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EXISTING CONDITIONS While this section deals with the present, some brief review of the Western Area or "Poplar Tent" area, as it is commonly known, is in order. The study area roughly overlays Township Two, an area for which historical Census statistical data is readily available. Perhaps the most important dynamic of the area is revealed in a look at the past three federal censuses. [See Figure I]. The year 1970 saw Township Two area with a population of 4,344. Ten years later, this population had nearly doubled to 8,076. From 1980 to 1990, Township Two increased to 11,105 (37.5%). This was the largest Township increase county wide. And, it would appear that the growth trend will continue. The Office of the North Carolina State Demographer projects a Township Two population of 17,248 by the year 2010. FIGURE 1: POPULATION GROWTH (1970 - 1990) COUNTYWIDE AND BY TOWNSHIP POPULATION GROWTH CHANGE 1970 1980 1990 2010 1970-1990 PERCENT CHANGE CABARRUSCOUNTY 74629 85895 98935 125342 24306 32,6% TWP 1 HARRISBURG 3003 5987 8110 12409 5107 TWP 2 POPLAR TENT 4344 8076 11108 17248 6764 TWP 30DELL 1619 2374 3001 4271 1382 TWP 4 KANNAPOLIS 28260 29628 30659 32747 2399 TWP 5 NEW GILEAD 1950 2852 3365 4404 849 TWP 7 GOLD HILL 780 746 991 1487 211 TWP 8 MOUNT PLEASANT 3467 4022 4733 6173 1266 TWP 9 GEORGEVILLE 8'i4 1384 2178 3786 1364 TWP 10 MIDLAND 2782 3503 4123 5379 1341 TWP 11 CENTRAL CABARRUS 8252 8806 11922 18232 3670 TWP 12 CONCORD 18464 16942 17002 17124 -1462 170.1% 155.7% 85.4% 85% 95,0% 27.1% 36.5% 167.6% 48.2% 44.5% -7.9% SOURCE: 1970 ~1990 CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING N.C. STATE DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTIONS For a population to virtually double over two decades is highly significant. The positives help drive the local economy. Houses and facilities are built, generating jobs that come with payrolls that boost local sales. And, an influx of new people from different parts of the country often brings different perspectives to the area. This same dynamism has another side. The area becomes more diverse and perhaps less of one mind. A consensus perhaps becomes more difficult to build. After all, there are twice as many people in the Western Area area today as two decades ago. The pace of development begins to generate different reactions. There are those who enjoy the growing urbanization of the County; there are those who deplore it. Land use conflict becomes a fact of life. One of the most bitterly contested land use disputes in the recent history occurred within the Poplar Tent area. Somehow, throughout the turbulence and differences of opinion that growth and development seem to naturally generate, area residents, through this planning process have begun to develop a vision of their future. The fo]lowing few pages will begin to describe the land use characteristics of the Western Area in 1992 in a number of ways, residential being the first. RESIDENTIAL The Western Area, particularly Subarea Two (Map 2), leads Cabarrus County in new residential construction. The overwhelming majority of residential construction occurring throughout the Western Area has been the single family detached residence, tn particular, the Weddington Road Corridor has become the hotspot of residential construction in the County with over 800 building lots having been approved in the last five years. Asheford Green, Greenside at Asheford, Fairway Ridge and Carriage Downs are among WESTERN AREA PLAN DRAFT 4 PAGE3