Minutes 04-08-2025-Work Session - Laserfiche WebLink

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9 Commissioner Greene asked if a new revised plan would be sent to the Board. Tom Altieri said there is a preliminary draft plan that staff was intending to take to the community with the authorization of the Board. He said there was an indication that the Board may want to make some changes to this version based on the information that they will be receiving. He said if changes are made, then there would amendments prior to the next round of community engagement. Commissioner Greene asked if it is the intention for the Board to receive all the information listed in slide #10 by July. Tom Altieri said no, and that staff can prepare the items in yellow in a matter of weeks and present that in the near-term. He said the blue and red items will take additional time. He said there would need to be meetings scheduled for those and they are looking for guidance on how they may want to schedule additional meetings. Commissioner Greene asked why they would revise the plan without the red information available. Tom Altieri said that it would be the purview of the Board and that the plan is not required to be revised. He said they are looking for feedback from the public. He said it has been put together based on comments received in the second engagement window. He said they are looking to get feedback on items like the rural conservation neighborhoods. He said it is up to the Board on how they move forward. Commissioner Fowler said it seems they will need the second calendar alternative to get more information. She said some of the questions were about how they came up with the locations for some of the clusters. She asked if they avoid what could be prime farmland given the attempt to preserve. She said that would be questions for later, but she would like to know if it is possible to put those in the rural buffer. Tom Altieri said once the questions are known they can be prepared to answer them. He said the questions in yellow are relatively simple and quick. Cy Stober, Planning Director, said the question is if they want to have all the questions answered before they go back to the public or if they want to move forward in getting the feedback and then coming back to the Board. Chair Bedford said that she thinks the Board should see it first and provide feedback and then it should go to the public. Commissioner Carter said she agrees. She asked about the NC General Assembly and the bills that affect land use planning, specifically, how does the timing align with the tentative calendar. Cy Stober said that staff would pivot accordingly whatever the General Assembly does. He said that they will keep their work going until they are directed to change course. John Roberts said he cannot predict the timing, but most bills filed in the General Assembly never pass. He said it depends on support in both the House and Senate. Commissioner McKee said he agrees with the timing that Chair Bedford suggested. He said that he fears if it goes back to the community first, it will create an excess feedback loop. He said this could make it get lost in discussion. He said he did not want to eliminate community feedback, he wanted to make sure they moved forward. Chair Bedford said it sounds like the Board agrees that the alternative timeline is preferable. She said that staff and the consultants have done a great job but none of the Board have master's in planning and they have different learning styles. She said that the Board needs to have some mini sessions on the various aspects of the plan. She said that they can look at a Saturday retreat in December. Commissioner Fowler said there are action items that they need to make comments on in open session. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said she was hoping to have a session in which the Board could discuss the items in yellow in depth.