green spaces, plants and
animals, hillsides and waterways) within and around the city, as well as man-made areas (green
infrastructure, parks, agriculture, and gardens). To be climate resilient, it incorporates an
Adaptation Action Plan with strategies to reduce energy use, lower carbon footprint, create a
healthier community, and foster a highly adaptable place to live (http://www.ci.keene.nh.us/).
The Resilient Economy principle seeks to ensure that the community is prepared to deal with
both positive and negative changes in its economic health and to initiate sustainable urban
development and redevelopment strategies that foster green business growth and build reliance
on local assets. It is supported by best practices that provide economic growth capacity, a
balanced land-use mix, access to employment centers, green business and jobs support,
community based economic development, and other economic health elements.
For example, the Fort Collins, Colorado, comprehensive plan’s Economic Health Vision is a
healthy and resilient economy. It seeks diverse jobs allowing citizens and businesses to thrive, to
reflect its unique community values in a changing world, with an innovative, creative, and
entrepreneurial atmosphere, and to encourage strong partnerships and collaboration with the
private sector, educational institutions, and other organizations. This is aligned with a city goal to
support the growth of the innovation economy and a policy to support job creation within five
targeted industry clusters (http://www.fcgov.com/planfortcollins/).
The Interwoven Equity principle seeks to ensure fairness and equity in providing for the
housing, services, health, safety, and livelihood needs of all its citizens and groups. It is
supported by best practices that provide a range of housing choices, jobs/housing balance,
disadvantaged neighborhood improvement, at-risk population health and safety, services and
health care for minorities and low income residents, and other equitable outcomes.
For example, the Marin California Countywide Plan (www.co.marin.ca.us) focusses on
achieving sustainability, defined as the balanced intersection of economic, environmental, and
equity needs. The plan evaluates all of its goals in terms of the three E’s (environment, economy,
and equity). For each policy, the Plan asks and answers the following questions:
What are the desired outcomes?
Why is it important (with a focus on addressing the three Es)?
How will the results be achieved?
How will success be measured?
Appendix | 13
The Healthy Community principle seeks to ensure that public health needs are recognized and
addressed through healthy foods and physical activity, access to recreation and healthcare, and
environmental justice and safe neighborhoods. It is supported by best practices that reduce toxin
exposure, increase public safety through crime and injury reduction, mitigate and redevelop
brownfields, encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyles, make parks, recreation and open
space accessible, give access to healthy local food, and other public health actions.
For example, the Austin, Texas, Imagine Austin comprehensive plan’s Health and humans
Services policies state that the city will provide health care services and attract high-quality
health service providers, encourage more active lifestyles through new and redevelopment
actions, reduce homelessness, promote the availability of and educate the community about
healthy food choices, and promote broad access to fresh foods, local farmers markets, co-ops,
grocery stores, community gardens, and healthy restaurants in neighborhoods
(http://austintexas.gov/imagineaustin).
The Responsible Regionalism
principle seeks to ensure that all local
proposals account for, connect with,
and support the plans of adjacent
jurisdictions and the surrounding
region. It is supported by best practices
that coordinate local land use plans and
regional transportation, coordinate local
and regional housing plans, coordinate
local open space plans with regional
networks, designate transit-served
growth areas, cooperate with region on
resource sharing, and further regional
collaboration activities.
For example, the San Diego, California, Regional Comprehensive Plan vertically integrates the
comprehensive plans of the County and its nineteen municipalities as well as their transportation
and open space plans (www.sandag.org). Though lacking land use authority, San Diego’s
regional planning agency has implementation powers through its control of funding for regional
transportation infrastructure and habitat acquisition, as well as its role in applying state
environmental laws that set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The region’s sustainable
planning system is built on a combination of financing incentives, regulations, and consensus-
building, plus the individual general plans of the member agencies coordinated with the regional
plan. Prepared jointly by regional staff and local planning directors to identify growth
opportunity areas and open space preservation areas, its “Smart Growth Concept Map” is used to
prioritize transportation investments and allocate regional funding for local infrastructure
improvements.
Appendix | 14
How Does Your Plan Measure Up?
Twenty-first century comprehensive plans face unique challenges. Traditional assumptions about
stable growth rates, benign environmental conditions, and incremental fiscal change no longer
apply. Today’s planning environment is much more dynamic, projections are more difficult, and
community values are more diverse. In response, comprehensive planning has been transformed
into a more complex and adaptive process and the resulting comprehensive plans have grown in
scope and technological sophistication.
Meeting these challenges has sparked a rash of creative new plans. These are not recognizable as
the somewhat pedestrian documents of yesteryear. Instead of simply extending the trends of the
past decade into the next decade, they envision genuine differences in alternative futures,
determined by combinations of external circumstances and local aspirations. They take
performance responsibilities seriously and give their communities regular report cards on their
progress or lack of progress in implementing their goals and objectives.
Planning commissioners can play important roles in the new comprehensive planning by holding
their plans to high standards. Ask whether the planning process is inclusive of all segments of
your community? Is plan-making open and accessible? Does the plan represent the best thinking
about community sustainability? Is it based on a strong foundation of environmental, economic,
and social data and information? Does it incorporate a carefully selected range of best practices?
Does it have an action plan with benchmarks to guide and monitor implementation? Is it
regularly consulted by public and private decision-makers?
If you can answer yes to these questions, you can be confident that your jurisdiction is making
good use of its comprehensive plan in order to sustain itself into the future.
Appendix | 15
Sidebar: APA Plan Standards Working Group
The APA Plan Standards Working Group was created in 2012 as part of the larger APA initiative
on Sustaining Places. Made up of experienced planning consultants, educators, and APA staff,
the Working Group devised and tested plan standards. The group reviewed a selection of leading
contemporary plans and held a standards workshop at the 2013 APA National Planning
Conference in Chicago. After revision based on these pre-tests, the standards were published in
the Comprehensive Plan Sustainability Standards paper, available on the APA website at
http://www.planning.org/sustainingplaces/compplanstandards/. This paper includes both a text
describing the standards and a detailed spreadsheet checklist with definitions of the best practices
intended to carry out the standards.
Three types of standards are proposed:
Principles are the overall plan goals aimed at achieving sustainable communities,
including livable built environment, harmony with nature, resilient economy, interwoven
equity, health community, and responsible regionalism.
Processes are the standards for authentic public participation and accountable
implementation activities in comprehensive planning for sustainable communities.
Attributes are the measures for assessing the consistent content and coordinated
characteristics of comprehensive plan documents for sustainable communities.
For each standard, a group of best practices is identified. The principles standards are described
in the text of this article. This sidebar describes the processes and attributes standards and their
best practices.
The best practices for authentic public participation include inclusion of all stakeholders,
seeking diverse participation, promoting leadership development, providing ongoing
information, using a variety of communication channels, and involving the public in policy
reviews and decisions.
The best practices for accountable plan implementation include aligning plan goals with the
Capital Improvements Program (CIP), linking plan objectives with the annual budget,
coordinating implementation responsibilities, and committing funds for priority implementation.
They recommend using benchmarks, targets, and other metrics to monitor implementation
progress, adjusting goals if targets are not met, and regularly reporting implementation status
following plan adoption.
Best practices for consistent plan content include identifying major community strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, describing and analyzing facts on community conditions,
laying out a future vision, and stating goals to be sought through public initiatives. The practices
recommend specifying policies to achieve goals, setting measureable objectives, creating an
action agenda to implement the plan, monitoring and evaluating plan outcomes and changes, and
providing maps, tables, graphics, and summaries for communication.
Best practices for coordinated plan characteristics include comprehensiveness over a wide
range of topics, integration of recommendations from other plans, inclusion of creative and
innovative strategies, clear and persuasive communication, and framing proposals in a consistent
Appendix | 16
systems framework. They require coordinating vertically with state and federal plans and
horizontally with adjacent jurisdiction plans, compliance with mandates, standards, and laws,
and providing transparent and explicit rationales for goals, objectives, policies, actions, and plan
maps.
The standards are intended as a resource for use by communities that are preparing or updating
their comprehensive plans. Their primary advantage is that they should improve planning
practice by bringing together in one consolidated publication the best current thinking and
research about what should be in a good comprehensive plan for sustaining places.
APA also sees the standards as the foundation for developing an accreditation program that
recognizes exemplary comprehensive plans aimed at sustaining places. Such an accreditation
program would offer an opportunity to update and improve plan quality, as well as an
opportunity for the planning profession to assert a leadership role in the sustainability arena.
End Sidebar.
David R. Godschalk FAICP is planning professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, and co-author of Sustainable Development Projects: Integrating Design,
Development, and Regulation (Planners Press, forthcoming). He chaired the Plan Standards
Working Group.
Appendix | 17
Harmony with Nature
Practice Concept Definition
Restore, connect,
and protect natural
habitats and
sensitive lands
A natural habitat is the area or environment in which a species or community of species
normally lives. Sensitive lands are those areas containing natural features that are
environmentally significant and easily disturbed by human activity. Examples include
rare species habitat, wetlands and riparian areas, woodlands, steep slopes, and
geologically unstable areas. Restoring degraded ecosystems allows them to regain their
natural diversities and functions.
Plan for the
provision and
protection of green
infrastructure
Green infrastructure is a strategically planned and managed network of green open
spaces, including parks, greenways, and protected lands, that provides a range of
functions such as wildlife habitat, stormwater management, and recreational
opportunities. Green infrastructure may also be defined as features that use natural
topography and vegetation to capture, store, and infiltrate stormwater runoff, often in
urban settings, such as bioswales, rain gardens, and green roofs.
Encourage
development that
respects natural
topography
Topography is the arrangement of the surface features of an area (i.e., terrain or land
relief). Certain features, such as hillsides, ridges, steep slopes, or lowlands, can pose
challenges to development, and should be carefully considered to reduce construction
costs, minimize natural hazard risks from flooding or landslides, and mitigate the
impacts of construction on natural resources including soils, vegetation, and water
systems.
Enact policies to
reduce carbon
footprints
The term carbon footprint is used to describe the amount of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases emitted by a given entity (individual, company, city) in a certain time
frame. It provides a measure of the environmental impact of a particular lifestyle or
operation, and encompasses both the direct consumption of fossil fuels as well as
indirect emissions associated with the manufacture and transport of all goods and
services the entity consumes.
Comply with state
and local air quality
standards
Air quality standards are limits on the quantity of pollutants in the air during a given
period in a defined area. Under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. EPA has established air
quality standards enforced by state and local governments for ground-level ozone, lead,
particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide to protect
public health and the environment. Pollutants may come from mobile sources (such as
cars and trucks), area sources (such as small businesses), or point sources (such as
power plants).
Encourage climate
change adaptation
Climate change adaptation involves adjusting natural and human systems to the effects
of sea level rise, increased frequencies of extreme weather events, and long-term shifts
in precipitation levels, growing season length, and native vegetation and wildlife
populations. Successful adaptation strategies reduce community vulnerability and
minimize adverse effects on the environment, economy, and public health.
Provide for
renewable energy
use
Renewable energy sources are those that are naturally regenerated over a short time
scale and do not diminish. They are derived directly or indirectly from the sun or natural
movements and mechanisms of the environment, and include solar, wind, biomass,
hydropower, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action.
Provide for solid
waste reduction
Solid waste is garbage or refuse resulting from human activities. It can include food
scraps, yard waste, packaging materials, broken or discarded household items, and
construction and demolition debris. Many common solid waste items, such as glass,
aluminum and other metals, paper and cardboard, certain plastics, and food scraps and
other organic materials, can be diverted from the waste stream and recycled into new
products or composted.
Appendix | 18
Encourage water
conservation and
activities and
behaviors that
support a lasting
water supply
Water conservation is any reduction in water use, often fostered by programs and
policies that seek to preserve water sources, control water use, and manage water
demand among users. A lasting water supply is characterized by one or more sources of
fresh water with long-term availability to a jurisdiction. This concept implies both
access to ground or surface water sources that can withstand anticipated future water
usage rates and a well-maintained supply system to deliver this water to end users.
Protect and manage
streams, watersheds,
and floodplains
A stream is a body of water flowing over the ground in a channel; it is often associated
with ecological communities of riparian vegetation and aquatic organisms. A watershed
is an area of land drained by a river, river system, or other body of water. Watershed
management seeks to protect water supply, water quality, drainage, stormwater runoff
and other functions at a watershed scale. A floodplain is an area of low-lying ground
adjacent to a body of water that is susceptible to inundation.
Appendix | 19
Healthy Community
Practice Concept Definition
Reduce exposure to
toxins and pollutants
in the natural and
built environment
Toxins are poisonous substances capable of causing disease in living organisms.
Pollutants are waste substances or forms of energy (noise, light, heat), often resulting
from industrial processes, that can contaminate air, water, and soil, causing adverse
changes in the environment. Examples include carbon monoxide and other gases along
with soot and particulate matter produced by fossil fuel combustion; toxic chemicals
used or created in industrial processes; pesticides and excess nutrients from agricultural
operations; or toxic gases released by paints or adhesives.
Plan for increased
public safety
through reduction of
crime and injuries
Public safety involves prevention of and protection from events such as crimes or
disasters that could bring danger, injury, or damage to the general public. Although It is
often considered a governmental responsibility (police, fire, and emergency services),
crime can also be reduced through environmental design using CPTED principles.
Plan for the
mitigation and
redevelopment of
brownfields for
productive uses
A brownfield is defined by the federal government as any abandoned, idled, or under-
used real property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by the presence or
potential presence of environmental contamination. Redevelopment of these sites
requires an environmental assessment to determine the extent of contamination and
develop remediation strategies. The feasibility of site cleanup, market forces, and other
factors may help define appropriate reuse options, which range from open space to
mixed use development.
Plan for physical
activity and healthy
lifestyles
A healthy lifestyle is characterized by individual practices and behavioral choices that
enhance health and well being. A growing body of evidence suggests that barriers in the
design of the physical environment can influence rates of physical activity and benefit
health.
Provide accessible
parks, recreation
facilities, greenways
and open space near
all neighborhoods
Parks are areas of land, often in a natural state or improved with facilities for rest and
recreation, set aside for the enjoyment of the public. Greenways are strips of
undeveloped land that provide corridors for environmental and recreational use and
connect areas of open space. These facilities offer a range of benefits to residents,
including opportunities for increased physical activity. Research suggests that proximity
of parks to neighborhoods supports increased physical activity among residents;
however, environmental impediments and disamenities such as crime, pedestrian safety,
and noxious land uses may decrease accessibility and subsequent use of these facilities
for nearby residents. The type, function, and design of a park should be appropriate to
its locational context.
Plan for access to
healthy, locally-
grown foods for all
neighborhoods
Healthy foods provide essential nutrients and energy to sustain growth, maintain vital
processes, and promote longevity and freedom from disease, and are characterized by
being fresh or minimally processed, naturally dense in nutrients, and low in fat, sodium,
and cholesterol. Locally grown foods are those produced in close proximity to
consumers in terms of both geographic distance and supply chain. Though there is no
standard definition of a "local" geographic range, this can encompass sources from
backyards and community gardens to farms within the region or state.
Plan for equitable
access to health care
providers, schools,
public safety
facilities, and arts
and cultural
facilities
Equitable access ensures services and facilities are reachable by all persons, regardless
of social or economic background. Health care providers are those individuals,
institutions, or agencies that provide health care services to consumers. Schools are
institutions that provide education to children or instruction in a particular skill or
business. Public safety facilities provide safety and emergency services to a community,
including police and fire protection. Arts and cultural facilities provide programs and
activities regarding the arts and culture, and may include performing arts centers,
concert halls, museums, galleries, and other related facilities.
Appendix | 20
Interwoven Equity
Practice Concept Definition
Provide a range of
housing types
A range of housing types is characterized by the presence of residential units of
different sizes, configurations, tenures, and price points located in buildings of different
sizes, configurations, ages, and ownership structures. In practical terms, a range of
housing types makes it possible for households of different sizes and income levels to
live in close proximity to one another. This concept is most applicable at the
neighborhood scale rather than at the citywide, countywide, or metropolitan scale,
where aggregate housing statistics may obscure neighborhood-level patterns of
residential homogeneity.
Plan for
jobs/housing
balance
A jobs/housing balance is characterized quantitatively by a roughly equal number of
jobs and housing units (households) within a commutershed and qualitatively by jobs
that match the labor force skills of those living within the commutershed. A better
jobs/housing balance results in a reduction in vehicle miles traveled and can improve
worker productivity and quality of life.
Plan for the
physical,
environmental, and
economic
improvement of at-
risk, distressed, and
disadvantaged
neighborhoods
At-risk neighborhoods are experiencing falling property values, high real estate
foreclosure rates, rapid depopulation, or physical deterioration. Distressed
neighborhoods suffer from disinvestment and physical deterioration for myriad reasons,
including but not limited to the existence of cheap land on the urban fringe, the financial
burdens of maintaining an aging building stock, economic restructuring, land
speculation, or the dissolution or relocation of anchor institutions. A disadvantaged
neighborhood is a neighborhood in which residents have reduced access to resources
and capital due to factors including high levels of poverty and unemployment and low
levels of educational attainment. They often exhibit high rates of both physical
(abandoned buildings, graffiti, vandalism, litter, disrepair) and social disorder (crime,
violence, loitering, drinking and drug use).
Plan for improved
health and safety for
at-risk populations
An at-risk population is characterized by vulnerability to health or safety impacts
through factors such as race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography, gender, age,
behavior, or disability status. These populations may have additional needs before,
during, and after a destabilizing event such as a natural or manmade disaster or period
of extreme weather, or throughout an indefinite period of localized instability related to
an economic downturn or a period of social turmoil. At-risk populations include
children, the elderly, the disabled, those living in institutionalized settings, those with
little or no English proficiency, and those who are transportation disadvantaged.
Provide accessible
and quality public
services, facilities,
and health care to
minority and low-
income
neighborhoods
A public service is a service performed for the benefit of the public. A public facility is
any building or property (e.g., a library, park, or community center) owned, leased, or
funded by a public entity. Accessible public services, facilities, and health care are
located so that all members of the public have safe and convenient transportation
options to reach all services and facilities. Quality public services, facilities, and health
care means that all services and facilities meet or exceed industry standards for service
provision. Minority and low-income neighborhoods are comprised of people whose
races or ethnicities are underrepresented within the U.S. population and households
whose annual incomes fall below federal poverty thresholds.
Upgrade
infrastructure and
facilities in older and
substandard areas.
Infrastructure comprises the physical systems that allow societies and economies to
function and includes water mains, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications
facilities, bridges, tunnels, and roadways. Upgrading is the process of raising to a
higher standard through the addition or replacement of existing components with newer
versions. An older area is a neighborhood, corridor, or district that has been developed
and continuously occupied for multiple decades. A substandard area is a neighborhood,
district, or corridor whose infrastructure fails to meet established standards.
Plan for workforce Workforce diversity is characterized by the employment of a wide variety of people in
Appendix | 21
diversity and
development.
terms of age, cultural background, physical ability, race or ethnicity, religion, and
gender identity. Workforce development is an economic development strategy that
focuses on people rather than businesses; it attempts to enhance a region's economic
stability and prosperity by developing jobs that match existing skills within the local
workforce or training workers to meet the labor needs of local industries.
Protect vulnerable
populations from
natural hazards
A natural hazard is a natural event that threatens lives, property, and other assets. They
include floods, high wind events, landslides, earthquakes, and wildfires. Vulnerable
neighborhoods are neighborhoods that face higher risks than others when disaster events
occur. A population may be vulnerable for a variety of reasons including location,
socioeconomic status or access to resources, lack of leadership/organization, or lack of
planning.
Promote
environmental
justice
Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all
people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the
development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and
policies. Its goal is to provide all communities and persons across the nation with the
same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to
the decision-making process, resulting in healthy environments for all in which to live,
learn, and work.
Appendix | 22
Livable Built Environment
Practice Concept Definition
Plan for multi-modal
transportation
Multi-modal transportation choice is characterized by a transportation network that
allows users to travel using a variety of transportation modes, including walking. In
most cases this equates to an extensive system of pedestrian and bicycle friendly
infrastructure in the form of sidewalks, on-street and off-street bike/pedestrian paths,
and dedicated or shared bike lanes, in addition to a system of roads designed for private
automobiles. Where feasible, this also means an extensive transit system (bus, train,
light rail, commuter rail) with frequent service.
Plan for transit
oriented
development
Transit-oriented development is characterized by a concentration of higher density
mixed-use development around transit stations and along transit lines, such that both the
location and the design of the development encourage transit use and pedestrian activity.
The necessary density thresholds and use mix vary based on the frequency and type of
transit service, but establishment of TOD-enabling development standards is
encouraged for areas located within 0.5 miles of a planned or existing transit station,
with the jurisdiction's most intense development permissible within 0.25 mile of the
station.
Coordinate regional
transportation
investments with job
clusters
Regional transportation refers to the transportation network serving a multi-
jurisdictional employment catchment area. A job cluster is a node of high employment
density. Typically, job clusters attract workers from multiple areas within multiple
jurisdictions.
Plan for the
provision of
complete streets
serving multiple
functions
Complete streets are streets that are designed and operated with all users in mind,
including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit riders (where applicable)
of all ages and abilities. Streets that serve multiple functions are characterized by design
and operational features that accommodate travel, social interaction, and commerce.
Complete streets serving multiple functions describes a street network that safely and
conveniently accommodates all users and desired functions, yet this does not mean that
all modes or functions will be equally prioritized on any given street segment.
Plan for mixed land-
use patterns in
walkable and
bikeable
configurations
A mixed land-use pattern is characterized by residential and nonresidential land uses
located in close proximity to one another, and can be vertical (on different floors of a
multifloor building) or horizontal (placed side-by-side on a building site). A walkable
and bikeable configuration is characterized by urban design features that facilitate safe
and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access among uses. Characteristics that enhance
walkability and bikeability include a highly interconnected street network; buildings
placed close to the street with parking lots in the back; housing in close proximity to
everyday destinations such as shops, schools, civic places, and workplaces; and the
presence of street furniture and facilities designed for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Plan for infill
development
Infill development is characterized by development or redevelopment of undeveloped or
underdeveloped parcels of land in otherwise built-up areas. Any development that does
not occur on a greenfield site on the urban fringe can be considered infill development.
Infill sites are usually served by or have ready access to existing infrastructure and
services.
Encourage design
standards
appropriate to the
community context.
Design standards are specific criteria and limitations pertaining to the form and
appearance of development within a neighborhood, corridor, special district, or
jurisdiction as a whole. These standards typically address building placement, building
massing and materials, the location and appearance of elements such as landscaping,
signage, and street furniture, and compatibility with established community character
(e.g., center city, town, or village). The purposes of design standards are to improve or
protect both the function and aesthetic appeal of a place.
Appendix | 23
Provide accessible
public facilities and
spaces
An accessible public facility or space is a facility or space in a location that can be
reached by a variety of modes of transportation, which includes design features that
accommodate access by visitors with mobility impairments. Generally speaking, an
accessible public facility or space has an access route, entrance, restroom(s), drinking
fountains, and fire alarms designed to accommodate persons in wheelchairs.
Conserve and reuse
historic resources
A historic resource is a building, site, object, or district with exceptional value or quality
for illustrating or interpreting the cultural heritage of a community. Buildings, sites,
objects, or districts listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic
Places, a state inventory of historic resources in association with a program approved by
the Secretary of the Interior, or a local inventory of historic resources in association with
a program approved by an approved state program or approved directly by the Secretary
of the Interior (in states without approved programs) qualify as historic resources.
Implement green
building design and
energy conservation.
A green building is characterized by design features that, if used as intended, will
minimize the environmental impacts of the building over the course of its lifespan. The
goals of green building design are energy and resource efficiency, waste reduction and
pollution prevention, and occupant health and productivity. Energy conservation refers
to reducing energy consumption through energy efficiency or behavioral change.
Discourage
development in
hazard zones
A hazard zone is an area subject to a high potential for natural events, such as floods,
high winds, landslides, earthquakes, and wildfires, known to cause human casualties and
damage to the built environment. Development in hazard zones includes any
construction or site disturbance within an area of high risk relative to other areas within
a jurisdiction.
Appendix | 24
Resilient Economy
Practice Concept Definition
Provide the physical
capacity for
economic growth
Economic growth is characterized by an increase in the amounts of goods and services
that an economy is able to produce over time. The physical capacity for economic
growth entails adequate amounts of land and appropriately built, sized, and located
structures to support existing and future production of goods and services. Adequate
space is needed for commercial and industrial development and redevelopment for
nonresidential land uses such as offices, restaurants, retail businesses, entertainment,
personal services, warehousing and distribution, and factories.
Plan for a balanced
land-use mix for
fiscal sustainability
A balanced land-use mix for fiscal sustainability is characterized by a pattern of land-
use that includes both residential and nonresidential uses, such that the long-term cost of
providing a desirable level of public services to residents, business owners, and visitors
is closely matched to the tax or user-fee revenue generated by those uses.
Plan for
transportation access
to employment
centers
An employment center is a node with a high job density. An employment center with
transportation access is reachable by employees via one or more travel modes
(automobile, transit, bicycling, walking); more transportation modes serving the
employment center offer employees a wider range of commuting options and choices.
Promote green
businesses and jobs
A green business is any business offering environmentally friendly products and
services through environmentally sustainable business models and practices. Green jobs
are characterized by agricultural, manufacturing, research and development,
administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or
restoring environmental quality. Green businesses and jobs may include, but are not
limited to, those associated with industrial processes with closed-loop systems in which
the wastes of one industry are the raw materials for another.
Encourage
community-based
economic
development
Community-based economic development involves promoting, supporting, and
investing in businesses that serve local needs and are compatible with the vision,
character, and cultural values of the community. It encourages using local resources in a
way that enhances economic opportunities while improving social conditions, and
supporting locally owned and produced goods and services, which foster connections
and sense of place, reduce the need for imports, and stimulate the local economy.
Provide and
maintain
infrastructure
capacity in line with
growth or decline
demands
Infrastructure comprises the physical systems that support populations and include
water mains, sewers, bridges, tunnels, and roadways. Capacity is the ability to hold,
store, or accommodate. Maintaining infrastructure capacity in line with demand
involves ensuring that structures and networks are appropriately sized to adequately
serve existing and future development. This may include decommissioning or realigning
infrastructure in neighborhoods experiencing protracted population decline (e.g., to
facilitate a transition from residential uses to green infrastructure, urban agriculture, or
renewable energy production).
Plan for post-
disaster economic
recovery
Post-disaster economic recovery comprises the actions of a community in rebuilding
networks, structures, and infrastructure to resume economic activities following damage
or destruction by a natural or manmade disaster (e.g., hurricane, landslide, wildfire,
earthquake, terrorism attack). Plans for post-disaster recovery are characterized by
officially adopted polices and implementation tools put in place before or after an event
to direct recovery after a disaster event has occurred.
Appendix | 25
Responsible Regionalism
Practice Concept Definition
Coordinate local
land use plans with
regional
transportation
investments
A local land-use plan is an officially adopted long-range comprehensive or sub-area
(i.e., a neighborhood, corridor, or district) plan describing or depicting desirable future
uses of land within a plan area. Regional transportation investments are any projects
listed in a transportation improvement program (TIP) intended to improve a
transportation network serving a multi-jurisdictional area, often included in
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) plans. These projects include investments
in highways and streets, public transit, and pedestrian and bicycle systems.
Coordinate local and
regional housing
plan goals
A regional housing plan is any officially adopted plan assessing current housing
conditions and describing or depicting desirable future housing conditions across a
multi-jurisdictional area. These plans include state-mandated regional “fair share”
plans establishing target affordable housing unit allocations among constituent
jurisdictions.
Coordinate local
open space plans
with regional green
infrastructure plans
A local open space plan is any officially adopted functional plan or comprehensive
plan element describing or depicting desirable future locations or conditions for open
space within a local jurisdiction. A regional green infrastructure plan is any officially
adopted functional plan or comprehensive plan element describing or depicting
desirable future locations or conditions for parks, greenways, protected lands, and other
types of green infrastructure within a multi-jurisdictional area.
Delineate designated
growth areas that are
served by transit
A designated growth area is an area delineated in an officially adopted local or regional
comprehensive plan within which higher density development is permitted and urban
services, including public transportation (where feasible), are (or are scheduled to be)
available. The explicit function of a designated growth area is to accommodate and
focus 20 years of projected future growth within a municipality, county, or region
through a compact, resource-efficient pattern of development.
Promote regional
cooperation and
sharing of resources
Regional cooperation and sharing of resources describes any situation where multiple
jurisdictions coordinate the provision of public services and facilities. This includes
instances where separate jurisdictions share equipment or facilities, instances where
jurisdictions consolidate service or facility provision, and instances where jurisdictions
share tax base. Tax–base sharing is a revenue-sharing scheme whereby local
jurisdictions share tax proceeds from new development for the purposes of alleviating
economic disparities among constituent jurisdictions and financing region-serving
infrastructure and facilities.
Enhance connections
between local
activity centers and
regional
destinations.
A local activity center is a node containing a locally high concentration of employment
and commerce. A regional destination is a location that is responsible for a high
proportion of trip ends within a regional transportation network, such as a job cluster, a
major shopping or cultural (i.e., large performance art venues or museums) center or
district, or a major park or recreational facility. A connection between a local activity
center and a regional destination may be one or more surface streets, grade-separated
highways, off-road trails, or transit corridors.
Coordinate local and
regional population
and economic
projections
A population projection is an estimate of the future population for a particular
jurisdiction or multi-jurisdictional area. An economic projection is an estimate of
future economic conditions (e.g., employment by industry or sector, personal income,
public revenue, etc.) for a particular jurisdiction or multi-jurisdictional area. Common
time horizons for population and economic projections are 20 to 30 years. Coordinating
local and regional projections minimizes the risk of planning at cross purposes as the
result of inconsistent data.
Include regional
development visions
and plans in local
A regional development vision or plan is a description or depiction of one or more
potential future development patterns across a multi-jurisdictional area, based on a set
or sets of policy, demographic, and economic assumptions. A local planning scenario is
Appendix | 26
planning scenarios a description or depiction of a potential future development pattern for a jurisdiction,
based on a set of policy, demographic, and economic assumptions. While many
scenario planning efforts do present preferred scenarios, the real value of a scenario
planning initiative is to give participants a chance to consider alternative ways of
realizing a collective vision as well as alternative outcomes that may be likely given the
difficulty of accurately predicting certain demographic and economic trends.
Encourage
consistency between
local capital
improvement
programs and
regional
infrastructure
priorities
Regional infrastructure priorities and funding are the region-serving capital projects
and designated monetary resources delineated within officially adopted plans or
investment policies describing or depicting regional infrastructure facility needs
throughout a multi-jurisdictional area. A local capital improvement program is an
officially adopted plan describing or depicting capital projects that will be funded
within a local jurisdiction during a multi-year (usually five-year) time horizon.
Appendix | 27
Process Practice
Authentic
Participation
Utilize participatory techniques designed to include stakeholders, including
representatives of disadvantaged and minority communities, at all stages of the planning
process.
Authentic
Participation
Seek diverse participation across generations, ethnic groups, and income ranges.
Authentic
Participation
Promote leadership development in disadvantaged communities.
Authentic
Participation
Provide ongoing and understandable information on planning issues, events, and
outcomes for all participants, including non-English speakers.
Authentic
Participation
Use a variety of communications channels, including traditional media, the internet, and
social media such as Facebook and Twitter to inform and involve the community.
Authentic
Participation
Plan to involve the public during plan implementation, updating, and amendment.
Accountable
Implementation
Set priorities for plan-related capital improvements and align plan goals with
community capital improvement programs.
Accountable
Implementation
Link plan objectives with community’s annual budgeting process and categories.
Accountable
Implementation
Coordinate plan implementation responsibilities and schedules among internal and
external agencies and organizations.
Accountable
Implementation
Commit necessary public and private funds for implementation of priority plan items.
Accountable
Implementation
Use benchmarks, indicators, targets, and other metrics to monitor progress in
implementing plan goals and objectives.
Accountable
Implementation
Adjust plan goals, strategies, and priorities over time if conditions change or targets are
not met.
Accountable
Implementation
Regularly report plan implementation status and progress to the public and elected
officials following adoption of the plan.
Appendix | 28
Attribute Criterion
Content Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: identification of the major issues
facing the community, the impacts of forecasted changes, and their planning
implications.
Content Fact base: evidence-based description and analysis of current and future conditions, in
terms of the community’s land, development environment, economy, and population.
Content Future vision: statement of the desired future state of the community in terms of its
physical, social, and economic conditions.
Content Goals: statements of community aspirations for achievement of its vision to be sought
through public programs, investments, and initiatives.
Content Policies: specification of principles to guide public and private actions to achieve goals.
Content Objectives: measureable targets resulting from community action in carrying out the
plan.
Content Action agenda: commitments to implement the plan, including priorities, schedules,
responsibilities, and funding sources.
Content Monitoring and evaluation: provisions for measuring, and tracking plan outcomes, and
responding to changes in community conditions, issues, and needs.
Content Maps, tables, graphics, and summaries to communicate to the reader the information,
intents, and relationships in the plan.
Content Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: identification of the major issues
facing the community, the impacts of forecasted changes, and their planning
implications.
Characteristics Comprehensive: covers a wide range of topics, such as land use, transportation, housing,
natural resources, economic development, community facilities, and natural hazards.
Characteristics Integrated: includes recommendations from other functional plans and programs that
bear on the future development of the community, such as hazard mitigation, climate
adaptation, housing, transportation, and the like.
Characteristics Innovative: containing creative strategies for dealing with community change,
uncertainty, and development needs.
Characteristics Persuasive: communicating key principles and ideas in a readable and attractive manner
in order to inspire, inform, and engage readers.
Characteristics Consistent: framing proposals as sets of mutually reinforcing actions in a systems
approach linking the plan with development regulations and public programs.
Characteristics Coordinated: integrating vertically with plans of federal, state, and regional
organizations and horizontally with plans and forecasts of adjacent jurisdictions.
Characteristics Compliant: meeting requirements of planning mandates and laws concerning preparing,
adopting, and implementing comprehensive plans.
Characteristics Transparent: The rationale for all goals, objectives, policies, actions, and key plan
map(s) are transparent and explicit.
Chapter 2 Appendix
Appendix | 30
Appendix | 31
Map 2.1
Appendix | 32
Map 2.2
Appendix | 33
Map 2.3
Appendix | 34
Map 2.4
Appendix | 35
Map 2.5
Appendix | 36
Map 2.6
Appendix | 37
Map 2.7
Appendix | 38
Map 2.8
Appendix | 39
Map 2.9
Appendix | 40
Map 2.10
Appendix | 41
Map 2.11
Appendix | 42
Map 2.12
Appendix | 43
Map 2.13
Appendix | 44
Map 2.14
Appendix | 45
Map 2.15
Appendix | 46
Map 2.16
Appendix | 47
Map 2.17
Appendix | 48
Map 2.18
Appendix | 49
Map 2.19
Appendix | 50
Map 2.20
Appendix | 51
Map 2.21
Appendix | 52
Map 2.22
Appendix | 53
Map 2.23
Appendix | 54
Map 2.24
Appendix | 55
Map 2.25
Appendix | 56
Map 2.26
Appendix | 57
Map 2.27
Appendix | 58
Map 2.28
Appendix | 59
Map 2.29
Appendix | 60
Map 2.30
Appendix | 61
Map 2.31
Appendix | 62
Map 2.32
Appendix | 63
Map 2.33
Appendix | 64
Map 2.34
Chapter 3 Appendix
Appendix | 66
Appendix | 67
Appendix | 68
Appendix | 69
Appendix | 70
Appendix | 71
Appendix | 72
Appendix | 73
PLAN NHC GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Text in Black represents Citizen Advisory Committee language
Text in Red represents Planning Board language
Promote environmentally responsible growth.
Explanation: Where and how growth occurs can have an impact on environmental resources.
Responsible growth includes strategies to encourage the desired levels of new growth, while
minimizing negative impacts on natural resources.
Implementation Strategies:
Promote a mixture of uses where appropriate in an effort to cluster development and
minimize impacts on natural resources.
Adopt and implement a green infrastructure plan that identifies a network of natural lands
and open spaces and provides ecosystem conservation as well as alternative
transportation modes through trails and greenways.
Partner with regional governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations to
acquire and protect environmentally sensitive land (e.g. Establish a regional land bank.)
Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities through encouraging
infill and redevelopment.
Promote fiscally responsible growth.
Explanation: There is a cost to the tax payer to provide services and infrastructure for growth.
Appropriate growth patterns can help to achieve efficient provisions of services and equitable
distribution of costs between the public and private sector.
Implementation Strategies:
Coordinate infrastructure from a regional perspective including water, sewer, and
transportation.
Regional coordination of educational facilities such as community colleges and
workforce training as they support targeted industries.
Encourage infill development on vacant or blighted pieces of existing communities by
providing incentives such as grants, but not limited to; density bonuses, and/or a
reduction of parking requirements and/or setbacks.
Encourage the redevelopment of single uses into mixed-use developments where
appropriate.
Encourage redevelopment of aging corridors to support and strengthen adjacent
neighborhoods.
Encourage development where existing infrastructure is available.
Appendix | 74
Increase recycling and reduction of solid waste.
Explanation: Solid waste management and recycling are ways to positively affect our
community and a focus on diverting waste can help eliminate constraints of future development.
Implementation Strategies:
Work with private sector and other regional jurisdictions to implement a countywide
recycling program including construction demolition debris and consumer product
packaging material.
Work with private sector entities to identify recycling and other innovative strategies to
divert material from the landfill. (Composting, gasification, anaerobic digestion, etc.)
Encourage adaptive reuse of buildings to limit construction and demolition waste
production.
Encourage consumer based responsibilities for waste reduction, recycling, and reuse.
Increase public safety by reducing crime through the built environment.
Explanation: New growth and community investments can use design features to reduce crime
in areas.
Implementation Strategies:
Encourage best practices and design strategies in the built environment to help reduce
crime.
Encourage a walkable community that creates more human interaction between neighbors
(eyes on the street/ social space).
Conserve open space for long term agricultural and rural uses
Explanation: Agricultural lands provide opportunities for economic development by creating
locally sourced foods. These lands can contribute to the overall rural character, where
appropriate, in locations throughout the county.
Implementation Strategies:
Allow developments to have urban farms to satisfy open space requirements.
Encourage voluntary preservation of agriculture land.
Conserve environmentally critical areas
Explanation: Environmentally critical areas have a meaningful place in our community
providing opportunities for outdoor recreation, supporting healthy watersheds and maintaining
critical habitats.
Implementation Strategies:
Partner with governmental and nongovernmental organizations to acquire and protect
environmentally sensitive land.
Appendix | 75
Discourage development in wetlands, flood plain, and other flood prone areas.
Educate the public on the value of protecting ecosystems.
Integrate multi-modal transportation into mixed land uses that encourage
safe, walkable communities
Explanation: A mixture of land uses allows for individuals to perform daily tasks without the
use of an automobile. Incorporating walking, cycling, and transit into the built environment
increases the accessibility and safety of these areas.
Implementation Strategies:
Review existing design standards and apply best practices to ensure transportation
infrastructure is safe for all multimodal users.
Educate and promote all users to safely share the transportation infrastructure.
Work with school district and DOT to allow and encourage students to walk to school
safely.
Review existing parking lot design standards to determine if changes are needed to
encourage safety for all users.
Encourage provision of transit supportive land uses and infrastructure where appropriate.
Increase physical activity and promote healthy, active lifestyles
Explanation: Our built environment has the ability to encourage active life styles, which directly
affects individuals’ health. Creating development patterns that support walking and biking
encourages people to increase their level of physical activity.
Implementation Strategies:
Encourage a mixture of uses in developments that allows individuals to walk rather than
rely upon vehicles.
Encourage siting of schools into the community allowing for students to walk, while
considering traffic impacts.
Connect walkways, parking lots, greenways, and developments to encourage pedestrian
activity.
Increase access to affordable and convenient healthy foods.
Explanation: Providing access to healthy foods has a direct impact on individuals’ health.
Ensuring the built environment encourages access to healthy foods increases the likelihood
individuals will consume them and improve health outcomes.
Implementation Strategies:
Ensure zoning and land use regulations encourage and allow for community gardens and
urban agriculture.
Build on health gaps analysis report, target strategies to promote location of farmers
markets, grocery stores, and other venues that have healthy food offerings.
Appendix | 76
Provide for a range of housing types, opportunities and choices.
Explanation: Understanding New Hanover County is comprised of a diverse group of
individuals with a diverse group of needs in housing helps to ensure individuals do not become
overburdened with the costs or availability of housing.
Implementation Strategies:
Enhance and update incentives to reduce development costs to private developers such as
density bonuses when work force housing is included in development proposals.
Consider creating an affordable housing task force (like the City of Wilmington) to
define affordability and work with private sector to provide it.
Strategically work with developers experienced in providing affordable and subsidized
housing through federal and state programs and locate affordable housing developments
in areas of highest need.
Revitalize commercial corridors and blighted areas through infill and
redevelopment
Explanation: Areas of blight consist of underutilized properties within our community that
likely have access to services such as water and sewer. Reducing regulatory barriers to redevelop
underutilized property helps to provide for responsible growth strengthening existing
neighborhoods and supporting economic revitalization.
Implementation Strategies:
Implement a program to identify and dispose of vacant or abandoned buildings that
cannot be redeveloped
Facilitate programs to encourage reuse, rehabilitation, and redevelopment of existing
residential, commercial, industrial buildings and properties where appropriate.
Link major natural habitats
Explanation: Linking natural habitats promotes biodiversity, provides continuity for wildlife
corridors, access to open spaces and recreational opportunities.
Implementation Strategies:
Identify and prioritize natural areas for acquisition, preservation, and conservation to
promote linkage opportunities.
Consider developing a conservation land acquisition strategy.
Review and update incentives for development to dedicate land and or easements to
achieve habitat linkages.
Appendix | 77
Conserve and enhance our unique sense of place to attract individuals,
companies and organizations.
Explanation: New Hanover County has a strong sense of place due to its history and natural
environment with many unique features. Using these features to create a sense of identity and
pride encourages businesses and individuals to locate in New Hanover County.
Implementation Strategies:
Focus on public spaces and opportunities for formal and informal social gathering places.
Increase, enhance, and manage public access to water and natural resources.
Consider creating a strong place-based economic development strategy.
Make a case for sustainable funding sources to improve the County’s economic
development infrastructure and identify opportunities to leverage the funds effectively.
Encourage conservation and enhancement of the unique environment, character and
history of the county.
Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investments
Explanation: Infrastructure is an expensive investment for a community. Where, how and when
infrastructure investments are made has a significant influence on where private investments will
likely be made. Making infrastructure investments in areas where growth is desired and positive
financial returns allow the community to capitalize on its public investments.
Implementation Strategies:
Work with CFPUA on a targeted long range plan for water and sewer infrastructure.
Work with MPO on a targeted long range plan for transportation infrastructure.
Consider revising zoning ordinances to support mixed uses and holistic approach to
development.
Consider strategies to encourage increased private sector investment in the provision of
infrastructure.
Support business success.
Explanation: Local and small businesses are a vibrant part of New Hanover County’s economy.
Working together to create successful businesses can significantly benefit New Hanover
County’s economy. In addition to incentives for large businesses, support for local and small
businesses may include strategies to ensure there are adequate locations for start-ups and
programs to kick-start small businesses.
Implementation Strategies:
Streamline permitting process for targeted industries.
Advocate for and develop a realistic and sustainable incentive policies for New Hanover
County.
Align county zoning ordinance to encourage targeted businesses in appropriate areas.
Appendix | 78
Increase communications with small businesses by creating a resources link on the
county webpage for new businesses and a staff culture to shepherd new businesses
through the development process.
Support provisions for providing public free, high-speed internet access throughout New
Hanover County.
Support health promotion and disease prevention while minimizing
debilitating effects of mental and physical disabilities.
Explanation: Understanding the built environment and community policies can have a direct
impact on physical and mental disabilities through location of services, integrated land uses, and
sensitivity to the disabled population.
Implementation Strategies:
Encourage public spaces and health related facilities (Gyms, pharmacies, physician
offices, etc.) to be smoke free.
Promote awareness of physical and mental disabilities and disease prevention.
Support workforce development and economic prosperity for all.
Explanation: The workforce of a community is a valuable tool for economic development.
Providing a place-based economic development strategy that attracts quality workforce talent
and provides opportunities to train our existing workforce is a strategy to retain and attract
businesses and companies to New Hanover County.
Implementation Strategies:
Partner with educational facilities to provide opportunities for training in targeted
industries.
Continue to enhance education program, facilities, and offerings.
Appendix | 79
Suggested Additions and Changes:
Promote place-based economic development in the region that is tied to our
natural resources
Explanation: The Cape Fear region is naturally bio diverse and home to many unique species.
This unique feature of our community can be used as a way to promote and encourage economic
development.
Implementation Strategies:
Create and promote a network of greenways, blueways, and trails highlighting
environmental assets.
Coordinate and partner with various agencies to develop future public water access
points.
Revitalize waterfront parks and public spaces to encourage opportunities for formal and
informal social gatherings.
Preserve and conserve beaches, inlets, and waterways which are critical to our quality of
life, tourism economy, and coastal environment.
Actively promote diverse, high quality, educational and cultural opportunities
for New Hanover County residents and visitors.
Explanation: A multitude of educational and cultural institutions thrive within New Hanover
County that directly reinforces the quality of life of residents and visitors alike.
Work with New Hanover County Public Schools as well as community stakeholders and
institutions to provide high quality pre-K, primary and secondary educational
opportunities and facilities to meet current and future needs of County residents.
Partner with UNCW, CFCC and other community institutions to provide a diversity of
educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities for New Hanover County citizens
and visitors.
Partner with UNCW, CFCC and economic development stakeholders to develop and
promote educational programs that target specific economic development opportunities
within New Hanover County.
Preserve and Protect water quality and supply.
Explanation: NHC is located on the coast and therefore, is subject to many concerns regarding
water supply and quality. Accommodating more growth in our region will require more
strategies to conserve water resources and preserve water quality.
Implementation Strategies:
Continue to enhance a regional water quality program to include ocean, river and
estuarine water quality monitoring in cooperation with UNCW and others.
Continue to identify watershed specific indicators of water quality degradation, establish
baseline measures, and establish watershed development practices to achieve goals.
Appendix | 80
Consider establishing water quality improvement goals for the County in cooperation
with others.
Identify and prioritize water quality improvement projects, including wetland and stream
restorations, which will improve water quality
Identify and pursue funding sources for priority projects
Explore the value and benefits of reestablishing the Watershed Management Advisory
Board.
Continue to develop drainage systems and design standards that reflect the natural
carrying capacity of the watershed.
Continue to participate in the development of state develop standards to ensure the
retention, acquisition and management of natural vegetation and riparian buffers to
preserve, maintain and protect water quality.
Continue to participate in the development of statewide regulation of and update
subdivision design standards to protect and improve water quality in sensitive areas.
Continue to develop and update educational and other strategies to deal with point and
non-point source impacts on water quality consistent with the latest state and coastal rules
and regulations.
Continue Identifying, evaluateing, and prioritizeing an inventory of retrofit opportunities
to reduce water quality impacts from stormwater runoff on receiving waters.
Identify water specific sources of pollutants to help direct protection and improvement
measures.
Promote expansion of water and sewer system to protect and enhance water quality.
Consider establishing a groundwater and aquifer protection ordinance.
Consider removing barriers in codes/ordinances that hinder and prohibit low impact
development.
Ensure NHC remains in attainment for air quality, in support of clean air and
improved public health outcomes in support of continued growth.
Explanation: The EPA places requirements on communities with regards to air quality to
protect human health. The built environment has a direct relation to air quality. Protecting our air
quality supports public health and enables our community to retain and attract quality
development and industries.
Implementation Strategies:
Promote compact development, mixture of uses, and infill that minimizes trips and
vehicle miles traveled.
Encourage development patterns and neighborhood street designs that are conductive to
pedestrian and bicycle use.
Discourage open burning of yard waste and trash in densely populated areas.
Consider a program to monitor and assess cumulative impacts of toxins and pollutants on
air quality and attainment.
Appendix | 81
Appendix | 82
Appendix | 83
Appendix | 84
Appendix | 85
Appendix | 86
Appendix | 87
Appendix | 88
Appendix | 89
Appendix | 90
Appendix | 91
Appendix | 92
Appendix | 93
Appendix | 94
Appendix | 95
Appendix | 96
Appendix | 97
Appendix | 98
Appendix | 99
Appendix | 100
Appendix | 101
Appendix | 102
Appendix | 103
Appendix | 104
Appendix | 105
Appendix | 106
Appendix | 107
Appendix | 108
Appendix | 109
Appendix | 110
Appendix | 111
Appendix | 112
Appendix | 113
Appendix | 114
Appendix | 115
Appendix | 116
Appendix | 117
Appendix | 118
Appendix | 119
Appendix | 120
Trask Middle School Input and Comments
Harmony with Nature
We should have more space for trees
Don’t chop down trees, you’re killing animal habitats! Park!
Instead of cutting down trees, build on older unused areas
For every tree we cut down, we should plant one somewhere else
Have more places for animals to live
Recreational parks in all neighborhoods
Clean our beaches
Protect the animals
Less erosion
I believe we need to, instead of just building more and more neighborhoods and killing
more trees and wildlife, take old houses and old neighborhoods and rebuild/refurbish
them. Therefore we are not ripping away more vegetation and habitat.
More vegetation is needed like trees
Conversion to alternative energy sources instead of so much fossil fuel usage
Keep trees and other goods unless you really need to do it, but it needs/should be for a
good cause
To have rainwater filtered then used for drinking water
Better environmental regulation
More trees
Stop cutting trees
Less polluting the earth – laws
Help with greenhouse gasses
Don’t build close to the beach
Health Community
Gyms/parks/sidewalks
Access to healthier food
Multiuse workout area
More grocery stores
Healthier choices
Safe neighborhoods for people
Make sure everyone has the proper equipment (golf course, basketball courts, pools, etc.
(activities))
More places for activities like football, basketball, etc.
More gyms and healthier food
Heathier foods
More health activities
More produce stands
More YMCAs
Appendix | 121
Resilient Economy
Try to make electric cars to save the pollution in multiple areas
Put solar panels on houses in the community
Less Harris Teeters
To have more nature around more buildings/offices
Places where people can eat healthier (our country is an obese country)
More trees because less trees = less life
Small business and things that deal with economic health
Better structurally built homes in safer areas
More ecofriendly jobs instead of so many industrial based ones
Explore green energy for job growth
A lot more roadwork done in our county overall
Improvement on police departments
More internet and cable providers to bring down prices
No kill animal shelters
A Cheesecake Factory
The water company needs to be regulated and controlled more to prevent high water and
sewage rate
More bike usage around the city to reduce pollution
Cheaper gas prices
Responsible Regionalism
Helping the elder
Treat people nicely
Help injured
More athletic competitions between one another
Better cars and other ways for transportation
Help the sickly, injured, disabled-organization that pays the bills
Try to get the homeless off the streets
Add more schools, more hospitals
To have miniature shelters along the street
More attention and help given to the less fortunate
Don’t Pollute!!!!
Even though there are many littering laws, there are still people out there that littler
anyways
Enforced police officers
Interwoven Equity
Elevators in multistory churches for the elderly
Build more affordable homes
Transit all over the city (county)
More law enforcement facilities
More sidewalks
More bike trails
Appendix | 122
Build more medical centers
Things should be more accessible to the elderly, to the handicapped, and to the disabled
Apartments
Glass or other things to keep out of little kids sites
Build more condos or houses for people to live in
(Major) Do we really know how many homeless people there are on the streets?? I have
seen at least 4 or 5 on the streets. We should step up our game and build homes, condos,
apartments, or even shelters because we wouldn’t like it if we were to become homeless
in the next few years.
Livable Built Environment
We should have more houses dealing with nature
More schools for better way of education
Cars with little or no pollution
More houses with solar panels
Houses should be less expensive
More intersections
Solar power buildings
Restriction of oil fuels
More energy sources
Bio bus
More systems to be safer/should be cheaper
Public gardens that pay workers well
Additional Input:
Use less technology
No textbooks, use iPads
Manage our time with technology
Better neighborhoods
Limitation on guns
Security systems
Nicer neighborhoods
More homeless shelters
Treat disabled people nicer and with more respect
Less expensive technology
Healthcare
Hoverboard
Another college
Less expensive college
Space technology improve
Bigger lockers
Back entrance to Trask
Better education for children
Digital homework
Appendix | 123
Puppies
More trees planted
Cheesecake Factory
Cheaper gas
No kill animal shelters
No school on Mondays and Fridays
More bike usage
Use less technology
New textbooks or use iPads
Manage our time with technology better
Safer neighborhoods/able to pay for them
More protection with guns
Security cameras
Recycling programs that clean out earth
Better places for disable or poor people to go
Treat disable people better and with more respect
Technology should be cheaper
Healthcare-cheaper prices
College should be less expensive
Full size and bigger lockers/width
Back entrance to be able to access Trask
Better restaurants, that are clean
Easy ways to progress not having germs
Better education for kids
Wind/water turbine
Sports center
Donut Shop
More businesses
Recreational Parks
UNCW college basketball/football team televised
Borders around roads to keep animals safe
More colleges that provide different majors
Place to learn more languages
Scholarship for more subjects/majors
Charging case (it charges the phone as long as you have it on)
Appendix | 124
Isaac Bear Early College Input
*Number in parenthesis represents the voting count for each of the originally suggested goals
Health Community
More options for healthcare (3)
Lower healthcare prices (8)
More sports in schools/early colleges (2)
Education-mainly dealing with living healthy (0)
Accessibility to county health programs (i.e. immunizations) (1)
Bike path in Carolina Beach/Kure Beach-conflict with Sunny Point (1)
More walk/bike friendly communities (3)
Harmony with Nature
Wildlife preservation (2)
Deforestation Control (0)
Pollution Control (3)
Incorporate plant life into city area- green space (1)
Transcendentalism (9)
Nature Appreciation (0)
Community vegetable gardens (3)
Protection of costal habitats (2)
Erosion- especially in Wrightsville Beach and other beach communities (1)
Responsible Regionalism
Have a tri county committee so ideas can be expressed amongst the three (5)
Make one county as prosperous as another (3)
How do city and county governments work together? Will they ever merge? (1)
Interwoven Equity
No food deserts (3)
Soup kitchens (3)
Homeless shelters (5)
More transportation hubs (3)
More sidewalks and walkways and bikeways (7)
Livable Built Environment
What will happen when the mall goes out of business? What could go in that space?
Government offices? (2)
What about the land K-Mart is on? If K-Mart goes out of business, it can be demolished
and the land can be repurposed for a larger [early college] school building. (8)
Public transportation- further reaching (1)
Road improvements (0)
More green type buildings (1)
Appendix | 125
Resilient Economy
Draw green industry (1)
What is happening with Titan? (0)
Need more ways to draw productions here (1)
Better job opportunities; this could possibly bring more people/ business to the area (2)
More business internships in high school (4)
Chapter 4 Appendix
Appendix | 127
Appendix | 128
Alternative Futures Report Summary
The Alternative Futures report set out to answer the following question: “where can future
growth be accommodated, and what are the positives and negatives of accommodating that
growth in different ways.”
Alternative Futures sheds light on the long-term effects of physical change in the tri-county Cape
Fear region (New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender Counties) helping to guide the vision for the
region’s future that not only builds on existing strengths and future opportunities, but is also
fiscally and environmentally sustainable over the long term. It identified four future scenarios
using different mixes of market-based and policy-based actions to investigate future growth and
development patterns, economic development potential, quality of life, and environmental
stewardship. To reach this goal, the report employed a data-rich and performance-driven process
using enhanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools.
Below lists the steps used to create the future scenarios and summarizes the thought process and
subsequent analysis that went into the Alternative Futures report.
1. Establish baseline and long term population and employment forecasts;
2. Assess existing land based on its availability and attractiveness as a future development
site; and
3. Generate Alternative Futures development patterns based on distinct mixes of market and
policy-based land use factors.
Each step is covered in more detail in the following sections.
Population and Employment Forecasting
The baseline conditions were based on United States Census data from 2010. Long term
forecasts are less certain than existing conditions, so the scenario planning effort used two
alternative 2040 forecasts. Forecast 1(F1) was based the on North Carolina Statewide Travel
Model population and employment forecasts, which are also being used by the Wilmington
Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO). Forecast 2(F2) was based on
population and employment forecasts from a private analytic firm, Moody’s Analytics. The
findings from the baseline conditions and forecast conditions are shown in the table below. In
general, the F1 forecast sees less rapid growth in the County than does the F2 forecast, but both
forecasts expect significant growth in population and employment over the next 25 years.
Appendix | 129
POPULATION
2010 2040
BASE FORECAST 1 FORECAST 2
New Hanover County 202,667 249,026 337,054
Unincorporated 85,973 105,639 152,157
Wilmington 106,476 130,832 167,904
Other Jurisdictions 10,218 12,555 16,993
EMPLOYMENT
2010 2040
BASE FORECAST 1 FORECAST 2
New Hanover County 93,274 111,291 172,939
Unincorporated 18,830 27,823 51,882
Wilmington 71,086 77,904 112,410
Other Jurisdictions 3,358 5,565 8,647
NOTE: Projections were also created for housing demand, retail spending, and generalized
industry types (Commercial, Industrial, etc.)
Appendix | 130
Land Use Availability and Attractiveness Assessment
The land use assessment utilized a 3-step process: 1) determine existing land use conditions; 2)
identify available developable land (i.e. land supply); and 3) determine the development
attractiveness, or development suitability, of available land.
Step 1: Existing Conditions
An existing conditions model provides a physical snapshot of current on-the ground development
conditions, and is vital for any future scenario modeling. The primary metric of this existing
conditions model is activity unit density, which shows the combined density of both residential
and non-residential development. At this stage of the analysis, the important aspect is to know
how much development there is and not so much what kind of development exists.
Relatively compact, intense, urban development, focused primarily in downtown
Wilmington, surrounding the primary arterial intersections in the center of New Hanover
County, and at major employment destinations like UNC Wilmington and New Hanover
Regional Medical Center.
Diffused, widespread, low-density suburban development enveloping much of New
Hanover County.
Small nodes of very low-density rural development on the periphery of the County.
Undeveloped or very sparsely developed land in the northern portions of New Hanover
County. Some of this land is reserved for conservation, but much is developable.
Step 2: Land Availability
The second step in the modeling process was the identification of land available for potential
future development.
Many areas of New Hanover County are unavailable for development, either due to policy,
topography, or are already developed. All areas of unavailability were identified. This includes
areas having significant prohibitions against development, such as state parks and game lands,
public land trusts, county parks, dedicated natural preserves, significant heritage areas, water
bodies and others. An additional assumption was made that some land not currently protected
may in the future be protected. This is focused in particular on prime farmland. Once these areas
of unavailability were determined, the land in the region was divided into three (3) availability
types:
Infill – already developed areas that have future development potential through additional
density or vacant/unoccupied parcels.
Greenfields – currently undeveloped areas that are available for future development.
Conservation areas – those areas that should be deemed unavailable, as discussed above.
Appendix | 131
Step 3: Land Suitability
The final step in the modeling process was a land suitability analysis, which combines how
“attractive” a location is to new development (both housing and employment development) with
how densely that attractive land would be developed.
To determine attractiveness, the analysis considered six key dimensions of a location’s suitability
for new development:
Access and Centrality
Economics and Land Value
Infrastructure
Natural Features and Environment
Planning and Policy
Services and Amenities
The combination of these six dimensions led to the creation of two general land suitability
scenarios:
A ‘Market-Based’ scenario in which the market forces such as accessibility, land value
and highway infrastructure featured prominently
A ‘Compact Development’ scenario in which planning and policy variables and
multimodal transportation improvements take on greater significance
These steps determine attractiveness, the first of the two stated components of suitability. To
determine the other - density - two different sets of assumptions were developed: a ‘Lower
Density’ pattern where new development mirrors today’s lower density development; and a
‘Higher Density’ pattern where greater infill potential was assumed.
Alternative Futures Scenarios
The attractiveness scenarios and density scenarios were then brought together, creating four
distinct Alternative Futures scenarios:
1) Market-based, lower density scenario (called ‘Business As Usual’)
2) Market-based, higher density scenario (Mixed Use Development)
3) Compact development, lower density scenario (Redevelopment & Infill)
4) Compact development, higher density scenario (High Growth Nodes)
Future land use could then be modeled based on these four scenarios, allowing for an opportunity
to see a wide range of possible development trends.
Appendix | 132
Business as Usual Scenario
This scenario envisioned a continuation of the region’s most recent development patterns. This
means that the shift from rural to urban would continue to advance on the periphery of the
County, and that development types, such as lower-density single-family housing and auto-
oriented strip malls, would still be the preeminent form of new development. Wilmington would
continue to see slow and steady infill development, but development on currently undeveloped
land would continue to move north and northeast in New Hanover County.
The implications for this scenario are that the County becomes even more spread out and
dependent on cars. Fewer residents would have walking or transit access to jobs, recreation, or
daily services, and total travel by car would increase.
Mixed Use Development Scenario
Under this development scenario, new, higher density developments emerge, usually in small
pockets around areas with good transportation access. These small centers exhibit concentrated
housing and employment, allowing for some opportunities for walking or transit use. For New
Hanover County, mixed use development occurs in established areas such as Castle Hayne,
Downtown Wilmington and the Market Street/New Center area.
The implications for this pattern are decreases in total vehicle miles traveled and amount of
paved surfaces, along with increases in overall access to transit, recreation, and employment.
Redevelopment & Infill Scenario
This scenario concentrates growth in existing urbanized areas, and assumes a high level of in-
town development. This means that new, higher density development types have to emerge to
accommodate growth. Infill development is seen in several places in New Hanover County,
including established beach communities and the existing urbanized area of Wilmington such as
downtown, the New Center area, South College Road and Oleander Drive.
This scenario has the highest overall population density of any scenario, but does not necessarily
have improved access to some services like parks and recreation facilities. Auto use is still
expected to rise to levels similar to the Mixed Use Development Scenario, and the amount of
paved surfaces increases more in this scenario than any other.
High Growth Nodes Scenario
This scenario creates smaller, higher-density growth nodes throughout the region, as opposed to
the larger, more diffuse infill of the Redevelopment & Infill Scenario. This scenario optimizes
development diversity in these nodes, creating efficiency in existing and new infrastructure.
Growth nodes in New Hanover County include North College Road, US Highway 17, the
beaches, and Castle Hayne.
Appendix | 133
This scenario sees reductions in paved surfaces and vehicle miles traveled relative to the
Redevelopment & Infill Scenario, while also improving overall access to jobs, transit, and
services.
Alternative Futures Findings and Implications
This scenario planning effort showed that there are many different ways to accommodate future
growth. The future land use map reflects a mix of strategies that utilize nodes of intensive
development, areas of conservation, and opportunities for more “business as usual” development
that still has strong market potential even as infill and urban development become a more
desirable development pattern.
Appendix | 134
Community Input and Meetings
Stakeholder Meeting at the Executive Development Center
The stakeholder meeting was held in the Executive Development Center on the 20th of February
2015 from 3 to 5 pm. Thirty-two stakeholders from New Hanover County and the surrounding
area were in attendance. Staff received thirty-two comments from the maps, notecards, and
emails provided. Stakeholders were given a questionnaire at the check in table pertaining to each
of the seven different place types. Four questionnaires were returned to staff.
Industry and development were two main themes discussed at the meeting. Several suggestions
were made regarding the character areas, such as areas along U.S. Highway 421 and Sidbury
Road/Military Cutoff Extension junction, enlarging the character area at the I-40/I-140 junction
to include Cape Fear Community College, and also enlarging the Downtown Gateway area.
Another comment referred to more community mixed use along Castle Hayne Road by adding
grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants to the area. School sites were also discussed and
their ability to drive residential growth in an area. It was also recommended to add pedestrian
and wetland areas to the Conservation place type.
Staff also received several comments pertaining to conservation. Comments included adding
parks and County owned lands to the draft map, showing natural heritage areas, wetland areas,
aquifer protection areas, and riparian buffers along the Cape Fear River. It was also proposed for
the department to contact Leland and the Eagles Island Coalition in regarding how to label the
area.
Other comments included the need to distinguish between the City and County, visiting schools
and minority populations, and adding school sites to the map. Suggestions to work with the City
of Wilmington, Brunswick County, and Pender County in order to see how the draft Future Land
Use map lines up with their maps were also discussed.
Executive Development Center
The first public meeting was held at the Executive Development Center on the 26th of January
from 4 to 6 pm. One person attended the meeting and no comments were received.
Bellamy Elementary School
The second public meeting was held in the cafeteria of Bellamy Elementary School on the 29th of
January from 6 to 7:30 pm. The meeting had a turnout of thirty-two individuals. Twenty-seven
comments were received from the maps and notecards provided.
Overall, most of the comments touched on topics involving parks and recreation and multi-modal
options. Several of these comments included a desire for pedestrian and bike paths, specifically
on Sanders Road and additional options in the southern part of the County. Remarks were
received about hiking and nature trails along Sanders Road and make River Road a scenic byway
by widening the road and including walking and bicycle paths. Attendees liked the idea of
pushing the envelope and creating a more European style of transportation options. Along with
interests in the future land use map, attendees were interested in current development projects in
the area.
Appendix | 135
Conservation options were discussed in length at this meeting. Multiple attendees expressed the
need for a copy of the current CAMA Land Use Map at the meeting and stated it would allow the
public to see the current situations along with future plans. Commenters wanted to also see a
parks plan that showed current parks and any planned future parks. One comment stated if the
Loran Station is ever available, the land should be conservation or recreation. Other remarks
included adding more conservation lands in the southern part of the County and the need for
wildlife protection and erosion prevention. Along with conserving land, attendees asked for the
reduction to the number of trees cut down for development.
Additional concerns pertained to voluntary annexations by the City, less traffic Congestion on
Sanders Road, concerns about uncontrolled development without consideration for schools and
roads, and population density. One comment conveyed a need for traffic impact studies to
precede the approval of new residential and commercial developments southeast of the city.
Interest in seeing more alternative uses in Monkey Junction were expressed. Celebration in
Florida was suggested for the future development options in the County.
Ogden Elementary School
The third public meeting was held in the multi-purpose room at Ogden Elementary School on the
3rd of February from 6 to 7:30 pm. Twenty-one individuals were in attendance at the meeting.
Staff received thirty-one comments overall from the maps, notecards, and emails.
Comments focused on conservation and multi-modal options. Several individuals wanted more
conservation areas and buffer zones throughout the County, especially in the northern part of the
County and along the U.S. Highway 421 corridor. One specific area of concern was the land area
around Rich Inlet and the desire for it to be shown as conservation. Individuals also stated
concerns about protecting the aquifer and future water supply areas. It was suggested that the
conservation place type should include the 100 year flood plain. Comments also expressed more
bike and pedestrian friendly facilities in the Kirkland area.
Various comments were received regarding the future density of the County including wanting to
keep low density for all sound areas, limiting high rise apartments, and the need for
developments to provide more open space than currently provided. A comment was also made
pertaining to the Military Cutoff Road Extension corridor and suggesting it to be designated
General Residential rather than Urban Mixed Use.
There were also concerns about traffic and stormwater around the school, limiting and restricting
smokestack industry along 421, and the need for new zoning regulations place types. Concerns
of preserving and enhancing “urban” agriculture such as, picking strawberries at Lewis Farms,
buying local eggs, local flowers at the farmer’s market, etc. were addressed.
Murray Middle School
The fourth meeting was held in the cafeteria of Murray Middle School on the 10th of February
from 5 to 6:30 pm. There were five people in attendance and no comments were received
pertaining to the Future Land Use Map.
Appendix | 136
Eaton Elementary School
The fifth meeting was held in the cafeteria of Eaton Elementary School on the 12th of February
from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Seven people were in attendance at the meeting. Staff received two
comments from notecards.
The first comment pertained to strip malls and how the individual believed they were not a part
of a sustainable community. The comment stated that strip malls become seedy, that businesses
come and go, and solutions usually involve abandonment and replacement of another strip mall
down the road. The second comment was related to the Urban Mixed Use place type and how its
uses would encourage local business as opposed to big box business. The concern was mainly
focused on the Urban Mixed Use area on Sidbury Road and how if a big box store comes in,
what would happen to the trees, the logging industry and the jobs in that industry, as well as the
animals that would be displaced.
Myrtle Grove Middle School
The sixth meeting was held in the cafeteria of Myrtle Grove Middle School on the 17th of
February from 5 to 6:30 pm. Four individuals were in attendance. Staff received three comments
from the provided maps.
One comment suggested raising the number of stories in the Urban and Community Mixed Use
areas. The comment went on to state that this combined with proper green space regulations
would make buildings and parking more efficient and create less impervious surface. The other
two comments included the addition of railroad line corridors and water well fields to the maps.
Wrightsboro Elementary School
The seventh meeting was held in the cafeteria of Wrightsboro Elementary School on the 23rd of
February from 5 to 6:30 pm. Thirty-six individuals were in attendance. Staff received sixty-one
comments from the maps, notecards, and emails.
Comments from individuals who attended this meeting primarily pertained to conservation and
industry. Attendees expressed the need for more conservation, wetlands, and riparian areas along
the Northeast Cape Fear River, and protection of groundwater and aquifers due to the fact that
most Castle Hayne residents rely on their own well for drinking water. Additionally they wanted
to see efforts to reduce the amount of pollution to impaired waters and increase preservation of
environmentally sensitive areas. Connectivity between conservation areas for wildlife corridors
and creating contiguous corridors for conservation and wetland areas were also suggested.
Another comment focused on the area along the Northeast Cape Fear River north of Holly
Shelter Road that suggested that the area should be a conservation area to allow for aquifer
recharge, protect the river wildlife corridor, and control downstream flooding.
There were also concerns about industry in the north eastern section of the county along Holly
Shelter Rd and that redevelopment of existing industrial areas, especially along the 421 corridor
will reduce the size of needed land. There was also a need to establish multi-modal lanes in
commerce and employment zones with new development. Comments were also received about
keeping the area low density and how they believed the County was too small for so much
designated commerce area. Some comments would like to only have the Commerce Center place
Appendix | 137
type along the U.S. Highway 421 Corridor. Other comments included the desire for no heavy
industry along the Northeast Cape Fear River. It was also suggested no high rise or industry on
Eagles Island and asking for staff to work with the coalition.
There were comments about agriculture and its practices in the Wrightsboro area. This included
concerns about the reduction of agriculture area and how different land uses could encourage
growth not characteristic of Wrightsboro and Castle Hayne’s agricultural past. Attendees noted
the preservation of fruitful soils in the area for food production, and were concerned about why
light industry was included in the definition of the Agriculture place type.
Other comments included allowing micro homes to be placed on privately owned lands and in
residential areas, allowing business owners to live on site of their business, allowing the
opportunity to burn non-trash county wide, and county-wide recycling pick up options. Many
comments were also made about the lack of recreational areas in Wrightsboro and Castle Hayne
and the need for more biking and walking paths.
City-County at the Executive Development Center
The City-County meeting was held at the Executive Development Center on the 11th of March
from 3 to 6pm. Ninety-eight individuals were in attendance. Staff received thirty-one comments
from the maps provided. The second draft Future Land Use map was revealed to the public and
allowed attendees to see the changes that had been made based on the comments from the seven
previous meetings.
Transportation, multi-modal options, and recreation were among some of the topics addressed at
this meeting. One commenter suggested better bus transportation, such as more routes in
northern area of the county. Also there was a desire for ball fields on the 421 Corridor and for
recreational areas in Wrightsboro neighborhoods. One commenter discussed the idea for a
pedestrian and/or bike path either over or under Military Cutoff Extension to connect bike paths
and increase foot traffic.
Industry and development were discussed in detail. Concerns were expressed pertaining to
industry near schools in the Castle Hayne area. One commenter observed the difference in the
amount of Commerce Center on the first draft map to the expanded amount on the second along
with a suggestion to take the commerce area and shrink it to the Corridor of U.S. Highway 421
and the bypass. It was also suggested to shrink the Commerce Center area along Holly Shelter
Road to just along the highway. There was a concern about creating suburban wastelands.
Designating the area along I-40/I-140 as a commerce/employment zone with access to the bypass
and interstate was also recommended. Some commenters were supportive of the Community
Mixed Use place type, while others wanted more of a distinction between the two mixed uses.
Comments pertaining to conservation were also received. The comments included allowing for
low impact business in designated conservation areas for things such as bee keeping, medical
plant collection, kayak usage, protecting natural areas like Eagles Island, and creating contiguous
conservation land in the Northeast part of the county. Another suggestion was to show the
floodplain on the map and include it with conservation along with all other environmental
constraints. One comment focused on the dense development of New Hanover County and stated
Appendix | 138
that the county should work with Brunswick County and Pender County to conserve land and
heritage. There was also the suggestion that the land next to the Cape Fear River wetland game
land should be kept as conservation land.
Some other comments related to agriculture and county perspectives. These included bringing
the agriculture area up to and include both sides of Castle Hayne Road, as well as incorporating
agriculture areas into the southern part of the county. Another comment addressed making
Monkey Junction an official place name.
Reference Documents
Appendix | 140
List of Acronyms
AEC- Areas of Environmental Concern
CFCC- Cape Fear Community College
CFPUA- Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority
CDC- Center for Disease Control and Prevention
CLRD- Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
CAC- Citizen Advisory Board
CAMA- Coastal Area Management Act
C-CAP- Coastal Change Analysis Program
CRC- Coastal Resource Commission
CDBD- Community Development Block Grant
CPTED- Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
EBT- Electronic Benefits Transfer
FEMA- Federal Emergency Management Agency
FAICP- Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners
FLU/FLUM- Future Land Use/Future Land Use Map
GIS- Geographic Information Systems
LUP- Land Use Plan
LSA- Logistics Support Analysis
LOS- Loss of service
LID- Low Impact Development
NCSS- National Cooperative Soil Survey
NOAA- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NHC- New Hanover County
NHCPS- New Hanover County Public Schools
Appendix | 141
NCAC- North Carolina Administrative Code
NCDENR- North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
NCDEQ- North Carolina Department of Quality
NCDOT- North Carolina Department of Transportation
ORW- Outstanding Resource Waters
PM- Particulate Matter
PNA- Primary Nursery Areas
SA- Shellfishing Areas
SNHA- Significant Natural Heritage Areas
SENC- Southeastern North Carolina
SFHA- Special Flood Hazard Areas
STIP- State Transportation Improvement Plan
SNAP- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
TRC- Technical Review Committee
TMDL- Total Maximum Daily Load
TDR- Transfer Development Rights
UNCW- University of North Carolina Wilmington
USB- Urban Services Boundary
V/C- Volume to capacity
WQ- Water Quality
WIC- Benefits for Women, infants, and Children
ILM- Wilmington International Airport
WNHTA- Wilmington/New Hanover Transportation Agency
WTA- Wilmington Transit Authority
WMPO/MPO- Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Appendix | 142
Glossary
Areas of Environmental Concern (AECs): an area of natural importance that may be easily
destroyed by erosion or flooding, or may have environmental, social, economic or aesthetic
values that make it valuable to the public. In NC, the Coastal Resources Commission has set up
four categories of AECs:
A. The Estuarine and Ocean System
B. The Ocean Hazard System
C. Public Water Supplies
D. Natural and Cultural Resource Areas
AECs cover almost all coastal waters and less than 3 percent of the land in the 20 coastal
counties.
Annexation: The incorporation of a land area into a municipal corporation with a resulting
change in the corporate limits of that municipality. This is the process by which cities extend
their municipal services, regulations, voting privileges, and taxing authority into new territory.
Aquifer: An underground geological formation or group of formations containing water.
Aquifers are sources of groundwater for wells and springs.
Best Management Practices (BMP): Methods, measures, practices, and maintenance
procedures intended to prevent or reduce water pollution of water within the United States.
BMPs also include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control plant
site runoff, spillage or leaks, sledge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw material storage.
Biodiversity: The variety of life and its processes which includes the variety of living
organisms, the genetic differences among them, and the communities and ecosystems in which
they occur.
Buffer: A transitional area of land between two distinct land uses or types used to lessen the
impact of one land use type on another. For example, a commercial area that borders a residential
neighborhood may be subject to additional restrictions on height, noise, or fencing requirements
to insulate the neighborhood from the effects of the commercial zone.
Cluster Development: A planning method that generally sites houses or structures on smaller
parcels of land, while the additional land that would have been allocated to individual lots is
converted to common shared open space. Typically, road frontage, lot size, setbacks, and other
traditional development regulations are redefined to permit the developer to preserve
ecologically sensitive areas, historical sites, or other unique characteristics of the land being
subdivided.
Appendix | 143
Coastal Infrastructure: North Carolina recognizes the importance of coastal risk reduction and
resiliency as well as the benefits tourism and our natural resources represent in supporting our
coastal infrastructures’ industrial base. The coastal infrastructure (healthy shorelines and inlet
access) provides critical protection and benefit to public and private infrastructure, small
businesses, the tourism industry, public recreation, state/local tax bases and coastal biological
resources.
Coastal Wetlands: Any salt marsh or other marsh subject to regular or occasional flooding by
tides, including wind tides (whether or not the tide water reach the marsh lands through natural
or artificial watercourses), provided this shall not include hurricane or tropical storm tides.
Community Boating Facility: A private nonprofit boating facility including a dock, pier,
and/or launching ramp on property which has water frontage, the use of which is intended to
serve 5 or more residential lots or units. The right to use such facility must be conferred by an
easement appurtenant to the residential lot it is intended to serve. No commercial activities of
any kind, including commercial letting of slips to parties who are not residents of the waterfront
subdivision, shall be allowed within the confines of the facility.
Complete Streets: A transportation and design approach that requires streets to be planned,
designed, operated, and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access
for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. Allows for safe travel
by those walking, cycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, or delivering goods.
Designed and operated to enable safe access for all users; pedestrians, bicyclist, motorists, and
public transportation users of all ages and abilities are able to move safely along and across a
Complete Street. Designed and operated to enable safe continuous travel networks for all users.
Development: Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not
limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or
drilling operations; excluding bona fide farming activities.
Density: The number of dwelling units permitted per a unit of land area, usually expressed as the
ratio of residential units per acre.
Dredging: To enlarge or clean out a waterbody, watercourse, or wetland.
Ecosystem: The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental
surroundings.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas: Areas including coastal wetlands, exceptional and
significant non-coastal wetlands, land within 2000 feet of outstanding resource waters (ORW),
aquifer recharge areas, significant natural heritage areas, and shellfish waters. These areas are
those that generally make up the Resource Protection areas on the Land Classification Map.
Appendix | 144
Estuarine Watersheds: Refers to the entire land area that contributes to surface drainage and
other run-off into and estuary.
Estuary: Refers to a body of water where fresh water from the river or stream mixes with salt
water. These waters are tidally influenced and have varied salinity levels. Region of interaction
between rivers and near-shore ocean waters where tidal action and river flow mix fresh and salt
water. Such areas include bays, mouths of rivers, salt marshes, and lagoons. These brackish
water ecosystems shelter and feed marine life, birds, and wildlife.
Exceptional Resource Areas: Are areas that are valued and protected to ensure the longevity of
NHC’s natural environment and safety of its citizens.
Floating Homes: Any structure, not a boat, supported by a means of flotation, designed to be
used without a permanent foundation, which is used or intended for human habitation or
commerce.
Floodplain: The land area susceptible to inundation by water as a result of flood. Typically a
floodplain is geographically defined by the likelihood of a flood of a certain severity. A 100-year
floodplain would be inundated by a flood whose severity could be expected on average once
every 100 years; likewise a 500-year floodplain would be defined by floodwaters whose severity
could be expected on average once every 500 years.
A relatively flat or low land area adjoining a river, stream, or watercourse which is subject to
partial or complete inundation or an area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation of run-
off or surface waters from any source.
Floodway: That portion of the waterway channel that is, during flooding, extremely hazardous
due to the velocity of storm waters, erosion potential, and water-borne debris.
The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in
order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation
more than one foot.
Flood Zone: A geographical area shown on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or Flood Insurance
Rate Map that reflects the severity or type of flooding in the area.
Geographic Information System (GIS): A method of storing geographic information on
computers, Geographic information can be obtained from a variety of sources, including
topographical maps, soil maps, aerial and satellite photographs, and remote sensing technology.
Greenway: A series of connected green spaces that may follow natural features such as ravines,
creeks, or other corridors.
Growth Node: Concentrated development of regional scale activity in the vicinity of key major
intersections. Regional commercial activity, including big-box retail that serves a regional
Appendix | 145
market, is directed to the nodes with the remainder of the commercial areas along a corridor
outside of the node remaining at community scale and use intensity.
An identifiable grouping of land uses concentrated in and area, usually of higher intensity than
their surroundings.
Impaired Waters: Term that applies to a water body that has a use support rating of partially
supporting or not supporting of its designated uses.
Impervious Surface: Any hard-structured, man-made area that does not readily absorb or retain
water, including but not limited to building roofs, parking and driveway areas, graveled areas,
sidewalks, and paved recreation areas.
Any material which prevents, impedes, or slows infiltration or absorption of stormwater directly
into the ground at the rate of absorption of vegetation-bearing soils, including building, asphalt,
concrete, gravel, and other surfaces.
Infill: Development on vacant or underused sites within an established development pattern.
Land Trust: A private, nonprofit conservation organization formed to protect natural resources,
such as productive farm and forest land, natural areas, historic structures, and recreational areas.
Land trusts purchase and accept donations of conservation easements. They educate the public
about the need to conserve land, and some provide land-use and estate planning services to local
governments and individual citizens.
Land Use: Land Use is a general representation of how land is occupied or utilized, according to
standard categories such as residential, commercial, and industrial. Future Land Use is a
representation of the vision of New Hanover County for the next 25 years created by the citizens
involved in the Plan NHC process. While not legally binding (like Zoning), it shall be used by
planning staff, NHC Planning Board, and NHC Board of Commissioners as a tool to guide
development.
Low Impact Development (LID): An approach to site development and stormwater
management that combines resource conservation, and a hydrological functional site design with
pollution prevention measures to reduce development impacts and to better replicate natural
watershed hydrology and water quality. Through a variety of serially integrated small-scale site
design techniques, LID controls runoff discharge, volume, frequency, and quality to mimic
predevelopment runoff and hydrologic conditions.
Marina: Any publicly or privately owned dock, basin, or wet storage facility constructed to
accommodate more than 10 boats and providing any of the following services: permanent or
transient docking spaces, dry storage fueling facilities, haul out facilities, or repair services.
Excluded from this definition are boat ramp facilities allowing access only, temporary docking
that includes none of the previous listed services, and community boating facilities.
Appendix | 146
Major Development: The term major development project shall include but is not limited to
shopping centers, subdivision and other housing developments, and industrial and commercial
projects, but shall not include any project of less than 2 contiguous acres in extent (G.S. 113A-9.
Definitions-NC Environmental Policy Act).
Mixed-Use: Containing two or more of the following major categories of land use: residential,
office, retail, hotel, entertainment. The mixing can be vertical, in the form of mixed-use
buildings; or horizontal, when part of a mixed-use development, provided that the development
is walkable.
Multimodal Transportation: The use of more than one type of transportation, particularly the
use of modes like bicycles and buses in addition to or other than the single-occupant automobile.
Open Space: Any parcel or area of land or water essentially unimproved and set aside,
dedicated, designated, or reserved for public or private use or enjoyment or for the use and
enjoyment of owners, occupants, and their guests of land adjoining or neighboring such open
space. Open space may include active or passive recreational facilities. Its purposes maybe
recreation, historic and farmland preservation, viewshed protection, or environmental
conservation.
Outstanding Resource Waters: Supplemental classification in North Carolina intended to
protect unique and special waters having excellent water quality and being of exceptional state or
national ecological or recreational significance. To qualify, waters must be rated “Excellent” by
DWQ and have one of the following outstanding resource values:
Outstanding fish habitat or fisheries,
Unusually high level of water based recreation,
Some special designation such as NC or National Wild/Scenic/Natural/Recreational
River, National Wildlife Refuge, etc.,
Important component of state or national park or forest, or
Special ecological or scientific significance (rare or endangered species habitat, research
or educational areas).
No new or expanded wastewater discharges are allowed although there are no restrictions on the
types of discharges to these waters. There are associated development controls enforced by
DWQ.
Passive Recreation: Those activities which avoid or minimize the use of impervious or built
upon surfaces, such as raised wooden walkways, vegetated greenways, non-paved pathways, and
other similar uses. Passive recreation activities shall conform to standards for setbacks, buffers,
impervious surfaces, etc.
Appendix | 147
Place Type: Description of the desired character and function of the different types of
development that collectively make up a community: neighborhoods, employment centers,
downtowns, and more.
Pollutant: Generally, any substance introduced into the environment that adversely affects the
usefulness or health of a resource.
Primary Nursery Areas: Those areas in the estuarine system where initial post-larval
development takes place. There areas are usually located in the uppermost sections of a system
where populations are uniformly very early juveniles.
Public Trusts Areas: Refers to land and water subject to the Public Trust Doctrine. Black’s Law
Dictionary defines the public trust doctrine as a doctrine which, “Provides that submerged and
submersible lands are preserved for public use in navigation, fishing, and recreation and the
state, as trustee for the people, bears responsibility of preserving and protecting the right of the
public to the use of these lands and the waters above them for those purposes.” Generally, areas
included in the Public Trust are tidewaters to their farthest reach, tidelands, navigable waters,
and permanently submerged lands, including those extending lakeward or seaward to the limit of
state ownership.
Redevelopment: The substantial modification of existing developed areas, not to include interior
remodeling or interior modifications which do not include substantial structural modification to
the facility. When fifty percent of the site is being redeveloped, the entire site shall be considered
as being redeveloped.
Riparian Access: The legal right of waterfront property owners to construct docks or piers that
are contained within the boundaries of their riparian area limit (90 degree angle from the edge of
the channel back to the property line or shore).
Sediment: Mineral or organic solid particulate matter that has been removed from its site of
origin by (A) soil erosion; (B) suspension in water; and/or (C) wind or water transport.
Significant Natural Heritage Areas: Are sites that are evaluated based on the presence of rare
plant and animal species, rare or high quality natural communities, and special animal habitats.
Stormwater: The flow of water which results from precipitation and which occurs immediately
following rainfall or a snowmelt.
Streetscape: The area within a street right of way that contains sidewalks, street furniture,
landscaping, or trees.
Transfer of Development Rights: The conveyance of development rights by deed, easement, or
other legal instrument authorized by local or state law to another parcel of land and the recording
of that conveyance.
Appendix | 148
The removal of the right to develop or build, expressed in units per acre or floor area ratio, from
one lot or parcel to another, or from a portion of a lot to another part of the same lot.
A process by which development rights may be transferred from one parcel of land to another.
Transportation Mode: Shipment movement method from point A to point B by air, rail, road,
or sea.
Waterfront Community: A community located in proximity to navigable water that has at least
5 waterfront lots contiguous with the community.
Water Quality: A measure of the levels of pollutants occurring within a specified area of a
water body.
Water Quality Use Designation: All surface waters in North Carolina are assigned a primary
classification by the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) based on their designated best use.
All waters must at least meet the standards for Class C or SC (fishable / swimmable) waters. The
other primary classifications provide additional levels of protection for primary water contact
recreation (Class B), shellfish waters (class SA) and drinking water (Water Supply Classes I
through V).
Watershed: The land area that drains into a stream. The watershed for a major river may
encompass a number of smaller watershed that ultimately combine at a common point.
Wetlands: Areas that are inundated and saturated by water at a frequency and duration sufficient
to support vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, including swamps,
marshes, bogs, and similar areas.
Wetlands are generally delineated on the basis of physical characteristics such as soil properties
indicative of wetness, the presence of vegetation with an unusually strong affinity for water, and
the presence or evidence of surface wetness.
Zoning: Specifically defines the type of development allowed. It is how land is occupied or
utilized, including but not limited to subdivision, residential, commercial, industrial, recreational,
agricultural, or other development. Zoning is a regulation enforceable by law and may include
design requirements, such as buffers, building setbacks, and height limitations on buildings.
Local laws used by jurisdictions to regulate the uses of land, buildings, and structures within
designated areas.
Appendix | 149
Map Sources
Dataset Source Date Map
Reference
City of Wilmington Annexation New Hanover County 2014 2.1
Concentration of Elderly
Population
Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.2
National Land Cover Dataset Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics
Consortium 2011 2.3
National Land Cover Dataset Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics
Consortium 2011 2.4
Conservation Lands
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality & New Hanover
County
2014 2.5
Existing Land Use New Hanover County Tax Department 2014 2.6
Zoning Districts New Hanover County Planning
Department 2014 2.7
Urban Services Boundary New Hanover County Planning
Department 2006 2.8
Coastal Area Management Act
Land Classifications
New Hanover County Planning
Department 2006 2.9
Community Development
Block Grant Sites
New Hanover County Planning
Department 2014 2.10
Road Classifications North Carolina Department of
Transportation 2014 2.11
Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities
NHC Planning & Wilmington Urban
Area Metropolitan Planning
Organization
2014 2.12
Railroad Lines New Hanover County GIS 2014 2.13
Cape Fear Public Utility
Authority Water and Sewer
Service Areas
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority 2014 2.14 & 2.15
Telecommunication Sites Federal Communications Commission 2014 2.16
Parks and Boat Access New Hanover County Parks and
Gardens Department 2014 2.17
Proximity to Physical Activity
Centers
Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.18
Chronic Disease Vulnerability Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.19
Appendix | 150
Proximity to Medical Facilities Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.20
Proximity to Dental Facilities Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.21
Proximity to Grocery Stores Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.22
Proximity to Active
Transportation
Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.23
Proximity to Physical Activity Holland Consulting Planners/Health
Gaps Analysis Report 2014 2.24
Water Bodies United States Geological Survey 2014 2.25
Watersheds City of Wilmington Stormwater
Management Department 2014 2.26
Shellfishing Areas North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 2.27
Water Quality North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 2.28
Fishing Nursery Areas North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 2.29
Special Flood Hazard Areas North Carolina Floodplain Mapping
Program 2006 2.30
Soil Classifications United States Department of
Agriculture 1980 2.31
Agricultural Lands United States Department of
Agriculture 1980 2.32
Biodiversity/Wildlife Habitat
Conservation
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 2.33
Significant Natural Heritage
Areas
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 2.34
Future Land Use Placetypes New Hanover County Planning
Department 2015 Ch 4. Pg 11
Special Flood Hazard Areas North Carolina Floodplain Mapping
Program 2006 Ch 4. Pg 25
Public Coastal Waters (AEC) North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 Ch 4. Pg 26
Public Inland Waters (AEC) North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 Ch 4. Pg 27
Significant Natural Heritage
Areas
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2014 Ch 4. Pg 28
Outstanding Resource Waters North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality 2007 Ch 4. Pg 29
Appendix | 151
List of Plans and Policies
Planning:
1. New Hanover County Zoning Ordinance (Implementation Tool)
2. New Hanover County Subdivision Ordinance (Implementation Tool)
3. Market Street Corridor Study (2011)
4. CAMA Land Use Plan (2006) (In process of updating, part of PlanNHC)
5. New Hanover County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (2006) (Implementation Tool)
6. New Hanover County Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (2010) (In process of
updating)
7. Small area plans:
a. Castle Hayne (2008 updated 2014)
b. Wrightsboro (1991)
c. Porters Neck (1989)
d. Middle Sound (1987)
e. Seabreeze (1988)
8. Trees and Plant Materials for Landscaping (1990) (Resource)
9. Bicycle Facilities Study for the Blue Clay Corridor (2008)
10. Conservation Resources in New Hanover County (1984) (Resource)
11. New Hanover County Mobile Home and Travel Trailer Park Ordinance (1970)
(Implementation Tool)
12. Cape Fear River Corridor Plan (1997); Stage I Inventory Report; Alternatives
13. Low Impact Development Guidance Manual (2008) (Resource)
14. New Hanover County Aquifer Management Plan (1982)
15. Public Water Access Plan for New Hanover County (1986)
16. Drinking Water in New Hanover County (1989)
17. Classification of Soils in NHV for Septic Tank Suitability (1980) (Resource)
18. New Hanover County Local Watershed Planning Initiative (2002)
19. Futch Creek Watershed Plan (1997)
20. Smith Creek Watershed Plan (2010)
21. Pages Creek Watershed Study (1998)
22. Watershed Protection Roundtable Final Report (2001)
23. Master Plan for Parks, Recreation and Open Space (2006) (In process of updating)
24. Soil Survey of New Hanover County (1977) USDA/NHC Commissioners (Resource)
25. Traffic Impact Study Standards Manual (2002) (Implementation Tool)
26. Historic Architecture of New Hanover County (1986) (Resource)
27. Wilmington International Airport Height Restrictions Ordinance (2003) (Implementation
Tool)
28. Language Access Policy Plan (2011)
29. Fair Housing (2011)
Appendix | 152
30. Wilmington/New Hanover Comprehensive Greenway Plan
31. 2011-2016 Strategic Plan, New Hanover County, NC
Outside Agencies:
1. Natural Area Inventory of New Hanover County (2003) NCDENR – NC Natural
Heritage Program
2. Geology and Groundwater Resources of New Hanover County (1970) NCDENR
3. Cape Fear Arch Conservation Plan (2009) Cape Fear Arch Conservation Collaborative
4. Cape Fear River Basinwide Water Quality Plan (2005)
5. NC Division of Coastal Management – SLR Policy and Administrative Code policies for
coastal development
6. Cape Fear Commutes 2035 Transportation Plan (2011) WMPO (In process of updating)
7. River Road Small Area Plan (2007) WMPO
8. WAVE Short Range Transit Plan (2005) WAVE
9. WAVE Local Coordinated Plan (2008) WAVE
Appendix | 153
Surface Water Quality Classes
The State has classified the water quality of surface water bodies in the County as summarized in
the Cape Fear River Basin wide Water Quality Plan. These classes are based upon the “best
usage” for each water body, as determined through studies, evaluations and the holding of public
hearings to consider the proposed classification schemes. Each class is subject to protection
toward maintaining “best usage” and regulation of discharges into the waters. Some waters have
multiple supplemental classifications. More details on each class can be found in “Classifications
and Water Quality Standards Assigned to the Waters of the Cape Fear River Basin” (1990) by
the Division of Environmental Management. The classifications are subject to change.
Fresh Waters:
Class WSIV: waters are those that can serve as an alternative source of drinking water for the
city, assuming adequate treatment was provided. This class can was found at one location in the
county - Toomer’s creek, 0.8 mile upstream of Wilmington’s water supply intake. Toomer’s
Creek has been abandoned and is no longer used as a source of drinking water in emergency
situations.
Class WSIII: waters are protected as water supplies. These areas are usually found in
undeveloped watersheds. Point source discharges of treated wastewater must follow rules of the
State surface water standards. In addition, local programs are required to control non-point
sources and storm water discharges of pollution. These waters are suitable for all usage specified
by the C classification.
Class B: waters are protected for primary recreation which includes swimming on a frequent or
organized basis and other uses specified by the C classification.
Class C: waters are those areas best used for aquatic life propagation and survival, fishing,
wildlife, secondary recreation and agriculture. (Secondary recreation includes wading, boating,
and other uses involving human body contact with water where such activities take place in an
infrequent, unorganized, or incidental manner)
Tidal Salt Waters:
Class SA waters are best used for commercial shell fishing and other uses specified by SB and
SC. Many of the County’s SA waters are also classed as Outstanding Resource Waters, described
below.
Class SB waters are best used for primary recreation and other uses specified by the SC class.
Appendix | 154
Class SC waters are best used for aquatic life propagation and survival, fishing, wildlife, and
secondary recreation. All salt waters at a minimum are classified as SC. Note that shell fishing is
not allowed in Class SC waters.
Supplemental Classes:
Swamp waters (Sw) are waters that have low velocities and other natural characteristics which
are different from adjacent streams.
High Quality Waters (HQs) are waters which are rated as excellent based on biological and
physical or chemical characteristics through Division of Environmental Management monitoring
or special studies. This class includes, native and special trout waters (and their tributaries), some
Primary Nursery Area’s and other functional nursery areas, critical habitat areas, special water
supply watersheds and all class SA waters.
Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) are unique and special waters of exceptional state or
national, recreational or ecological significance which require special protection to maintain
existing areas. This designation, which applies to many SA waters in the County, requires that
new development within 575 feet of the waters meet coastal storm water management
regulations as specified by DEM. For example, the built-upon area for development within this
575 foot area is limited to 25% of the parcel. The ORW designation also prohibits new or
expanded discharges and new or expanded marinas. Also, additional storm water control and
land development restrictions may apply to areas with this classification.
Appendix 155
Matrix for Land Use Plan Elements
– 15A NCAC 7B .0702
Plan Reference(s) Description/Reference Material/Notes
Organization of the Plan
Matrix that shows the location of the required
elements as set forth in this Rule
Appendix pg(s) 157-159
Community Concerns and Aspirations
Description of the dominant growth-related
conditions that influence land use, development,
water quality and other environmental concerns in the
planning area
Ch 2 Chapter 2, the existing conditions report, describes the comprehensive view of New Hanover
County and its associated growth factors.
Description of the land use and development topics most
important to the future of the planning area, including:
Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4 & Ch 5 Chapter 2 under Land Development explains current land use.
Chapter 3 covers overarching goals of the plan
Chapter 4 explains future land use
Chapter 5 explores implementation strategies and guidelines
Public Access Ch 2 pg(s) 47 & Ch 5 Map 2.17 & Chapter 5 implementation strategies and guidelines (see policy section of matrix)
Land Use Compatibility Ch 2 pg(s) 12-19, 54 – 65. Ch 4 & Ch5 Ch 2 maps 2.9, & 2.25 -2.34. Ch 4 includes Future Land Use Map and Natural Systems maps, and Chapter 5 includes implementation strategies and guidelines (see policy section of matrix)
Infrastructure Carrying Capacity Ch 2 pg(s) 23-50, & Ch 5 Chapter 2 details county infrastructure while Chapter 5 explains implementation strategies and
guidelines in reference to in protecting AECs and natural resources (see policy section of
matrix)
Natural Hazard Areas Ch 2 pg(s) 59-61. Ch 4 & Ch5 Ch 2 map 2.30, and Ch 4: Natural Systems SFHA map, and Chapter 5 implementation
strategies and guidelines
Water Quality Ch 2 pg(s) 54-58. & Ch5 Ch 2 maps 2.25 - 2.29, and Figure 2.74. Ch 5 implementation strategies and guidelines (see
policy section of matrix)
A community vision that describes the general
physical appearance and form that represents the
local government’s plan for the future. It shall include
objectives to be achieved by the plan and identify
changes that may be needed to achieve the planning
vision.
Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 4, & Ch 5 Chapters 1, 3, 4 and Chapter 5 explore the goals set by the citizens of New Hanover County,
the vision of future land use, and implementation strategies and guidelines to achieve the
county’s overarching goals.
Existing and Emerging Conditions
Population, Housing and Economy The tri-county area is one the fastest growing regions in the country. The region as a whole is
expected to grow nearly 90% by 2040, with New Hanover County capturing the majority of
that growth at a rate of 66%. The projected population for 2040 for New Hanover County is
337,054.
Discussion of the following data and trends:
Permanent population growth trends using data from
the two most decennial Censuses
Ch 2 pg(s) 2-11 See figures in Population section of Chapter 2: Existing Conditions Report.
Current permanent and seasonal population estimates Ch 2 pg(s) 2-11 Figure 2.5 *Note* Seasonal projections are not included in report
Key population characteristics including age and
income
Ch 2 pg(s) 7 -11 Figures 2.1 – 2.22 & Map 2.2
Thirty-year projections of permanent and seasonal
population in five-year increments
Ch 2 pg(s) 3 Figure 2.5 *Note* Seasonal and permanent projections in five-year increments are not
included in report
Estimate of current housing stock, including
permanent and seasonal units, tenure, and types of
units (single-family, multifamily, and manufactured)
Ch 2 pg(s) 19-22 There are currently 101,402 housing units in New Hanover County. See Figures in Land
Development section beginning on page 19
Description of employment by major sectors and
community economic activity
Ch 2 pg(s) 33-37 Figures 2.51 – 2.59
Natural Systems
Description of natural features in the planning jurisdiction to
include:
Areas of Environmental Concern (AECs) as set forth in
Subchapter 15A NCAC 07H
Ch 2 pg(s) 54-62 & Ch 4 pg(s)
19-29
Ch 2 Maps 2.25, 2.27, 3.30. Ch 4 Natural System maps pg(s) 25-29
Soil characteristics, including limitations for septic
tanks, erodibility, and other factors related to
development
Ch 2 pg(s) 63 Ch2 Map 2.31
Environmental Management Commission (EMC) water
quality classifications and related use support
designations
Appendix pg(s) 155 See appendix for water quality classifications.
Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) shellfish growing
areas and water quality conditions
Ch 2 pg(s) 55-57 Ch 2 Figure 2.74 & Map 2.27
Flood and other natural hazard areas Ch 2 pg(s) 59-60 & Ch 4 pg(s) 20 & 25 Ch 2 Map 2.30 & Natural Systems section of chapter 4
Storm surge areas Ch 2 pg(s) 59-61
Non-coastal wetlands, including forested wetlands,
shrub-scrub wetlands and freshwater marshes
Ch 2 pg(s) 62 & Ch 4 pg(s) 24
Water supply watersheds or wellhead protection
areas
N/A There are no water supply watersheds in New Hanover County. Wellhead protection areas are
included in the Future Land Use map within the conservation place type. The Cape Fear Public
Utility Authority also has established a wellhead protection plan.
Primary nursery areas Ch 2 pg(s) 58 Ch 2 Map 2.29
Environmentally fragile areas, such as wetlands,
natural heritage areas, areas containing endangered
species, prime wildlife habitats, or maritime forests
Ch 2 pg(s) 57,58, 62, 64, 65 & Ch 4 pg(s) 20-29 Maps 2.27, 2.28, 2.29, 2.32, 2.33, 2.34.
Appendix 156
Additional natural features or conditions identified by
the local government
Ch 2 pg(s) 64 & Ch 4 pg(s) 24 Ch 2 Map 2.32 (Agricultural Lands) & Ch 4 (Aquifer Sensitivity Areas pg 24)
Environmental Conditions Plan Reference(s)
Discussion of environmental conditions within the planning
jurisdiction to include an assessment of the following conditions
and features:
Status and changes of surface water quality; including:
- Impaired streams from the most recent Division
of Water Resources (DWR) Basin Planning
Branch Reports
N/A Cape Fear River Basin Report currently being updated by the Division of Water Resources.
- Clean Water Act 303 (d) List Ch 2 pg(s) 57 Ch2 Map 2.28
- Other comparable data Ch 2 pg(s) 55-56 Ch2 Figure 2.74
Current situation and trends on permanent and
temporary closures of shellfishing waters as
determined by the Report of Sanitary Survey by the
Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality
Section of the DMF
Ch 2 pg(s) 57 Ch 2 Map 2.27
Areas experiencing chronic wastewater treatment
malfunctions
N/A
Areas with water quality or public health problems
related to non-point source pollution
Ch 2 pg(s) 55-57 Ch2 Figure 2.74
Areas subject to recurrent flooding, storm surges and
high winds
Ch 2 pg(s) 59-61
Areas experiencing significant shoreline erosion as
evidenced by the presence of threatened structures or
public facilities
N/A See the New Hanover County Hazard Mitigation Plan
Environmentally fragile areas (as defined in Part
(c)(2)(A)(ix) of this Rule) or areas where resources
functions are impacted as a result of development
Ch 2 pg(s) 62 & Ch 4 pg(s) 24
Natural resource areas that are being impacted or lost
as a result of incompatible development. These may
include, but are not limited to the following: coastal
wetlands, protected open space, and agricultural land.
Ch 2 pg(s) 62, 64,65 & Ch 4
pg(s) 11, 24
Existing Land Use and Development
MAP of existing land use patterns
Description of the existing land use patterns Ch 2 pg(s) 12-18 Ch2 Maps 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6
Estimates of the land area allocated to each land use
category
Ch 2 pg(s) 15 Ch 2 Map 2.6 & Figure 2.23
Characteristics of each land use category Ch 2 pg(s) 15 Ch 2 Map 2.6 & Figure 2.23
MAP of historic, cultural, and scenic areas designated by a state or
federal agency or by the local government
Ch 2 pg(s) 50 For a more complete list of historic structures see the New Hanover County Historical
Structures Brochure
Descriptions of the historic, cultural and scenic areas Ch 2 pg(s) 50 For a more complete list of historic structures see the New Hanover County Historical
Structures Brochure
Community Facilities
Evaluation of existing and planned capacity, location and adequacy
of community facilities to include:
Description of existing public and private water supply
systems to include:
- Existing condition Ch 2 pg(s) 41-42 Ch2 Map 2.14
- Existing capacity Ch 2 pg(s) 41-42
- Documented overflows, bypasses or other
problems that may degrade water quality or
constitute a threat to public health as
documented by the DWR
N/A
- Future needs based on population projections Ch 2 pg(s) 41-42 For more information see CFPUAs updated long range plan.
- MAP of existing and planned service areas Ch 2 pg(s) 42 Ch2 Map 2.14
Description of existing public and private wastewater
systems to include:
- Existing condition Ch 2 pg(s) 41-42
- Existing capacity Ch 2 pg(s) 41-42
- Documented overflows, bypasses or other
problems that may degrade water quality or
constitute a threat to public health as
documented by the DWR
N/A
- Future needs based on population projections Ch 2 pg(s) 41-42 For more information see CFPUAs updated long range plan.
- MAP of existing and planned service areas Ch 2 pg(s) 42 Ch2 Map 2.15
MAP of existing and planned multimodal transportation systems
and port and airport facilities
Ch 2 pg(s) 25-32 Ch2 Maps 2.12 & 2.13
Description of any highway segments deemed by the
NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) as having
unacceptable service as documented in the most
recent NCDOT Transportation and/or Thoroughfare
Plan
N/A For detailed information on transportation see the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan
Planning Organizations long range plan: Cape Fear Transportation 2040.
Appendix 157
Community Facilities, contd. Plan Reference(s)
Description of highway facilities on the current
thoroughfare plan or current transportation
improvement plan
Market Street Corridor Plan &
WMPO CFT 2040
See the Market Street Corridor Plan and the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning
Organizations long range plan: Cape Fear Transportation 2040.
Description of the impact of existing transportation
facilities on land use patterns
Ch 2 pg(s) 23-27
Description of the existing public storm water
management system
Ch 2 pg(s) 43
Identification of existing drainage problems and water
quality issues related to point-source discharges of
storm water runoff
N/A
Goal Implementation Strategy and Guideline
Future Land Use
Policies
Policies that exceed the use standards and permitting
requirements found in Subchapter 7H, State
Guidelines for Areas of Environmental Concern
Goal(s) IX pg 10, X pg 11, XII
pg 12
IX.A: IX.A.1; IX.B: IX.B.1; IX.C: IX.C.1, IX.C.2, IX.C.3; X.A: X.A.1, X.A.2, X.B: X.B1,
X.B.2, X.B.3, X.B.4, X.B.5, X.B.6, X.B.7; XII.A: XII.A.1; VII.B, XII.C: XII.C.1
Policies that address the Coastal Resources Commission's (CRC's)
management topics:
Public Access Management Goal:
Maximize public access to the beaches and the public trust waters
of the coastal region.
The planning objectives for public access are local government plan
policies that:
Address access needs and opportunities Goal(s) VI pg(s) 7; VII pg(s) 8 VI.A: VI.A.1, VI.A.2, VI.A.3, VI.A.4; VII.1: VII.A.1, VII.A.2, VII.B, VII.C, VII.D: VII.D.I,
VII.D.2
Identify strategies to develop public access Goal(s) VI pg(s) 7; & VII pg(s) 8 VI.A: VI.A.1, VI.A.2, VI.A.3, VI.A.4; VII.1: VII.A.1, VII.A.2, VII.B, VII.C, VII.D: VII.D.I, VII.D.2
Address provisions for all segments of the community,
including persons with disabilities
Goal(s) XX pg(s) 17 XX.B: XX.B.1
For oceanfront communities, establish access policies
for beach areas targeted for nourishment
N/A
Land Use Compatibility Management Goal:
Ensure that development and use of resources or preservation of
land balance protection of natural resources and fragile areas with
economic development, and avoids risks to public health, safety,
and welfare.
The planning objectives for land use compatibility are local
government plan policies that:
Ch 4 & Ch 5 The Future Land Use map in Chapter 4 and the Implementation strategies and guidelines in
Chapter 5 address land use compatibility
Characterize future land use and development
patterns
Ch 4 pg(s) 3-9, 11-18; Goal(s) I
pg 4, III pg 5, VI pg 7, VII pg
8, VIII pg 9, IX pg 10, X pg 11,
XI pg 12, XIII pg 13-14, XVIII
pg 17, XXI pg 18
Ch 4 outlines future development patterns and the future land use map. Ch 5 Goal (s) I.C:
I.C.1; III.A: III.A.1; VI.A: VI.A.2, VI.A.3, VI.A.4; VI.D: VI.D.3; VII.A: V.A.1, V.A.2;
VII.D: VII.D.2; VIII.A: VIII.A.1, VII.A.2; VIII.C: VII.C.1; VIII.D: VIII.D.1, VIII.D.2;
VIII.E: VIII.E.1, VIII.E.2, VIII.E.3; IX.A: IX.A.2, IX.D: IX.D.1, IX.D.2; X.A: X.A.1; X.B:
X.B.2; XI.A: XI.A.1, XI.A.2; XIII.O: XIII.O.1; XVIII.A: XVIII.A.1, XVIII.A.2; XXI.A:
XXI.A.1; XXI.B: XXI.B.1
Establish mitigation criteria and concepts to minimize
conflicts
Goal(s) I pg 4, VII pg 8, IX pg 10, X pg 11, XII pg 12, XIII pg
13-14, XXI pg 18
I.C: I.C.1; VI.A: VII.A.1; VII.D: VII.D.1, VII.D.2; IX.A: IX.A.1, IX.A.2; IX.B: IX.B.1, IX.B.2, IX.B.3, IX.C: IX.C.1, IX.C.2, IX.C.3, IX.C.4; X.A: X.A.1, X.A.2; X.B: X.B1, X.B.2,
X.B.3, X.B.4, X.B.5, X.B.6, X.B.7; IIX.A: XII.A.1; VII.B, XII.C: XII.C.1; XIII.A: XIII.A.1;
XIII.B: XIII.B.1; XIII.D; XIII.G; XII.H: XIII.H.1; XIII.I; XIII.M; XXI.A: XXI.A.1
Infrastructure Carrying Capacity Management Goal:
Ensure that public infrastructure systems are sized, located, and
managed so the quality and productivity of AECs and other fragile
areas are protected or restored.
The planning objectives for infrastructure carrying capacity are
local government plan policies that:
Establish service criteria Goal(s) III pg 5, IV pg 6, VII pg 8, X pg 11 III.A: III.A.1; III.F: III.F.1; IV.A: IV.A; IV.B: IV.B.1; VII.A: VII.A.1, VII.A.2; X.A: X.A.1
Ensure improvements minimize impacts to AECs and
other fragile areas
Goal(s) III pg 5, IV pg 6, VII
pg 8, X pg 11
III.A: III.A.1; III.F: III.F.1; IV.A: IV.A; IV.B: IV.B.1; VII.A: VII.A.1, VII.A.2; X.A: X.A.1
Natural Hazard Areas Management Goal:
Conserve and maintain barrier dunes, beaches, floodplains, and
other coastal features for their natural storm protection functions
and their natural resources giving recognition to public health,
safety, and welfare issues.
The planning objectives for natural hazard areas are local
government plan policies that:
Establish mitigation and adaptation concepts and
criteria for development and redevelopment,
including public facilities
Goal(s) VI pg 7, VII pg 8, X pg
11, XII pg 12
VI.A: VI.A.1, VI.A.3; VII.A: VII.A.1, VII.A.2; VII.D: VII.D.1, VII.D.2; X.A: X.A.1; X.B:
X.B.2, X.B.3, X.B.4, X.B.5, X.B.6; X.C; XI.A: XII.A.1
Minimize threats to life, property and natural
resources resulting from erosion, high winds, storm
surge, flooding, or other natural hazards
Goal(s) VII pg 8, X pg 11, XII pg 12 VII.A: VII.A.1, VII.A.2; VII.D: VII.D.1, VII.D.2; X.A: X.A.1; X.B: X.B.2, X.B.3, X.B.4, X.B.5, X.B.6; X.C; XI.A: XII.A.1
Water Quality Management Goal:
Maintain, protect and where possible enhance water quality in all
coastal wetlands, rivers, streams, and estuaries.
The planning objectives for water quality are local government
Appendix 158
plan policies that:
Establish strategies and practices to prevent or control
nonpoint source pollution
Goal(s) VI pg 7, VII pg 8, X pg
11, XII pg 12
VI.A: VI.A.1; VII.A: VII.A.1; VII.D: VII.D.1, VII.D.2; X.B: X.B.4, X.B.5, X.B.6; XII.A:
XII.A.1; XIII.A: XIII.A.1; XIII.J; XIII.K; XIII.L: XIII.L.1, XIII.L.2; XIII.M; XIII.O:
XIII.O.1
Establish strategies and practices to maintain or
improve water quality
Goal(s) III pg 5, VII pg 8, X pg 11, VIII pg 13-14 III.A: III.A.1; VII.D: VII.D.1, VII.D.2; X.B: X.B.1, X.B.2, X.B.3, X.B.4, X.B.5, X.B.6; XIII.A: XIII.A.1; XIII.B: XIII.B.1; XIII.C; XIII.D; XIII.E; XIII.F; XIII.G: XIII.G.1, XIII.G.2; XIII.H: X.H.1; X.I; XIII.J: XIII.J.1; XIII.K; XIII.L: XIII.L.1, XIII.L.2; XIII.M; XIII.N: XIII.N.1, XIII.N.2; XIII.O: XIII.O.1
Future Land Use Map Plan Reference(s)
MAP of future land uses that depicts the policies for growth and
development and the desired future patterns of land use and
development with consideration given to natural system
constraints and infrastructure
Ch 4 pg(s) 2-29 Chapter 4 details the Future Land Use map and its corresponding place types. It also includes
Natural System maps that gives considerations to environmental constrains and hazards.
Descriptions of land uses and development associated
with the future land use map designations
Ch 4 pg(s) 3-18 See Future Land Use map and place type descriptions and exceptional resource area maps.
Tools for Managing Development
Description of the role of plan policies, including the
future land use map, in local decisions regarding land
use and development
Prologue, Ch 4 & Ch 5
Description of the community's development
management program, including local ordinances,
codes, and other plans and policies
Ch 5 pg(s) 2-4 & Appendix
pg(s) 151
Chapter 5 describes the implementation strategies, guidelines and action plan. A new unified
development ordinance is scheduled. The appendix includes additional plans and ordinances
governed by New Hanover County.
Action Plan and Implementation Schedule
Description of actions that will be taken by the local
government to implement policies that meet the
CRC's management topic goals and objectives,
specifying fiscal year(s) in which each action is
anticipated to start and finish
Ch 5 pg(s) 2-3 See the Chapter 5 description of the Action Plan.
Identification of specific steps the local government
plans to take to implement the policies, including
adoption and amendment of local ordinances, other
plans, and special projects
Ch 5 pg(s)
3,4,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18
See Action Plan & Goal(s) I.B, I.E, II.A, IV.A, V.A, VI.B, VI.C, VII.B, VII.C, VIII.B, X.C,
XII.B, XIII.C, XIII.D, XIII.E, XIII.F, XIII.I, XIII.K, XIII.M, XIV.C, XVI.C, XVII.A, XVII.B, XVII.D, XIX.A, XXI.D