Agenda - 05-06-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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5-7 2 1 the community meetings taught them a lot about the needs of the rural 2 buffer community. They learned from the farming community about the 3 importance of land to their livelihood today and as a source of income 4 when they retire. They learned from the established family about the 5 importance of being able to give small portions of their land to their 6 children and grandchildren. They learned from the conservationists 7 and the custodians of Duke Forest about the importance of open space 8 and natural areas to the supply of clean air and clean water and they 9 learned from the Economic Development Commission about the importance 10 of growth to the economic health of this community. They learned 11 about the need for affordable housing. When they focused on 12 developing recommendations, they learned how hard it was to meet the 13 diverse needs of the many community groups in the Rural Buffer. They 14 studied numerous options going back to the community for help and 15 suggestions. Through the process they had to share in the give and 16 take of individual benefits for the sake of the greater benefits of 17 the community as a whole. Tonight, the Study Committee presents their 18 recommendations to the governing boards. They feel the 19 recommendations meet their two basic.objections. First, the 20 recommendations provide the residents of the Rural Buffer with greater 21 flexibility to develop their land. There are five options in the 22 recommendations with each option being the choice of the landowner and 23 incentives for compensating the landowner for inconveniences of 24 preserving rural open space. Second, the recommendations provide )25 greater protection for the beauty of the natural areas of the Rural 26 Buffer. Each - option promotes less disturbance to the land than the 27 current development options. Burklin referred to a request that a 28 study group of the three governing boards be established to take over 29 the Rural Character Study after this public hearing. The Committee is 30 concerned that this approach may overlook the vast amount of knowledge 31 that has been developed by the Study Committee and runs the risk of 32 reinventing the wheel and the time delays associated with that which 33 may not involve the public in the process. He invited everyone 34 present to take this opportunity to make this a learning process and 35 to share and exchange ideas. 36 LIVY LUDINGTON, member of the Rural Character study 37 Committee, talked about the committee itself. It allowed those with 38 different backgrounds, interests and issues to work together and air 39 their differences and come up with an agreement. The common bond of 40 all these different groups is that they all care about this community. 41 She feels they have a respect for each other and an understanding 42 about the priorities of each group which led to a plan which is a 43 beginning. There has been a lot of giving and taking and a lot of 44 listening to other people in the community. The Committee feels this 45 has been a cooperative effort with a real balance in the plan. She 46 hopes that those who work on the plan after tonight understand that 47 there is a very continuous balance and that it is built on the trust 48 that they feel they have established with each other and with other 49 citizens in the community by listening to them. She hopes that those 50 that make suggestions think about how they can all be working together )51 and to be listening to each other. 52 BOB STRAYHORN, member of the Rural Character Study