Planning Board - Regular Meeting

adopted in 199394 and I don't think it's been updated and it hasn't been updated since that time. Um so as we know um there have been a lot of changes in Bunkham County since that time to our population. So it's important for us to follow a standard which um is going to meet not just safety needs but also needs of our growing population. It's probably overdue. Any other questions for Mila before we talk about next steps? I think so.

Okay. Um, so at this point, it's up to the board to decide if we want to do a work session on this one and go through the language, you know, line by line like we'd usually do or if we could advertise for um public hearing at the next meeting. What do y'all think? Well, that a lot of it is mandated by the state and it's just clarifying. I don't know that we need to go through it line by line. Any other thoughts? Is there any specific thing you'd like to draw our attention to

line by line? So, I I've I've felt like with the day-to-day application of the ordinance since 2014, um I could take a lot of your time um talking about individual examples. I think that our staff here has done an excellent job um kind of finding the holes in our ordinance so that we can kind of fill some of those holes up and better provide addressing standards and services to our community. There's nothing here specifically that I want to talk to, but I am available at any time if you have any additional questions. Um, and happy to go through it line by line, but I think our staff here um, has done a really great job in revising what we are working with so it applies to how we apply these standards today.

I think I agree with Carl move this a little faster. I don't have any problem with that. So, um, yeah. Are are we in agreement that we do not need to go line by line that we can just move on to a public hearing? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? I think that's it. Um, just if you have any questions, if you, you know, if you're doing your nightly reading before you go to bed of the E911 ordinance, um, and you come up with a question, just send it to Mila and me and we can help you answer it.

Okay. Okay. All right. Um, then that is it. We'll schedule it for a public hearing and you're good, Mila. Great. Thank you for your time this morning. I appreciate you. Thank you. Then um

that u let's just move on to the last item on the agenda today which is a review of the Swanoa small area plan that we've been talking about. So, I sent you a link to a public input poll and I didn't see when I checked before I left on Friday, I didn't see any comments. And so, I'm assuming you read all those policies and actions and you love them. You should check again. I don't know comments. You put comments. You must have after I left. Okay. Um, let me pull it up then to see what those comments are and we'll go section by section. There you go. They're all my

We would know anyway. based on it. What the concern was Will we be taking additional comments because the link was not so?

Yes, we had we'll go through each section and if you guys have any comments that the you know that we can go through them that's why comments. Who else had trouble with the link? So I can let our public input people know.

I just didn't get to it before the deadline. That's Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's big. Shannon, could you possibly pull up the policies on the screen for me so they can see Yeah.

I think you did the thing with her his comments again where it thought he was a bot.

Okay, then I'll pull it up. Edit.

I got it. Since I can't see his comments, we will find your comments and follow up with you. I wouldn't say that many of them they don't really change anything in the work the work is is fabulous but I had thoughts so I shared them okay I don't know that they need to be shared with the group but I'm happy to have them share the group I don't want to be as people

we have an issue with public input where it thinks some people are bots so we're gonna we're going to fix that and if we and we'll follow up with you and if you have if you want to ask to answer any questions But um otherwise it's very small on there but you guys have it in front of you. Um I'll just go page by page. So we have hazards and resilience. This is our biggest section. Um as you all know when we were doing the small area plan it sort of grew in scope and size due to Helen and due to the impact in Swanoa because of his Helen. So we have a lot of focus on hazards and resilience. Some of these policies and actions are applicable to the county as a whole. So not only will it build resilience and help in Swanoa, but it'll build resilience and help other other places in the county. Um, so I'll start with policy 1.1 increase adapt adaptive capacity by limiting future growth and the types of new development and special flood hazard areas. And then I'll ask you if you have any questions or concerns about the actions under those policies or the policies themselves.

Do we have the special flood hazard area map? We do, but be aware that uh flood hazard maps are mapped on a reoccurring cycle. And I I I want to say North Carolina is the only state where North Carolina actually does the flooding and then FEMA accepts it. So North Carolina goes above and beyond in their flood mapping, their flood hazard area mapping. Um and likely things will change because of the storm. Um, so they are currently in that process and I can't remember when the new maps are planning to come out, but I can double check with you. Unless Amy, do you know when the new flood maps are coming?

I don't, but I check. Yeah, I'll check with Nate. Don't worry about it. I just thought maybe you talk. I'm open to discussing this, but I'm vote in favor until I see the map. So you this isn't a vote this is review. So if you have feedback we need that map then we would have to put off approving the swan a small area plan. Do you implement this without the map?

So we implement the actions and they would be subject. So if it's something talking about the 100red-year flood plane, whatever the hundred-year flood plane is mapped is where it would be applicable. John rights are pull up on GIS that show different hazard areas and these actions apply to the existing maps until New maps are adopted in their regular course. Yes. But those maps may shift. Yes.

On the regular schedule that they're already slotted to be insult. I think it's a couple more years. I just don't know remember what year. I just want to make sure I understand. Yes. Okay. So we're talking about things that change the actual ordinance and they can point whatever map.

Uhhuh. From what I hear, it's like the 100 year I was struck. I think this is the first so I did the survey and first survey I've ever taken where I almost felt like every single one of them like yes yes yes there's so little about it that say but Was it you were just in

well and having uh been part of the steering committee I would agree with that and and the people that you had on the steering committee like Diddy um were very very involved. They were very attentive. They were very thoughtful and they debated and debated and debated points back and forth. I mean it wasn't everybody sitting out there just agreeing with each other for the sake of agreeing. they they debated a lot of points uh and they took a lot of time with it and I u I was just really highly impressed with the whole process and I thought as a a comprehensive plan which is where the small area plan originated from that I I was in love with the small area plan when we put that in the comprehensive plan and I'm even more in love with it now because I've seen how it works and it's just I think a great piece. So, Carl, I know it's far away, but you could come up here and look. So, the blue is the hundred-year flood plane, and then the sort of purplish color is the floodway, which is heavily restricted for obvious reasons. And then the green is um the 500 here. And if you guys would like in the future, we have a lot of stuff to do or I can get Nate to send you an email regarding um when the flood maps are changing, what the process is and I'm not sure if anyone know like if anyone can tell you exactly how they're changed. A lot of it is on the ground engineering work. Um, and I don't pretend to understand that or how they create the flood maps. Uh, but Nate can give you a better idea of how to do they

do that. So, would you like that for me to have Nate send you an email? Do we have something similar for wildfire risk? Uh, Shannon, we do, don't we? wildfire. Okay. Which which pretty much say the whole county is at high risk for wildfire. Okay.

Is what we discovered when we were doing the existing condition for Swanoa. We live in the mountains. We live surrounded by a national forest with lots of trees. It's a high risk for a while. So, any concerns about that set of actions? You said something about the green on this map. Green is the 500year flood plane. Where's the green?

Up top. You can see it like sort of on the edges around here.

I know it's hard to see. And I just want to point out to you working on um plan connections in the in the final document you can see up I don't think it's done in all of the sections but we're working on um calling out comprehensive plan alignment and And in the actions you can themselves we call out instead of creating new actions we're calling out other actions from other plans or other projects. You'll see a lot of recovery plan projects in here and showing uh the continued support for those projects and the maybe prioritization of those projects or those policies from other plans. So, we're doing that with the comp plan and we're going to do that with the strategic plan for this first draft of the um small area plan. Okay. So, policy on the second if you flip that over or scroll down. Let me get back to it so you guys can see it. Find it. We have policy 1.2 increase standards for new development in the special flood hazard areas.

Any questions or concerns about those? is the cumulative 10year look back.

So right now if you have a property what what happens is if you uh whether or not you have to meet flood regulations is based on whether or not you have exceeded 50% of the original value at the t time of the event of the flood. Um, and if someone comes in to do renovations to their pro their property prior to a flood or just on, you know, regular average everyday upgrades, they can upgrade it up to 50% of the appraised value of that property. And right now, there's a one-year look back. And what people do is they um they do upgrades over a series of years so they do not have to meet the flood requirements. So this is a 10-year look back. So, if you have a property that's constantly being slowly upgraded, when they hit that 50%, they have to upgrade the the um the property to the the structure to flood standards, current flood standards.

Kind of prevents people from gaming the system. Exactly. So, that I'll do 30 38% this year and 38, but it's never 50%. Exactly. Actually 10 years that's that's ambitious. We just put five years in. We're happy with that.

It has been an issue that the flood plane administrator raised and that's why we're doing that. Any questions or concerns about that standard or that section of policies and actions? Okay. Policy 1.3 increase awareness of hazard vulnerability and risk especially in high hazard areas. A lot of these are making people aware of those risks, either requiring um developers add some information um to plats and to covenants and deeds um when they create a development. or in general just making people aware of the risks in the county such as landslides um and flooding.

Question about just looking for example at action 1.3.6 pro resources such as education and evacuation planning but my question kind of applies in general. How does this affect budgeting? Is this is this not like you're repealing for more funding, but it tells you how you use what you have in a sense?

So the actions, what would happen is you would take this action. And for for example, emergency management is probably going to be the lead on that last action. So when we're we're doing the strategic plan and then when we're going through the budgeting process, they would ask if they needed extra funds to do that, they would ask through those processes. This lead partner, Kate, who is Kate?

Uh that's our comm communications department. Any questions about those? So is this 1.35 is that saying that somebody would is coming down and you're doing their due diligence for them to tell them that we might not want to buy this property because

we would never tell someone that and we already do this like we already say you know by the way you're in steep slope high elevation these are these are the standards in steep slope high elevation it tends to be a more unstable property So, we always we already do this informally, but we never tell someone not to buy a property or to buy a property. Um, but we just inform them just like we inform them of zoning and the restrictions because of zoning. It's the same process. Um, this is just formalizing it and making sure it happens. Um, and making sure people are aware

and and for that reason too, I appreciate the 1.3.4. four about telling subdivisions about um issues they need to be concerned about because everybody doesn't think about those things. So, it's really good that that's in there.

Okay, moving on. Policy 1.4 support flood plan and stream restoration. And again, you can see how we're referencing back to a recovery plan project that is already happening. And land resources, our land resources department, which is soil and water, and it's where cooperative extension is um is housed. And it's also our department that does all our easements, our farm easements. and um our our conservation easement program with our local last land trusts.

Just out of curiosity, how much input has like soil and water had into plans like these? I mean, do they have a formal way of doing that? We have a technical expertise committee and we've been reaching out independently to uh to our uh subject matter experts and our develop our directors and getting feedback. They're sick of me asking for feedback pretty much. Okay. So, unless someone stopped me, I'm going to keep going. Policy 1.5 directs future growth areas growth to areas consistent with the future land use plan map and away from high hazard areas. Any questions about that one? Policy 2.1, evaluate storm water and erosion control standards and investigate areas where flood and environmental regulations can work synergistically. I I did have some thoughts about this one and I want to preface that by saying I think this is incredible work. I was looking for for areas of of question or concern, but this is um by and large a very comprehensive proposal. Um but I was curious why problem two doesn't reference climate change at all. And the reason I call that out is because I I worry that we're not future proofing enough by not thinking about the fact that we are dealing with increasing amount of storms, increasing intensity

of storms. And I think that warrants a a call out as a hazard and that may have been intentional. I wasn't sure the the opening statement. I agree. Can't emphasize that enough. Uh you have problem two want to know faces increasing risks from flooding suggest maybe that should be stronger somehow or more specific. Yeah what those increasing risks so just um words matter

and that is our way of addressing that without saying it. Some people in the community don't like the word climate change, but if you ask them, have you seen flooding increase? Have you seen storm water runoff increase? Have you seen landslides increase? They will say yes. So um you know that's the the underlying basis of this is the increase in weather events and the sort of um differences in our overall all weather. introduction to achieve the

what in some ways but what risk would be run by being more specific? I mean, part of a long range planning process and a small area plan process is consensus and getting buy in. And again, some people do not do not like that word climate change. But if you put it into terms of, wow, we've had bigger storms and we've had these really crazy rain events and we've had more intense weather, then they they will agree with you that those things are true.

Personally, this feels like a you want to be writer, you want to be effective, want this to pass.

Yeah. And I'll just remind you that consensus isn't making if nobody is absolutely overjoyed and got everything they wanted on consensus, then you probably did it right. Like consensus is everyone can live with it. I think my my thought is not not to be right and not to use political language, but um it doesn't suggest that we understand there's an increasing rate of of these events. And I've heard many times in the community like, well, it's a thousand-year storm, so that's good for us. Like, we've checked it off and that's not, you know, I just wonder about So, how about if we add increasing storm events?

I think that would be we're talking about two uh problem two statement. Oh, up top. Yeah. Question. We make a recommendation. We just providing feedback. What is our

you are providing feedback and based on that feedback we are currently looking at the steering committee's feedback and they are the steering committee so they have a little more weight and then your feedback and then our technical experts feedback and we'll be making changes to these policies and actions and then it'll go out to the public and like all of our planning processes there's that feedback loop So when we get a draft plan for you guys to review, you can see those changes.

For you guys, you make a recommendation and the commissioners make a recommendation. The commissioners at this point. Yes. It's not like to hear from steering committee about whether or not that is you said something not comfortable that's consist one spot.

Well, I was going to say I don't remember to this point exactly, but in some ways in thinking about this, I'm not sure it really matters because if you've got the situation in front of you, you have to deal with the situation no matter where it came from. So, just following back, um, according to Nate, the flood maps won't be updated for two and a half to three years. So, I just want to throw that in there. Right. Thank you, I don't I don't know that you would change anything in the policies actions as a result of this word change. No, probably not. So, I don't know. I don't know how I don't know how.

And I I'll just remind you it's really the policies, right,

and the actions that spur change. And again that consensus like consensus is not everybody's happy. Consensus is we can all live with it. So moving on policy 2.1 evaluate. Oh I read that one. Anyone got any issues with that one? And I will just let you know we I don't know I haven't looked at the latest budget update but we are asking for some money um for a consultant to look at our storm water ordinance and evaluate changes to it. So I don't know I can't tell you if it got moved out but we are asking for that money. Okay. Action policy 2.2 Two, increase the resilience of new developments through safer access and storm water control measures and explore option options to mitigate impacts of retrofit fortifi of retrofit fortifying infrastructure from existing developments. I'll just have you guys look at those actions. Any questions or comments? Um and then problem three and policy 3.1. Uh and this is about wildfire increase awareness of wildfire vulnerability and

risk and develop ways to mitigate current risks and increase adaptive capacity of people in structures and resilience in the future. I have a thought on this one. So I I noticed that where we mention wildfire risk, it's all rated as either low or medium impact. And I was especially surprised to see that for action 311. That seems like a pretty impactful preventative measure to take. So I I don't understand the the impact rating scale, but um you would think the impact would be higher.

I would think it would be higher and just to make sure that we don't, you know, rank wildfire in general as a as a low priority. um just given again kind of increasing trends due to climate change and the fact that our whole state is in a state of extreme drought and I'll um just bring up that we are updating the hazards plan the hazard mitigation plan and there's a lot more meat regarding this sort of stuff in there um and I will again say that the whole county is high risk for wildfires. Um, but we will look at that impact and get with emergency services and see you what if we need to change that.

Okay. Can I ask one question? Yeah. None of the

Maybe this is a pipe dream. None of the actions seem to press the seem to address the um great abundance of suddenly available kindling and accessing that removing it. I know it's a huge thing because it's all on private property that's in accessible thought in the steering committee to what that what you would do about that. So um we discussed it our steering it is a concern of our steering committee and I did ex discuss it with the county fire marshal and um the problem is it's private property and so like the the federal government has a plan to reduce that risk within the um the national parks land and the federal land not national parks national forest and the federal and the county has a plan for the property that we control, but for private property owners, all we can do is again that education piece, but um there is issues with someone going on their property and the the fire marshals seem to think, you know, the federal land and then the county land And then um uh and then public information was sort of like the best actions within our toolbox to use.

So there's no consideration given to incentives for um private lands giving giving them access maybe making mobile biochar units available things like that. seems to me that most of the most of the residential damage is just going to happen because private land. There might be that is happening on the emergency services side of it and I can double check that um and bring that up again with them and see if we could get a policy an action in there that addresses that.

I would like to echo that kind of agree with that. I think when you talk to private citizens in Baltimore County who have trees down, they would like help. And I think like when you're we were in hurricane situation, a lot of private property owners signed waivers so that people could come with at least two my friends who did that. So the waiver part is not a huge issue. It's getting a resource out there to get rid of the trees to reduce the fire hazard. I have a family member who has at least 12 trees down near her house that has the same issue that he would like to have a resource come out help manage private property and reduce the fire risk. So, I would agree with that. I'd like to see staff seek out resources and put it out there for private property owners.

Okay. I will check with emergency services again and see if we can't come up with something there. Um so moving on um and just again trying to create that consistency between plans. We really tried the you'll notice that the chapters the different sections in the small area plan will reflect the chapters in the comprehensive plan. Um, we're really trying to tie everything together and create connections where we can create connections. So, farms, forest, and conservation strengthen riperian productions and flood impacted corridors and wersheds. Support programs that stabilize, restore, and protect stream corridors to reduce long-term erosion and flood risk, improve water qual quality, and increase environmental resilience. So, the first two are the same, the 111 and 112, but they're rated different impacts. Um, I would advocate for the more impactful impact.

Do you see that, Shannon? The first two are the same. It might have gotten fixed, but this is pre-planning board.

Can you just read it? Which one are you sending it to? Did you send it directly to me?

Yes. Okay.

So, action 1.11 evaluate create creating minimum riperian buffer protections along perennial and inatic strains and wider buffer requirements in high hatchet areas. Incentivize larger buffers in key areas for development projects. Action 11.2 evaluate requiring or incentivizing tree and native referium planting where vegetation is removed within riparian buffers. So one's about the buffers themselves. The other one is about replanting within buffers. So does that explain the difference between the two impacts because one point

the buffers would be considered a bigger impact than um incentivizing replantings in those buffers. Julie, does the county have jurisdiction over riparian buffers or is that

So why it says evaluate is um again we are Dylan's law state. So we have to we have to evaluate where we can require riperian buffers and what state um what state limitations we have on them. We know there are some limitations. Um we always try to incentivize as much as possible. So probably if we cannot establish standard riperian buffers, we would incentivize the use of them through the diff different development types like community oriented development and planned unit developments um and some of our uh subdivision types. Any other questions about that one? Uh, policy 2.1, utilize land use tools to reduce development pressures on working lands. Any questions about those? Policy 3.1, integrate forest protection into growth management and infrastru infrastructure decision making.

I have a question doesn't it fits into overall problem it doesn't really go with specific problems but in problem two actually 2.1.3 support agriculture local farmers markets uh there's there's another angle here in terms of the rest the restaurant to farmer to farmers market the network of people and I wonder if there's room considering how you strengthen that I know it's an issue among certain farmers grow for restaurants and for the markets and uh you could take this offline but there are people that probably would be more knowledgeable definitely more knowledgeable about the importance of that in the health of the farmers And if farmers are happier other one of the other actions we're going to have for more fertile ground.

Let me um talk to our land resources department if anyone knows it would be them

um and we can evaluate adding another action and um I can put more eloquent on top. Okay. Uh, problem three. Any problem policy three or actions? Any questions about that one? Um, so this is the next chapter and this is a new chapter and it's growth and redevelopment impacts. Um, and you can read the problem, but this is really how do we um address sort of the pressure that is going to happen in Swan Noah due to um the storm. Um we see it happen in lots of times with where communities that have disasters of this scale where um there's displacement and there is a sudden um rush of outside agencies to buy property and develop. Um and so and other things that that um redevelopment and that growth how it impacts the community. Um so that's what this chapter is. This is the only chapter that doesn't align with align with comp plan. Um but we've heard from the community it was important so we created a another section for it. Um, so policy 1.1, support existing community members and those displaced by TS Glean and preserve existing affordable housing.

And then I'll just preface this by saying is when you have affordable housing, there's a lot of federal money attached to affordable housing. Um, and there's lots of rules regarding that federal money and those federal tax breaks. So, just keep that in mind when you're reading it. These were built within the constraints of what we can do as a county and then what the federal money allows us to do and the priorities and policy direction of both the comp plan and our community development department. Policy 1.2, expand pathways to home ownership and long-term affordability. Any questions about those? Policy 1.3, use zoning and regulation tools to support affordability and missing middle housing. Policy 1.4, improve access to housing information and resources.

Maybe I'll just ask that question. What does impact means? Does it mean impactated to be? Does it mean effectal resources. I read that more as the resource category that is the resource category

and the reason I asked that effect on the community I can see some reading. Why are all your action items anticipated to have a very low impact on the problem? Granted, I think you don't have a lot of tools to impact the problem, but I don't know that that's the way to articulate that reality.

So, what will likely happen is this is more internal and um we will either well we haven't decided that impact category will end up in the final plan. Um but we might need to like you clarify like these are the tools we have based on those constraints. We made it very clear with the the steering committee and if you guys remember when we did the comp plan like these are the tools we can utilize based on the constraints we have and we have a lot of constraints. Um, and these are really big problems that not only it, and I keep reminding the steering committee that these are really big problems that not only uh, Swanoa and Buckham County as a whole is facing, but the the country is facing with uh, affordable housing. and we continue to hope as a county government and we continue to invest and we continue to um look into innovative ways to address that problem. But unfortunately, one of the realities of these type of problems from um you know after an event like this is they're very hard to address and there aren't that many tools

and I don't disagree on that. He begs the question why would we have an action item? policy doing. So you all may have this internally or communicate a different way just because it's a low impact. I mean lots of little lots of smaller impacts create a bigger impact. Very true.

So that's the feedback I think particularly this category I guess these categories tie back to Well, I'll say that.

Okay. Okay. So, what are we on? We're on policy 1.3. Use zoning and regulatory tools to support affordability and missing middle housing. Okay. Policy 1.4 improve access to housing information and resources. Then policy 2.1, strengthen and retain locallyowned and small businesses.

If uh if my earlier comment has a home, this is probably it restaurants here. Okay, moving on. Policy 3.1, improve access to healthy, affordable food. And then policy 4.1. Um Shannon, do you have the new one pulled up? Didn't we change that policy 4.1? Can you read it out the new one?

So that one is explore programs that preserve, promote, and educate the public about the history of specifically but not limited to town center, upper and lower village, with local. Didn't we change policy 4.1 though? Yeah. Okay. Okay. develop.

So, policy 4.1 encourages preservation and reflection of community character in new development and public spaces. And then Shannon just read you the new action. Any questions about that one? Um, policy 4.2 support local artists and creative economies. Transportation and connectivity policy 1.1 offer one comment on the growth of development similar to what was said earlier this this is about what happened and how we from it doesn't indicate anything about it will happen again that's back to the same

and I don't think it would change anything policy actions but just a thought

uh policy 1.1 for transportation increased safety, access, connectivity, and availability availability of transportation options along US Highway 70 and within other high priority areas identified on the Swanoa bike ped and transportation improvement maps. Um, so just two things uh one of them related to greenways, which is a is transportation related. Um but uh to update you about this um if you didn't know we received a grant to there was a grant of federal money funneled through the state um for transportation or for infrastructure repair. Um, and because there is a resemblance of a sidewalk in downtown Beacon Village, um, we were able to apply for funding to repair that sidewalk and create some more sidewalk infrastructure in Beacon Village. Um, and we are exploring the money and the funding as it becomes open. Um the largest priority for the the Swanoa community and for the county um is a sidewalk on 70. Um not only because it's a great connection, but also because it's a safety issue. Uh if anybody drives down 70, you can see people uh walking along there and sometimes taking their their life in their hands and there have been deaths on that corridor. So, as funding becomes available, the county plans to um try to get some funding to create sidewalks

there. Um uh the greenway, the um friends and neighbors of Swaninoa uh received some funding and they are doing a feasibility study for a greenway um connecting sort of from the Witson Avenue area up into um Warlson College. Um, additionally, Riverlink received fundings from the North Carolina Flood Blueprint to put a permanent easement on I'm going to say it wrong. The I can't remember the name of the the a fraternity. Thank you. the Woodman of the World site, which if you are ch turning on old US70 after the Witton Bridge, like if you cross over the Witston Bridge and you turn right, it'll be on your right. It's an old brick building, but Riverlink received funding to put a conservation easement on that and also to do some flood benching, which is they will lower a portion of the property and sort of recreate more of what the natural flood plane used to be. along the Swan Swaninoa River and um add land to the top. So sort of lower one side, raise another side. Um so those are just some of the moving pieces that are going on with what will maybe uh sort of the momentum for Greenway and Swan Noah, but also the momentum for more transportation infrastructure. Will River Link own the American

property or how does that work?

Yes, they will own it and um it will be in a conservation ement. So um also we should um close on our or I have been told hopefully we will close on our first buyout properties including some in Swan and Noah in May. So just things are moving. Uh and back to transportation policy. Uh any problems with policy 1.1 or any of the actions? But I'll note that while this is going on, the pedestrian plan is going on and the countywide pedestrian plan is going on and also the greenway parks uh the open space parks and greenway plan is happening. So, any questions with those? Okay. Future land use policy 1.1 direct growth to areas with access to public infrastructure and away from hazard hazardous and environmentally sensitive areas as outlined in the future land use plan map. Any questions about these? Um a lot of these is updating to that uh land use map that is specific to Swanoa updating our overall county map.

So some of these I think policy 1.1 um 1.11 action 1.11 is that so we have the swano specific map swan knowa plan will be approved will turn around and update our future land use plan map in the comprehensive plan any questions with these okay policy 2.1 increase housing options and affordability and protect existing affordable housing. There's a theme in the Swanoa plan and the comprehensive plan. Okay. Policy 3.1, increase affordable commercial space and development options. So, we're moving on to economic development policy 1.1. Enact regulatory changes, infrastructure improvements, and expanded services that create opportunities for residents and businesses while supporting existing community character. Policy 1.2 increase opportunities for commercial and industrial land uses in appropriate areas.

Okay. Policy 2.1 streamline local government process to improve efficient efficiency accessibility and predictability. Jillian, where it says in 2.1.1 expedite site plan permit review. What exactly does that mean will happen?

Um so this is based on a program um that uh for example we were looking into it prior to the storm. Uh Raleigh has a similar program. Um and all over the country there are similar programs where um there are pre-approved the building plans are pre-approved um uh plans to help create what is essentially an ADU. So an accessory dwelling unit. And um Hawaii is currently doing it for uh residents whose homes were destroyed in the fire. So it's free building plan so you don't have that cost. And so what so you have the building plan part of it which is your building permit and the site plan part of it which is your zoning and your planning review. So, what this is saying is we're going to have pre-approved plans that building permits has already looked at and approved. And for the zoning side, that site plan review, we're going to expediate that.

So, that also helps the affordability piece as well.

Yes. And in some places like in I think it's Raleigh, it might be Dorham, it's one of them. Either Raleigh or Durham has a program where they charge like a minimal fee for these plans. Um, we've talked to some local nonprofits and we're going to try to get some free housing plans, which again, the idea being increasing um increasing uh missing middle, but also this is a preparedness in the next disaster. having a set of pre-approved plans that we can hand residents who has whose homes have been destroyed and it's you don't have to pay for the building plans. You don't have to incur that cost. We'll expediate the cost. We'll expediate the review process which will help save you money.

Thank you. Policy 3.1, work to attract employees that provide higher wages of workforce training for the community. Policy 4.1, expand the walkable destination center, slum character area to incorporate the historic town center and other identified during public engagement and update the description to refle reflect the economic development needs of the area. So, just to remember, we had one walkable destination center on the the map when we first passed the comp plan. It was just the former beacon site. As part of this process, we have expanded it into Oldtown Swanoa um and some of the and some of the surrounding vacant sites. Um, so it's gotten a lot bigger and um because of that again it's like a it's on the new map and onea plan we have to update the comprehensive plan to match it

that and that came directly from input from the community. Yes, we asked the input. We we asked the community where they wanted their downtown. Um, and that is what the boundaries are based on. That's good question. Um, it's a can of worms shouldn't open was not, but are there things that we want to discourage? for some reason data centers are on my mind but could be other things that did not have contributed to the overall the overall solution of the overall problems.

Um what we are talking about is how how we use this walkable destination center um and we are trying to do stuff in Swanoa that we can replicate the other small area plans. So, what we would probably create once the downzoning bill gets worked out is probably a walkable destination center either overlay or zoning district with very specific uses. Okay. I wasn't I was thinking of the overall overall section not just the matter about data centers

about economic development just as there these are all things we're trying to encourage yes there are some things um I mean we are I can bring it up with management again but it may not may have no place in there yeah it's really a use in the zoning districts and we do have those restrictions on data centers. That would be more countywide than small area. That's countywide. Yeah. Yeah.

Just like but since we are a county and this isn't an incorporated area, some of these policies will affect the countywide, especially the hazards ones. But they're all based on us looking at the comp plan, looking at at the hazards plan, um, and will help some of the issues in other areas like Emma, some of the places that are facing some of the same issues. Okay. Health and Recreation Policy 1.1 accelerate the development of new parks community facilities and greenways that link residents and visitors to businesses, schools, employment centers, points of interest, and the natural environment. I will let you know at the first Owen Park community meeting regarding what they want in Owen Park when it's rebuilt. They have 250 residents. Um, and in general, the community of Swanoa is very engaged and really wants a voice in how they want their community to look after the storm. Um, I don't think either parks and wreck or or long ranch planning has had the kind of turnout that we've had out for these planning processes. And then policy 2.1 and action 2.1. Wouldn't it be 2.11? Um those are blank for now because we are working with our health and human services department to work those out.

Um so when it comes back for the full plan you guys will see whatever those policies and actions are. And last question I think yeah so infrastructure and energy policy 1.1 ensure the that current development regulations support long-term resiliency, sustainability and adaptability for future growth and emergencies including climate related risks and infrastructure challenges. I saw a lot of language around incentivizing nature-based solutions and I was wondering if we were requiring it anywhere just because it's demonstrated to be so beneficial long term.

So it's very again North Carolina has a set of enabling legislation regarding what you can do for a storm water ordinance. So it's very hard to require stuff. Um but in general with our affordable housing program, with our steep slope protected ridges, we have found the best way to um get developers on board is to incentivize it. Any comments about those? All right, that is it. That was a 100 policies and actions. I think it's over 100 policies and actions. Oh, did I miss him? I did miss him. I was excited. I thought we got it through. Okay. Policy 2.1 strengthen residents ability to withstand and recover from emergencies by creating and supporting resilience hubs, installing alternative energy systems on critical facilities, and fostering partnerships with communities most vulnerable to disasters. Questions about those two? And then policy 3.1, advocate for improvements to NC DOT transportation infrastructure to increase pedestrian and bik bicycle access and safety and flood resilience. Questions about those

That's right. That was fast, guys. If you guys um have anything else or you're again trying to fall asleep and you read policies and actions for the small area plan, um feel free to email me. Uh this is we're currently in this first revision. uh the community will look at policies and actions in May and when we bring you the draft plan at that point um we can look at these policies and actions again and um and make any necessary changes and then we plan to uh have our last engagement in August for the draft plan itself and then probably at the end of August you all would vote on the plan and then September you would September the um commissioners would adopt it.

Do you have a sense of what the roll out assuming all that goes well and want to go to other areas and use this as a template? Yes. What's next?

Um more than likely Emma would be next. Um uh we will see where we are with budget. Um but if Emma is not next right this second, lots of the policies and actions in this plan if we can implement them will help Emma. Um and uh if we don't get the funding for the Emma plan for next fiscal year, we will work on implementation and gearing up for the Emma plan so we can get the ball rolling. This was this turned into a much bigger plan than it had originally planned to be. So the other small area plans will be smaller in scope and they will be probably a faster process. And we have learned a lot regarding process from this one. And each time we do a plan, we try to figure out what went wrong, what we could, what worked really well, what we need to fix before we start that planning process.

What do you think of others will be smaller in scope? Well, this one had it was that resilience component and the flood and the storm recovery component that made this larger. And also this was originally supposed to be just a corridor study along 70 and so the size of the plan just got bigger which means more engagement more thought into policies and actions more time.

Right. Okay. John correspond with time to achieve cover prioritization.

That is a time we think it'll take to achieve. So I think prioritization of this this is huge and I hear that you'll think it's going to be smaller in scope for the other because I think people look at this and see how they prioritization. So we I'm anticipating that something like this will be in that product that's handed out there.

Yes, we will have an implementation chapter where we plan to have sort of a first five years implementation plan um for those policies and those action policies and actions we want to hit first. Now some of them do depend on funding. So go ahead. Yeah, I think it's really well don't set your own budget not yet money. Um this is a very ambitious plan to achieve. Yes.

And so the answer of how much is it you got to tell us how much it would cost. I don't think you have any idea what that I can tell you. It's how much for the sidewalks do we think? Yeah. 20 million.

Yeah. Yeah. Extraordinarily expensive to do just that component. So for me it sort of begs the question how how do we set something like this? want to do these things and want to do it this way. If we have not in some way answered the question because it cost this entire thing of course would be accurate as of next year because um if that number came up to something like let's say $200 billion you said we can't do all these things why so I don't think there's a easy solution to this

so so remember that this plan document like the comprehensive plan document is a 20-year plan. So, we're talking about that expenditure over 20 years. The plans also help them set their budgeting priorities. So, and in some plans you do have that component where it talks about cost. For Bunkham County, we don't put that component in there. We let it go through the cycle of going into the strategic plan and then into the budget. But the commissioners use these documents as a way to guide their budgetary decisions.

I don't think that understand that reality. I don't think it changes my recommend. So, I'm glad to hear that y'all asked for it, but I also heard you say we've asked for it, but I don't know that we're going to get and so much of what we're facing plans is a limitation of resources. Just seems like there needs to be a better mechanism to tie the budgetary process back to plans that end up getting passed because I don't think it happens in a way is effective in forcing people to really think about okay that's not a reflection on staff I just it'd be nice to find a way to bake that into that forced to have to be annual.

Any other comments? But what drives the bud? I mean, I agree with John. I think it should be what drives the budget. So the comprehensive plan and the strategic plan and our other plans, farmland preservation and um um equity, they all drive the strategic planning process. The strategic planning process drives the budget. So it so it actually does drive the budget, I guess, would be my question. Okay. Regardless,

you can do you can you do your plan like you can set up your plans especially as these long range planning documents however you like. Some of them do have a budgetary aspect to that. um per management they want it separated to you know that sort of vision in the long range planning the doing and the strategic then the budgetary process.

So that means whoever's sitting on the commission and whoever's the county manager or whoever looks at all this stuff they're basically mandated to consider all of these things. I don't know if mandated is the right word anyone sits down every single county every year with this and and maybe it shouldn't be mandated. That's really not what I was saying either. It's like so if if we are making all these plans whoever the Wii is and that's supposed to be what happens or what drives the county forward how are we assured I guess that the resources are going to be directed there and etc. So that's really the strategic planning process. Like if you look at the new strategic plan, you can see the linkages to the comprehensive plan. But like things change, right? Helen changed which changed a lot of priorities. Priorities always shift. So, say we got say we got a bunch of money a bunch of money for affordable ha housing magically appeared and we could offer a lot of money for builders to build affordable housing and we we cut into that 7,000 unit. This is hopes and dreams people, but cut into that 7,000 unit gap. So, we were only at like a thousand unit. So, then

priorities would shift to other things. And based on who your commissioners are, those priorities can shift. But the long range, both this document and the comprehensive plan are not short-term plans. They're those 20-year plans. Part of our job in long range planning is to track how we are doing and where we are going and what what's missing. Normally, you would hope that a comprehensive plan would be looked at every five years and see what change.

I'm assuming this would probably benefit from that same kind of Yes. And we do plan to do that. So yeah, I I'm I'm real sympathetic to this point of view, but I also think funding sources change, political priorities change, grant opportunities emerge, and it's you have to kind of take it step by step the way you describe it. But it's it would be nice to be able to that down more. I'm sure that's practical. So it's at this at this stage.

So it's really h like there are 20 million like everything else there are 20 million ways to do budgeting local government budgeting. There are 20 million ways to do strategic planning and there are 20 million ways to do comprehensive planning. So this is the way that we have been directed to do it. Um some of them do have ties to budget. Uh, it's usually not an amount. It's usually a measurement. Like, you know, for sidewalks, it would be a high cost because it's going to cost us $20 million to put sidewalks or it's going to cost DOT $20 million to put sidewalks down 70. But um this one we will probably have something like this table and resources in this one not only covers cost but it covers time and staff resources too. So,

well, and and I guess my questioning comes from because I get everything that you're saying and and the realities of of life in general and blah blah blah. But I guess my hope is is that whatever we sit here as a group or whatever other groups like us sit here and do is because it's in the comprehensive plan, there is at least somewhat of a guarantee that it doesn't get lost somewhere and it does.

So, that is long range planning's job. One of the updates we plan to um when we look at the comp plan and something we thought was missing is more implementation um and more laying out what we're going to do in what time frame. So, so for example, this one's going to have an implementation. We're going to have that first five-year implementation and internally we're going to have an implementation plan where we've laid out all of these for 5 10 15 and then the 20 year mark and we plan to do the same thing for the comprehensive plan

and from a policy point of view you said earlier that the budget side separated from the plan side. Why is that? you know, why are we not kind of looking at that tweaker or implementation plan in chunks while we're looking at policies?

So, that is just the way we choose to do it. And again, because comprehensive plans are just that they're so comprehensive, they usually don't say, you know, it'll cost this much money. It's usually a measurement of the cost. And it's really that strategic plan and the budgetary process that like it really like gets in the strategic plan. Like the strategic plan, if you look at the strategic plan, has very specific um has more ties to the budget than the comprehensive plan. And it makes sense because strategic plan is five years. And as we all know because of Helen if you were here during the 2008 recession because of recessions because of what happens in the world that Bunkham County can't control those it changes it changes you know it like for example the sidewalks we are able to build those sidewalks because of federal money coming for recovery that wouldn't be the priority or that wouldn't We wouldn't have as much of an opportunity if pine hadn't happened to build those sidewalks.

And what you're projecting is cost in a fiveyear plan is going to look quite different if you're not expecting to build those things until 20th year residence. That's totally different.

And don't also remember that we have a capital improvements plan. So again, that strategic plan sets the priority. The directors of the department are involved in the capital improvement plan. So funding for those hard resources may be a library or a um sidewalk or a new park go into the capital improvement plan. So, if you're thinking about longterm investment in capital, it's in that part. And that's why we update our our comprehensive plan. And you know, Nate's committed, I'm committed to um sometimes plans sit on the shelf. We don't want this to one to sit sit on the shelf, but it is also a visionary document. David Burman, make big plans. Okay. Anything else? So, are we done?

You are done and we will bring you back E911. Um and we're hoping your next ordinance to look at would be watershed to update it with the um update it based on the state model ordinance because also that ordinance has not been changed in I don't know since it was adopted in the '9s. Um we have lots of those ordinance that haven't been looked at since the 90s. Um, we are keeping an eye on the down zoning uh provision and what's happening with that and uh we'll continue to bring you the pieces of the ordinance that are skirting around those requirements. Thank you very much. And um and if there's nothing else that anyone wishes to share, then I guess we can have a motion for adjournment.