Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Use Plan Update Citizen Participation Plan-1991 --Citizen'. Participation; Plan - December, i991 -. - New Hanover, County Plannng'Department 1= - Dexter Hayes, Director - - . Patrick Lowe, Assistant Director -Staff Planners Walter.'Pete" Avery - Wanda Costoil =Sam Burgess _ Chris,O'Keefe AMA.Intern JoAnne Shad _-_ AdministrativeSecretary .-Phoebe Saavedra Graphics Planning;Technician Lisa Elaine Home New -'Hanover CountyBoard,of Commissioners E. L "Matt" Mathews; Chairman -Robert G. Greer; Vice Oiairm' an - _ Jonathan Barfield _Fred Retchin - WilliamrH. Sutton - Planning Board Members` ' EarnestPuskas; Chatrmart _ ; Kenneth<<A.'Shanklui, Vice Chairman °Robert McDonald _ �. ''Wesley O - Nixon William Grathwol - _ C Richard Boisky - Charles R Howell Theprepar�tim of du docvmmt�ss fMMOOkin pUU 6MPI& a COMW Ana AanagemeatAct - gr-t Ptwided by the Nath`Ca�dun Caa�tl M4m9ameat P-grim; l _UA Fwda Provided by the Costal Zane Managemmt Act of IM as 6w"M, which is administered by the Office, �".ofOcewand Cm.WRaoumeMmvment,NadotW0cmicandAtmarpherkAdmkkhafian- K Citizen Participation Plan December 1991 Wilmington -New Hanover County Land Use Plan Update U Preface The Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), enacted in 1974 by the North Carolina General Assembly, requires that the 20 coastal counties of the state prepare land use plans. These plans provide a framework used to guide local leaders as they make decisions for the protection, preservation, orderly development and management of the North Carolina coastal area. The original CAMA Land Use Plan for New Hanover County was adopted in 1976. Updates to the plan are required by CAMA on five year intervals This report is part of the third plan update (1981, 1986 and 1991) performed in conjunction with the Wilmington -New Hanover Comprehensive Planning Program, initiated in 1974. InaccordancewithCAMArequirements, thelanduseplanconsists ofthefollowingelements: 1.) Summary of data collection and analysis; 2.) Existing land use map; 3.) Policy discussion; 4.) Land classification map. This information plays an important role in the formulation of local development regulations, such as zoning ordinances, and it provides input for growth policy decisions. These reports also provide useful data to the public and private sector in considering development proposals. K Citizen Participation Plan The following plan has been prepared in accordance with the administrative guidelines established for the North Carolina Coastal Management Program and in hopes of strength- ening the citizen's role in the process of planning for our community's future. The plan was adopted by the Wilmington City Council on December 18, 1990 and by the New Hanover Board of County Commissioners on February 4, 1991. Public participation constitutes a key element in the local planning process. By using public participation to define and focus planning issues, local officials can build the consensus of community support necessary to implement the actions of the Land -Use Plan. The City and County, therefore, are committed to using all available local media and educational resources that will be effective in promoting public participation and ensuring that all economic, social, ethnic and cultural viewpoints are represented. The City and County Planning Departments will be responsible for the administration of the planning process and will serve as the primary contact agencies. I. FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION A. Public participation aids in providing valuable information in identify- ing and defining the issues. B. The public may establish an order of priority for those issues that it believes are the most critical and the most deserving of public funds. C. Citizens determine the type of community they wish to attain and set the . direction of policies and projects to be implemented. D. The process of public participation helps to create a sense of community which, in turn, helps to ensure that the chosen policies are effectively implemented. 0 II. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington plan to follow a multi -component public participation process to aid in the update of the Land Use Plan. A time schedule of the major components includes the following: A. Completion of a CAMA Land Use Plan Explanatory Brochure A "user friendly" brochure is proposed that will explain the purpose of the LAMA Land Use Plan and the reason for the present update mechanism. The public is generally familiar with the term "CAMA", but does not really understand the importance or relevance of the planning process to their daily lives and to the quality of life in the community in which they live. The brochure can be prepared by either the County or City graphics staff and the cost of printing the brochure can be divided by the City and the County. B. City Message and County Planning Quarterly The City will prepare an article for future issues of the City Message, and the County will do so for the County Planning Quarterly. The City Message is a publication that is mailed to all property owners who receive water bills. It is a means of conveying important issues of citizen concern to abroad base of the population. The County's Planning Quarterly is mailed to persons interested in County planning issues. The article will explain the purpose of the CAMA Land Use Plan Update and the opportunities for public involvement through meetings of the Planning Commission, the City Council, the County Planning Board, the County Board of Commissioners, orLand Use Issues Week. Contact names and phone numbers will also be included in the article, as well as a listing of available meeting dates for hearings on the CAMA process. C. Graphic Displays The City and County Planning Departments will prepare portable graphic displays of materials that can be produced in multiple versions for display at a variety of large public meeting areas, such as the New Hanover County Libraries, the Senior Citizen's Center, City and County offices and other suitable meeting areas city and countywide. The displays will provide relevant information regarding the CAMA Land Use Plan Update and the schedule forpublic meetings for Land Use Issues Week. The displays will be colorful in order to catch the eye and be informative. D. City and County Departments, Boards and Commission Notification A memorandum will be distributed to all City and County departments regarding the CAMA Land Use Plan Update generally and Land Use Issues Week specifically. The same 2 memorandum will be sent to all County and City board and commission members. Board O members constitute an existing body of concerned citizens who actively participate in City and County affairs. Their experience and expertise could prove invaluable in motivating citizens to voice their concerns and ideas regarding land development in the City and County. All departments will also be notified in order to assist in disseminating information to the public regarding the issue. E. Media Coverage All radio and television stations will be contacted through news releases regarding Land Use Issues Week and other forums in which the public can participate. In addition, personal calls from staff members will be made in order to schedule appearances on morning, noon, and evening news programs on both television and radio to further publicize the process and the Land Use Issues Week. An appearance each day of that week may assist in greater turnout by the public. E Mailing List of Concerned Citizens The County and City Planning Departments will keep a mailing list of the names, addresses and phone numbers of all citizens who inquire about the CAMA process in order to notify them of public meetings on the issue and to send copies of information that may be Oof interest. G. Initial Hearings on the Planning Process Hearings or public meetings will be held by the County and City officials on the following subjects: the existing Land -Use Plan, the significance and importance of the policy statements in relation to LAMA, and the citizen participation process for the Plan Update. The City Planning Department will utilize the second Planning Commission meeting of each month as a means of providing a CAMA Land Use Plan Update to Commission members on the activities completed by staff for each month of the planning process. H. Telephone Survey of Registered Voters A telephone survey of active registered voters will be conducted in order to identify priority issues in the unincorporated County and the City. The number of voters chosen from the City and each township will be based on the proportion of populations in the City and each township in order to give representative coverage of the County. QI. Presentation of Technical Studies A series of technical studies, e.g. Population and Economic Growth, will be conducted 3 O prior to formulation of the draft Plan Policies for Growth and Development and the Land Classification Map. These technical studies will be presented as they are completed to the respective City and County Planning Boards and to the City Council and County Commis- sioners at formally advertised public meetings. They will be made available for public review and comment. J.. Land -Use Issues Week The City and County Planning Departments will conduct a Land -Use Issues Week in an effort to solicit further public input in identifying issues of concern. This week will likely consist of five public meetings held throughout the County and City at local schools. The meetings will be advertised in the Wilmington papers. Press releases and copies of the telephone survey will be distributed to newspapers, radio and television stations, citizen groups, and other interested parties. K. Land -Use Plan Week The County and City Planning Departments will conduct approximately five evening public meetings similar to the format followed during Land -Use Issues Week in order to solicit comments concerning the draft Land -Use Plan. OL. Public Hearings Formal public hearings concerning the draft Land -Use Plan will be held before the City Planning Commission, County Planning Board, City Council, and County Commissioners. A Presentation to Citizen Groups The County and City Planning Departments will inform local citizen and civic groups that staff will be pleased to make presentations concerning the Land -Use Plan at their meetings. These presentations can be offered to technical associations citywide, as well as neighborhood groups and homeowners associations. III. SCHEDULE OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES The following schedule provides approximate dates of citizen participation activities. Because this land -use planning process will take place over a period of several years, the Oactivities and their scheduling arc subject to change. Any significant change in this citizen participation plan, however, will be brought to the attention of the public and reviewed and approved by the local governing bodies. 4 101 ES, PROPOSED SCEDULE OF ACTIVITIES ACTIVITY A. Initial Public Hearings: DATE City Planning Commission .................................................. September, 1990 County Planning Board ....................................................... September, 1990 CityCouncil............................................................................October, 1990 County Commissioners...........................................................October, 1990 B. Telephone Survey............................................................... September, 1991 C. Land -Use Issues Week ........................................................ November, 1991 D. Land -Use Plan Week............................................................. February, 1992 E. Public Hearings on Land -Use Plan: City Planning Commission.................................................... February, 1992 County Planning Board......................................................... February, 1992 CityCouncil................................................................................ April, 1992 County Commissioners............................................................... April, 1992 F. Technical Studies - The public input process will be continuous as studies are prepared and presented from the end of 1990 to the end of 1991. This plan was adopted by Wilmington City Council on December 18,1990 and by New Hanover County Commissioners on February 4,1991. 5