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week of 4/16/03 | |
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| Macon
leaders focus on planning topics By Becky Johnson Who: Macon commissioners, planning board Where: Shoney’s in Franklin What: Informal meeting to discuss planning issues When: Friday, April 18, 8 a.m. After an uproar over countywide land-use planning exploded during last fall’s county commissioner elections, Macon county leaders are now gingerly broaching the idea again. But instead of pursuing a comprehensive land-use plan, county leaders are discussing a more limited approach that would regulate high-impact uses only, such as asphalt plants and chip mills. “I think we’ll probably look at doing smaller bites in the future, looking at individual projects instead of taking on everything all at once,” said Richard Baldwin, a Macon County Planning Board member and school administrator. A high-impact use ordinance will be one of several planning topics discussed by Macon commissioners and the county planning board at an informal meeting at 8 a.m. Friday, April 18, at Shoney’s. The meeting is open to the public. Managing commercial growth along new water and sewer corridors is another topic likely to be discussed. Nearly five miles of sewer lines will be constructed in Macon County by 2004. “Typically, a lot of growth follows water and sewer lines,” said Commissioner Mark West. “If you take a new sewer line down an artery, that will become the new hot spot as far as real estate goes.” Lamar Sprinkle, a planning board member and owner of Sprinkle Surveying, said infrastructure planning is something the two boards need to address — both to manage growth along new sewer lines and to chart where future lines should go. “Infrastructure is a hot topic,” County Manager Sam Greenwood agreed. “It certainly is one of the concerns.” Determining who will pay for new lines is also a question. “If we are going to provide infrastructure in some areas, the property is going to be worth more,” said Baldwin, who lives in the Nantahala community. “It will benefit a specific number of people but be paid for by the general population.” Baldwin said communities where infrastructure is planned need to be involved in the process. One of the two new sewer lines that will be constructed is a $4-million, 3.5-mile trunk line running from East Franklin to the Macon Industrial Park, looping past the site for the new Southwestern Community College satellite campus and the new Cartoogechaye Elementary School. The trunk line will be large enough for smaller lines to connect to the system. A $3 million grant from the state paid for most of the line, and the county and town of Franklin will each contribute about half a million dollars. A one-mile sewer line on U.S. 441 North between Watauga Road and Lake Emory Road will also be finished within the next year. That line is being paid for by private developers of a convention center and proposed RV park, who both want the sewer line to run to their property. The line will be turned over to the town of Franklin, which operates the sewer treatment plant. Currently no land-use plan is in place that would regulate what type of growth could hook onto either of the new sewer lines.
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