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Two options exist. First, a grant of extraterritorial jurisdiction or adoption of spheres of influence <br />as in Mecklenburg would address part of the problem by allowing Concord's development <br />standards to be extended to those areas just beyond the existing City limits. This could help <br />insure that developers address infrastructure issues and quality of life amenities that otherwise <br />will eventually be pushed to the municipalities to address. However, Cabarrus County has to <br />approve a grant of extraterritorial jurisd!ction. <br /> <br />If a grant of extraterritorial jurisdiction is not possible, the City will have to continue to do its best <br />to use its control over water and wastewater as the carrot to try to impact development standards <br />outside of Concord are adequate. It is becoming very clear that the level of transportation, water, <br />wastewater and stormwater infrastructure required by development standards outside the City has <br />a direct impact on costs inside the City. This regional view must be used when determining the <br />true costs of residential growth in our area. <br /> <br />Uncoordinated growth policies can negatively impact the quality of life, not only in the failure to <br />address development standards, but also in recognizing the crucial relationship between <br />.infrastructure expansion in the water and wastewater area and land use planning. Until we <br />address this relationshil0 and the need for accountability on a regional lev~el, Concord Will <br />continue to be faced with the problems of sprawl and the need for financing mechanisms that <br />encourages development in areas where infrastructure already exists to reduce the burden of the <br />cost of growth. Of course, this issue also impacts the need for County services such as .schools <br />just as much as it does the cost to City departments. <br /> <br />Land Use and Center City Plans <br /> <br /> Concord continues to work on its ability to provide a framework for sustainable growth that will <br /> benefit residents today and decades to come: One of the most important factors is a new land use <br /> plan that will take into consideration the many land use needs in a community. Council has said <br /> it does not want to become, just a residential suburb of Charlotte. As a result, there must be room <br /> for residential, commercial, office space and' industrial development as well as open space and <br /> recreational and cultural resources. Concord is undertaking a new land use planning process with <br /> many opportunities for public input so we can all plan together to decide how our community <br /> should look in future years. <br /> <br />Left to its own, it is clear the open market will capture much of the land in the western portion of <br />the County for residential use. This is why the land uses in areas outside of Concord's control are <br />even more important for future generations. Again, a comprehensive land use plan that takes <br />sustainability into consideration is crucial to the future of Cabarrus County. Concord has no <br />ability to incorporate such strategies for areas outside the City limits beyond our ability to <br />coordinate with other local governments who have jurisdiction. <br /> <br />"Smart growth" not onlY requires growth management in new areas, it also calls for the <br />strengthening of existing residential and business areas so there is not a decline in the core while <br />new areas are thriving. A Downtown Master Plan has been completed. This plan will provide <br />the basis for future efforts to ensure the downtown is viable and healthy. So many "edge'' cities <br />are struggling for an identity and are spending millions of dollars to create new downtowns that <br />can serve as a central focus for their community. Concord is lucky that is already has a historic <br />downtoWn. Efforts are being made to protect and enhance this resource. The City has taken one <br />step by completing the parking deck to supplement the eventual construction of an expanded <br />police headquarters and new City Hall. This has allowed surface lots to be converted into public <br />parking, eliminated the need to demolish the old Helig-Meyers building for parking, and has been <br />one of the catalysts leading to the remarkable level of private sector reinvestment in the <br />downtown. <br /> <br /> 16 <br /> <br /> <br />