2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan

133 Pages·2015·4.1 MB·English

Recommended to the Planning Board by the Steering Committee on 10-14-14
Recommended to the Town Council by the Planning Board on 12-17-14
Adopted by the Town Council after a public hearing on 03-09-15

2030

Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Adopted March 9, 2015
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mayor and Town Council

Mike Gordon, Mayor

Carlton Vinson, Mayor Pro-tem

Jeff Barnes

Clyde Castleberry

Mark Wilson

Planning Board

Teresa Bruton, Chairperson

Bob Davis, Vice-Chairperson

W. R. Dean, Secretary

Larry Boyette

Susan Locklear

Joel Pace

Teresa Romano
Town Staff

Jean Overton, Town Clerk
Bob Clark, AICP, Planning and Zoning Administrator

Technical Assistance Provided By:
Z. Lee Nichols, Community Planner
105 S, Webb Street, Swansboro, NC 28584
910-620-3345

Steering Committee

Mark Jackson, Chairman, U. S. Army Ret., Town Council Member

Joshua D. Barnes, Local Business Owner

Diane Brantley, Local Resident

Mike Gordon, Mayor, U.S. Army Ret.

Kaye Hatch, Retired Educator

James Lipscomb, Realtor

Jaime Pearce, Johnston County Public Health Department

Carlton Vinson, Mayor Pro-tem
Mark Wilson, Air Force Ret., Town Council Member

Bob Davis, Planning Board Vice-Person, N. C. Department of Transportation

Teresa Bruton, Planning Board Chairperson and N. C. Department of Transportation

Teresa Romano, Planning Board Member
Contents
CHAPTER I: PLAN INTRODUCTION ....................................................... 3
A. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN ................................................................................ 3
B. PROCESS OVERVIEW ................................................................................... 3
C. PLAN ORGANIZATION .................................................................................. 6
D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ................................................................ 6
E. HOW TO USE THE PLAN ............................................................................... 8
CHAPTER II: WHO WE ARE .................................................................... 10
A. ARCHER LODGE COMMUNITY PROFILE ..................................................... 10
1. PLANNING AREA HISTORY .................................................................................................10
2. REGIONAL AND PLANNING AREA PROFILE.........................................................................12
3. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS ..................................................................13
4. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS ..........................................................20
5. HEALTH AND WELLNESS STATUS .......................................................................................24
6. INCORPORATING HEALTY LIVING INTO THIS COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN .............33
7. HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS ........................................................................34
8. ECONOMY CONDITIONS AND EMPLOYMENT ......................................................................38
B. COMMUNITY VALUES ................................................................................ 47
1. PUBLIC WORKSHOP SUMMARY ..........................................................................................47
2. COMMUNITY SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT .........................................................................50
CHAPTER III: WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? .................... 54
A. COMMUNITY VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS ...................................... 54
B. ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN ............................................................................ 56
CHAPTER IV: PLAN ELEMENTS ............................................ 57
A. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................... 57
1. EXISTING CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................57
2. GOAL: ....................................................................................................................59
B. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT .................................................................... 59
1. EXISTING CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................59
2. GOAL ....................................................................................................................60
Town of Archer Lodge 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan

C. INFRASTRUCTURE ...................................................................................... 61
1. EXISTING CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................61
2. GOAL ....................................................................................................................64
D. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 65
1. EXISTING CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................65
2. GOAL ....................................................................................................................65
E. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES .................................................................. 66
1. SOILS ....................................................................................................................66
2. SURFACE WATER AND WATERSHEDS ....................................................................................71
3. STEEP SLOPES ....................................................................................................................76
4. FLOODPLAINS AND WETLANDS .............................................................................................76
F. LAND USE PATTERNS ................................................................................ 76

CHAPTER V: HOW DO WE GET THERE?.................................................... 82

A. THE ACTION PLAN .................................................................................... 82
1. USING THE ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................................82
2. GUIDING LAND USE PRINCIPLES ........................................................................................82
3. ACTION PLAN VISION AND MISSION ..................................................................................84
B. THE ACTION PLAN’S GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND ACTION STEPS ................. 85
1. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ..............................................................................................86
2. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................89
3. INFRASTRUCTURE ...............................................................................................................90
4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................93
C. LAND USE CATEGORIES – ACTION PLAN................................................... 94
1. AGRICULTURE ....................................................................................................................94
2. OPEN SPACE ....................................................................................................................95
3. NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS, COMMUNITY BUSINESS AND OFFICES ...................................97
4. INSTITUTIONAL AND PUBLIC ............................................................................................101
5. RESIDENTIAL ..................................................................................................................102
6. GATEWAY CORRIDORS AND SPECIAL FOCUS AREAS .......................................................105
D. PLAN MONITORING AND UPDATE ............................................................ 108
EXHIBITS – .......................................................................... 110
A. MAPS ....................................................................................................... 110
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS MAP ..........................................................................................110
TOWN OF ARCHER LODGE ZONING MAP .................................................................................111
FUTURE LAND USE MAP ..........................................................................................................112
AVERAGE ANNUAL DAILY TRAFFIC COUNTS 2012 .................................................................113
TOWN SERVICES ..................................................................................................................114
COMMUNITY SURVEY AND PUBLIC WORKSHOP RESULTS ......................................................117

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Town of Archer Lodge 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Chapter I: Plan Introduction

A. Purpose of the Plan

The Town of Archer Lodge Land Use Comprehensive Plan serves as a guide
for town officials, planners, and citizens in making decisions about future growth and
development in a coordinated fashion that protects the quality of life and small town
atmosphere in Archer Lodge. The plan articulates a vision of how citizens would like
the town to look over the next ten to twenty years, which is followed by specific
goals, strategies, and action steps for achieving the vision.

B. Process Overview

During the course of the planning process key issues were identified. In
addition to land use and growth management, the plan makes recommendations
relating to community image, small economic development and skill training,
business and farming partnerships, public services and infrastructure, parks and
recreation, environmental protection and historic preservation.

More specifically, the plan:

 Assesses the current physical conditions in the town and maps the existing
land use so that future growth areas can be identified.

 Presents a preferred growth and development scenario in the form of the
Future Land Use Map, which targets areas for development within the Town.

 Provides a rational basis for the Town’s future growth and makes specific
recommendations for updating or adopting land development regulations
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Town of Archer Lodge 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan

(zoning and subdivision ordinances) that are consistent with the preferred
growth scenario.

 Provides citizens, developers, and other plan users with a predictable
development environment by clearly stating the criteria that will guide the
development decisions of town officials.

Successful implementation of the plan requires the full commitment of town
leaders, elected officials, and citizens in order to implement the plan’s key
recommendations and continuously monitor the plan’s progress. Given the
likelihood of change in the community, the plan should offer flexibility. Periodic
evaluations of the plan’s progress or changes in the conditions in the Town may
necessitate amendments to the plan.

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Town of Archer Lodge 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan

The purpose of the plan is:

 To create a vision for the future of the Town of Archer Lodge based on
community needs and desires, and to foster community support for this
vision through education and awareness raising activities.

 To prepare the Town of Archer Lodge for the future by creating a guide for
future growth that adequately responds to development pressures from
nearby urban areas (Smithfield, Garner, Raleigh, Cary, Research Triangle
Park and other urban areas within 36 miles such as Wilson (29.7mi.) and
Goldsboro (35.4mi.)).

 To coordinate land use planning and infrastructure development in order
to encourage desired development densities, patterns, and locations
consistent with Archer Lodge’s vision for the future.

 To survey community needs for and attitudes toward public services,
facilities, and amenities in order to improve the quality of life and protect
the public health and safety.

 To identify potential financing mechanisms and timelines for the provision
of future public services and amenities.

 To preserve the small town character of Archer Lodge, yet re-evaluate its image
and community identity in light of past trends and future changes.

 To identify ways to enhance and invest in the community by working to
improve the community image and promote economic development
opportunities.

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 To make recommendations for preserving and protecting community
assets including unique historic, cultural, and natural features and open
spaces.
2030 Archer Lodge Comprehensive Land Use Plan

C. Plan Organization

The planning process took place over three phases that correspond with the
following questions posed to the community:

1. Who are we?

2. Where do we want to be?

3. How do we get there?

The plan is organized into chapters that correspond to each question. Chapters II,
III, and IV assess the existing conditions in the planning area, including public input on key
issues and community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Chapter V
outlines an Action Plan for implementation, and lays out goals, policies, responsible
parties and timeframes. In addition, a Future Land Use Map is included.

D. Public Participation Process

Throughout the planning process, citizens, business owners and interested
individuals were provided opportunities to comment on the plan and the issues currently
affecting Archer Lodge. A community wide public input meeting was conducted to get
feedback from residents on the vision for the town, preferred development patterns and
land use management styles for future growth. In addition, citizen feedback was obtained
through a community wide survey distributed to all households in the Town. Also, focus
groups or task forces were held with key community individuals and organizations to
outline land use patterns.
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