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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Development Plan-1981lease do not remove!!!!! Division of Coastal Management NEW BERN LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1981 Prepared by: The Board of Aldermen of the City of New Bern and The Planning Board of the City of New Bern with assistance from David Rowland, City Planner and John Schofield, AICP and Ferren Planning Group The preparation of this report was financed in part through a grant provided by the North Carolina Coastal Management Program, through -� funds provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, which is administered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 10 i Y t Executive Summary Section 1.0 Data Collection and Analysis, 1.1 Information Base and Conclusions 2 Population 2 Housing 4 Economy 8 1.3 Existing Land Use 12 1.4 Current Plans, Policies, and Regulations 18 1.5 Constraints: Land Suitability 20 Hazard Areas 20 Soils 20 Source of Water Supply 22 Slope Areas 22 Fragile Areas 22 Coastal Wetlands 22 Estuarine Waters 22 Public Trust Waters 23 Historic Sites 23 Areas with Resource Potential 23 1.6 Constraints: Capacity of Community Facilities 23 Water System 23 Sewer System 25 Street System 25 School System 25 Solid Waste 26 1.7 Estimated Demand 27 Section 2.0 Policy Statements 2.1 Resource Protection 29 2.2 Resorce Production and Management 30 2.3 Economic and Community Development 32 Types and Locations of Industries Desired 32 Local Commitment to Providing Services to Development 32 Redevelopment of Developed Areas 32 Commitment to -State and Federal Programs 36 Assistance to Channel Maintenance 36 Beach Nourishment 36 Types of Growth Patterns Desired 37 Energy Facility Siting and Development 37 Tourism or Waterfront Access 38 Section 3.0 Continuing Public Participation Policies 39 Section 4.0 Special Issues 4.1 Neuse River Water Quality 40 4.2 Waterfront Development 43 4.3 Annexation/Shopping Center 43 Section 5.0 Land Classification 47 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Population Trends, 1950-1980, New Bern, Craven County and Township 8 3 Table 2 Housing Change for the City of New Bern, Township 8 and Craven County 5 Table 3 New Bern Planning Area Building Permits, 1975-80 5 Table 41/ Households by Enumeration District, 1980 7 Table 5 Civilian Labor Force Estimates, 1970-79 8 Table 6 Employment by Industry by Place of Work 9 Table 7 Major Manufacturing Employers in Craven County 10 Table 8 Retail Sales, 1968-1979 10 Table 9 Location of Retail Establishments,1977 11 Table 10 Existing Land Use, New Bern Planning Area,.1981 17 Table 11 Estimated Population By Traffic Zones 1975 and 1990 27 Tole 12 Annexation Qualification Criteria -Twin Rivers Mall 44 Table 13 Approzimate Annexation Revenue 45 Executive Summary The 1981 New Bern Land Development Plan updates the 1976 Plan with more current information and provides a more detailed analysis. of land use and population trends. The purpose of this revision is to; 1) identify new or accelerating trends that may influence local policy decisions during the next decade and 2) to begin a more detailed planning _process by focusing on policy concerns of both the City and State governments. Reviewing the data from 1976 shows that the City has stabilized its population decline. The City is in the middle of a twenty mile urban corridor where eighty per cent of the County's population will live by 1990. However, this identified several barriers to continued growth. The Neuse and Trent Rivers have effectively blocked growth in two directions. The Town of Trent Woods and the large amount of land.owned or controlled by Weyerhauser to the west and north will act to hinder continued growth in these directions. As an alternative this plan addresses a policy for urban infill. This policy would actively encourage more extensive and coordinated rehabilitation and conservation activities. Other major concerns addressed by this plan are the deteriorating water quality of the Neuse River and the emerging issue of coal train traffic through the City. The first issue will.impact the future of the City for a number of years to come. New Bern sits at the end of the 200 mile Neuse River watershed where wastewater and other forms of run-off accumulate from cities as far away as Durham. Due to the intergovernmental nature of the problem and need to gather more scientific information, the requirement for a coordinated action plan has been detailed. The coal train issue arose when the Morehead City port became an attractive site for export coal handling facilities. Preliminary analyses from NCDOT indicated that short term impacts, while providing annoyances, would not significantly impact the City. However, as the frequency of trains increase, these impacts will become more severe. The likelihood of this occurring has increased with the talk of additional coal handling facilities to be built at Morehead. The recommendations of this plan are aimed at redirecting the City's efforts into a more cohesive revitalization and conservation program as an alternative growth strategy. This strategy recognizes the key position the City plays in the urban growth corridor and seeks to provide a coherent policy to meet the problems of the 1980's. Section 1.0 Data Collection and Analysis Section 1.1 Information Base and Conclusions. The information used for this land use plan update came from official sources, such as the 1980 Census, and from locally collected field data. In all cases, an effort was made to use comparable data sources found ' in the 1975 Land Use Plan. However, in several cases this was not feasible. The 1970 and 1980 Census enumeration districts bear no resemblance to each other rendering decade change analysis impossible. Comparisons of existing land use data was not possible due to an incomplete description of methodology for 1975. These discrepancies did not rule out comparisons, but did block an analytical comparison. All cited data sources are readily available for future updating purposes. New Bern apparently is beginning to slow its population decline. The Township 8 population estimates show a continuing growth, but even with an ambitious annexation program the City is still not keeping pace with the growth outside of its boundaries. This report suggests that the City should begin to analyze its position in the Township for several reasons: 1) The County's population for 1990 suggests that over 80% of the population will live in Townships 5, 6, 7 and 8. This growth will occur in a narrow corridor twenty miles long and three to four miles wide. New Bern is located in the most critically strategic location in the corridor. 2) The City's normal growth potential is greatly reduced by the towns of River Bend and Trent Woods and the large amount of Weyerhauser land. .3) The encouragement of redevelopment and conservation activities may provide an alternative to future growth problems. The other major problem facing the City is the deteriorating water quality of the Neuse River. Much of the growth in the New Bern area has been attributed to the Neuse River. If the water quality continues to decline, the area's attractiveness will decline and may also affect City services, such as water and sewer, with increased treatment requirements and costs. The report suggests ways to deal with these problems and to develop ` the tools to utilize these land use policies in a manner that will prepare the City for the future. Section 1.2 Population Table 1 contains data which shows population changes that have occurred in New Bern over the past thirty years. For comparison purposes it also shows population changes in Craven County and Township 8, of which New Bern is a large part. In addition to New Bern, Township 8 includes the Town of Trent Woods and several nearby subdivisions. 2 Probably the most notable data shown in Table 1 is that Craven County has steadily gained population since 1950 whereas New Bern has slowly, but steadily, lost population during the thirty year period. From 1950 to 1980 Craven County population increased by 41% but New Bern's population- dropped,by 8%. To further illustrate the growth in County areas, one should look at the County population change exclusive of New Bern's population. This amounts to a 65% increase during the preceding thirty years. And while New Bern has been experiencing a population decline, the population in surrounding areas has increased considerably. In fact, the population of Township 8 (exclusive of New Bern) grew from 3,140 in 1950 to 10,088 in 1980, which comes to an increase of 218%. A great deal of Township 8 population growth has taken place in new subdivisions' along the Trent River. Some of these subdivisions are located in the Town of Trent Woods, whose population increased from 719 in 1970 to 1,175 in 1980, a 63.4% increase. New Bern's population as a percentage of the County total.slipped from 32.4% in 1950 to 20.5% in 1980. On the other hand the population of Township 8 (exclusive of New Bern),as a percentage of the County total increased from only 6.4% in 1950 to 14.2% in 1980, once again illustrating growth in areas surrounding New Bern. One of the primary factors in New Bern's population decline was a paralleling decrease in the average household size. In 1970 the -average number of persons residing. in a household was 2.93. By 1980 this -figure had dropped to 2.28 persons per household, In effect, New Bern experienced a loss of one person for every two households. The lower population per household is directly.related to declining birth rates and to an increasing retirement age population. Table 1 ... Population Trends, 1950-1980, New Bern, Craven County & Township 8 Twshp. 8 Twshp. 8 as Craven New % of (excl of % of County (excl. County Bern County New Bern) of New Bern) 1950 48,823 15,812 32.4 3,140 6.4 1960 58,773 15,717 26.7 4,969 8.45 % Chg. 20.4 -0.6 58.3 1970 62,554 14,656 23.4 6,456 10.32' % Chg. 6.4 -6.8 29.9 1980 71,043 141-557 20.5 10,088 14.2 % Chg. 13.6 -0.1 56.3 . Note: The population estimates contained in the 1976 CAMA Plan were not used because of extreme over estimation. r .01 3 fir At this time, the results of the 1980 Census which give age, sex and racial breakdowns have not been published. Publication of that data is not expected until late 1981. However, based on national trends, a few assumptions can be made. First, the sex and racial.segments of.New Bern's population have probably not changed significantly from those presented on Table 3 in the 1976 New Bern CAMA Plan: Second, the number of children of school age has probably decreased, thus resulting in lower enrollments in the soon -to -be consolidated city - county school system. This will be discussed further under "Constraints to Development". When the 1980 Census data become available, these portions of the analysis of population trends should be updated.. HOUSING TRENDS Although New Bern's'population has been declining in the recent past, surprisingly its housing stock has been growing. The 1980 Census indicates there was a 17% increase in housing units since 1970 when New Bern's housing stock grew from 5,432 units to 6,384. (See Table 2.) At the same time the number of housing units in Township 8 (exclusive of New Bern) increased by 79% from 1,994 in 1970 to 3,571 in 1980, providing additional evidence of the suburban growth pattern in the New Bern area. Some may find it difficult to understand how New Bern could have such, a large increase in its housing stock yet still experience a decrease in . population. However this can be accounted for by the coinciding decrease in population per household as previously discussed. Most of New Bern's increase in housing units can be attributed to areas annexed during the 70's. Many of the annexations were located in an area surrounded by Glenburnie-Road, Neuse Boulevard, Race Track Road, and U.S. 70 Bypass. Building permit records also substantiate the growth in New Bern's housing stock (See Table 3). The Building Inspection Department records indicate 577 housing units were constructed in New Bern's planning area from 1975 to 1980. Single family housing starts outnumbered both multi- family and mobile homes combined. A yearly average of 75.6 housing starts was shown by the building permit records for the years"1975 through 1980. It is important to note that the building permit records include New Bern and its extraterritorial jurisdiction but the census records include only New Bern. Prior to 1975, 42% of all housing units in New Bern were built before 1940. A quarter (25%) were built between 1940 and 1949. Twenty-one percent were built between 1950 and 1959, and another 17% were built in the 1960's. Because the dates of construction of annexed housing units are unavailable at this time, it is not possible to determine the relative ages of the total housing stock. This will become available when the results of the 1980 Census are published sometime in late 1981. 4 A closer look at the location of 1980 housing units within the City is presented on Table 2. Data for areas annexed in 1979 and 1980 was not included in the table but will be published in the final census reports. As can be seen, housing units are fairly evenly distributed throughout the City. Of the 14 enumeration districts with households (E.D. 0310 has none) five contain ±10% of the total occupied households (E.D.'s 0300,302,303T, 306T, 307). Except for E.D.'s 303U,306U and 309V, the rest of the E.D.'s contain between 5 and 9% of the city's housing units. (Refer to Exhibit 1 for the location of the E.D.'s). Table 2... Housing Change for the City of New Bern, Township 8 & Craven County, 1970-1980 HOUSING UNITS HOUSEHOLD SIZE YEAR CITY TOWNSHIP* 1970 5432 1994 1980 6388 3571 % Chg. 17.6 79 Source: 1980 U.S. Census *Exclusive of New Bern COUNTY CITY TOWNSHIP* COUNTY 18937 2.93 3.08 3.30 25549 .2.28 2.49 2.78 34.9 -22.2 -19.2 -15.8 Table 3... New Bern Planning Area Building Permits, 1975-1980 YEAR SINGLE-FAMILY MULTI -FAMILY MOBILE HOMES NON-RESIDENTIAL 1975 32 7 0 14 1976 56 3 0 17 1977 42 52 2 21 1978 78 8 9 24 1979 16 30 30 38 1980 .24 48 17 9 TOTALS 248 148 58 123 Source: New Bern Building Inspector Note: Permits for residential uses represent housing units. A- K a- ir 5 1980 E.D.Boundaries Housing Units Vacancy Rate 301 O HU 310 VR 5.2 1110, `� 300 303T ` HU 582 HU 651 302 VR 4.0 �►� ��� L._ ._. 308 1^ ��, 303 HU 448 HU 122 1 VR 9.0 HU 649 311 j / 309T EXHIBITI HU HU 462 e%� VR VR 4.8 \ 09 309U HU 110 HU 474 VR 1.8 � � VR 11.7 312\ i VR 5.0 N VR 30,.j / A L i /306 305 ��. �.0 /y HU 203, 7 307 VU37�, / VR 8. kR 5 HU 667 .8� ��� VR 7.9 �' 7 HU 30` C 306T VR15.5 HU 623 I VR 15.Cl / VR 10.7 1970 E D Boundaries HU Housing Units EXHIBIT Z �\ VR Vacancy Rate ti •, HU 202 \ VR 2.9 \ \ HU 378 \ VR 7.0 *41 AV,\ / \ �HU 322 �VR5.9 1 HU 36' \ _HU 205 ` HU 283 \/ VR 10.5 1 _VR 81 �l I VR 1.8 � f HU 334_ I HU 450 1 HU 229 I VR 4.3 �\ VR 6.4 VR I ~ \ %-%� i VR 13.9 / HU234 \ ' �K HU 160 U35 ' _VR 9.6 �_ HU_ 254 \ R1.1 � � � J / HU 365 VR_8.0_.._ / _. VR .10.9 HU 317 VR 12.9 1 HU 276 l R.17.9 j \ ` — / HU 226 J VR 8.9 �J Table 4 ... Households by Enumeration District, 1980 Preliminary Census Data* Housing E.D. Units % of City Vacancy. Vacancy Rate E.D. Pop. % of City 0300 582 9.5 62 10.7 1294 9.3 0301 310 5.0 16 5.2 833 6.0 0302 649 10.6 58 9.0 1513 10.9 0303T 651 10.6 26 4.0 1712 12.3 0303U 122 2.0 4 3.3 309 2.2 0304 371 6.0 3 .8 1006 7.3 0305 470 7.6 70 15.5 848 6.1 ti 0306T 623 10.1 96 15.6 1279 9.2 0306U 203 3.3 17 8.5 456 3.3 0307 667 10.9 52 7.9 1347 9.7 0308 448 7.3 22 5.0 939 6.8 0309T 462 7.5 21 4.8 939 6.8 0309U 474 7.7 55 11.7 1086 7.8 0309V 110 1.8 2 1.8 313 2.3 0310 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 6142 13874 Revised*6334 (+3.1) 14557 (+4.8) *Since the preliminary Census counts were published, the U.S. Bureau of the Census revised the total number of households city-wide and the population, yet did not provide revised E.D. totals. The figures shown in parentheses denote the relative increase between initial counts and revised. The data for ED's 311 and 312 were not available in the preliminary data because of their recent annexation. It is of interest to note the vacancy rates (% vacant) of the various E.D.'s. While the condition of housing by E.D.'s is not yet available from the 1980 Census, vacancy rates fin excess of 8% (the City's 1980 vacancy rate) may indicate areas which contain concentrations of substandard housing conditions. It should be pointed out that a 7% vacancy rate generally indicates that neither a surplus nor deficit in available housing stock exists. The City's 8% is only slightly above that generally accepted "rule -of -thumb"; however, as presented below, many of the vacant units are considered substandard. Although the enumeration district boundaries were changed for the 1980 Census, it was considered appropriate to at least make a general comparison of numbers of households and vacancy rates between 1970 and 1980. Exhibit 2 portrays these data for 1970. By comparing the two exhibits one can tell where substandard housing was located in 1970 and see that in 1980, the E.D.'s with high vacancy rates are in the same general location. In 1975 a Survey of Housing Conditions was made as part of a Community Development Block Grant application. Because it is beyond the scope of this plan update to re -prepare, or update such a detailed housing survey (except in the selected enumeration districts which will be studied as part of the land use inventory model), the 1975 survey needs to be summarized here. 7 This survey found 672_housing units (124%) within the corporate limits of New Bern to be in substandard condition. Over 420 of those units were considered to be suitable for rehabilitation and 240 needed to be replaced, according to the survey. Of the 672 substandard housing units, 415 were vacant in 1975...257 were occupied. Only 0.8% (46) of the total housing units at that time were vacant, standard units. This means that 7.7% of all housing units (the 415 noted above) were vacant and substandard. If the vacancy rates are similar in 1980 to those in 1975, the vacancy rates shown on the 1980 exhibit would indicate substandard housing conditions in E.D.'s 300, 302, 305, 306U, 306T, 307 and 309U. In fact the enumeration districts with high vacancy rates do correspond to the enumeration districts with substandard housing as shown in the Existing Land Use Analysis, Chapter II. E.D. 309U was the lone exception as it had a high vacancy rate but did not have any substandard housing. More detailed observations of housing conditions are made in the Existing Land Use Analysis which follows later in this section. ECONOMY The 1975 New Bern Land Use Plan indicated that the local economy was stable, based on employment trends within the New.Bern area over the last three decades. At the writing of this plan update, the same statement can be made. Again, while no 1980 Census data is available to ascertain whether or not the median family income has increased ... or decreased..., it is obvious from data available that economic growth is still occurring in the New Bern area. Table 5... Civilian Labor Force Estimates, 1970-1979 % Change % Change 1970 1975 170-175 1979 '75-179 Employment - Total 19,110 22,780 19.0 25,430 12.0 Agricultural 1,260 1,140 -10.0 840 -26.0 Nonag. Wage & Salary 15,580 19,170 23.0 21,810 14.0 All Other Nonag. 2,270 2,470 9.0 2,780 13.0 Unemployment - Total 1,120 1,590 42.0 1,150 -28.0 Rate 5.5. 6.5 18.0 4.3 -34.0 Total Civilian Labor Force 20,230 24,370 20.0 26,580 9.0 Source: 1970-1979 estimates, "N.C. Labor Force Estimates,", 1979, Bureau of Employment Security Research, N.C. Employment Security Commission. Note: All estimates are based on Place of Residence. From the information in Table 5 several employment trends become evident. i The most important trend is the continued growth in employment of Craven County -residents, as total employment grew by 12% from 1975 to 1979 based on the estimates presented in Table 5. It -is also important to point out the sharp j decline in agricultural employment which is not surprising since it.is a state and nationwide trend. Please remember that the data presented in Table 5 includes only persons residing in Craven County, some of whom i may work in surrounding counties. r 8 ti Table 6 includes data on persons who work in Craven County, meaning it contains persons who commute to work from outside of Craven County as well as those who reside and work in Craven County. From Table 6 one can see that most employment categories have experienced substantial gains in the recent past with food and lumber and wood manufacturing being the exceptions. Trade employment increased by the largest amount, as it grew by 1,700 from 1970 to 1979. It was followed by other manufacturing and government employment,.which increased by 1,436 and 1,310 employees, respectively. Undoubtedly, the gains in manufacturing employment have resulted in spin- off growth in the nonmanufacturing fields. Table 6...Employment by Industry by Place of Work, 1970-1979 % Change % Change INDUSTRY 1970 1975 170-175 1979 115-179 Manufacturing 2,800 3,060 9.3 4,290 40.2 Food 380 280 -26.3 260 -7.1 Textiles 470 240 -48.9 640 166.7 Lumber & Wood 560 450 -19.6 540 20.0 Other 1,300 1,970 51.5 2,730 38.6 Nonmanufacturing 14,460 16,640 15.1 18,580 11.7 Construction 860 880 2.3 900 2.3 Transp., Comm.,.Util. 860 850 -1.2 1,080 27.1 Trade 3,260 4,260 30.7 4,960 16.4 Fin., Ins., Real Est. 530 690 30.2 670 -2.9 Service 1,690 1,730 2.4 2,350 35.8 Government 7,160 8,080 12.9 8,470 4.8 Agri & Other 100 150 50.0 150 -0- Source: Employment Security Commission of N.C.,.Annual Work Force Estimates Manufacturing employment is often considered to be the. most important indicator of economic growth. While New Bern and Craven County's manufacturing establishments do not provide the most number of jobs of all the economic sectors, they do provide a significant number of residents (and residents from adjacent counties) with good paying employment opportunities. An example of the area's continuing industrial growth was the announcement that Stanadyne, Inc., located in Clark Is Industrial Park, plans to enlarge its operation, creating 300 new jobs by the fall of 1981. Table 7 provides a listing of many of the major manufacturing employers in Craven County. The "most stable" employer in the New Bern area since 1940, according z to the 1975 CAMA Plan was retail trade. Again, this statement is still valid which should be exciting to New Bern residents, because a sound industrial employment base coupled with a strong retail sector usually indicates a very strong economy... usually indicating a lot of regional retail market attraction. An indication of the strength of New Bern's retail trade is shown in Table 8. 9 Table 7....Major Manufacturing Employers in Craven County NAME AMP - Hatteras Yachts Barbour Boat Works Clark Boat Company Coca-Cola Bottling Custom Laminations Maola Milk & Ice Cream Metal Specialties Pepsi -Cola Bottling Roberk Division of Parker PRODUCT yachts shipbuilding & repair sailboats beverages woodgrain plastics dairy products stainless steel strips beverages Hannefin Corporation wiper blades Robert Bosch Power Tools industrial power tools Visqueen polyester films Weyerhaeuser Co. pulpwood &..framing products H.W. Richardson railroad car repair NARP aircraft rebuilding Phillips Plating Co. metal plating New Bern Garment Co. apparel Metts Garment Co. apparel Brinson Manufacturing Co. apparel Hudson Manufacturing Co. apparel EMPLOYEES 804 60 30 75 30 149 16 65 125 350 35 700 40 2000 28 100 125 60 80 Source: New Bern -Craven County Chamber of Commerce, "Information Packet" Table 8....Retail Sales, 1968-1979, New Bern & Craven County YEAR NEW BERN CRAVEN COUNTY 1968-69 $ 83,391,476 $113,805,840 1969-70 90,542,656 124,433,456 1970-71 95,547,866 133,785,446 1971-72 104,241,177 146,687,413 1972-73 136,476,762 194,954,676 1973-74 144,249,198 206,095,993 1974-75 164,018,185 234,754,261 1975-76 120,815,335 171,080,147 1976-77 176,450,765 257,545,553 1977-78 185,191,748 267,985,155 1978-79 208,605,876 296,421,932 Source: N.C. Department of Revenue The figures shown on Table 8 have not been adjusted by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which provides a factor for inflation, yet even if it were to be used, the volume of growth in this sector would be very much the same. Most notable on this table i's1 the fact that between the '75-'76 and '78-'79 years Craven County's retail trade volume increased by 73.1%. In the same time period New Bern's increased by 72.7%, indicating that the retail services offered in New Bern account for the majority of all retail services in the area: Additional support for this statement can be found in Table 9, which shows that a majority of the retail establishments in Craven County are located in New Bern. In the 1978-1979 year New Bern showed a volume of $208.6 million compared to $296.4 million for Craven County as a whole.. This represented-71% of the County's total. Table 6 also provides evidence of a strong retail sector witli trade employment increases of 30.7% and 16.4% between 1970-75 and 1975-801 respectively. 10 r r The significance of the growth in both manufacturing and retail employ- ment to future development decisions by the City of New Bern is the relative allocation of land for these two economic activities compared to other land uses. This is discussed further in the chapter, "Estimated Growth Demand". The discussion of industrial and retail employment is not meant to minimize the importance of the other economic sectors whose employment is shown on Table 5. It is only intended to direct the attention of the citizens of New Bern to the fact that growth in these two sectors of the local economy can be expected to continue, and that their significance related to both employment opportunities and future land use needs must be considered if the public's interest is to be served at an optimum level. Review -of the population and economic data suggest that New Bern does not have a seasonal population. It is far enough inland to be removed from the influx of coastal tourism. Table 9...Location of Retail Establishments,.Craven County, 1977 Business County New % of Co: % of Co. % of Co. Type Total Bern Total Havelock Total Others Total Bldg. materials 24 15 63 4 17 5 21 Gen. mhse. 25 12 48 5 20 8 32 Food 124 65 52 17 14 42 36 Auto dealers 61 24 39 16 26 21 35 Gas stations 73 40 55 13 18 20 27 Apparel 38 32 84 ,5 13 1 3 Furniture 46 23 50 15 33 8 17 Eating_ 83 51 61 15 18 17 21 Drugstore 11 10 91 1 9 - - Misc. 117 71 61 28 24 18 25 Source: U.S. Census, Census of Retail, 1977 i Section 1.3 Existing Land Use INTRODUCTION The term, "existing land use", refers to the present use being made of the land. In order to determine how the land in New Bern and its extraterri- torial planning jurisdiction is being used, it was considered necessary to complete a "windshield survey" of the entire area. During January and February of 1981 every street within the planning jurisdiction of New Bern was driven by car by the City's consultant. In the following pages descriptions of existing land uses are presented. These descriptions include a very brief summary of land uses for each enumeration district within the ti City, as well as discussions of problems of unplanned development, mixed, incompatible land uses and the condition of residential development. As part of the survey of existing land use general land use categories were measured on scalable base maps provided by the City to determine the relative acreages and percentage of land use.by each category. These categories included residential, commercial, industrial, public/institutional and vacant, undeveloped land. GENERAL LAND USE ,BY ENUMERATION DISTRICT (Refer to exhibit showing 1980 enumeration district boundaries). Enumeration District 305 Predominant land uses are evenly distributed between commercial and residential uses. Public -institutional and industrial land uses occupy a relatively smaller area. Commercial land uses, including most of New Bern's central business district are concentrated in the southern half of this - district. The residential uses are found predominantly between New Street and Queen Street, an area that is contained within New Bern's historic district. Scattered residential land uses are also found within the central business district and to the north of Queen Street, where industrial and "heavy commercial" land uses predominate. Many of the residential uses in this part of the district are in substandard condition, a situation which could threaten the stability of the residences within the historic district. However, due to their historical and architectural value, many of these residences had been rehabilitated for residential or commercial use in the recent past. As mentioned above, industrial and "heavy commercial" land uses are concentrated north of Queen Street becauseofaccess to railroad lines. Bulk storage facilities for petroleum and fertilizer products were found adjacent to the Neuse River. Vacant land in this district was concentrated along the shoreline of the Trent River, within New Bern's Community Development project area. The area _ bounded by Queen, Howard, and Dunn Streets and the Neuse River also had a significant amount of vacant land. Enumeration District 300 The predominant land use in this district is residential. Most of the housing is in standard condition, but appears to be in. either a static or declining state, especially in areas near the railroad or nonresidential land uses. 12 Along the riverfront between Dunn Street and Avenue D industrial and commercial land uses exist. Several commercial uses are located on National Avenue at its intersection with Watson and North Avenues. The national cemetery and a city park are located on National Avenue. Housing conditions in this district seem likely to deteriorate significantly . in the future, if nonresidential land uses are increasingly mixed within the residential areas. In addition-, the areas where mixed land uses currently exist will cause qLdded difficulties in maintaining and upgrading housing conditions. . Enumeration District 302 r The land use is predominantly residential, the exceptions being a number of commercial uses scattered across the district. The area is characterized by substandard housing conditions, narrow streets, and high density. Enumeration District 306U Residential and public -institutional uses occupy practically all of the land within this district. Cedar Grove, Bern and Greenwood Cemetery, two City recreation centers, and a city park are some of the public -institutional land uses contained in this district. Housing conditions appear to be evenly mixed between standard and substandard. Commercial uses are concentrated along Queen Street, although several are located in predominantly residential areas. Enumeration District 306T Land uses are mostly residential, followed by commercial and public - institutional. The Tryon Palace state historic site and Trent Court Apartments are the two largest single uses of land in this district. Housing conditions range from standard to substandard. A number of residential structures have been rehabilitated, for residential and commercial_ purposes. Commercial uses are predominantly located along Pollock Street, Queen Street, Hancock Street, and Broad Street. The lone industrial use is the dry dock located on the riverfront adjacent to Tryon Palace. Enumeration District 307 Residential uses occupied most of the land area within this district. Substandard housing conditions predominate in the area east of First Street. The remaining residential land uses appear to be in standard condition, but could be considered static or declining.. There is a substantial amount of vacant land, most of which is located in flood prone areas in proximity to the Trent River and Lawson Creek. Commercial land uses are located on New South Front Street, Neuse Boulevard, and Trent Boulevard. Fort Totten Park and New Bern's public works facilities are the only public -institutional land uses in this district. 13 Enumeration District 303T Land use is predominantly residential within this district, however, there is a substantial amount of commercial and public -institutional land use. Generally, housing appears to be in standard condition, except along the eastern edge of this district. New Bern High School and Craven County Hospital are the largest public - institutional land uses. Commercial land uses are located along Neuse Boulevard and U.S. Highway 17. Enumeration District 301 The predominant land use is residential, followed by commercial and public - institutional. All housing units appear to be in standard condition. Evergreen Cemetery and J.T. Barber Junior High School are the only public - institutional land uses. Commercial land uses are located primarily adjacent to Neuse Boulevard. Most vacant land is located between Forest Hills subdivision and Oakland Gardens subdivision. Enumeration District 309U Vacant land makes up most of the land area in this district, followed by residential, then commercial, and finally public -institutional. Holiday City, the largest mobile home park in New Bern's planning area, is located within this district. All housing conditions appeared to be in standard condition. Commercial land uses are located along U.S. 17, Glenburnie Road, and Neuse Boulevard. Trent Park Elementary School, a city recreation center and the city water treatment plant are the public -institutional land uses in this district. Enumeration District 308 Land use is almost entirely residential, with standard housing conditions being the rule. Multi -family housing is located on Meadowbrook Avenue. Commercial land use is located along Trent Boulevard, U.S. 17 and Grace Avenue. Several acres of vacant land are located between Spencer Avenue and the railroad line west of Seventh Street. Enumeration District 309T The predominant land use is residential, followed closely by vacant land, then public -institutional and commercial. All housing appears to be in standard condition. Even though Colony Drive, Roanoke Avenue, and other residential streets in this area appear to have been recently constructed, there are a number of places where these streets are crumbling and deteriorating. A large number of apartments are located on the western end of Brunswick Avenue. Brunswick Avenue is also the site for most of the commercial land use in this district. Other commercial land uses are located along Glenburnie Road. 14 McDonald Junior High School and a fire station, both located adjacent to Elizabeth Avenue, are the principal public -institutional land uses in this district. The vacant land within this district appears likely to be developed for, residential or commercial purposes during the planning period. It is expected. that development pressures will increase for commercial purposes for the vacant land along Glenburnie Road, Brunswick Avenue, and Neuse Boulevard. Enumeration District 311 1 r This district was annexed into the City in 1979. Urban development is concentrated on land adjacent to Neuse Boulevard. Streets leading off of Neuse Boulevard are short and dead-end. The principal land use is residential, with the remaining land equally divided between vacant, commercial, and industrial uses. Residential uses appear to be in standard condition. They are located in Pinecrest Subdivision except for a few residences along Neuse Boulevard. A recently constructed apartment complex is located in the north- western corner of this district just off Neuse Boulevard. Several mobile home "parks" are located in this district adjacent to either conventional dwellings and/or commercial development. Commercial development in district 311 is concentrated on land next to Neuse Boulevard in strip development fashion with the exception of a bulk petroleum storage facility on Race Track Road adjacent to the railroad. A lumber yard, metal scrap yard and Boshe Power Tools are the only industrial land uses, and all front on Neuse Boulevard. Vacant land, most of which has frontage on Neuse Boulevard, will probably be developed for.commercial purposes in the near future. In addition many of the residences along Neuse Boulevard may be converted to commercial use. Enumeration District 312 The areas within E.D. 312 were in the extraterritorial jurisdiction until 1979 and 1980 when they were annexed by New Bern. Unlike all of the other E.D.'s, this one is divided into three separate areas. One area contains Craven Community College and two office buildings on Race Track Road. Another area includes a part of Colony Estates Subdivision along with adjoining commercial development on Race Track Road. The final area consists of one commercial use on U.S. 17 adjacent to Twin Rivers Mall. Additional residential development is anticipated in Parrott Park Subdivision and commercial development is expected to occur in the triangle j surrounded by.Race Track Road, Glenburnie Road, and U.S. 70 Bypass. These were the only vacant land areas in E.D. 312. Enumeration District 303U District 303U is located near the geographic center of New Bern. It is bounded by Miller Street on the East, Bay Street on the South, Third Avenue on the West, and Cedar Street on the North. Land use is entirely residential and is generally in substandard condition. The area is characterized generally by high density development on narrow streets. 15 Enumeration District 304 Residential land uses occupy most of the land in this district. Craven Terrace Apartments, owned by the New Bern Housing Authority, is the primary residential use. Commercial land use is located along Broad Street in strip development fashion. Enumeration District 309V i ti Longview Drive on the East, Elizabeth`Avenue•on the South, Karen Drive on the West, and Neuse Boulevard on the North are the boundaries of E.D. 309V. This is one of the smallest E.D.'s in New Bern as most of the others are two to four times larger. The predominant land use was single-family residential, but a small number of apartments were located on Karen Drive. All housing was in standard condition. The only commercial land use was located on Trent Boulevard along with a few vacant lots which probably will be developed for commercial use during the planning period. Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Land use in the extraterritorial jurisdiction was similar in many respects to that within the city limits except that development has occurred at a lower density because of an absence of sanitary sewer. There were several areas where mixed land use was evident, such ,as Oakside, Pembroke, Edgerton Heights Subdivisons, and along the state roads and highways. These same areas had a substantial number of dirt streets and substandard housing. There areas are also identified as flood prone according to the federal flood insurance program. All of these areas were platted and substantially developed before New Bern enacted land use regulations which helps explain many_of the problems. Several areas within the extraterritorial jurisdiction deserve additional consideration because of the potential for land use compatibility problems. The area surrounding Martin -Marietta rock quarry and the Department of Transportation maintenance yard on Glenburnie Road is the most obvious.. These land uses will operate as a constraint to some types of development on adjoining tracts, particularly residential development. Development in the extraterritorial jurisdiction during the planning period will probably be concentrated withinvseveral identifiable areas. Residential development should continue in Olde Town Subdivision and adjoining areas and in the area west of Race Track Road. Commercial development should continue on U.S. 17, Trent Boulevard, and possibly along U.S. 70 Bypass where limited access may act as a restraint. The industrial area on Stanley Boulevard is expected to be the location of future industrial development. 16 SUMMARY Existing land use patterns in New Bern can best be described generally as mixed in older sections with strip development along most major thoroughfares characterizing commercial development. Both of these characterizations were observed in the 1976 CAMA Land Use -Plan. They persist five years later. The consultant's field observations regarding the location and extent of substandard housing conditions through the City tend to show that the conditions described in the 1976 Plan also persist. Some alternative solutions to the problems of mixed incompatible land uses, strip commercial development and substandard housing conditions will be discussed at length in later chapters. It is sufficient to state here that most of the land use problems noted in this analysis are the result of development which took place prior to the City's. adoption of either the zoning ordinance or subdivision regulations. Restated, these problems are the results of "unplanned development". Strip commercial development is the only major land use problem which has continued to develop in spite of the adoption and enforcement of -the land use regulating instruments. In order to determine spatial relationships of the various land uses, each general use was measured and planning area totals were prepared. Table 10 reflects the results of this. As can be seen, residential uses of the land take up 59% of all developed land.in the planning area ... far and away the predominant land use. Commercial uses made up 20%, government/institutional made up 15% and industrial land made up 6%. Table 10... Existing Land Use, New Bern Planning Area Land Use Category # of Acres o of Total Developed Residential 1,629 59% Commercial 545 200 Government & Institutional 424 15% Industrial 172 6% Total Developed 2,770 100% Undeveloped 3,819 - Total 6,589 - An effort was made to compare these relationships to those developed in the 1976 CAMA Plan. Unfortunately, this proved to be of little value due to the fact that the methodology used in 1976 was not described. For example, in 1976, 64.9% of all developed land was shown as residential, 12% commercial, 10.7% industrial and 10.5% government/institutional. A comparison of these figures with those shown on Table 10 indicates there may be discrepancies. It is felt, however, that the relationships shown on Table 10 can be used in determining future land needs in a later chapter of this report. 17 Section 1.4 Current Plans, Policies and Regulations Existing Local Plans and Policies a) 1975 CAMA Land Use Plan - This document represented an upgrading of previous plans and, for the first time, identified the critical sensitive environmental areas of the City. b) zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations — These documents have provided the primary land regulatory tool employed by the City. c) Community Development Program - Since 1975, New Bern has participated in the Community Development Program primarily for public improvements and housing rehabilitation. d) Flood Hazard Controls - The City is participating in the Federal . Insurance Administration's Flood Insurance Program which regulates the construction of structures in designated flood hazard areas. e) Annexation Feasibility Study - This 1978 study investigatedseveral contiguous outlying areas to determine -their suitability for annexation. f)_ A Utility Cost Analysis and Rate Study 1979 g) A Major Thoroughfare Plan prepared: in 1978. h) A 201 Wastewater Facilities Plan. i) A CBD - Waterfront Development study which was helpful in establishing the Swiss Bear, Inc., a private downtown development group. j) The City is also participating in the National Main Streets Program and in a newly established historic district. The City has had for sometime a well trained staff to administer and enforce the above documents, including a City Planner, Engineer and Building Inspectors. valuable assistance is provided through various citizen boards such as the Planning Board and Historic District Commission. The following is a list of relevant federal and state regulations affecting coastal land and water resources. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development - Permits to discharge to surface waters or operate wastewater treatment plants or oil discharge permits; NPDES Permits, (G.S. 143-215) Division of Environmental Management - Permits for septic tanks with a capacity over 3,000 gallons/day (G.S. 143-215.3) Permits for withdrawal of.surface or ground waters in capacity use areas (G.S. 143-215.15) i i Permits for air pollution abatement facilities and sources (G.S. 143-215.108) Permits for construction of complex sources; e.g. parking lots, subdivisions, stadiums, etc. (G.S. 143-215.109) 18 Permits for construction of a well over 1001000 gallons/day (G.S. 87-88) Department,of Natural Resources and Community Development - Office of Coastal Management - Permits"to dredge and/or fill in estuarine waters, tidelands, etc. (G.S. 113-229) Permits to undertake development in Areas of Environmental Concern (G.S. 113A-118) Note: Minor development permits are issued by the local. government. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development - Division of Earth Resources —Permits to alter or construct a dam (G.S. 143-215.66) Permits to mine (G.S. 74-51) Permits to drill .an explanatory oil or gas well (G.S. 113-381) Permits to conduct geophysical exploration (G.S. 113-391) Sedimentation erosion control plans for any land disturbing activity of. over one contiguous acre (G.S. 113A-54) Department of Natural Resources and Community Development - Secretary of NRCD - Permits to construct an oil refinery Department of Administration - Easements to fill where lands are proposed to be raised above the normal high water mark of navigable waters by filling (G.S. 146.6(c)) Department of Human Resources - Approval to operate a solid waste disposal site or facility (G.S. 130-166.16) Approval for construction of any public water supply facility that furnishes water to ten or more residences (G.S. 130-160.1) Army Corps of Engineers (Department of Defense) - Permits required under Section 9 and 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899; permits to construct in navigable waters. Permits required under Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 Permits required under Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972; permits to undertake dredging and/or filling activities. Coast Guard (Department of Transportation) - Permits for bridges, causeways, ` pipelines over navigable waters; required under the General Bridge Act of 1946 and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. Deep water port permits. Geological Survey - Bureau of Land Management (Department of Interior) - Permits required for off -shore drilling. Approvals of OCS pipeline corridor rights -of -way. 19 r� Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Licenses for siting, construction and operation of nuclear power plants; required under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and Title II of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - Permits for construction, operation and maintenance of interstate pipelines facilities required under the Natural Gas Act of 1938. Orders of interconnection of electric transmission facilities under Section 202 (b) of the Federal Power Act. Permission required for abandonment of natural-gas pipeline and associated facilities under Section 7C (b) of the Natural Gas Act of 1938. Section 1.5 Constraints: Land Suitability Physical Limitations to Development Hazard Areas Two types of hazard areas can be distinguished in the New Bern planning area; man-made and natural hazards. Simmons-Nott Airport and bulk fuel storage plants constitute the only potential man-made hazards. The only natural hazard present is flood prone areas. Actually the Simmons-Nott Airport poses few, if any, limitations for land use in the New Bern planning jurisdiction, -since the airport is located across the Trent River outside of New Bern's jurisdiction. In fact, the approach pattern for the main runway does.not cross land in New Bern's jurisdiction and air traffic is limited primarily to prop - driven aircraft. The greatest impact on New Bern land use results from noise generated by prop -driven aircraft using the secondary runway. The increase in train traffic through the City is beginning to constitute a man-made hazard. The consequences of this hazard are discussed elsewhere in this report. Bulk fuel storage plants represent a significant hazard to property and life because of the possibility of spills, fire and/or explosions. Several above ground storage plants are situated in relatively close proximity to commercial or residential land uses or the shore- line of the Neuse River. The New Bern City Code presently requires above ground storage facilities to provide a 100 foot setback from all property lines. Soils Soil characteristics are one of the most important considerations when determining the suitability of land for development. Soils can often have an adverse effect on the foundations of buildings and streets, drainage of stormwater, and wastewater disposal. 20 Presently the Soil Conservation Service is preparing a detailed soil map and report of Craven County and New Bern. According to information prepared to date, each soil type in the New Bern planning area poses a severe limitation for use of septic tank filter fields, mainly because of excessive soil wetness. Many of the soil types also present limitations to building development, with excessive wetness being the major problem again. Exhibit 4 depicts the location of the various soil associations in the New Bern Planning area. The following listing contains the name of each of these soil associations and a description of their respective limitations to urban development. The numbers on the general soils map correspond to the numbers in the listing below. Soil Association Suitability for Septic Tanks and Building Development 1. Lenoir -Craven -Leaf 2. Leaf-Bayboro 3. Altavista-Augusta-Tomotley 4. Rains-Pantego-Torhunta 5. Lynchburg -Goldsboro -Rains 6. Deloss-Tomotley 7. Dare-Murvill-Leon 8. Seabrook -Tarboro -Arapahoe 9. Croatan-Dare 10. Masontown=Muckalee=Dorovan suited to poorly suited poorly suited fair to poorly suited poorly suited fair to poorly suited poorly suited poorly suited well, fair, and poorly suited poorly suited poorly suited Although this list indicates soils in New Bern and Craven County present a major obstable to"urban development, it is important to point out that soils in a particular association can have characteristics different from those of the overall association. For instance, in the Seabrook -Tarboro -Arapahoe soil association the Tarboro soils are well suited for.building development but the Arapahoe soils are poorly suited for building development. Because of these variations within the soil associations it is important to always provide specific site testing of soil characteristics prior to beginning a development project. In many instances these soil limitations can be overcome with artificial drainage. Conversations with local officials revealed that several develop- . ments in the New Bern planning area were experiencing.problems because of inadequate consideration of soil capacities. Woodrow, Pembroke, and Edgerton Heights subdivisions were originally subdivided into lots that are now considered too small for individual wells and septic tanks. As a result some residences have problems with their septic tanks and permits for new septic tanks and dwellings cannot be granted unless lots are combined. In Southgate subdivision there are problems with septic tanks and surface drainage even though large lots were provided in the original subdivision plan. 21 Source of Water Supply New Bern's water supply is provided by wells located in Cove City, which is approximately seventeen miles west of New Bern. From these wells in Cove City the water is gravity fed to a pumping station in New Bern where it is treated and then distributed citywide. According to New Bern's '201' Facilities Plan the wells pump from a deep formation called the Black Creek acquifer. The water quality is considered excellent. Most of the fresh water in lower acquifers such as Black Creek, enter the formations in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Slope Areas CAMA guidelines specify that lands with a predominant slope in excess of 12% shall be identified. There are not.areas within New Bern's planning jurisdiction which fit this description. Fragile Areas There are a number of areas in New Bern's jurisdiction that are termed "fragile" by the CAMA planning guidelines. These include areas that are defined by law, such coastal wetlands, estuarine waters and public trust areas and those that could be nominated as areas of environmental concern that are of special local concern. The former category includes those areas that have a unique environmental interest to all residents in coastal areas, while the latter have a more restricted area, such as a wooded swamp. Coastal Wetlands Coastal wetlands, or high tide marshlands, are found adjacent to the Neuse and Trent Rivers in two separate locations. The largest wetland area adjoins the Trent River and Lawson Creek, containing approximately 214 acres. Another wetland area is located on -the western side of the Neuse River eastward from Woodrow subdivision. The primary plant specie in both areas is cordgrass (spartina alterniflora). These marshes provide habitat for wildlife and waterfowl and act as a deterrent to shoreline erosion and sediment run-off. Estuarine Waters Estuarine waters in New Bern's jurisdiction are those areas of the Neuse and Trent Rivers between the city limits and the mean high.water mark, the high water mark being described as the clear line impressed on the land adjacent.to the rivers. Generally the New Bern city limits extend about 300 feet from the high water mark into the.Neuse and Trent Rivers. Estuarine waters are bordered by estuarine shoreline (another legally defined AEC for a distance of 75 feet inland). These estuarine waters are among the most productive natural environments in North Carolina. Many fish and shellfish species spend all or part of their life cycle in estuarine waters. The water areas are used for commercial and recreational navigation, water sports, and in addition provide aesthetic benefits. 22 Public Trust Waters These are legally defined areas of environmental concern that have a public right to navigation and'recreation. The concern is that uses such as bulkheads and marinas, which must utilize public trust areas, do so without voiding the public interest in these areas. Historic Sites The CAMA guidelines consider properties listed on the National Register, " historic places or properties owned, managed, or assisted by the State of North Carolina pursuant to G.S. 121, and properties designated as National Historic Landmarks as historic sites. New Bern has many structures that have been individually listed on the National Register as well as the local historic zoning district. Exhibit 3b presents the boundaries of the New Bern Historic District. A list of the individual structures on the National Register is provided in Appendix A. Areas with Resource Potential Agricultural lands, potentially valuable mineral sites, public forests, parks, fish and gamelands, and private wildlife sanctuaries are identified as areas with resource potential by the CAMA guidelines. Probably less than 100 acres of land are used for agricultural purposes in New Bern's planning area and except for a mineral site there are no'other.areas with resource potential. The lone mineral site is located on the west side of N. Glenburnie Road. It is a strip limestone mine that has been in operation for over 25 years and covers about 200 acres. Presently there is relatively little urban development in this vicinity. However, development pressures in the area will undoubtedly increase in the future, possibly creating land use compatibility problems. Protection for the quarry site will protect not only this resource site but will prevent future problems. Section 1.6 Constraints: Capacity of Community Facilities This section will discuss the City of New Bern's capability to provide services to its residents. Specifically, this discussion will examine the current use and capacities of the water and sewer system, schools and major roads. Water System As stated earlier in this chapter, -New Bern's water supply comes from " deep wells located in Cove City. The wells are capable of providing 8 million gallons per day. The City has a standpipe storage capacity of 1 million gallons at the Cove City well site and 1.3 million gallons in town storage capacity. The water supply is by subsurface withdrawal via designated capacity use area. Recent estimates place average water consumption at about 3 million gallons per day, or 37.5% of existing capacity. The storage capacity is considered inadequate for fire protection purposes yet the City does not plan to add storage space in the immediate future. 23 The water system serves all urban developed areas within the corporate limits as well as approximately 900 customers outside the City limits. Sewer System The City of New Bern wastewater treatment plant has a design capacity of 4 million gallons per day. Current flow at the treatment plant is approximately 2.5 million gallons per day,:which is-almost'63% of capacity. New Bern has adopted a '201' Wastewater Facilities Plan and it contains a detailed analysis of New Bern's sewer needs through the year 2000. Expansion of the treatment plant's capacity to 5 million gallons per day is the first major improvement proposed in the plan. However,, this probably will not be necessary for at least five years unless a wet industry connects to the system. All urban developed areas inside -the City limits are served by the municipal sewer system. There are also several areas outside the City limits that are served by the sewer system. Street System The North Carolina Department of Transportation has prepared a Transportation Plan for a study area including New Bern, Trent Woods, and Bridgeton, which was adopted in 1978 by all three municipalities and the Board of Transportation. The plan contains eighteen recommendations for street and highway improvements through the year 2000 based on economic and population growth anticipated during the planning period. Some of the recommended improvements will be the responsibility of the municipalities while others will fall on the Board of Transportation. Although the plan does not identify any existing deficiencies in the street network, it does list seven streets that are expected to be over- capacity by the year 2000. They are: 1) Broad Street Bridge, 2) Glenburnie Road, 3) Trent Boulevard, 4) U.S. 70 East, 5) U.S. 17 North, 6) Pollock Street, and 7) Oaks Road. Therefore it is crucial that the Thoroughfare Plan recommendations are implemented in order to reduce the demand on these streets. New Bern's subdivision and zoning ordinance are probably the best tools for implementing the local responsibilities of the plan. The subdivision ordinance can require that subdivision street development occurs in accordance with the plan and zoning can be used to protect thoroughfares from strip development. School System Beginning with the 1981-1982 school year, all public schools in Craven County and New Bern will fall under the jurisdiction of the Craven County Board of Education. In the past, schools for New Bern residents had been separate from those for Craven County. Even with the merger of the school systems it is expected that tnost New Bern residents will continue attending their same school. i 25 The 1980 enrollments and capacities of the New Bern City schools are listed below. Enrollment Capacity Bangert Elementary 563 600 Trent Park Elementary .694 600 F.R. Danyus Elementary 359 425 Oaks Road Elementary 655 600 H.J. McDonald -Riddle School 1294 1300 J.T. Barber Junior High 462 600 New Bern High 1371 1300 ~ Most of the schools are within capacity and those that are not within capacity provide mobile classrooms. A vocational education and fine arts building at the High School and classroom space for exceptional children at Trent Park and Oaks Road are considered the most pressing needs. School enrollment for the 1980-1981 school year was down 200 pupils from the previous year. State Board of Education projections indicate a steady enrollment for the coming years. The merger of the systems will not generate a need for additional school space according to the New Bern School Superintendent. Solid Waste The City utilizes a private contractor to collect solid wastes and deliver them to the County landfill site. _, I 26 Section 1.7 Estimated Demand As Table 1 suggests, the population of the City has been steadily declining over the past thirty years. From having almost one-third of the County's population in 1950, the City's share of the County population has decreased to one -fifth. During this same period,•the _County grew by 41.5%, while Township 8 only grew by 25.4% and the City actually lost population. The estimated demand for future services should remain stable over the next decade. Although City population may not keep pace with suburban growth, the City of New Bern will still provide the services required by the area - water, sewer, transportation and employment. , . A basic trend line analysis suggests a 1990 New Bern population of 13,967, without taking into account any future annexations. This projection does not take into account other factors that would tend to encourage growth inside the City's boundaries, such as generally lower cost housing (especially attractive in times of high interest), the historic district and general neighborhood conservation. All things point to a decade of'increased demand for city services because of the city's key provider role even in the face of possible future loss. This will require a more extraordinary effort on the City's part to provide efficient and productive services. The 1978 Thoroughfare Plan,.while projecting a very optimistic 1990 population forecast, also suggested a more rapid increase in suburban development. For example, the 1975 population located in the in -city . traffic zones represented 54.8% of the study population (New Bern, Bridgeton, Trent Woods and James City). By 1990 this.would drop to 51.6%. A further breakdown of this data is contained in Table 11. Table 11... Estimated Population by Traffic Zones, City of New Bern 1975 and 1995 In -City Suburban Township 8 Remainder (Zones 1=15 (Zones 16 & 18-26) (Zones 27-35) and 17) 1975 13,896 7,622 3,836 1995 17,362 11,894 4,390 % Increase 24.9 56.0 66.0 These growth rates were based on the following assumptions from ~ NCDOT planners. "Large portions of Craven County are,unsuitable or unavailable for growth. There is a large.proportion of flood plain in the County; also the Croatan National Forest and the Cherry Point Marine Air Station occupy much of the southern part of the County. This preemption of land serves to 'channel' development into the New Bern area and into the U.S. 17 and U.S. 70 corridors. As a result, it is expected that the population of Craven County will become increasingly urbanized..." i 27 Their land use projections indicate that most of the residential growth would occur on the periphery of the currently developed areas. This assumption therefore requires a continuation of the aggressive annexation policies of the past or a further loss of population to Trent Woods and River Bend. However, during the cour$e of the development of this plan another scenerio was discussed. The`City of New Bern is very obviously confined to a narrow growth area by the presence of the two rivers, Trent Woods and the large amount of forest land owned by Weyerhauser in western Township 8. The major growth areas represent those large vacant areas between Simmons and Racetrack Roads. As this land becomes developed, in rather low density based on current zoning patterns, the timing of'development will occur only when timber land is converted to developable property. Another alternative to continued growth in a continually restricted area would be to encourage development in the older portions of the City. A later section on redevelopment describes the views of the Planning Board on the need to encourage neighborhood conservation and rehabilitation as an alternative growth policy. A dual policy.encouraging urban in -fill and development of outer vacant,areas represents a viable means to meet all the future land use needs. r 28 Section 2.0 Policy Statements Section 2.1 Resource Protection Types of land uses appropriate within AEC's As discussed in Chapter III, "Constraints to Development", the Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC) within New Bern's planning jurisdiction are the estuarine waters and shorelines of the Neuse and Trent Rivers, and Jack Smith Creek, Lawson Creek, and Renny's Creek to points on these water bodies where ocean tides no longer affect these streams. There are a number of state and federal laws which regulate the types of land use permitted in an AEC (See "Current Regulations" in Chapter . II). The Areas of Environmental Concern along the Trent are for the most part controlled by the City of'New Bern. Appropriate uses have been restricted to those in the approved urban renewal plan. After a misunderstanding at Lawson Creek Park, the City is taking care in -policing all development proposals in AEC's.. The City's policy in regard,to appropriate land uses in the AEC's is to restrict development to those uses, such as marinas, piers, docks and bulkheads, that will prompt the public's interest in maintaining the critical areas of concern. This statement is consistent with all other existing or contemplated plans or programs, that may involve areas known as coastal wetlands, estuarine waters and shorelines and public trust waters. While there is no current effort to nominate local AEC's, the City is extending similar protection to its historic district and surrounding areas. Constraints to Development The physical constraints to development in New Bern's'planning area were identified as poor soils and flood prone areas in Chapter III. These development constraints have been recognized by the City of New Bern and Craven County and are addressed through a flood plain zoning ordinance, a wastewater disposal ordinance, and a subdivision ordinance. New Bern's flood hazard areas have been mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Administration and land uses in these areas are managed by a flood plain zoning ordinance prepared in accordance with federal regulations. A wastewater disposal ordinance has been adopted by Craven County, and, through coordination with New Bern, zoning and building inspection officials, land development is permitted only when adequate wastewater disposal' (septic tanks, sewer) is provided. 'The County will not issue a wastewater disposal permit in New Bern's jurisdiction without first receiving a zoning permit from New Bern. The New Bern Subdivision Ordinance provides the City an opportunity to address soil and flood problems before land is platted for development. The ordinance requires a prospective subdivider to give evidence of adequate provision.for wastewater disposal, drainage'of surface water, and flood protection. O7 Other Hazardous or Fragile Areas Freshwater wetlands, historic properties, and bulk storage facilities are the only other hazardous or fragile areas within New Bern's jurisdiction. Presently, New Bern has an established policy for historic properties and bulk storage facilities. A local historic zoning district was enacted by the City of New Bern in 1980. The district prescribes various architectural standards r.. for properties in the historic zoning district. In addition there are a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places, which are protected by Federal statutes. Bulk storage of flammable and explosive materials is restricted to several districts which are defined in Section 9-30 of the New Bern City Code. In addition, the zoning ordinance requires aboveground storage tanks to be located no less than 100 feet from the nearest property line. Hurricane and Flood Evacuation New Bern and Craven County have jointly adopted the "Craven County Hurricane Evacuation Plan". This plan established a course of action for Craven County residents in the event of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes. Section 2.2 Resource Production and Management Although the forestry and agricultural industries are important parts of the regional economy, very little land is used for agricultural or forest production in New Bern's planning area. Lands which are presently used for agricultural or forest production will provide needed space for urban development in the future. New Bern does not consider it necessary to adopt policies to prevent conversion of these lands to urban use. One area in New Bern's planning jurisdiction has been identified as a productive mineral site, the Martin -Marietta Company limestone quarry on the west side of N. Glenburnie Road. The quarry is important because it provides limestone for a multi -county area. It is located in an area which is relatively undeveloped and has not caused problems with adjoining land uses. The limestone quarry has not been a land use issue and is not considered an issue now. Since mining operations are regulated by the State and Federal governments, New Bern finds a policy on mining inappropriate and unnecessary. r Off -road Vehicles . As mandated by the CAMA guidelines, New Bern considered the question of off -road vehicles and determined their use has little, if -any, impact on land use. ORV's in New Bern's jurisdiction are used principally for farming, hunting, and forestry as a means of access to private land. A policy for use of ORV's was considered unnecessary primarily because adverse impact on�land use has not been documented. 30 Commercial and Recreational Fisheries The deteriorating water quality of the Neuse River -is not only impacting on future growth, but is also beginning to have an influence on recreational uses. While New Bern is not a large commercial fish market, fishing has always represented a major element to the area. The concern over declining water quality is equally expressed when fish kills begin to happen more frequently. There is evidence, through creel studies, suggesting a declining quality of fish catches. f The City is concerned over this issue and feels that it is related to the water quality issue. Until work can be done to clean up the river, the City regrettably feels that commercial and recreational fishing will become less important to the area. r 31 Section 2.3 Economic and Community Development The New Bern Zoning Ordinance establishes the types of development which are encouraged and permitted within the planning area. In addition, New Bern has a Community Development Block Grant program aimed at neighborhood improvements and a downtown revitalization program. The County has a full time industrial recruiting organization and an industrial park with vacant land space available is located near New Bern. It has been demonstrated before that existing facilities are sufficient to service new developments. Types and Locations of Industries Desired Sections 5.12 and 5.13 of the New Bern Zoning Ordinance contain a listing of industries permitted in New Bern's planning jurisdiction. Industrial uses such as boat manufacturers, food processors, lumberyards, and pharmaceutical producers are allowed. The alternative locations for industrial uses are presented on New Bern's zoning map. Present zoning policy relative.to industrial. uses is considered satisfactory. Local Commitment to Providing Services to Development Existing policy for provision of water and sewer services, as stated in Sections 19-19, 19-20 and 19-21 of the New Bern City Code, requires a prospective developer to install water and sewer according to city specifications and at the developer's expense unless the City chooses to pay the expenses. Prior to connecting with New Bern's water and sewer system, the owner of the property if it is located outside the city limits, must submit a petition requesting annexation into the New Bern city limits. After the water and sewer lines are installed they are conveyed to the City for maintenance. A number of annexations have been adopted as` -a result of this policy. Redevelopnent of Developed Areas Commitment to redevelopment has long been a high priority in New Bern.. Community Development Block Grant funds have been used for housing rehabilitation, demolition of dilapidated structures, and improvements in City services such as streets, storm drainage, recreation facilities, and sidewalks. New Bern remains committed to a continuation of this program. New Bern recently received approval for the National Main Street Demonstration Program which will add valuable resources to the City's downtown.redevelopment efforts. As part of New Bern's main street application a listing of problems and objectives to be addressed by the program were documented. The primary objectives of the program are as follows: parking and pedestrian facility improvements, building preservation and restoration, pedestrian and visual access to the Neuse River waterfront, and provision of housing opportunities in the downtown. A special tax district, covering the central business district, has been established to provide additional monies for public improvements in the downtown. New Bern's staff provides technical assistance to merchants and property owners and recently applied for an Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG). New Bern has adopted a local historic zoning district which establishes architectural guidelines intended to preserve and enhance the character of the historic district. Private groups, such as the Historic New Bern Foundation and Swiss Bear, are also active in redevelopment and 32 preservation projects. In fact, Swiss Bear has provided for a full time downtown manager. The Planning Board also discussed redevelopment as an alternative growth strategy. The following was presented to the Board as a memorandum on neighborhood conservation and how they might be used in the development.of a locally inspired and funded redevelopment policy. NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION The general descriptions of%the stages in -the neighborhood change process found in Appendix B can be a handy tool to locate where specific neighborhoods are located in the cycle. While some of the descriptions represent subjective values and others are'more commonly found in northeastern cities, these descriptors are useful in setting the stage for discussing neighborhood conservation. Within the last five years, and especially since the neighborhood strategy area concept in the 1977 Community Development Program amendments, a good detail of attention has been placed on urban infill ("the economic use of vacant land in already urbanized areas where water, sewer and other public services are in place") and neighborhood conservation (essentially the same idea as urban infill but applied to a larger area). During the past decade and a half, the primary emphasis for neighborhood conservation came from the federal',government through the urban renewal program and the Community. Development Block Grant program. While these efforts provided funds to acquire blighted property, rehabilitate housing and improve services, they were (and still are) usually geared to very low income areas that may have reached a point of no return. As a point for discussion, a city may also need to examine transitional areas where the impetus for improvement may be found within the residents as well as in City Hall. If, in fact, the City of New Bern accepts the premise that its growth areas are very limited, the development of a neighborhood conservation plan would provide an additional avenue for growth. It would allow the City to look inward at the same time it prepares for the expected growth in its extraterritorial area. This plan should recognize the following elements: 1) The neighborhoods, while hard to define, must be defined in a manner that recognizes all the characteristics that set that area apart from any other area, such as land ownership and tenure patterns, land values, structural condition, age of residents, degree of attachment to the area, etc. 2) That each neighborhood has certain problems that must be addressed in a flexible and unique manner. Fixed guidelines and rigid standards may not be appropriate in all areas. 3) The degree and size of local government commitment need not be large and/or expensive but must be aimed at the particular needs of the area. For example, some areas may only require a concentrated code enforcement effort to increase awareness. Changes in zoning or other incentives may spur private development interest. r r 33 4) The City must encourage and assist the local neighborhood groups recognizing that at some point this partnership may be tested with controversy. 5) The neighborhood group is the cement that bonds a successful strategy together. Without it, the City can achieve very little. 6) The anticipated cutbacks in federal housing and neighborhood programs will only increase the need to develop these local partnerships. 7) Without a commitment to neighborhood conservation, the City can expect further movement of its neighborhoods from transition to deterioration with the incumbent problems already witnessed. The techniques for neighborhood conservation must be fitted to the need of the neighborhood, level of interest in the group and resources of the City. Below are some of the techniques used in other areas with success. Systematic Code Enforcement In some areas, with a low to medium rental to owner ratio (25-40%), a systematic and concentrated building and minimum housing code enforcement.program will bring immediate attention to the worst housing and environmental health (junked cars, over -grown lots, trash) problems. Done in an area with a cohesive neighborhood group, the City's effort can be combined with a clean up - fix up campaign, etc. done from within. The cost to the City is usually low and can be done within its own time. frame. Costs to the owners can be spread out over several years. Opportunities exist for civic club participation for certain elements, such as assistance to the elderly residents, in complying with code enforcements. Successful enforcement programs must be systematic, concentrated, in areas with moderate rental ratios and done in areas with adequate and available services. Periodic reinspections are necessary. Leveraging This effort attempts to use a limited supply of public monies (usually Community Development funds) in combination with private money (usually commercial home improvement loans or second mortgages) to build a pool of resources for housing assistance (usually rehabitation). In some instances, the public funds are used to underwrite or subsidize market interest rates to reduce interest costs to low and moderate income borrowers. In other cases, they may guarantee the loan of the lender. The Federal National Mortgage Association has successfully used leveraging for first mortgages to acquire and repair housing. . Leveraging is not an acceptable tool for all areas. While it may ~ encourage lenders to participate in some transitional areas that conventional lending practices and rates would preclude, the lender still must guard the initial investment and minimize risk. Guaranteed loans only cover up the risk. Interest subsidies are useful for home owners and in areas with concentrated locations of owner occupied units.- Landlord participation �may:not be forthcoming without code enforcement procedures. 34 Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation This housing program is designed to encourage landlord participation in housing rehabilitation by offering rent subsidies and guarantees for a specified time period. The program has been particularly helpful in areas with a stable rental population. While the future of this program is uncertain, it seems to provide a•good way of addressing some rental housing needs. Zoning Incentives r Acting on escalating land and construction costs, inner city locations with existing services may sometimes offer alternative development sites. ' Bonuses from increased density, reduced service costs and development standards (such as parking) can be enough to encourage new private market ventures. Not every area meets market requirements so zoning incentives must be provided in selected areas through devices such as floating zone districts, conditional use permits and the Land Use Intensity system. Extreme care must also be exercised in granting these bonuses so that existing streets and services are not immediately over taxed. Land assembly can be a major problem and even local government assistance through in rem foreclosure and condemnation may not provide secure enough title. Displacement of existing residences may also be a problem. Upzoning to a more selective district may be the major tool needed to help transitional neighborhoods from being inundated in rental conversions and commercial intrusions. Again care should be exercised to prevent problems with too many nonconformities. Neighborhood Development Plans A comprehensive plan for each neighborhood serves to identify potential problems. ,In New ,Bern's.case, the Major Thoroughfare Plan may present inconsistencies with neighborhood conservation efforts. Recognition of these inconsistencies would be a major positive step. These development plans also provide evaluation criteria for the City in judging the efficiency and cost of service provisions. Sweat Equity This effort attempts to provide down payment assistance to low and moderate income renters by assigning a value to their efforts at renovating their housing units. While this approach has been primarily used in apartment conversions, it offers the potential for changing single family rental units into single family owner occupied units.. Sweat equity also offers the opportunity to restore concentrated rental areas to owner areas without large capital requirements. Essentially the City acts as a broker getting suitable tenants together with suitable landlords. As with the. other techniques, sweat equity must be geared to specific, well defined areas. The knowledge of the area, the renters and the landlords must be very detailed. It will not work in all cases, but as part of an overall strategy it can offer a useful technique. The more successful neighborhood conservation techniques have been tied to specific needs and available resources. With uncertain federal commit- ments and unlikely state aid, neighborhood conservation will have to 35 become a local initiative. In a city like New Bern, where growth opportunities are limited,:.ittwill become increasingly important to develop new avenues of growth. Neighborhood conservation, if accepted as such an avenue, will require a better understanding of the local neighborhoods and the local housing market. The Land Use Information Inventory and the new 1980 Census information for neighborhoods can provide the base information for the beginnings of such an effort. This shift in concern to a neighborhood conservation and infill orientation may threaten archaeological sites from the City's past. while there has been a great deal of documentation on historical and architectural sites, almost no work of similar magnitude has been focused on archaeological sites. These resources should be documented before the neighborhood conservation efforts gain momentum. Assistance is available from the Division of Archives and History and from Dr. David Phelps at East Carolina University. Commitment to State and Federal Programs New Bern has demonstrated commitment to State and Federal programs, through participation in a number of programs in the recent past. New Bern was able to achieve several CAMA program objectives with its HUD sponsored Community Development Block Grant Program. Drainage and stabilization improvements to the Jack Smith Creek watershed and improvements to Lawson Creek Park, including a public boat ramp, were a direct result of New Bern's CDBG program. Recent State improvements to U.S. 70 were supported by the City while continued coordination with State highway improvement goals are insured by New Bern's Thoroughfare Plan, which is jointly adopted by the City and State. Assistance to Channel Maintenance The Neuse and Trent Rivers have always played an important part in New Bern's development. As eutrophication slowly begins to fill the river, an important economic and community resource is jeopardized. A proposed city marina on the Trent must have a well maintained channel for easy access. Channel maintenance is as important to the City of New Bern as good roads and is considered a major element in its future development. Beach Nourishment ti This policy area does not apply to the City of New Bern. 36 Types of Growth Patterns Desired The New Bern Zoning Ordinance serves as the primary tool for establishing growth•patterns, while the provision of water and sewer services also has an impact on growth patterns. Development densities and locations are specified by the Zoning Ordinance. Sites for single and multi -family residential develop- ment, commercial, and industrial development are provided throughout the planning area. In addition, with water and sewer services available throughout the city limits and by making them available to developments adjacent to the city limits, there is an incentive to develop lands inside -the City or on land close to the city limits. r Yet even with water and sewer available in City areas, most of the recent growth in the New Bern vicinity has taken place south and southwest of the New Bern planning jurisdiction. Perhaps the overriding concern. in developing these areas was their accessibility to recreational and aesthetic amenities, such as the New Bern Golf and Country Club and the Trent River. A substantial amount of this development has been provided with City water service, acting as additional encouragement to development in the area. In any event, the location of urban growth in New Bern's jurisdiction has not been an issue. - Energy Facility Siting and Development The City of'.New Bern does not feel that the possibility of an energy facility, such as,an oil refinery, locating in its area of control is likely or feasible. This is -primarily due to its inland location and the absence of large tracts of land adjacent to the rivers. However, the more pressing.cor}cern to the City is the eminent passage of the coal trains along Hancock Street. The March, 1981 report of NCDOT on the coal trains did not provide a positive note to the City's concern. Essentially, the report indicated that at the level of 3 million tons of coal, the additional four trains per day would not adversly affect the City or its historic buildings. However, it is understood that additional coal handling facilties at the Morehead City port are being considered, rapidly pushing the problem into the negative impact area. At this juncture, NCDOT suggested major impacts on the City and its historic structures to the point that the trains would be halted until an alternate route could be built in 1983. This does not sound like a particularly viable alternative. Other options placing restrictions on railroad operations are being considered. This dilemma is a particularly unsettling one for the City, because it does not want to stifle economic growth for the region but unavoidably finds itself being subjected to pay extreme costs for the growth without any tangible growth. 37 �, 0 While the City has gone on record opposing the use of the Atlantic and North Carolina railroad tracks through its jurisdiction for coal shipments to the State Ports, it has taken several positive actions to better determine what future courses of action are available. The NCDOT study in March, 1981 has provided some general policy alternatives. The City is now waiting for the results of the regional Institute of Transportation Research and Education study on coal trains and for a more detailed analysis of these effects on New Bern. The latter study should begin in early Fall, 1981 and will concentrate on noise and vibration, effects of vibration on historic home foundations and impacts on emergency vehicles and downtown revitalization. These studies will form the basis for a more formal and long range policy on increased train traffic in and around the City. Tourism or Beach and Waterfront Access Perhaps the greatest tourist impact on New Bern results from the motoring public passing through the City on trips to coastal beaches. However, the City's numerous historic sites, coupled with river access and downtown revitalization, promise increased tourist activity. In the past New Bern has promoted historic preservation,`among other reasons, as one means of increasing tourist interest. Automobile and pedestrian tours of New Bern's historic areas are on the increase, with groups such as the Historic New Bern Foundation sponsoring tours of private homes and businesses. Downtown revitalization efforts are expected to attract "tourist" customers. One method of boosting the tourist trade would be to encourage development of additional hotel -motel space as well as continuing support for historic preservation and downtown revitalization. The City of New Bern has provided access to public water bodies at a number of locations. The most noticeable location is the downtown waterfront area where a considerable amount of open space adjacent to the Trent River has been reserved. In addition the Main Street application stated that redevelopment along the Neuse River waterfront should include a pedestrian easement to allow public access along the water. Glenburnie Park on the Neuse River, Lawson Creek Park with access to the Trent River and Union Point Park provide boat ramps for the public. Provision of access to public water will remain a priority for the City of New Bern. 38 Section 3.0 Continuing Public Participation Policies Section 3.1 Public Participation During the Plan Update The City of New Bern's Planning Board was the major city agency involved in the preparation of this document. Representing a wide variety of social, business, cultural and other interests,.they reviewed each section of this draft from their collective and individual perspectives. The plan reflects their views and knowledge of the needs of the City. Through each member the various segments of the community were represented. Specific means to notify the general public were utilized in the most cost effective and generally ~ acceptable manner. These means were as follows: 1) several news spots were broadcast on a local radio station, primarily emphasizing the water quality issue and recent growth trends, 2) two large advertisements were purchased in the local newspaper describing the major findings of the land use plan. These ads were run in April and May and provided information on the next Planning Board meetings. 3) several newspaper articles were developed on the Land Use Plan issues. 4) a class from the Community College was invited to attend a Planning Board meeting at which the Land Use Plan was discussed. Section 3.2 Means for Public Education on Planning Issues As this plan suggests, the next decade will pose numerous challenges to the decision -makers of the City. The problems they will face will have long lasting implications. The need to.better understand these issues, to know the alternatives and to reduce uncertainity, will require a better partnership between elected officials and citizens. While the local media will continue to be heavily utilized for public education, it will be through working relationships with groups such as, the Friends of the Neuse and neighborhood groups, that public education will be encouraged.and promoted. This type of education program should do much to develop an informed citizenry and a better prepared group of elected officials. Section 3.3 Means for Continuing Public Participation The public education methods will be work on focused, narrowly defined issues. The means for continuing public participation will be to encourage public attendance of Planning Board and Board of Aldermen meetings and use of the local media as a means of public awareness. 39 Section 4.0 Special Issues Section 4.1 Neuse River Water Quality The growth of Craven County has always been directed toward the Neuse River. During the next decade, the river will serve as the major attraction for growth. Projected population estimates suggest that over 80% of the County's population will live in a corridor twenty miles long and bordering the river. The recreational attractions of the river will increase the potential for the area. However, there are major problems in the Neuse River that may influence the very potential suggested. ti Beginning in Durham County, the Neuse River watershed encompasses 6,000 square miles or about 12% of North Carolina's land area. It carries run off and effluent from the urban areas of Durham, Raleigh, Wilson, Goldsboro, Smithfield, Kinston, and New Bern. Until it reaches New Bern, the Neuse is a fairly small, well contained river. At Glenburnie, the river begins to widen out to over one mile. It is at this point that many of the deteriorated water quality problems become pronounced. In a position paper prepared in May, 1981, the Friends of the Neuse, Inc. classified the Neuse river water quality problems into three groups: 1) water volume The widening of the river serves to slow the water velocity which in turn allows sediment and nutrients carried along in suspension to fall. In low flow periods, the rate of suspension loss is accelerated. This reduces the ability of the river to keep itself "clean" by carrying sediments into the Pamlico Sound where it can be removed more readily. Dye studies have even indicated significant periods of no flow or even reverse flow. This represents a serious problem when dealing with effluent and in combination of.the other two problems. 2) temperature Increasing sediment loads block the sun's penetration into the water and the photosynthesis required for plant life is hampered. Plants produce oxygen as a by-product of the process. Reduced sun penetration reduces oxygen levels which require more complex marine animals to work harder at securing adequate oxygen levels. The microorganisms, resulting from high nutrient loads, remain near the surface and are more efficient at extracting oxygen and in doing so increase water temperatures near the surface. This increase in temperature spurs the production of additional microorganisms. 3) nutrient concentrations, organic matter and oxygen levels 1 The nutrients come from agricultural fertilizers washed into.the river and from waste treatment of sanitary sewers. They represent the primary "food" source for plant growth.. -and, in high levels, can stimulate the growth of algae blooms. As these microorganisms grow and die, they in turn become part of the nutrient load. The increasing amounts of matter begins to sink and settle on the bottom where plants previously grew. Over a period of time, this organic bottom begins to build up, especially in times of low flow, until it enters a period of eutophication. Coupled with the sediment loads that also fall when velocity is reduced, the river begins to carry water less efficiently and the high nutrients can spur diseases such as the red sore disease. 40 Additional problems include higher levels of toxic substances, such as lead and mercury; fresh water intrusion into the narrow salinity ranges required for marine development in the estuaries and increasing levels of urbanization which cause more storm water run off and high effluent loads. . These problems have been documented and researched by state and national scientists. However, it has taken the efforts of the Friends of the Neuse, Inc. and a well prepared newspaper series by Catherine Landis to bring the issue home. The issue of the Neuse River water quality is important to the,land . use planning program of New Bern for several reasons. First, the projected growth along the corridor from River Bend to Havelock will increase the local runoff and sediment loads, which may act to increase eutophication in selected areas, i.e..Brice's Creek. This certainly will have an effect on the Trent River estuaries. Secondly, the increasing nutrient loads may ultimately lead to a consideration of the new nutrient sensitive water classification for the Neuse. Presently, only the Chowan River has such a classification. It requires point -source discharges to upgrade their treatment facilities to reduce the -levels of nutrient laden wastes in their effluent. In the case of the Chowan, where much of the nutrient material comes from agricultural runoff in Virginia,.the upgrading of the point source discharges represents only a partial solution. There are twenty-six municipal waste water treatment plants discharging into the Neuse or its tributaries. There are probably an equal number of smaller treatment plants for mobile home parks and industries feeding into the Neuse. The largest of these discharges is Weyerhauser. Upgrading of existing treatment plants to reduce nutrient loads may be expensive. The significant low flow periods of the river might, under a nutrient sensitive classification, require effluent prohibitions or reduction. Thirdly, the attraction of the Neuse for recreational purposes could be adversely affected by the deteriorating water quality. The nutrient load passing under the U.S. 17 bridge at New Bern is the equivalent to "eleven dead mules per day". Locally, this has shown up in subtle ways. Boat owners are now having to clean and repair boat hulls annually rather than once every two or three years because of the "gunk" in the river. Sport fishing catches are not what they used to be. Fish nets are having to be repaired more frequently because of the accumulation of the nutrients and sediments. Alternatives The alternatives seem limited. The importance of the Neuse River to the economy of Craven County and New Bern is unquestioned. Its importance to the industrial development is also unquestioned. On one hand, the need seems evident for immediateaction to clean up the river. On the other, the tremendous costs involved in requiring additional treatment facilities for point -source discharges would be significant and might cloud the industrial development program for the City and County. On top of this, there are no hard and fast answers. In her series on the water quality issue, Catherine Landis reported state water quality officials as saying that additional information is needed to answer such questions as "the amount and kind of nutrient impact from each discharger in the riverbasin, the nutrient requirements of the algae types which dominate the river, the nutrient level which must 41 be reached to control algae growth, the physical and chemical requirements, feeding habits and seasonal movements of the river's fish population, and effects of the basin's topography, farming practices and nutrient applications (fertilizer and pesticides)". Another vital unanswered question deals with the nutrient load and what is going on in the river in relation to flow conditions. Clearly, the null alternative is out of place. There has already .� been too little concern and attention focused on the river. However, the alternatives available to local decision -makers are not clear. With too many unanswered questions, but with a growing acceptance that something is very wrong with the river quality, the direction for action must remain tenative. The following has been suggested as_a prudent means of bringing the issue of water quality to its appropriate place on the public policy agenda of the City. 1. An initial meeting.of interested local government, industry, business, boating and other interests be called to present the problems and discuss the impact deteriorating water quality will have on New Bern and Craven County. If enough interest is generated, a steering committee should be formed to develop a local plan of agenda and public education program. 2. Utilizing the resources from the State and the efforts generated by the Friends of the Neuse, Inc. and others, a statement of fact should be developed to document local concern and press for the commitment of resources to begin answering the unresolved questions and finding solutions. 3. Because the problems of the Neuse River actually begin 200 miles away in Durham County, the need for inter -governmental cooperation and understanding will be paramount for successful solutions. The next step in this process is to begin a basin wide education program. The long unresolved problems in water quality, such as the need to manage urban run-off and agricultural run-off, will, of course, make this a difficult part of the issue to address. However, the implications for each user of the river must be made apparent. A citizen and local government plan of action may very well be the needed catalyst to speed up the needed research required to address the problem and find resources for resolution. Implementation The local resources needed to address the problem are already in place. The formation of the Friends of the Neuse, Inc. in 1980 brought together a number of concerned people representing industrial, environ- mental, fishing and recreational interests. The resources available to New Bern and the.other local governments are sufficient to begin the education and awareness program. With increasingly uncertain federal support for water quality planning and implementation, the effective clean up of the Neuse River will have to start at home. The implications for the future of the City suggest that some action is needed to awaken up- stream users of what is happening. Without their help and support, it will remain Craven County and New-Bern's problem. 42 Section 4.2 Waterfront Development In 1977, the City developed a plan for its Central Business District. This document also included a recommendation for a waterfront park wrapping around the CBD. The notion was to combine the advantages of the downtown area into a coordinated approach to develop new market advantages. A similar approach has been recommended in this plan for developing new growth areas by conserving older neighborhoods. + The waterfront development segment suggests a fifty -foot wide pedestrian park from City Park (by,the Highway 17 bridge) around. Union Point to the urban renewal site. Pedestrian access with pleasant surroundings would do much to'develop a new type of environment in the downtown. Waterfront access would attract more attention to the downtown from the recreational boat users. The more typical types of downtown development are being accomplished through a private assocation, Swiss Bear, Inc., and participation in the National Main Street Demonstration Program. Marketing activities for the completed urban renewal area are making progress. The recently adopted Historic District recognizes the significant contributions made by privately financed historic preservation and seeks to encourage more of the same. Each of these elements requires an integration with the other three for the total impact to be felt. . Waterfront development, which has included discussions on new marina space, represents an opportunity to utilize the City's natural advantages for maximum urban advantage. When coupled with the Lawson Creek Park, New Bern will have been able to blend the need to recreate a healthy and viable downtown area without compromising its natural heritage. This recreation is based on the following premise: "There are several markets for development of the central area of New Bern: housing, retail sales, office, motel and marina. The residential market is especially important because it would help to support retail trade and offices in the business district. The key to promoting residential development is a large marina on the Trent River, where homeowners can keep their boats, because the market is recreation -oriented." Another promise rests on the Neuse and Trent Rivers remaining as.major attractions. As described earlier, the water quality of the rivers is declining very rapidly. High nutrient loadings may render the City's waterfront development plans less attractive. The improvement of the water quality of the Neuse should be added as a segment in the City's 'downtown renewal program. Section 4.3 Annexation/Shopping Center As a special issue, annexation is being addressed from two 'perspectives. First, an investigation into the feasibility of annexing the Twin Rivers Shopping Mall was completed. This investigation was done merely to establish the fact that annexation of the site met all legal requirements. It was done under no assumption of intent to annex. ;The issue of intent is a separate item for discussion, if and when the City chooses to do so. Secondly, annexation, as a means of city growth, has been challenged in several cases. The implications of this to New 43 Bern's future is explored. Feasibility of Annexation of Twin Rivers Shopping Mall Relative to annexation of Twin Rivers Mall, the initial consideration is whether the mall property can be annexed under the provisions of the North Carolina General Statute 160A-48. This statute permits municipalities to annex areas provided they meet certain requirements relative to development density and proximity to existing city boundaries. In turn, the municipality is required to identify the services it will furnish the area upon annexation. Based on an investigation of the Twin Rivers Mall area, it does meet the criteria established in GS 160A-48. Table 12 lists provisions of the statute and describes how the mall area meets each provision. Table 12 ... Annexation Qualification Criteria - Twin Rivers Mall PROVISION QUALIFICATION B (1) The total area to be annexed is adjacent or contiguous to New Bern's city limits; B (2) At least one eighth (12.5%) of the external boundaries of the area coincide with the existing City limitsl; !B (3) No part of the area is included within the boundary of another incorporated municipality; and C (3) It is developed such that at least sixty percent of the `4total number'of lots and tracts in the area at the time of annexation are used for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or governmental purposes, and is subdivided into lots and tracts such that at least sixty percent of the total acreage, not counting the total acreage used at the time of annexation for commercial, industrial, governmental or institutional. purposes, consists of lots and tracts five acres or less in size2. 1The total area is 24% contiguous with existing corporate boundaries, or nearly double the statute requirement. Approximately 1,822.01 feet of the total of 7,576.29 feet are contiguous with the existing city limits. 2The mall property is developed such that 100% of the lots and tracts are used for commercial purposes. r. 44 V, 0 :R. If annexed, the City of New Bern should have little difficulty providing the full range of city services to the mall since water and sewgr services are already provided. Therefore, the added demand on city services would fall on the Public Works Department for refuse disposal, and the Police and Fire Departments for police and fire protection. The Fire Department can serve the area with its new substation located at nearby Glenburnie Road and Elizabeth Avenue. While this annexation -would place additional demands on the Police Department, it will not require adpditional manpower and/or equipment by itself. Presently, New Bern's refuse disposal is provided by a private contractor which is paid for through user fees and general fund appropriations. Under this system the City would assess a monthly refuse disposal fee to the mall businesses based on its current city-wide fee schedule. Although the fees would not pay the entire cost of refuse disposal the Public Works Director has stated the annexation would not require additional appropriations from the general fund. While New Bern would incur some increased costs by providing services to the mall, the City would receive sufficient revenue from annexation.to cover the cost of providing services. Upon annexation additional revenue would be collected by the City via property taxes, business privilege licenses, and garbage collection fees. Table 13 presents the estimated revenues which would be generated if the mall area were annexed. Real property values were determined from the listings in the Craven County Tax Department. The personal property value was prepared based on the average valuation of several mall businesses, not from a complete listing of each business' personal property value. Although this analysis does not consider the.. possibility of annexing other urban development in the mall vicinity, that topic is covered in detail by an "Annexation Feasibility Study" prepared for New Bern in 1978 by the Department of Natural Resources and Community Development. Table 13..Approximate Annexation Revenue .. Assessed Property Values Tax Rate Real Property Value $ 7,787,810 .50/$100 Personal Property Value 3,750,000 .50/$100 TOTAL $11,537,810 .50/$100 Number of Businesses Average Privilege License Value 58 $50.00 Tax RavPnup $38,939.05 18,750.00 57,689.05 Tax Revenue 2,900.00 Total Revenues $60,589.05 45 Annexation as a Growth Issue Within the last several years, annexation of suburban areas to the City has caused controversy and, in one case, a lawsuit. This is not an_isolated phenomena occurring only to New Bern. Since 1959, North Carolina has given its municipalities a flexible tool to expand their boundaries and to expand their tax base. Lately, more and more residents of annexable areas have challenged this statute. A new Legislative Study Commission will soon examine the annexation statute and its effects on city growth, but annexation as an issue will continue to cause concern. New Bern has effectively used annexation as a measurement of growth in the past and, will continue to do so. In fact, because of its peculiar geographic location, it must continue expanding its boundaries just to obtain land for growth and utilization of public services. The safeguards provided for newly annexed residents and property owners require complete access to city services within one year. Although annexation brings another level of property taxation, this is usually offset by lower fire insurance and other property insurance premiums and a federal tax deduction for local tax payments. Regardless of its controversy nature, a landlocked community such as New Bern must continue to aggressively pursue annexation as a growth tool while continuing to provide equitable services and treatment to new residents. 46 Section 5.0 Land Classification The Land Classification System is a graphic depiction of the policies previously discussed. It is use by regional, State and Federal policy makers in evaluationg grant and development proposals and is a key factor in making consistency decisions. It also is used by State permit officers in making decisions on major developments in areas of environmental concern. At the local level,.the land classification map can be used to explain public policy and issues to the public, and to assist in the regulation of land development. 4R, There are five mandated land classifications: 1) Developed -This provides for continued intensive development in areas approaching a density of 500 dwellings per square mile. Public services, including at least public water, sewer, recreational facilities and police and fire protection, must be available. 2) Transition -This classification provides for future intensive urban developmnet in the next ten years. Necessary public services will be provided to these areas. Transitional lands can already be developed or are appropiate to accommodate anticipated growth. Criteria for this classification include available water and sewer facilities and be generally free of severe physical limitations or seriously impacted areas such as farms, or forest land; unique areas of scientific, environmental or scenic values; natural hazards; -or areas of environmental concern. Additional transition class lands should comply with a guideline density of 2000 persons or 500 dwellings units per square mile. 3) Community -This class provides for clustered land development to help meet housing, shopping,.employment and public service needs within rural areas. These areas are i characterized by a small grouping of mixed land uses and do not require municipal sewer service. 4) Rural -This class provides for agriculture, forest management, mineral extraction and other low intensity uses. Urban services are not required for residences. The prime criteria for this class are: a) high potential for 7 agriculture, forestry or mineral extraction; b) lands which have development limitations making it costly or hazardous to implement; or C :lands-_Wi•th. values :of_ a natural, recreational or scenic nature. 5) Conservation -This class provide for effective long term management of significantor irreplaceable areas. These areas might include major -wetlands, undeveloped shorelines, wildlife.habitat, water supply watersheds and aquifers, and undeveloped.forest lands. 47 After reviewing the revised data base and trend analysis, the City of New Bern adopted a Land Classification map very similar to the 1975 map. Section 5.1 Relationship of Policies -and Land Classification The policies contained in this plan reflect the views of the City that the decade of the 1980's will be much the same as it has been in. the past. New Bern's growth potential must become inner directed as well as encourage a better utilization of vacant land. The Economic and Community Development concerns express several ways that this type of policy can be accomplished: The major new development will occur in the transitionally classed lands. The recent experience with historic preservation suggests that the City can expected some form of urban infill to occur. Both the developed and transition classes will see very intensive forms of development. The conservation class will be regulated through the use of of the CRC guidelines and development forms will be limited to those, uses such as marinas and docks. Section 5.2 Intergovernmental Coordation and Implementation The City of New Bern sits in the middle of an extensive urban corridor that will contain about 80% of the County's population. Not only will the coordination of urban services become more important but many of *the problems identified in this plan will require a degree of coordination and cooperation in order to resolve them. The water quality of the Neuse River will be the most important and far reaching of these issues. t r 48 APPENDIX A NEW BERN NATIONAL REGISTER LISTINGS NAME & LOCATION Attmore-Oliver House, New Bern Baxter Clock, New Bern X Bellair, New Bern Blades House, New Bern Bryan House and Office, New Bern Cedar Grove Cemetery, New Bern Centenary Methodist Church, New Bern Central Elementary School (First and Second New Bern Academy Bldgs., New Bern) Christ Episcopal Church and Parish House, New Bern Clear Springs Plantation, New Bern Coor-Bishop, New Bern Coor-Gaston House, New Bern First Baptist Church, New Bern First Church of Christ Scientist, New Bern First Presbyterian Church and Churchyard, New Bern Gull Harbor, New Bern Harvey Mansion, New Bern Hawks House, New Bern William Hollister House, New Bern i Thomas Jerkins House, New Bern Jones -Jarvis House, New Bern Justice House, New Bern Ulysses S. Mace House, New Bern Masonic Temple and Theatre, New Bern New Bern City Schools Administration Building (Tisdale -Jones House), New Bern New Bern Historic District - New Bern,Municipal Building Rhem-Waldrop.House, New Bern x St. Paul's Catholic Church, New Bern Simpson-Oaksmith-Patterson House, New Bern Slover-Bradham House (Burnside's Headquarters), New Bern Eli Smallwood House, New Bern i Benjamin Smith House, New Bern Smith -Whitford House, New Bern f Edward R. Stanly House, New Bern John Wright Stanly House, New Bern (Tryon Palace Complex) Stevenson House, New Bern (Tryon Palace Complex) Isaac Taylor House, New Bern York -Gordon House, New Bern Dudley House, Chapman's Chapel vic. *A thorough description of the location and significance of these sites is contained in the National Register. j o HEALTHY Physical Good Property Upkeep Sound Structural Condition Homogeneous Housing Type Good Location Neighborhood Well Maintained Social Middle -High Social Status. Moderate -Upper Income Levels . Ethnic Homogeneity High School Graduates and Above Family Oriented or Childless Adults White Collar and/or Skilled Blue Collar Workers Pride in Neeghborhood & House Good Neighborhood Reputation Neighborhood Perceived as Safe Socially Cohesive Economic High Owner Investment Good Property Values Insurance Available Conventional Financing Available High Confidence in Future Value Public Services Services Efficient & Appropriate Some Reliance on Private Services APPENDIX B NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTIONS INCIPIENT DECLINE Physical Spot Maintenance Neglect Aging Housing Stock . Some New Non -Residential Uses Less Desirable Location Social Decline in Social Status Declining Household Income Influx of Middle Income Minorities Decline in Education Level Smaller Families (Widowed, Elderly) More Semi -Skilled, Underemployed. Often Fear of Racial Transition Decline in Neighborhood Reputation Economic • Some Cutback.in Maintenance No Rise, Some Decine in Property Values. Increasing Insurance Costs Some Difficulty in Getting Financing - Waning Confidence in Future Value Property Tax Burden Increases More Renters, in Single Family Areas Public Services Mismatch Between Needs & Service Provision CLEARLY DECLINING Physical General Minor, Many Major Deficiencies Larger Capital Improvements Needed Higher Density Leads to Visible Wear Relatively Poor Location Visible Deterioration in Public Areas Commercial Vacancies Social Major Decline in Social Status Lower Incomes, More Welfare Households Decrease in White In -Movers Large Families, Often Female Headed Increasing Unskilled Workers & Unemploy Lack of --Social Cohesion Fair -Poor Neighborhood Reputation Lack of Pride in House and Neighborhood Increasing Fear for Safety More Minority Children in Schools Economic Further Cutback on Maintenance and Repa Definite Decline in Property Values Insurance Prohibitive Serious -Problems in Getting Financing Fear for Future Value of Investment Predominantly Renters Revenue at Break-even Point Increasing Operating Costs Small Scale Investor/Owners Public Services Perceived Decline in Service Responsive Increasing Dependence on Public/Social Services NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTIONS ACCELERATING DECLINE Physical Major Deficiencies, Deterioration Prevalent Old Buildings Predominate Increasing Vandalized Property Undesirable Location Incompatible Land Uses Allowed Increasing Residential Vacancies Some Abandonment Social Low Social Status Predominantly Low Income/Minority Tenants Elderly Ethnics Increasing Multi -Problem Families Mostly Unskilled Workers: High Unemployment Poor Tenant -Landlord Relations Poor Neighborhood Reputation Absolute Decline in Population Fear for Personal Safety Predominantly Minority Children in Schools Increasing Fire and Crime Economic Almost No Maintenance or:Repairs Lack of Buyers Insurance Denied Costly Non -Institutional Financing Only Extreme Pessimism Toward Present & Future Frequent Over -Assessment Increasing Cash -flow Probldms Skyrocketing Operating Costs High Proportion of Absentee Owners Public Services Absolute Decline in Services ABANDONED .Physical Severe Dilapidation Adjacent Abandoned Buildings Voluntary/Involuntary Demolition Noise, Abandoned Cars Vacant Littered Lots General Area Decay Widespread Abandonment Social Lowest Social Status Poverty Level Incomes Squatter Population Multi -problem Welfare Families Prevalent Bad Neighborhood Reputation Households with Options Leave Fear, Apathy High Crime and Fire Incidence Economic Collapsed Rental Market Serious Rent Collection Problems Negative Cash -flows Public Services Inadequate, Unresponsive to Need Source Dynamics of Neighborhood Change, HUD r rn New Bern Historic District 1