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NC Highway 57 Speedway Area Small Area Plan <br />C. PLANNING PROCESS <br />Once the need to develop a Small Area Plan was recognized for the Study Area, County staff <br />defined a process to develop the Plan. The following is a review of the process: <br />1. Inventory and Assessment Phase: During this initial step, Planning and Economic <br />Development staff members collected and analyzed background data on the Study Area <br />including a breakdown of the land uses present within the identified Study Area, the <br />percentage of undeveloped lots within the area, the presence of environmental constraints <br />that would impede or hinder additional development, and the availability of the necessary <br />infrastructure to support additional residential and non - residential development. <br />2. Identification of Issues and Concerns: Using the background data, a current conditions <br />brief was developed outlining the current issues concerning allowing additional <br />residential and non - residential development within the Study Area. This current <br />conditions brief allowed staff to develop a preliminary list of strategies to solicit <br />additional input from local residents and to provide a backdrop for the Task Force that <br />would be created to oversee the completion of the Plan. <br />3. Public Feedback: The next step was to obtain feedback from the area residents with the <br />intent of obtaining a more accurate assessment of what the entire community desired for <br />the Study Area. This step included the public input phase where staff held an initial <br />focus group meeting outlining the overall scope and purpose of the project and soliciting <br />initial comments from local residents and property owners. This meeting was also <br />utilized to request volunteers to serve on the Task Force that would oversee completion <br />of the Plan. Once the BOCC appointed the Task Force, several additional public forums <br />were held to solicit input from local residents and property owners over development <br />trends within the Study Area. <br />4. Completion of the Plan. Based on input from local residents, property owners, and Task <br />Force members, a complete draft of the Small Area Plan will be presented to the BOCC <br />for review and comment. <br />On August 22, 2006, . the BOCC appointed a twelve member Task Force made up of residential <br />property owners, commercial property owners, at -large county residents, Durham and Person <br />County representatives, and two BOCC members. <br />After two community meetings and six Task Force meetings, the Task Force was charged with <br />developing the Plan for the Study Area and making recommendations to the full BOCC, and its <br />advisory boards and commissions, outlining a local perspective on the appropriateness of <br />existing land uses and development trends as well as recommendations on desirable levels of <br />future residential and non - residential uses within the area. The rationale for appointing a Task <br />Force is to ensure that the Plan represents the vision and needs of local residents and property <br />owners. <br />As originally envisioned, the Task Force was to develop the Small Area Plan by addressing the <br />following questions: <br />Ll <br />