week of 2/20/02
 
 
 

Coming together on an important land-use issue
SMN
Throughout Western North Carolina, county and town officials are debating important land-use questions that will have a significant impact on the future of this region. In Haywood County recently, that debate was above-board and positive, and it seems very likely that a resolution with broad agreement will be reached.

Haywood County is considering amendments to its subdivision and pre-development ordinance. The planning board has unanimously recommended that the county adopt road regulations that would mandate wider roads, wider right of ways, and more gradual slopes. Development in many areas would become more difficult, which means more expensive.

Developers, contractors, farmers and others gathered at a public hearing to complain about some of the proposals. They worried that some wording would scare banks and insurance companies away. They thought some of the requirements were too stringent. Others feared that the new road width requirements could permanently landlock too much land because adjacent property owners might refuse to grant the new right-of-way required to develop certain parcels.

All of these are valid questions, and planning board members said they were glad to hear them. The truth is that this ordinance is a good one, and the planning board did its homework. Yes, the proposal may need some tweaking, and Planning Board Chairman John Burgin said as much after the public hearing. But it is going to be a little more expensive to develop in Haywood County, and getting roads built right the first time is a good thing. The ordinance needs to be adopted with a few minor changes.

But the process, in this case, was handled well. The developers and contractors were courteous yet firm in their beliefs; the county board, particularly Chairman Jim Stevens, handled the meeting very professionally; and the planning board members listened attentively to those who criticized an ordinance they had spent a lot of time preparing.

In this case, it seems Haywood County is going to eventually get a strong ordinance that will have widespread support. In doing so, mountain views will be better protected and the environment will be helped. Government and private enterprise will have worked together.

When it comes to land-use issues, that is a rare occurrence.