Agenda - 01-14-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

ATTACHMENT °E° STATEMENT TO THE JOINT PLANNING PUBLIC HEARING JAN. 14, 1986 by Jeanette Gay Eddy 933-5486 422 Westwood Dr. . Chapel Hill I will address the process for development of the plan from here to the end. - Have observed the process since it began last summer) I am concerned about the next steps' and the amount of citizen involvement. At the beginning, memo's about process called for a series of public meetings before the land use plan was drafted. Later on they referred to two public informational meetings. In actuality, the meetings turns out to one, in November at Cuibreth School . At that well-attended meeting, there was much confusion about the process -- and citizens expressed a desire to know more before being asked to make choices. There needs to be ample opportunity for citizens to be educated on what is being proposed. For that reason, I suggest this public participations process be established and publicized for further development of the land use plan. It builds upon what has already happened and does not step back but move along to the final decision. First, develop more than one draft land use plan -- at least two. Each with a written anaylsis of the impact that particular plan would have on major factors such as roads, water & sewer, public services, open space, industrial and commercial development, density, etc. It should also be explained what the projected impact of that plan would be on the municipalities. More than one draft plan is necessary for . citizens to able to,compare: what are the good points, the negatives, what are the tradeoffs. With alternatives, the public can see compare the rationale for each and the implications of making a particular choice. The draft plans should be widely circulated, and a staff person available to speak to groups or individuals who wish to discuss the proposals. A high priority should be to get the word out to a wide range of citizens about the tradeoffs of each alternative. After the public is informed on the draft plans, then a public hearing. Following the public hearing, a preferred alternative, or final recommended plan, would be written. It might be very similar to one of the draft plans, or a combination, or even include new Ideas, depending on reaction to the drafts. Again public informational meetings and wide distribution of the final proposal before the public hearing. Final decision should be joint adoption of the land use plan for ALL the Chapel Hill side (or the Carrboro side) of the Joint Planning Area. I do not believe this process has to drag out the final decision, which is something I do not want to do. It will require a plan of action that is carefully spelled out and stresses public Involvement, adequately funded for materials, and adequately staffed. The cliche says there is nothing more expensive than cheap legal advice. There is nothing more expensive than a land use plan that has been rushed through and mustered no public understanding. It will be constantly vulnerable and have no real clout. If the land use plan is well thougll'out, has been carefully hashed over, it can be a Vehicle for consensus on how to deal with growth in the Joint Planning Area. It can also gather the public support necessary to see that decisions reached are not later ignored, Much good work has already been done on the plan. Much progress months. With continued cooperation among the three rn governmental mode in tde legt six staffing, a land use' plan for the Joint Planning Area, whichhas had lknowledgeable te citizen involvement, can be in placiebefore the next six months passes.