Land Use Plan – 2002 - Stanly County, North Carolina

Wooded Areas
STANLY COUNTY
Stanly County contains a large amount of wooded acreage that generally represent second- and
third-growth forest areas. This land use category includes 89,048 acres or 50.8 percent of the
study area. Figure 3-6 identifies stands of trees greater than five acres in area within the study
area. Large concentrations of forest land can be found throughout the county. Generally, tree
coverage is denser in the part of Stanly County east of U.S. 52 and NC 138. West of this
corridor, forest coverage is less dense. It is important to note that while tree coverage appears
to be the largest land use activity, much of the wooded areas shown on Figure 3-6 may be used
for animal pasturage.
Commercial Uses
Commercial land uses include retail sales establishments, personal services businesses, health
care offices, eating and drinking establishments, banks, professional offices, and agribusinesses.
As would be expected, most commercial activity in Stanly County is located in the
county’s municipalities, however a small number of commercial land uses can be found near
municipal corporate boundaries and along major thoroughfares. The largest concentration of
commercial uses within the study area are found along the U.S. 52 corridor north of Albemarle.
Smaller concentrations can be found in Aquadale in southern Stanly County.
While the proximity of Stanly County to the Charlotte metropolitan region may limit the demand
for large-scale commercial development associated with large urban and suburban areas,
growth in Albemarle, Locust/Stanfield, and New London/Richfield will likely require the provision
of an adequate amount of land to meet the demands of a growing population in the near term.
Commercial development in other areas of Stanly County will also be required to meet needs in
those areas as well.
Industrial Uses
Industrial uses include manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution facilities. Industrial land
uses are not prevalent in the study area of the county since industrial activity tends to locate
close to population centers within incorporated areas of the county. The availability of utilities
and transportation infrastructure—streets, highways, and rail lines—also play an important role
in determining the location of industrial operations.
The two largest industrial activities in the study area are Albemarle-Stanly County Airport and the
solite plant in the south-central part of the county. Small pockets of industrial activity can be
found immediately west of Norwood and in Aquadale and along NC 740 in northeastern Stanly
County near the airport. All told, 1,284 acres of industrial land uses are located within the study
area.
The limited number of industrial areas in the study area can be expected to continue as long as
public services essential to industrial activity are not provided in these areas. Despite this, Stanly
County does offer some assets that could encourage increased industrial development. Those
factors include a large volume of undeveloped land adjacent or near areas presently served by
essential public services, good highway connectivity to the central North Carolina region, the
presence of a first-class airport, and excellent rail access. One issue identified throughout the
planning process thus far has been the lack of highway access in the county. With the planned
widening of NC 24/27, NC 49, and U.S. 52 in the near future, among other projects, this
drawback will be mitigated.
Land Use Plan 3-13 6/02