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<br />June 20, 2005 - Regular Meeting <br /> <br />Page <br /> <br />241 <br /> <br />utilities. Also, he said the proposed zoning map of Low Density Residential <br />(LDR) and Medium Density Residential (MDR) areas reduced the number of <br />potential lots in outlying areas by at least 70 percent. Finally, he stated <br />the Building Industry was concerned about the local economy and affordable <br />housing. <br /> <br />Bill Smith, President of the Cabarrus County Building Industry <br />Association, commented on the Designing Cabarrus process and the large number <br />of persons who had participated. He asked the Board to endorse the <br />recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission with respect to <br />changes in the subdivision and zoning ordinances. He disagreed with <br />statements that housing does not pay for itself and referenced recent studies <br />by the North Carolina Homebuilding Association regarding revenue generated by <br />home construction in Cabarrus County. Mr. Smith said Cabarrus County should <br />begin to think about the goods and services being provided to persons moving <br />into the county and stated schools were only one part of the equation. <br /> <br />Steve Silsby, resident of 1926 Marksburg Court in Mt. Pleasant, <br />objected to the proposed Holland Farm Subdivision that would allow 740 homes <br />on 129 acres in Mt. Pleasant. He urged the Board to adopt language that <br />would specify minimum lot sizes rather than allowing flood zones, wetlands <br />and other land that cannot be developed to count toward the final housing <br />unit per acre figure. He also expressed concern about affordable housing. <br /> <br />John Licari, resident of Wilmington and owner of property located on <br />Flowes Store Road, stated the new ordinance would allow the development of <br />only one-half of the lots previously planned for his property. He commented <br />on the density and open space requirements and suggested the average density <br />should be the same as in an amenity subdivision. <br /> <br />Terry Derner, resident of 277 Ikerd Street in Concord and member of the <br />Concord Planning and Zoning Commission, urged the Board to leave property in <br />the five-year annexation areas zoned at the low density level rather than <br />medium density. She stated it was easier for the City to increase density of <br />annexed areas rather than lowering the density. <br /> <br />Richard Flowe, resident of 8440 Mooresville Road and consultant on land <br />planning and design proj ects, commended the Board for taking bold steps in <br />reviewing the proposed standards. He stated he supported in general the <br />proposed standards, but asked the Board to delete a "rezoning" from the list <br />of items in Section 12-12.s(A) (1) that trigger the requirement for a Traffic <br />Impact Analysis (TIA). He said the TIA could be done at the site plan level. <br /> <br />Jane Perry Shoemaker, resident of 5353 Chester Court in the River Ridge <br />Subdivision, supported the setting of specific lot sizes rather than houses <br />per acre. She said the Board did the right thing in increasing taxes as the <br />preservation of the bond rating was critical to the county. Ms. Shoemaker <br />compared the ownership of land with the ownership of other assets such as <br />stocks and stated in her opinion developers/property owners have no more of <br />an entitlement to a return on their land as she did on her stocks. Further, <br />she said the River Ridge Subdivision with its 90 houses on lots of one acre <br />or more was a good example of the type of development needed in Cabarrus <br />County. <br /> <br />Dean Goodman, resident of Windy Ridge Road and speaking on behalf of <br />residents of the Odell Community, stated the residents do not want high <br />density development in their community. He stated the developer pointed out <br />increased revenues from development but did not point out increased costs of <br />building new schools and the on-going cost of educating the extra children. <br />Further, Mr. Goodman stated the Odell residents do not want to be a part of <br />Kannapolis and asked that the residents be allowed to keep the Countryside <br />Residential zoning. He asked that the Board not "sellout" the residents to <br />developers or to Kannapolis. <br /> <br />Paul Penney, resident of Hunters Trace Drive in Concord, thanked the <br />Board for the courage to establish the moratorium and provide time for review <br />of development issues. He stated the establishment and maintenance of the <br />Countryside Residential (CR) zoning will help preserve the Odell community <br />and allow some growth without severely impacting schools, roads and services. <br />Further, he stated the CR zoning would positively impact the revenue base of <br />the county and the development of larger homes would help the tax base now <br />and in the future. <br /> <br />Tom Doran, resident of Kingsview Drive in the Odell Community, put down <br />$1.00 and stated he was giving a campaign contribution to put him on the same <br />level as developers. He complained of the "insufficientU education that his <br />