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Burke residents asked for opinions on land-use plan

By Sharon McBrayer | The News Herald

Published: March 31, 2009

Morganton - Burke County residents will get a chance to voice their opinions on a future land-use plan.
Burke County in April will have community meetings in the eastern part of the county to collect input for its land-use plan.
The first meeting of the Urban Corridor Small Area Plan is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday in Ray Childers Elementary School's cafeteria, 1183 Cape Hickory Road.
Another meeting is set for 6 to 8 p.m. April 16 at R.O. Huffman Recreation Center, 700 S. Main St. in Drexel.
People can drop in anytime during the meetings, say county officials.
The meetings are part of an ongoing process to come up with a land-use plan for an area that extends from the eastern suburbs of Morganton to the western suburbs of Hickory and Long View, said Marc Collins, county planning director and assistant county manager.
The plan doesn't include towns and their jurisdictions that fall in the area.
Collins said the meetings provide a good chance for residents to give their input before the county adopts a final plan.
The plan will look at things such as infrastructure, transportation, open space and recreation and natural and cultural uses, Collins said.
The plan will be similar to ones the county developed for the Lake James and Interstate 40 areas.
After county officials and a committee appointed by the Burke County Board of Commissioners for the designated area get input from the public, they will put together the area plan, Collins said.
That final plan will then be presented to the planning board. With that group's approval, it will go to commissioners for adoption.
The plan is a guide for elected officials to use when making decisions about proper land uses, Collins said.
For example, if someone requests a piece of property be rezoned, commissioners would consider the land uses laid out in the plan when they make their decision.
There is nothing binding in the plan, however, that would make commissioners decide on an issue one way or the other, Collins said.
For more information, go to http://co.burke.nc.us/departments/planning-develop... or call the county planning department at 439-4362.