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| County Council Tentative Schedule Thursday, August 20th, 2009 - 6:00PM Room 803, City/County Complex Thursday, September 17th, 2009 - 9:00AM Room 803, City/County Complex Thursday, October 15th, 2009 - 6:00PM Lake City Bean Market Museum Click the link above to view the public presentation (13Mb, powerpoint file) |
A Comprehensive Plan for Our Future |
BackgroundMaintaining and Increasing a Florence Way of Life
Directions: where we came from and where we are goingProposed Future Land Use CategoriesTimelineBackgroundThe County Comprehensive Plan began in 1995 with the initial version. The push to have the Plan was to establish zoning in the County. According to State law, in order to have zoning, the jurisdiction must have an approved Comprehensive Plan containing the Community Facilities, Land Use and Priority Investment elements. Other elements were added to the Plan including the Historic Resources, Housing, Natural Resources, Economic Development, Population and Transportation. Each element establishes baseline information pertinent to its element (for example, the amount and age of existing houses for the Housing Element) and then set future needs in the form of goals (this is the number of homes needed for future growth.) Since 2007, the Priority Investment and Transportation elements have been added through State legislation. The Transportation element was formerly part of the Community Facilities Element. The Priority Investment Element outlines a roadmap of funds for various projects in specific areas around the County. Why we need a Future Land Use PlanThe Land Use map has historically been a hotly debated element anywhere in the U.S. The pros and cons of categorizing the County jurisdiction into land uses are often represented by various groups from 'land rights' proponents to 'environmental' activists. Both sides often have considerable merits and the final plan usually reflects their strengths. The main point to notice in Florence County, however, is the area's propensity to grow. As you drive or bicycle around town, you'll notice tremendous constrution projects - be it adjacent to I-95 or the western area of the City of Florence or the ideas in the works for the outskirts of the Town of Pamplico. All of these development plans have significant public costs associated with them. Maintaining and Increasing a Florence Way of LifeThe availability of basic services such as water and sewer usually is a good predictor of favored locations for new developments. Usually significantly sized residential communities rely on municipal water in order to develop such a density of homes in one place. However, once the development is established, other public services such as police protection, fire protection, emergency services, schools and roads are all stretched a little further to accomodate the new neighorhood. All of these public services have cost. Taxes are paid by homeowners and business owners to support those services, but oftenimes, these funds fall short of paying for existing, nonetheless, an expansion of the services. For this reason, together with the idea that continuing to grow is a great thing, new developments must be planned according to the services that can be provided. With adequate service, the quality of life for all residents of Florence County will steadily increase. Minimize the Tax BurdenPlanning for future growth minimizes the tax burden of municipalities by directing growth potential without placing additional strain on public services. A commercial development that takes advantage of an existing vacant building is significantly less of burden on infrastructure than new construction on the outskirts of a town. An existing building may require renovation for a new business or residence, but services such as water, sewer, emergency services, roads and transit are most likely in place, being supported by existing tax dollars. Maximize Compatible Adjacent UsesFew people want to live near heavy industry (although Federal guidelines make it a lot cleaner), nor go to school next to power plant. Likewise, compatible uses are studied when protecting residential areas and natural resources. Industrial sites need adequate access to highways or other large transportation infrastructure (like rail or navigable waterway.) Residential areas tend to be located in less intensely developed areas, usually a short distance from a smaller, collector street. Commercial areas tend to be attracted to locations of significant traffic - this location promotes advertising and ease of access. Agriculture and natural areas are often located away from the municipal center and near rivers and wetlands. Categorizing the entire county is an exercise in planning theory, study of existing plans and services, a notion of the direction the populace wants to go and a look at the area's history. Agriculture and industry are very important to growing the Florence economy - and adequate buffers of where we live will allow all uses to exist together. Protect Natural ResourcesFlorence County exists only because of our natural resources. The Great Pee Dee River supplies a significant (and growing) amount of our drinking water; the soils support our crops of soybean, corn, wheat, timber and turfgrass; wetlands and depressional wetlands allow for stormwater to percolate to our aquifer; natural areas support habitat, plants and animals we utilize for food and recreation. These same resources will support our future. Increased population will increase the use of these resources. The manner that they are managed today will affect the capacity for the future. A farmland developed, an aquifer contaminated, a wetland filled or a river mistreated will only decrease the potential growth of Florence County's future. Directions: where we came from and where we are goingThe proposed Land Use Plan is based on a premise to grow sustainably. Through the protection of natural resources including our agriculture, wetlands and riverine systems; significant areas of growth exist to support new and renovated locations for residential, commercial and indutrial growth. The Future Land Use map started at the parcel (individual ownership) level and the existing use. If there was a farm in place, then it would be categorized and 'Rural Preservation'. If the parcel is adjacent to a river - then 'Flood Hazard District', etc. Further consideration was given to adjacent uses as well as trying to maintain the commercial areas within municipal centers or at major crossroads located away from any city or town. With our first draft of the map in tow, we visited all of the municipalities that could schedule a meeting. Usually we met with the town or city administrator and/or mayor; in other cases, the municipality's planning staff. However, we always scheduled a public meeting to present the plan to the local residents. In addition, this drafted map was displayed at all the Florence County libraries and our office. It can be viewed online at the Florence County Planning Department's website as well as accessed via their blog. Further, meetings were advertised in the paper, on the blog, on the website and on the Florence County Facebook page. All of this effort was to gather as much information on how the residents and business owners in Florence County want to see it grow over the next 20-30 years. And now through all of the public outreach, the Plan has been recently recommended by the Planning Commission to the County Council. Please see the Council's tentative schedule on the left side of the page. Browse our map and review the text. Proposed Future Land Use CategoriesThe following categories are utilized to classify land in Florence County. Each of these categories are associated with one or more zoning districts. The colors shown for each category represent those on the proposed Future Land Use map. For more information on the characterisitics of the zoning districts, visit the County Code online. Select Chapter 30 for the Zoning Ordinance.
top of page TimelineWe anticipate the following timeline leading to the presentation of the draft to the County Council in August or September:
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Residential Preservation (RP) - Protect and sustain existing low density single-family residential areas, including property values and amenities, and provide for the growth of suburban or developing rural areas consisting of single-family homes and their accessory uses.
Variable Residential (VR) - Protect and sustain existing higher density single-family, multi-family, or mixed-use residential areas, including property values and amenities, and provide areas for growth of various housing types and their accessory uses in urban and suburban settings.
Rural Preservation (RUP) - Provide areas for rural uses, including single-family homes and corresponding accessory uses, as well as agrarian uses, typically in an undeveloped and/or agricultural setting.
Transitional Growth and Preservation (TGP) - Protect and sustain existing commercial areas, including property values and amenities, and provide areas along important corridors or at key community points that are expected to have increasing economic significance.
Commercial Growth and Preservation (CGP) - Protect and sustain existing commercial areas, including property values and amenities, and provide areas along important corridors or at key community points that are expected to have increasing economic significance.
Industrial Growth and Preservation (IGP) - Protect and sustain existing industrial areas, including property values and amenities, and provide areas along important corridors or in emerging industrial locations that are targeted for major economic development. 
Suburban Development (SD) - Provide areas in suburban settings that are expected to have increasing community significance with opportunities for residential, commercial, and institutional uses that enhance the area as a whole.
Urban Development (UD) - Provide areas in urban settings that are expected to have increasing community significance with opportunities for residential, commercial, and institutional uses that enhance the area as a whole.
Public Facilities (PF) - Provide areas that local, state, or federal government maintain for public interest uses including, but not limited to, offices, recreation facilities, law enforcement and emergency response facilities, and schools.
Flood Hazard District (FHD) - This is the 100-year Flood Zone area as established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and is pursuant to compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and to maintain a Community Rating System (CRS).