BC 2005 06 16 WORK SESSION - Laserfiche WebLink

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June 16, 2005 - work Session Page 236 new zoning and subdivision ordinances. We have had numerous meetings with builders and developers. We have met with county staff, planning board members, and commissioners. We have attended three workshops and a commissioners meeting and have heard the concerns of numerous individuals from Odell and other communities. We feel that the planning staff and consultants have worked diligently to script a document which addresses the concerns of all sides. The ordinance, as currently drafted, requires compromise on the part of both developers and the outspoken critics of growth. The most contentious parts of the ordinance deals with density and open space. As currently drafted, the new ordinance lowers densities and preserves open space without putting new homes totally out of reach for most of Cabarrus County residents. The primary concern of the building industry is to keep housing affordable for our citizens. We hope that the county commission shares that concern. Suggestions have been made that the county should prohibit new homes on lots of less than one acre and should require up to 50% open space. In effect, that would necessitate a density of one home per almost two acres. Raw land in Cabarrus County which is served by water and sewer currently is valued at $25,000.00 to $50,000.00 per acre. One to two acre requirements would translate into $100,000.00 - $150,000.00 lots which would necessitate homes priced in excess of $500,000.00. That's more than three times the average sale price of a home in Cabarrus County and out of reach for the vast majority of our citizens. It begs the question: where are these people supposed to live? The proposed map, labeled UCommittee Recommendation" and the attached spreadsheet contain densities, open space requirements, and minimum lot sizes that we feel most landowners, the building industry, and slow growth advocates should be willing to accept. Most of the unincorporated parts of Cabarrus County are not served by water and sewer and densities of one acre are appropriate. In reality, much of the county's land cannot support well and septic on one acre parcels, thereby, necessitating even larger lots. The MDR and HDR zones which allowed 4.5 to 6 units per acre have been virtually eliminated. The LDR zone is limited to areas served by public water and sewer. To achieve densities of 1.5 - 2 units per acre a great deal of property will be required to be set aside as common open space. These are major down zonings and not everyone is going to be happy about them but they are rational. We also strongly feel that the new ordinance should not try to dictate design criteria of new homes and should not address types and locations of building materials or style. Design criteria are a matter of personal preference and should be determined by the market. These are numerous other issues on which all sides will argue but if compromise can be reached on the issues herein addressed I feel that a fair and reasonable ordinance can be approved which addresses the concerns of all citizens of Cabarrus County. We at the Cabarrus County Building Industry Association hope that you will consider our suggestions and recommendations. Yours truly, Isl William T. Niblock william T. Niblock, Representative of the Cabarrus County Building Industry Association .....--....: ....~.