7 Lakes North, South cast vote for change - Seven Lakes Times

NEWS March 21, 2008 Seven Lakes Times 37
Area A
(Continued from page 6)
as a special rural place,” he said,
“and the Country Life Culture
is our legacy brand.”
“As you review the plans for
Area A, and development in our
region, I ask you to consider
what it is that makes us special,
and weight its economic
potential just as any CEO would
do in the corporate world.”
“No great wave of sameness
need sweep over this place,”
Owen added.
Area A Steering Committee
member Leonard Tufts urged the
Commissioners to “Accept our
report. It represents a consensus
of the members as to what Area
A needs.” Tufts said the “most critical
recommendation is the adoption
of an Adequate Public Facilities
Ordinance, which would
require that developers establish
that the county has adequate
water, roads, schools, and other
infrastructure to meet the needs
of those who would live in proposed
developments.
Public hearing
Rob Evans of the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture
told the Commissioners that the
state has already acquired 200
acres in Area A for preservation
and plans to acquire additional
acreage to be preserved in a
natural state.
Area A resident Benford Graham
question the plans recommendation
that private irrigation
wells not be allowed in major
developments and subdivisions
that are served by public water
supplies. He asked whether
using well water for irrigation
might not help ease the demand
for treated water.
Bruce Sorrie of the states
Natural Heritage Program reminded
Commissioners that Area A
includes unique ecosystems and
endangered species of both
state and national significance.
Area A includes “the largest and
best quality block of Longleaf
pine remaining in the whole
Sandhills region outside of Ft.
Bragg and the Game Lands —
which is why we are so keen
on protecting it,” he said.
William Arthur Williams of
Eagle Springs, a member of the
Voluntary Agricultural District
Board, spoke in support of the
Area A plan.
Planning Board member Ron
Jackson, a builder, said he
would have had liked to have
more time to study the Area A
plan at the Planning Board level,
noting that he personally had
had only two days to look at the
plan before being asked to vote
on it. He said the open space and
setback requirements suggested
in the plan were too restrictive
and could prevent land from
being developed. “You’re taking
someone’s value of their land
away from them,” Jackson added.
Speaking a second time, Ruth
Stolting of Save Our Sandhills
also sugested that more time
was needed to study the Area A
plan, which “has already been
shortchanged by the way it is
being presented. The Commissioners
didn’t have enough time.
The Public has little or no time to
examine the plan.” Stolting said
the key points in the plan will
need to be backed up by ordinances.
Earl Ingram of the Lake Diamond
community told the Commissioners
that the Area A plan
represented “high but reasonable
standards. We need high
standards, because if we do not
start with high standards we will
get a product which is mediocre
or unsatisfactory. I don’t see
anyhting in this plan which can
cause harm to anyone . . . . The
people who live in Area A made
the input into the plan. Those
people deserve consideration
of their input, and I urge you to
approve this plan and allow the
process to begin to allow staff to
prepare ordinances necessary to
get the ball rolling.”
Densel Williams of the Moore
County Home Builders Association
said he was present to
serve “as a conduit between
our industry and the good work
citizens are trying to do. There are
several people from our industry
here tonight who have had to
lay off people and are worrying
about keeping their doors open
. . . . We are concerned about
more regulation because more
regulation right now certainly
means there will be more people
out of work.”
Williams said he was not clear
on the legal standing of the plan
and whether it will create a second
set of rules that the planning
staff will need to administer. He
suggested that Seven Lakes, if
it wants a different set of development
standards than the rest
of the county, may need to incorporate
in order to achieve that.
Seven Lakes builder Bill
Reaves thanked the Area A
Steering Committee for their
work, but asked how the Area
Plan fits into the Countywide
Land Use Plan approved in 1999.
“This plan suggests concerns
with growth outpacing infrastructure,”
Reaves said. “But
infrastructure was never provided
in this area. It should have
been done 20 years ago.”
Noting the open space and
setback requirements recommended
in the plan, Reaves
said “Most property under this is
going to become unusable or
unbuildable. Are you going to
pay for the value you have
taken?” The plan may include
“some good ideas and good
UP TO FORTY PERCENT
intentions, but has it been vetted,”
Reaves added, asking the Commissioners
to “review and consider
seriously.”
Joe McDonald of Save our
Sandhills asked whether it is
time the county required environmental
impact statements
from developers, a requirement
already in place in Chatham
(See“Area A,” p. 38)
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