<< Back 7/17/02 Board to focus on land-use plan By Don Hendershot Jackson County’s Smart Growth Plan will take center stage July 25. County Board Chairman Jay Denton, who is also chairman of the Jackson County Development “Plan” Task Force, instructed the county manager to limit the board’s scheduled Thursday’s work session to a discussion of just the task force recommendations. The recommendations were drawn up after a year-long series of public meetings throughout the county. Denton said it was time for the board to decide on a course for the Smart Growth Plan. “I would like to see the plan passed, but I would also like the full support of the board,” Denton said. He noted that the plan could be modified and called for the creation of a five-member committee to determine the best way to achieve proposed goals. The Task Force plan outlines four broad goals: proactive long-range planning; manage and control residential and commercial growth; provide for adequate emergency services; and preserve the small town/rural nature of the county by creating a walkable community. Strategies and timelines for achieving the goals are also listed. Commissioner Stacy Buchanan said he supported all the goals in the plan, but he questioned the strategies. Specifically, he questioned the strategy of developing a fire district tax system to achieve the goal of providing adequate emergency services. Buchanan was concerned that the difference in property values between different districts would create unequal burdens. “The districts vary. Cashiers residents may only have to pay 1 cent to get needed services while Balsam residents would have to pay 5 cents. I can’t support a fire tax,” Buchanan said. Buchanan also said that he felt a fire tax would require a referendum. There was agreement that all commissioners should be present to discuss the recommendations (commissioners Roberta Crawford and Conrad Burrell were absent from the July 11 meeting). Also at the July 11 meeting, commissioners reviewed the county’s noise ordinance. Denton called the current law “ridiculous,” and said he would like for the board to consider rescinding it. The ordinance was originally adopted in 1991 and amended in 1996. Denton said he would meet with Sheriff Jim Cruzan and county manager Ken Westmoreland and bring the board a recommendation concerning the ordinance at the July 25 meeting.