Land Use Plan 2020
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Land Use Plan 2020 for Surry County, North Carolina Adopted by the Surry County Board of County Commissioners September 5, 2012 Updated from Land Use Plan 2015 By The Surry County Planning Board Buck Buckner, Chairman And The Surry County Planning and Development Department Kim Bates, AICP, Director LAND USE PLAN 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 5. Future Development Chapter 1. Introduction 2 Opportunities 32 1.1 Planning Period 2 1.2 Geographic Scope 3 5.1 A Vision for Surry County 32 1.3 Organization 3 1.4 History 3 5.2 Growth Management 33 1.5 Overview of Trends & Issues 4 5.2.1 Corridor Planning 34 5.2.2 Pilot Mountain State Park 37 Chapter 2. Growth Trends 5 5.2.3 Northwest Surry County 39 2.1 In Surry County 5 5.2.4 Mitchell River Special Planning Area 40 2.2 Northwest North Carolina 6 5.2.5 Recent and Ongoing Planning Projects 41 2.3 State Trends 6 2.4 Municipalities 6 5.3 General Development Goals 43 2.5 Distribution of Population 7 2.6 Race and Origin 7 5.4 Development Principles and 2.7 Age 7 Guidelines 43 2.8 Households 7 5.4.1 Economic Development 43 2.9 Housing 7 5.4.2 Transportation 43 2.10 Local Economy 9 5.4.3 Water and Sewer 44 2.11 Education 11 5.4.4 Industrial Development 45 5.4.5 Commercial Development 46 Chapter 3. Development Factors 11 5.4.6 Rural and Agricultural Development 47 3.1 Surry County Today 11 5.4.7 Residential Development 47 3.2 Physiography 12 5.4.8 Open Space and Recreation 48 3.3 Hydrology 12 5.4.9 Farmland / Rural Preservation 49 3.4 Watersheds 13 5.4.10 Protection of Natural, Historical 3.5 Flood Prone Areas 14 and Cultural Resources 49 3.6 Soils 15 5.4.11 Community Appearance 50 3.7 Environmentally Sensitive Areas 16 5.4.12 Environmental Quality 51 3.8 Historical & Cultural Resources 17 5.4.13 Planning Coordination 51 3.9 Community Facilities & Services 20 5.4.14 Tourism 52 3.10 Transportation 22 5.4.15 Mixed Use Development 52 3.11 Fire 25 3.12 Electricity/Telephone/Natural Gas 25 5.5 Land Classification 52 3.13 Solid Waste 25 Chapter 6. Public Involvement 55 Chapter 4. Current Development Policies 26 4.1 Zoning Ordinance 26 Sources and Acknowledgements 56 4.2 Subdivision Regulations Ordinance 27 4.3 Watershed Protection 28 Appendix 1. The Information Gathering 4.4 Mountain Ridge Protection Ordinance 28 Process for Land Use Plans 2015 4.5 Small Area Plans 28 And 2020 57 4.6 State Road Community Dev. Plan 29 4.7 Interstates Site Assessment 29 Appendix 2. The Information Gathering 4.8 Transportation Planning 29 Process for the 2000 Land Use Plan 59 4.9 20-Year Water/Sewer Capital Improvement Plan 30 Appendix 3. Maps: 61 4.10 Recreation Master Plan 30 1. Existing Land Use Map 61 4.11 Additional Capital Improvement 2. Future Land Use Map 62 Planning 31 3. Current Development Patterns in the 4.12 Environmental Policy 31 Piedmont Triad (2010 Census) 63 4.13 Hazard Mitigation Plan 31 SURRY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA 1 LAND USE PLAN 2020 participated over a decade ago in the beginning of CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION this planning process tend to hold true, and retain A land use plan for Surry County, North Carolina may value among citizens and their representatives. These logically begin with three premises on which many will include the encouragement of high-quality, wisely agree: placed land development, improved employment opportunities, a stable tax base and a variety of (1) The County is rural and has abundant natural housing choices. Steadfast preservation of our farms, beauty and resources; these qualities are near forests, waters and scenic mountain views is also of and dear to the hearts of those who live in the great importance to Surry citizens, and is counted county. among values essential to the quality of life we share. (2) The County is blessed with four vibrant Surry County‘s current land use planning process municipalities, each having durable capacities for began in the late 1990‘s, in response to concerns urban services and reasonable potential for about future development in the area. The Surry continued growth, if such growth is desired. Board of Commissioners requested in 1999 that the County develop its most comprehensive land use plan (3) Citizens of the County deserve their fair share of to date. A committee was appointed and began all these public goods, as well as the enjoyment working with County and state planners in August of of their private property rights. 1999. After one year of development with feedback from citizens at several public forums, the first edition How might these and other truths, at times only partly of this Land Use Plan was adopted on September 18, related and occasionally in conflict, be advanced in a 2000. single cohesive strategy so that a unified vision for the physical future of Surry County will emerge? Land Use Plan 2020 is the second update of the plan adopted by the Board of Commissioners at the turn of Surry County‘s Land Use Plan 2015, adopted by the the century. The policies defined in this plan are the County‘s governing board in October 2006, begins foundation for Surry‘s first countywide zoning with an observation of the county‘s history of ―steady ordinance, adopted in September 2001. The initial economic and population growth around its four version of this plan also facilitated the creation of a municipalities, while maintaining a rural atmosphere voluntary farmland preservation program, adopted in outside of these urban environs‖ - a balance ―of the late summer of 2005. economic prosperity, population growth and rural living‖ worthy of preserving. This balance of diverse Local land use planning employs public discourse and qualities remains vital in Surry as we begin the factual data to create a documented guide for land second decade of the 21st century. development policies. The tenets of this plan should reflect an honest perception of the shared goals and It is generally recognized that global economic trends vision of the citizens of the county. Thus the Surry have had local effects, and that land development in zoning and subdivision ordinances should be seen as Surry County has slowed nearly to stagnation in tools, which if used wisely and correctly, will recent years. A recovery is apparently underway, but consistently implement policies outlined in the plan. many of the more optimistic goals expressed in the 2006 edition of this plan have yet to be reached. In Determinations on regulated development proposals difficult times, thoughtful, well-focused land use submitted to Surry County government from the year planning remains a useful tool for the rational 2000 to the present have been guided by principles stewardship of valuable shared resources. and guidelines found in the original Land Use Plan, along with its 2006 and current editions. This practice County leaders have consistently encouraged was reinforced by the NC General Assembly in 2006, periodic updates to Surry‘s Land Use Plan. The plan with new state statutes mandating that proposed is intended to provide structure and to state principles amendments to land use ordinances be accompanied and goals shared by the County as a whole, while by discussion and public documents addressing taking into account the evolving dynamic of an consistency with applicable adopted plans. interacting family of communities. It is normal and desirable that elements of adopted plans are subject 1.1 PLANNING PERIOD to review and occasional adjustment. Ten years: 2012-2021 There is also value in the stability gained by renewed commitment to commonly-held values and goals. Surry County‘s current practice is to update its Land Even in times of economic flux, the more fundamental Use Plan approximately every five years. Release of goals and ideals originally identified by those who this edition was timed to allow the inclusion and use SURRY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA 2 LAND USE PLAN 2020 of county-specific 2010 Census data and other neighborhoods. relevant planning efforts in progress. Frequent plan updates are widely encouraged by transportation, Political boundaries and the evolving regional environmental and emergency management officials, economy have influenced land development in the other state and federal agencies, regional planning County since early settlement. In 1770 Surry County projects, private foundations and other organizations, was created from the northern portion of Rowan to account for evolving conditions and development County. For its first nineteen years, the Surry County patterns in the planning area and surrounding region, seat was in Richmond, located in present-day Forsyth and in many cases to justify funding of public projects County. In those years Surry County‘s jurisdiction from both internal and external sources. covered the present land areas of Surry, Forsyth, Stokes and Yadkin counties. In 1789 the county was 1.2 GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE divided by formation of the Stokes County jurisdiction, leaving Surry with the territory of present-day Surry This Plan addresses the planning jurisdiction of Surry and Yadkin Counties. One year later, the riverside County, NC, defined as all lands within the political village of Rockford was named the County seat. boundaries of the county that are not governed by the Rockford became a busy trade center with commerce specific municipal planning jurisdictions of Dobson, and development anchored by public activities. When Elkin, Mount Airy and Pilot Mountain. Surry and Yadkin Counties were split in 1850 along the Yadkin River, the Surry County seat was moved 1.3 ORGANIZATION OF PLAN north to the central location of Dobson.