Community input needed on county’s 20-year land plan

WADESBORO — Anson County and Centralina Regional Council need assistance from residents to finish developing a Comprehensive Land Use Plan to stretch through the year 2040.

The twenty-year plan represents goals, recommendations and guidance to better develop the county in terms of growth, land use or transportation planning. A committee of local representatives have been working with Centralina to create this plan that will suite Anson county.

“From a participation stand point or public engagement standpoint, we’re looking for an adoption of the plan,” Centralina Assistant Planning Director Jessica Hill said. “It would go to the (County Commissioners) probably in February so we want to do a final round of public engagement.”

The plan acts as a roadmap that the Board will give to county staff of what the elected officials would like to see in Anson, according to Liam Brailey, fellowship employee to the Anson County Office of the County Manager.

“The staff will work with developers and land owners and citizens to decide where buildings will be in accordance with this land use plan,” Brailey said. “(The plan) is six or seven chapters that goes everywhere from where has Anson County been in the past to what the work force look like, what does industry look like, what are housing conditions. The end result is these chapters in conjunction of mapping that is detailed map of Anson County that says, ‘We want to have industrial development here. We want to have agricultural development here. We want to have housing here.’”

This plan is already a precursor to what already exists. The first Anson County plan was created in 1988, followed by the most recent adopted plan in 2002. An updated plan was presented in 2009, but it was never adopted by the Commissioners.

“What we are doing right now is not zoning,” Brailey said. “Zoning should be on the radar, maybe it’s happening in two or three years. It is not something happening right now.”

Instead, the plan is just to be presented and approved by the county commissioners.

“The Comprehensive Land Use Plan purpose is to guide decision making on future land use development and infrastructure investments,” Hill said. “It provides that framework to make those day-to-day decisions. The reason for the public engagement is to make sure we have that vision right.”

Having a detailed plan will generate cost savings in the future, according to Brailey. The 2002 plan was not as in-depth as he hopes this new one will be. Brailey gave the example of how the new Atlantic Gateway Project does not have a sewer line to the site. If the previous plan outlined potential building of off U.S. 74, then maybe the county could have saved money and already had a sewer line there for developers to come in and easily build.

“If we know where we want to build things, we can pre-build sewer lines, ensure that the economics of it make sense,” Brailey said. “If we didn’t have one of these, what developer is going to come in when they can’t see what our plan is for our community.”

About a year ago Hill, her team at Centralina Regional Council and the county began hearing from Anson County residents for what they are hoping to see in the future of the county through five open house events and survey responses.

“(Public engagement) really informed the steering committee on what was important and valuable and what people wanted to see in the future for Anson County,” Hill said. “That work, last year at this time, has led us to this point where we are checking back in with the public to say, ‘Did we hear you? Did we take what we heard and put it in into the plan in the way you want to see?’ So it is just a final check in before it gets adopted by the Commissioners.”

The local steering committee includes local representatives who are helping Centralina to develop this land use plan. Members include Aimee Colf of Anson Cooperative Extension, Jason Miller of the SPCC, Tara Eudy of Carolina Title, Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn, Tyler Fitzgerald of Waste Connections, Lilesville Town Councilwoman Bernice Bennett, recently elected Commissioner J.D. Bricken, Lee Roy Lookabill of Anson Real Estate and Insurance Company, Todd Moore of Pee Dee Electric and Superintendent of Anson County Schools Howard McLean.

By mid-December, the draft of the plan will be presented in public places in the county so residents do a “last check” for the county’s future vision. There will be a small survey for residents to provide their input on this plan.

Once fully adopted, the plan will drive future investments or building, for at least the next ten years of the 20 year plan. The plan will be revisited and tweaked, if need be, about half-way through.

The vision statement outlines where they believe Anson County wants to be in the future.

“Anson will be a dynamic and inclusive county that celebrates its rural heritage and is committed to creating a prosperous, livable community,” the vision statement reads.

The responses from the community so far hope keep Anson County’s rural and agricultural community alive and the plan is a reflection of that vision.

“The backbone of this county, which is the rural land and the large lots is something that will definitely maintained,” Brailey said.