The time has come in Macon County to initiate some form of land-use planning, Macon County Board Chairman Harold Corbin told about 60 people gathered at the courthouse Monday night (April 9).

County leaders had invited Paul Myer, assistant counsel to the state association of county commissioners, to Franklin to discuss land-use planning statewide and to provide an update on how legislative action may affect county efforts.

Before Myer started, however, Corbin left no doubt about his position on land-use planning for Macon County.

“Hopefully, this meeting and this day will be a milestone in the history of Macon County,” Corbin said.

“Macon County is 172 years old, and there has never been much done to protect the environment and what people come here for. But the time has come when something needs to be done in Macon County for planning,” Corbin said.

Myer said the current budget crunch in Raleigh would likely prevent the state from imposing mandatory land-use planning guidelines on counties and towns during this session. But as a lobbyist who spends a lot of time in the General Assembly, Myer warned that there is a strong sentiment among legislative leaders to implement some of the smart growth recommendations that were made by a study commission which recently spent a year studying the issue. Many of these ideas, he said, are being pushed by urban lawmakers who now constitute a majority in the state legislature.

“The movement is coming. As the legislature becomes dominated by urban representatives, it will be harder for rural areas to fight this off,” Myer said.

If the state imposes land-use planning, it will likely do so to protect water and air resources, he said. And in response to a question from the audience, Myer said it would likely fall on the counties to pay for enforcement of any new guideline.

“Counties and towns will have to pay for enforcement, permitting and other costs with increased property taxes,” Myer said.

Some in the audience seemed to want to argue with Myer even though Corbin had said at the outset of the meeting that it was not a public hearing. The majority of those in attendance, however, seemed to favor some form of land-use planning.

“I think getting rid of some of the bad looking places would be one of the greatest things we could ever do in Macon County,” said Miles Gregory, a long-time resident who works in the real estate businesses. “I used to be against land-use planning and zoning of any kind, but I’ve come around.”
John Cleaveland, a former Highlands mayor who also works in real estate, said land-use planning and zoning can be very helpful as growth occurs.

“If it is done right, it protects everyone. It is not something to be feared. If people understand it, then it can be comforting,” Cleaveland said. “And we’ve got to get started. We are behind.”

Myer complimented the county on its Vision 2025 process that looked at how Macon County should look in 25 years and said reaching a consensus on land-use planning was a critical first step.

“If you can’t figure out what the community wants, then you will have a difficult time coming up with a plan,” Myer said.

About 73 counties statewide have implemented some kind of land-use planning, according to Myer. These range from full-scale zoning efforts to limited plans that set up general use districts. About two or three counties per year implement plans, he said.

In reply to a question from the audience, Myer said some mountain counties in the northeast have implemented general use districts that allow certain activities - residential construction or commercial retail, for example — but require special-use permitting for industrial or other uses.

Myer also reminded those attending that any land-use plan that was found not to be working could be changed at any time. He also said that one of the primary purposes of land-use planning to was provide stability.

“I don’t know if planning increases property values, but I do know that there is more predictability,” he said.

(Next week: Franklin officials discuss how that town is coping with growth.)

 

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