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TAL ZONE ORMATIM CEN orr VIM D',.QEVE.LQPM,ENT. PL'jL4 - 9-P --CO 'NT.Y- IL u H D 211 .N8 INFORMATION CENTER THIS REPORT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS C. H. Edwards, Chairman W, J, Barnacascel T. E. Brown Robert Spivey B. F. Bazemore John Whitehurst, County Manager PLANNING BOARD C, B. Griffin Jr., Chairman Kelly Bishop J.L. Hofler Ben Weaver Phillip White Kenneth Bryant George Jennings J. L, Parker, Jr. John Whitehurst Henry Spruill Bill Hill PROJECT STAFF: John W. Shore, III, Community Planner Marian Alligood, Secretary Mary Noe, Secretary Linda Robgood, Secretary Mike Yount, Draftsman Danny Smith, Draftsman Property of CSC Library U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NOAA COASTAL SERVICES CENTER 2234 SOUTH HOBSON AVENUE CHARLESTON SC 29405-2413 TABLE OF CONTENTS .Page I, Introduction I 11. Description of Present,Conditions 4 A, Population and Economy 5 B. Existing Land Use 27 C. Current Plans, Policies, and Regulations 29 III. Major Land Use Classes (Public Participation Activities) 35 A. Identification and Analysis of Major Land Use Issue 36 B. Alternatives Considered in the Development of Goals and Policies 39 C. Land Use Goals and Objectives 40 D, Process Used In Determining Goals. 44 E. Securing Public Participation 46 IV, Constraints on Development 48 A. Land Potential 49 B. Capa@ity of Community Facilities 72 V. Estimated Demand 84 A, Population and Economy 85 0 B. Future Land Needs 91 C. Community Facilities Demand 91 VI, Areas of Environmental Concern 95 VIT. Plan Description 102 Vill, Summary (Bibliography) 108 IX, City County Plan Relationship 112 TABLES Page 1, Population Trends, Bertie County 7 2. Summary of Population Trends, Bertie County and Township 8 3. Population Trends, Selected Places, Bertie County 10 4. Population Change by Age, Group and Race, Bertie County, 1960-70 11 5. School Enrollment., Bertie County, 1960 and 1970 13 6. Years of.School Completed, by,Seix, Bertie County, 1960 'and 1970 14 7. Years of School Completed, Bertie County, 1960 and 1970 15 8. Survey of High School Graduates, Bertie County-i 1960-1970 16 9, Non-White Population School Enrollment, Bertie County 1960-1970 18 10, Non-White Population, Years of School Completed, Bertie County 1960 and 1970 19 11. Bertie County, Work Force Estimates, 1962, 1967, and 1972 21 12. Employment Analysis, Bertie County, 196 2, 1967, and 1972 22 13. Community Patterns for Bertie County 24 14. Family Income Data for Bertie County, 1969 25 15. Manufacturing Firms, Bertie County, 1975 26 0 16. Highway Mileage by System, Bertie County 30 11, Inventory' of Historic Areas, Bertie County 58-62 18, Volume of Growing Stock and Saw-Timber by Species Group Bertie County 67 19. Net Annual Growth and Removal of Growing Stock and Saw Timber on Commercial Forest Land, By Species Group, Bertie County 68 20, Bertie County, Selected Agricultural Statistics 69 21. Selected Agricultural Crops, Acres, Production and Value Bertie County, 1973 22. Bertie County, N.C., Public School Facilities, 1973-74 School Year 80 23. Bertie County, Plan for Reorganization 81 24. Utilization of Primary Roads, Bertie County, 1972 83 25. County, Township and Municipal Projection, Bertie County 1970 - 2000 87 26, County and Municipal Department.Data 94 TABLES (Continued) Page 1. Population by Age and Sex, Askewville, 1970 115 2. Projected Population, Askevville, Windsor Township and Bertie County, 1970-2000 119 1. Population by Age and Sex, Aulander, 1970 123 2. Projected Population, Aulander and Bertie County, 1970-2000 127 1. Population by Age and See, Colerain, 1970 132 2. Projected Population, Colerain, Colerain Township and Bertie County, 1970-2000 136 1. Population by Age and Sex,Kelford, 1970 141 2. Projected Population, Kelford, Roxobel Township and Bertie County, 1970-2000 144 1. Population by Age and Sex, Lewiston, 1970 150 2. Population by Age and Sex, Woodville, 1970 151 3. Population Projections, Lewiston, Woodville, Woodville Township and Bertie County, 1970-2000 154 1. Population by Age and Sex, Powellsville, 1970 158 2. Projected Population, Powellsville and Bertie County, 1970-2000 161 1. Population by Age and Sex, Roxobel, 1970 166 2. Projected Population, Roxobel,Roxobel Township and Bertie County, 1970-2000 168 MAPS Page 1. Population Distribution, liertie County 6 2. Townships 9 3. Transportation 31 4. Bertie County General Soils Map 51-A 5. Historic Sites 63 FIGURES Page 1. Commercial Forest, Ownership 66 2. Bertie County, Forest Types 67 3. Population Projections, Bertie County 86 1. Population Trends, Askewville, 1940-1970 116 1. Population Trends, Aulander, 1940-1975 123 1. Population Trends, Colerain, 1940-1975 131 1. Population Trends, Kelford, 1940-1970 142 1. Population Trends, Woodville, 1940-1975 148 2. Population Trends, Lewiston, 1940-1975 149 1. Population Trends, Powellsville, 1940-1975 159 1, Population Trends, Roxobel, 1940-1975 165 INTRODUCTION This document, the Bertie County Coastal Area Management.Act Land Use Plan, is the result of almost two years of intensive effort on the part of many people in Bertie County. The plan was initiated in response to the North Carolina Coastal Area Management Act passed by the 1974 General Assembly, The Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) established a cooperative program of land use management between local and state governments, The goals of the act were: 1) To provide a management system capable of preserving and managing the environmentally sensitive areas; 2) To ensure that development in the coastal area proceeds in an orderly manner; and 3) To provide a balance,between the use and preservation of our coastal resources, Under the Act local governments are responsible for developing local land use plans which reflect the public$s desires concerning local growth and development, The Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) was established by the Act to oversee the development of local land use plans, The CRC was also given the responsibility of designating Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC), which are to receive special attention from both the local governments and the CPIC. -This document represents Bertie County@s efforts to comply with the re- quirements of the Act. It is written in accordance with the "State Guidelines For Local Planning In The Coastal Area Under The Coastal Area Management Act of 1974." These guidelines were prepared by the CRC and adopted on Ja nuary 27, 1975, amended October 15, 1975. 2 The plan will serve as a "blueprint" for future development in Bertie County. It identifies major,land use issues facing Bertie County and offers a course of action to deal with these issues in a manner that the people of the county desire, Almost all of the goals and objectives in this plan represent a concensus of opinion among the people of the county, They must utilize this plan in their day-to-day decision-making. If this is accomplished, then the aims of this plan will be realized, 3 DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT CONDITIONS A. POPULATION AND ECONOMY POPULATION, Bertie County has been experiencing population loss since 1950 (Table E). This outmigration can be attributed to, first, a national trend of migration from rural areas to urban areas, and,.secondly, a change in the agricultural practices which reduced the labor demand for agricultural workers, Tables -2 and 3 examine population shifts between 1960 and 1970 for town- ships and municipalities, Note that while Windsor township lost population during the decade, the Town of Windsor gained in population.. Askewville, which is in Windsor Township, also gained population, The Town of Colerain Also gained in population while Colerain Township lost., This would indicate that migration is occurring within the County, with the rural areas losing population and towns gaining-in population, Generally those who migrate from one area to another are the young, the better educated and the economically disadvantage& Each of these groups are seeking opportunities which they perceive as not existing in their native area. This has implication for s ervice offered by local government. First, demand for facilities and services for the elderly will increase. Secondly, fewer children will be attending County schools. Other services, such as recreation, will be affected by these population changes. Table 4 examines population change by age group and race. A, POPULATION AND ECONOMY POPULATION, Bertie County has been experiencing population loss since 1950 (Table 1). This outmigration can be attributed to, first, a national trend of migration from rural areas to urban areas, and, secondly, a change in the agricultural practices which reduced the labor demand for agricultural workers, Tables -2 and 3,examine population shifts between 1960 And 1970 for town- ships and municipalities, Note that while Windsor township lost population during the decade,, the Town of Windsor gained in population. Askewville, which is in Windsor Township, also gained popula tion, The Town of Colerain also gained in population while Colerain Township lost., This would indicate that migration is occurring within the County, with the rural areas losing population and towns gaining-in population, Generally those who migrate from one area to another are the young, the better educated and the economically disadvantaged. Each of these groups are seeking opportunities which they perceive as not existing in their native area. This has implication for service offered by local government. First, demand for facilities and services for the elderly will increase. Secondly, fewer children will be attending County schools. Other services, such as recreation, will be affected by these population changes. Table 4 examines population change by age group and race. co 7.1 \17 0 4;- 'G A-1 0 v'. 0 0 AP 4L-. 00 4b. 0 "0 BERTIE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA POPULATION DISTRIBUTION I Dot Represents 50 People MAY 19 MAP 1 Table 1 POPULATION TRENDS BERTIE COUNTY 1940 - 1970 NUMBER YEAR COUNTY CHANGE 1940 26,201 -- 1950 26,439 238 1960 24,350 -2,089 1970 20,528 -3,822 Source: U. S. Census of Population, 1960 and 1970 ----------- 7 TABLE 2 SUMRY OF POPULATION TRENDS BERTIE COUNTY AND TOWNSHIPS 1960 and 1970 Change; 1960 1.970 1960 1970 Number Percent BERTIE COUNTY 24,350 20,528 -3.)822 1M Colerain 4,756 4,069 687 14,4 Indian Woods 1,183 874 309 26* 1 Merry Hill 1,242 630 612 49.2 Mitchells 2,860 2,373 487 17.0 Roxob.el 2,256 1,871 385 - 17.0 Snakebite 1,2o6 1,036 170 - 14.0 00 Whites., 2,029 2,006 23 1.1 'd @ - Wiodsor 6,893 6,141 752 10.9 Woodville 1,925 1,528 397 20.6 Source*. U. S. Census of Population, 1970 TABLE 3 POPULATION TRENDS SELECTED PLACES BERTIE COUNTY 1960 and 1970 Change: 1960 1970 1960 1970 Place, Population Population. Number Percent Colerain 340 373 33 9.7 0 Powellsville 259 247 -12 -4.6 Aulander 1,083 947 -136 -12.5 Kelford 362 295 -67 -18.5 Roxobel 452 347 -105 -23.2 Askewville 195 247 52 26.7 Windsor 1,813 2,199 386 21.3 Lewiston 360 327 -33 -9.2 Woodville 344 253 -91 -26.5 Source: U. S. Census of Population, 1970 TABLE 4 POPULATION CHANGE BY AGE GROUP AND RACE BERTIE COUNTY 1960 1970 ChanSez 1960 1970, 1960 1970. Number Percent Age Group 'White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite White Nonwhite- All 9,897 14,453 8,913 11,615 984 2,838 9.9 19.6 Under 5 814 2,321 557 1,169 -257 -1,152 -31.5 -49.6 5 to 9 965 2,222 678 1,531 -287 - 691 -.29.7 -:31.0 10 to 14 1,031 1,992 764 1,763 -267 229 -25.8 -11.4. 15 to 19 .830 1,4912 822 1,493 8 1 - 0.9 -.29.5 20 to 29 1,035 1,440 1,032 1,014. 3 426 - 0.2 -29.5 30 to 44 1,882 2,190 1,434 1.603 -448 587 -23.8 -26,8 .45-to 59 1,785 19594 1,856 1,676 71 82 3.9 5.1 .60 to 64 465 345 559 441 94 96 20.2 and Over 19090 1,211 925 121 68 11.1 7.9 Source: U. S. Census of.Population, 1960 and 1970 BERTIE.COUNTY-SCHOOL ENROLLMENT From-@,1960 to 1970 Bertie County has shown a decrease in total school enrollment. Table 5 shows that in 1960, 1,358 persons were enrolled in high. school as compared to 1,809 in 1970. This represents a 33.percent change in high school enrollment. The total number of persons enrolled in college rose from 25 in 1960 to 45 in 1970, representing an 80 percent change. Overall, the substantial decrease in total school enrollment can be paralleled with total county population decline. Traditionally, completion of school has been low in rural.sputhern communities. From all indications, over the past ten years, education has become more important to the citizens of Bertie County. As shown in Tables 6 and17 the numberof individuals with no school years completed has declined. Comparing the figures under the headings High School and College, generally one concludes that.:the.r.e has been a trend toward higher education in Bertie County, Tablel looks.at years of -4,chool completed by.sex, Table 8 eradicates,@.the educational attainment in Bertie County. The larges,t number of students graduated in 1969 and 1971. In 1969, over 50 percent of, the total number of.graduates in Bertie County continued their education. Of the.school years surveyed, 1973 was the only year that less than half the CountY's high school graduates did not continue their education. 12 TABLE5 SCHOOL ENROLLMENT BERTIE COUNTY 1960 and 1970 Change: .1960 and 1970 1960 1970 Ntmber Percent Total Enrolled 6,600 6, 211 @449 6.0 Kindergarten' 44 242 198 450 Elementary 5,233 4,115 1,118 21.0 High School 1,358 lX9 451 33.0 College 25 45 20 80.0 Source: U. S. Census of Population, 1960 and 19-70, 13 TABLE 6 YEARS OF SCHOOL COWLETED BY SEX BERTTE COUNTY 19.60 and 1970 Number Percent 1960 1970 Change Change Malej 25 years old and o-(rer 5,385 4,902 483 819 No School years completed 219 295 76 34@7 Elementary: 1 to 4 years 1,493 992 501 33,5 5 to 8 years 2,198 1,779 419 1910 High School: I to 3 years 670 848 178 26,5 4 years or more 419 574 155 36,9 College: 1 to 3 years 252 215 37 14,6 or more 134 199 65 .48.5 Median School Years Completed 6.8 7,4 .6 8.8 Fema*le, 25 years and over. 5,959 5,701 258 4..3 No School Years Completed 135 129 6 ..4.4 Elementary: 1 to 4 years 749 505 244 32.5. 5 to 8 years 2,406 2,029, 377 15.6 High School: 1 to 3 years 996 1,476 48,1. 4 years or more 982 68 6,9 College: 1 to 3 years 415 295-, 120 28.9 4 or more 276 353- 77 27,8 Median Schoot-Years Completed 8. 5* 9.4 .9, 10.5 Source: U-S. Census of-Population TABLE 7 YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED BERTIE COUNTY 1960 and 1970 Number Percent Total 1960 1970 change change- Male and Female 25 yrs. & over 11,344 10,603 741 6.0 No. Schoo1years completed 2 424 70 19.0 Elementary: 1 to 4 years 2,242 1,497 745 33.0 5 to 8 years 4,604 3,808 79 17.1 High School: to 3 years 1666 2,324 658 39.4 4years or more 1401 1,488 87 6.2 College: I to 3 years 67 510 157 23,5 4 or more 410 552 142 34.6 Source: U. S. Census of population, 1960 and 1970. TABLE 8 SURVEY OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES BERTIE COUNTY 1969 1973 Enrolled In Trade Enrolled Enrolled. Business Number in In and Entered Number Of Senior Junior Nursing Military Gainfully All Years Graduates College Colleges Schools 5erv@r ,e -Employed Other 190 344 61 17.7 21 6,1 103 29.9 30 8.7 106 30.8 23 6, 8 1970 311 55 17,7 16 5,1 115 37.0 7 2.2 97 31.2 21 6.8 1971 341 62 18.2 25 7..3 W 28.7 16 4.7 119 34.9 21 6.2'. 90, - 1972 316 60 19.01 15 6,10 28.4 10 3.2 121 28,3 16 5.1 1973 333 63 18.9 87 26-,l 9. 21 7 25 7,5 149 44.8 Source: C,_Department@of Public Education, Surveys'of High School Graduates, 1969 1973, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE NONWHITE POPULATION The nonwhite population school enrollment has declined with.the overa countylls total school enrollment decline, In 1960, there were 4,418 nonwhites' enrolled in Bertie County schools, By 1970 the number of students had declined by 111. The most significant change occurred in the number enrolled in high schools, a 44 percent change., The most n.oteworthy-change is found in the number enrolled.in college, In 1960 there were 14 nonwhites in college as compared'to NONE in 1970. (See Table 9) Table 10 shows.the nonwhite population years of school completed in Bertie County. During the 1960 1070 decade, Bertie County experienced an A increase in the number of nonwhites with no school years completed, a 25 per- cent change. From all indications, the nonwhite population is lowest in educational and income attainment in Bertie County. 17 TABLE 9 NONWHITE POPULATION SCHOOL ENROLLMENT BERTIE COUNTY 1960 and 1970 Number Percent 1960 1970 Change Change TOTAL ENROLLED 4,418 4,307 ill 2,0 KINDERGARTEN 24 182 158 658 ELEMENTARY 3.,583 2,976 607 16.0 HIGH SCHOOL 797 1,149 352 44,0. 00 "COLtEGE 14 0 14 100 Source: U, S. Census of Population, 1960 and 1970, w TABLE 10 NONWHITE POPULATION YMS OF SCHOOL COICLETED BERTIE COUNTY 1960 and 1970 Number Percent 1960 1970 Change Change ales and Females, 25 years old and over 5,632 5,080 552 - 9.0 No School years completed 258 325 67 25.0 Elementary: 1 to 4 1,626 1P047 579 35.0 5 to 8 2,415 20010 405 16.0 High School: 1 to 3 743 1,007 264 35.0 4 or more 377 424 47 12'0 College: 1 to 3 80 80 0 0 4 or more 133 187 54 40.0 M6dian School Years Completed 6,6 7.0 Source: U. S. Census of Population, 1960 and 1970, ECONOMY A definitive analysis of Bertie County's economy is beyond the scope of this study. This section will attempt to provee an economic overview and framework of Bertie County to be used by locai-decision makers. The past two decades have'witnessed a profound c@kange in the agricultural practices in the United States. Farming has be'com'e increasi.n9jov mechanized, creating a trend toward fewer, but larger, farms and fewer workers needed to produce equal or greater yields. This change in agricultural-practices has had a tremendous impact upon Bertie County. In 1962, 49.7% of Bertie's civilian work force and 54.3% of the County's i`@c@uiltural employment. r ng employed were engaged in agri i @the ten year period 0 between 1962 and 1972, Bertie County lost 1,630 agricultural jobs (31.5% of the. civilian work force). As Table 17 shows, their loss in agricultural jobs out- stri ped job gains made in.other sections of the eco One method,of analys is of the work force estimates for counties is to divide the activities reported into basic and non-basic activities. Basic activities are defined as those which export goods and services outside of the County. In 0 exporting"goods and services, these activities inject outside money into the local economy, This "outside" money has a multiplier effect, in that it supports other non-basic activities within the County, The non-basic activities are defined as those which provide goods and services for consumption within the County. An example of the basic and non-basic activities defined above might be provided.by a peanut farmer in Bertie County. The farmer raises a crop of peanuts which he sells for consumption outside the* County. The farmer's activities are basic. With the money the farmer receives, he purchases items for his family, pays taxes which are used to educate his children and disposes of his "outside" money'.in other ways. The merchants who sell the farmer items, 20 the teacher who teaches his children and others who provide other goods and services are engaged in non-basic activities. TABLE 11 BERTIE COUNTY WORK FORCE ESTIMATES 1962, 1967 and 1972 1962 1967 1972 Net Change 1962-1972 (+ or Civilian Work Force 7840 7190 7210 -630 Unemployment, Total 660 430 520 -140 Rate of Unemploy. 8.4 6.0 7.2 -1.2 Employment, Total 7180 .6760 6690 -490 Non Ag. Wage and Salary Employ. 2490 3060 3480 +930 Manufactu5ing 1 990 1190 1510 +520 Non Mgs. 1500 1870 1970 +470 All other Non Ag. Employ, 790 860 940. +150 Ag. Employment 3900 2840 2270 -1630 1includes: Food; lumber and wood; tobacco; apparel; printing; stone; clay and glass; and non-electrical machinery. 2Includes: Construction; transportation, communication & public utilities; trade; financial, insurance & real estate; service; government and other non-manufacturing. Source: Work Force Estimates, 1972, Employment Security Commission. In this basic-non-basic approach, the export base is the major factor determining the level of the County income in that it supports the non-basic sector. An indication of the area's economic health can begained by examining the ratio of the bas ic and non-basic activities in a county, A county that depends too heavily on one or a few large basic industries may be unstable in .that the impact of an economic slump might prove disastrous. Table 12 utilizes employment figures in breaking down Bertie's employment into basic and non-basic activities for the years 1962, 1967 and 1972. In 1962 Bertie County had an extremely high proportion of basic activities. This is dueto the dominate role played by agricultural employment. By 1972 radical change had 21 occurred in the employment picture. The number of basic activities decreased while an increase occurred in the non-basic sector, both as a whole and in gross numbers. While it is recognized that the ratio between basic and non-basic will vary,.an increase in.basic employment generally gives rise to increased @supporting employment, Perhaps most significant is the'direction of change of the ratio. An inex,ease in the ratio ofbasic.employmen't to total employ!!@. ment might indicate a new growth cycle, whereas a'decrease may indicate a, leveling off or decline, TABLE 12 EMPLOYMENT ANALYSIS Bertie County 1962, 1967 and,19-72 Number of Employees Employment Catagory 1962 1967 1972 .BASIC facturing Food 160 130 @130 Wood & Lumber 680 700 660 Other Manufacturing 150 360 720 Total Manufacturing 990 1190 1510 Non-Manufacturing Agricultural 3900 2840 2270 All other non-manufacturing' 790 860 940 Total Non-manufacturing 4690 3700 3210 ,TOTAL BASIC 5680 4890 4720 TOTAL NON-BASIC 1500 1870 1970 Total Employed 7180 6760 6690 Percent Basic/Total Employed 79.1 72@3 70A 22 The decrease in total jobs available in Bertie County between 1962 and 1972.caused those that were displaced from the job market to seek employment elsewhere. Undoubtedly, this contributed to the outmigration experienced by Bertie County during the 1960's, Others chose to remain in Bertie County and commute-to surrounding areas in order to obtain employment, Table 13 examines commuting patterns for Bertie County during 1960 and 1970, Note the large net commuting loss between 1960 and 1970. The surrounding counties of Hertford and Northampton captured the largest numbers of commuters. Residents of Bertie County showed a willingness to commute as far as Norfolk, Virginia and Beaufort County in order to find work, Bertie.County had a personal income total of $52 million in.1972. This broke down to,a per capita income of $2,461. This per capita income is only 55% of the national average and 66% of the Stateaverage. Income data for families, often a more meaningful index of income, shows a similar low level of income. The median family in Bertie County during 1969 was $4,829. The median income of black families was $3,296. The following table (Tabel 14) examines family income and other income data for Bertie County, The data is further broken down by race, The income data (Table 14)gives an indication of the,overall wealth and prosperity of the population of the County, Incomes can serve as the bell weather of the local economy, Another indication of economic health is the number of manufacturing firms@in the County and the number employed by the firms. Table 15 lists do manufacturing firms in the County and the numberemployed by the firms.. 23 TABLE 13 COMMUTING PATTERNS FOR..BERTIE COUNTY 1960 1970 Out- in- Out- In- County Commuting Commuting Commuting Commuting_ Beaufort 5 12 48 22 Chowan 38 25 249 12 Edgecombe 4 0 0 Gates 4 7 10 0 Halifax 18 12 17 10 Hertford 450 183 753 121 Martin 38 58 98 124 Nash 0 0 4 0 Northampton 25 46 103 62 Pasquotank 3 -- 0 8 Pitt 0 0 0 9- Tyrrell .0 0 0 7 Washington 4 -- 21 28 Norfolk (Virginia) 0 0 33 -- Elsewhere 69 51 128 55 TOTAL 658 394 1, 464 458 Live & Work -in Bertie County 6,387 4,46.6 4,466 Employed Residents 7,045 xxx 5,930 xxx Persons Working"in Bertie XXX 6,781 xxx 4,924' County, Net Commuting-Gain (+),or toss -264 -1,006 SOURCE; Employment Security Commission of North Carolina North Carolina Commuting Patterns, 1960 and 1970, 24 TABLE 14 FAMILY INCOME DATA FOR BERTIE COUNTY, 1969 Bertie Co. N. C. All Families Median Income $4,829 $7,774 Percent Receiving Public Assistance- 2 6 4-.. 4.4 Percent Less than Poverty Level 36.9 16.3 Percent Less than 75% Poverty Level 27.9 11.0 Percent Less than 125% Poverty Level 45.1 22.3 Black Families Median Income $3,296 $4,803 Percent Receiving Public Assistance 31.5 4.37 Percent Less than Poverty Level 56.2 28.7 Percent Less than 75% Poverty Level 44.8 27.3 Percent Less than 125% Poverty Level 64.9 49.3 Source: 197 0 U. S.. Census of'Population 25 TABLE 15 MANUFACTURING FIRMS Bertie County, 1�75 Employment. Firm Location Product Range Blue Ridge Shoe Corp. Aulander Shoes 100-249 National Peanut Corp. Aulander Peanuts 100-249 Georgia Pacific Corp, Colerain Timber 10-19 Perry, Wynns Fish Co. 'Colerain Canned herring,rock.& fish 250-499 Kelford Coca Cola Bottling Co. Kelford Soft drinks 10-19 H. E. Bunch Pattern Works Lewiston Wood & metal patterns, Non-ferrous castings, 5-9 Models and mockups9 Special millwork items Harrington Manu. Co. Lewiston Farm & industrial machinery 250-499 Weyerhaeuser Co. Lewiston Pine lumber 50-99 Roxobel Garment Co. Roxobel Children & Women's apparel 50-99 Bertie Industries Inc. Windsor Contract sewing 100-249 Berti e'Stave Co. Windsor Whiskey barrel staves 20-49 Blue Bell, Inc, Windsor Female dungarees. 100-249 Robert Sherlock Byrum Windsor Logging 5-19 'Copper Sand Co., Inc. Windsor Sand 5-9 Coulbourn.Lumber Co. Windsor Dressed pine lumber 50-99 Gillam Bros, Peanut Shellers Windsor* Peanuts 50-99 Stubbs Veneer Co. Windsor Rotary hardwood veneer 20-49 Lea Lumber & Plywood Co. Windsor Cut to size plywood 250-499 Metco Windsor American buildings.metal 10-19 Windsor Wood Prod., Inc. Windsor Furniture components 10-19 Tompson & Co. Windsor Cypress,...pine lumber-...& chi,ps,;10-19 Obie White & Sons Windsor Pine lumber 5-9 26 B. EXISTING LAND USE Bertie County has a total of 464,576 acres within its boundaries, Water areas comprise 23,986 acres, or 5.1 percent of this. The dominate land use within the land area.of the county is forestry, which has 309,083 acres, or 66.5 percent of the total area. Following forestry are croplands with 94, 234 acres (20.3 percent); other land in farms, such as feed lots, road, etc. 17,970 acres (3.9 percent); urban and built up land, 13,277 acres (2.9 percent), and pasture, 6,116 acres (1.3 percent). Between 1958 and 1967, Bertie County had a 314.9 percent change in the number of acres in the urban and built up category. There was a small increase in forest land (0.4 percent) and losses in cropland (@-6.4 percent), pasture (-10.2) and other land uses (-18.5.percent). An examination of the existing land use map will reveal that the county's population is grouped in and around the communities, This seems to be the pattern, with population leaving the more remote areas and migrating either out of the county or locating near population concentrations within the county. Conceptually, the county can'be viewed as having concentration of development in the incorporated areas of Askewville, Aulander, Colerain, Roxobel, Kelford, Lewiston-Woodville and Windsor, An unincorporated popula- tion concentration exists in the Merry Hill section. The areas surrounding these islands of development are used as a resource base.for farming and wood products. Presently, development-patterns are,sufficiently dispersed so as-'to create no significant compatibility problems from unplanned development which have implications for future land use. Two areas of the county are experiencing or likely to experience major 27 land use changes, The Me@ry Hill section of southeast Bertie County has been and is likely to continue experiencing an increase in residential develop- ment'. Job opportunities provided in nearby Plymouth make this area an attractive residential area. The second.area likely to experience major land use changesi@� the Woqdville-Lewiston and Roxobel-Kelford area. A large chicken processing plant has recently opened on N.C.3.08 between the two areas, It is'anticipated that future land use change's will result froIm (1) support industries moving into the area and (2) residential development resulting from the new job opportunities in the area. There is a high potential for haphazard develop- ment and conflicting land uses in the area. 28 C. CURRENT PLANS, POLICIES AND REGULATIONS Current plans, policies and regulations provide a means to analyze prior identification of needs and local government's response to those identified needs. What follows is.a listing of plans, policies and regulations available to and commonly used by local governments in North Carolina, 1. Plans and Policies Transportation Plans - Bertie County has no transportation plans. The following is an analysis of the county's transportation systems. The primary mode of transportation.in Bertie County is highway based transportation. North-South routes through the County are provided by N.C. 11 in the western portion of the County; U.S. 13 running from Williamston, through Windsor, to Ahoskie; and N.C. 45 running from Plymouth through Colerain into Hertford County. East-West transportation routes within the'County are largely centered around Windsor. U.S. 17 enters Bertie County at Williamston, proceeds to Windsor, and from there toward Edenton. N.C. 308 begins in Windsor and runs northeast toward and through Lewiston, Roxobel and Kelford. N.C. 305 branches off U.S. 13 five miles north of Windsor and proceeds to Aulander. In the northern part of the County, C61erain is connected to Powellsville and U.S. 13 by N.C. 350 running west from Co,lerain. In addition to the above, the County is interlaced with secondary roads. There are a total of 490 miles of secondary roads in the County of which 209 miles, or 42.6% are unpaved. Table 16 examines the highway mileage by systems in Bertie County. The automobile plays a dominant role in the transportation picture of Bertie County. Between 1960 and 1972, the number of automobile registrations in Bertie County increased from 5,393 to 8,OS9, an increase of almost 50 percent 29 during a period when the %County lost population, In 1972, one car was registered for every 2,5 persons. TABLE 16 Highway Mileage by Systems Bertie County Primary Secondary Rural 128 477 Municipal 12 1.3 Unpaved 0 209 Total 140 490 Source:,N. C. State Government Statistical Abstract Little is available for personal transportation in Bertie County, other than the private automobile. Carolina Trailways serves Bertie County with inter- city bus service for fare paying passengers and smaller packages. Their routes follow N. C. 11, U.S, 13 and U.S. 17. No bus stations are'located in the County but agency stops are located in Aulander, Lewiston and Windsor. Taxis offer a limited means of fare-paying transportation. The Choanoke Area Development Association (CADA) operates a rural public transportation service, in the rural areas of Bertie County. The system is intended primarily for the low income, elderly and handicapped p ersons, Service is available through regular routes or on demand. Air transportation is difficult to obtain in Bertie County. Those seeking regular passenger service must travel to the Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport or to Norfolk.- There are two general aviation aircraft based in Bertie County. The nearest pUblicly., owned airport is Tri-County Airport in Hertford County. 30 Historically, water transportation has played a major role in the develop- ment of Bertie County. The Roanoke, Chowan and Cashie Rivers were used as early avenues of trade. Today, water transport has almost ceased in the County. Surface transport, both rail and trucking, has replaced water trans- port. The rivers today serve more as a barrier to .transportation than a means of transportation. The Roanoke River-has historically been maintained as a navigation project by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project provides for a channel 12 feet deep and 150 feet wide from the Albemarle Sound to one mile above Plymouth, then 10 feet deep and 100 feet wide,to Hamilton, then 8 feet deep and 80 feet wide to Palmyra Landing and then 5 feet deep and 50 feet wide to Weldon, The Corps-has failed to properly maintain the river in recent years and it is doubt ful the project still exists. In any event no trade is transported from Bertie County via the Roanoke River. The Chowan River has a channel 12 feet deep and 80 feet wide running its entire length. Water transport is provided the Town of Colerain. Due to the Chowan, the areas of the County adjoining it could be utilized by indus- tries dependent upon water transport, The Cashie River is also navigable, In the past it has been used principally to transport pulpwood, sand, gravel and crushed stone. During 1973 no commerce was reported on the Cashie, Rail service-is provided in Bertie County by Seaboard Coast Line whose tracks run through the northwestern corner of the County. Rail service is provided to Aulander, Roxobel-Kelford and Woodville-Lewiston. 4 31 01 74 77 01 BERTIE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA TRANSPORTATION MAP 3 The Mid-East'Commission has completed a Regional Transportation Plan which can provide an overview of transportation in Region Q and Bertie-County's relationship to the regional transportation network. Commqnity Facilities Plan - Bertie County has no comprehensive community facili- ties plan. It has had two plans completed that deal with water and sewer needs. The first study of this type was conducted by Rivers and Associates in 196@,,,,the,-.Bertie County Comprehensive Water and Sewer Study. The study contains recommendations for water and sewer facilities for the county. A Region Q Water Management Plan prepared for the Mid East Commission in 1975 also examines the water and sewer, needs of Bertie County. This information is presented later in this plan. 'One 1201' wastewater treatment area has been designated in Bertie County. The area centers around the Lewiston-Woodville area and includes Roxobel and Kelford. A comprehensive wastewater treatment plan will be developed for the area, Utilities Extension Policies Bertie County has no utilities extension policy, Recreation Policy -.With the.advent of Revenue Sharing, the County began making recreation grants available to local communities, These grants ar e adminis- ;tered through a recreation advisory committee, This committee reviews requests from local communities and prepares a budget for submission.to the County Commissioners. The current policy of the recreation committee and the County Commissioners is to continue. assisting communities in providing their own recreational activities. 22en Space Policies Bertie County has no policy for the acquisition Or preser- vation of open space. 33 Prior Land Use Plans - Bertie County has not had any prior land use plans prepared. The county has had a planning board established for a number of years. Prior Land Use Policies - Bertie County has no prior land use policies. 2. Local Regulations Counties in North Carolina have available to them a broad range of regula- tory powers which enable local government to influence land use decisions. Below are listed a number of these regulations and their status in Bertie County. Zoning Ordinance - Bertie County does not enforce a zoning ordinance in any form. Subdivision Regulations - Bertie County does not enforce any subdivision regu- lations. Floodway Ordinances.- Bertie County is not enforcing any floodway ordinances. The County is not under the emergency flood insurance program and has not been identified as a flood hazard area. At the time of this writing there are no plans to map the flood prone areas of Bertie County. Without these areas mapped, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to adequately enforce a floodway .ordinanc6. Building Codes - Bertie County is presently enforcing the North Carolina Electri- cal Code. Some consideration is being given to extending code enforcement to include the building and plumbing codes. Mobile Ho. e and Travel Trailer Ordinance The county planning board presently has under consideration a mobile home and travel trailer ordinance. 34 Septic Tank Regulations - The Bertie County Health Department is presently enforcing septic tank regulations. These regulations meet minimum standards established by the N. C. Department of Human Resources. Historic District Regulations - Bertie County does not enforce any historic district regulations. Nuisance Regulations - Bertie County has no nuisance regulations which impact land use patterns.. 40 Dune Protection Ordinances - Bertie County has no dune protection ordinances. Sedimentation Codes - Bertie County has no sedimentation codes. Environmental IT2act Statement Ordinance - Bertie County has no environmental impact statement ordinance. 3. Federal and State Regulations As can be seen above, Bertie County enforces few regulations which have a significant impact on land use decisions. Of more consequence are the myriad of state and federal regulations which impact on the citizens of Bertie County. The state guidelines for preparation of these land use plans require that these state and federal regulations be listed and discussed. The N. C. Depart- ment of Natural and Economic Resources was to prepare such a listing and discussion for inclusion in this plan. At the date of this writing, no such listing has been presented to local governments for inclusion into these plans. 35 lll, MAJOR LAND USE ISSUES (PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES) A. IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF MAJOR LAND USE ISSUES @The basic thrust of this,plan is the identification of major land use issues and proposed courses,of action to deal with the identified issues. In identifying the major land use issues discussed in this plan, five subject areas were,examined., Thes,e,were: (1) the impact of population and economic trends; (2) the provision of adequate housing and other services; (3) the conservation of productive natural,resources; (4) the.,Protection.of.important natural environments; and (5):the protection of cultural and historic..resou"rces. Analysis of the above five areas resulted in the identification of,five major issues facing Bettie County. These issues were: (1) the need.for addi- tional economic development in the county; (2) the protection and utilization of valuable natural resources;-(3) the need to improve factors affecting the quality of life in the.county@;.-(4) the need to address land development.prob- lems facing the county;. and-(5) the need to provide a local government capable of meeting the challenges facing Bettie County. The number-one identifiedr,need in Bettie County is the need for addition- al economic development. The.-previous section on population and economy de- scribed the effects of chan.g,ilng.agricultur-al.practices onithe population and economy.,of Bettie County. If the county is unable to attract'additional economic development, then..the county is destined to remain at or near the bottom in a ranking of North Carolina counties.in areas-such as per,,capita income, average family income,'@percent below poverty level number.9f,sub- stantial housing units, etc. Outmigration is likely to continue,although at not as great a rate as in..the-past. The desire,to attain.a higher standard of living for all the citi zens of the county will [email protected]. 37 To break this cycle of poverty, the county has decided to continue its efforts to attract additional industries into the county. In-doing this, the county will seek to upgrade the skills of the labor force, encourage the development and utilization of the county's natural resources and further develop the county's infrastructure to better accommodate new industry. It is hoped that by attracting new industry into the county, income levels will rise, unemployment will drop, and the trend of outmigration will be stemmed. The second major land use issue identified was the conservation and utilization of the county's natural resources. Agriculture and forestry are major factors in the local economy,,as well as th-e dominant land uses in--the county. These resources, properly utili zed and managed, can continue to put dollars into the local economy, provide recreation, safeguard the environment ,and ensure the retention of the rural quality of life in Bertie County. In order to conserve and develop its natural resources, Bertie County needs an inventory of what those resources are. The county has long recogr nized th6 need for a detailed soils inventory. During preparation of this plan, the county was able to begin surveying the soils of the entire county, begin- ning in the growth areas or "hot spots." In addition to inventorying the county's resources, it was felt that there existed a need to inform the.small land owner of the need to properly manage his productive natural resources.. Efforts in this direction were to be in supporting existing educational programs, such as the County Agricultural Extension Service, and expanding prografs into new areas such as forestry management. Suggestions were made to hire a County Extension Forester to serve the same function as the Agricultural Extension Service. 38 In an effort to ensure.the..protection of the county's natural,resources, future county regulations and policies will be cognizant of, and address, constraints on development such as those discussed in this report. A third major land use issue was identified and labeled "Quality of Life.11 The goal is a result of manylexpressions of the positive aspects of life in Bertie County. Included.,'under.-this goal are such things as recreatiom, com- munity spirit, communications, shelter, shopping opportunities, church-life, and many-other factors which contribute to the community and how the resi- 40 dents feel about it. In the efforts to obtain cil;i.zen-input, both surveys and small-group meetings, residents indicated,,that the most desirable aspects of life,in Bertie County were such intangible factors as "the rural atmosphere," "good neighbors," "no pollution," "the'hunting and fishing in the area," "a sense of community"and similar qualities. The residents of the county wish to re.- tain these qualities of life in Bertie County while seeking changes in,economic development. BertiO_@County has few, if any, major land development problems.. Th e sparsely developed, rural nature of the county accounts for few conflicting land uses. Despite this land development was identified as a major land use issue... Citizens around the county, cited such land development problems.-,as.in- adequate'lot.size, septic tank,problems due.to soil characteristics, improper mobile home developments and other such problems. These problems were.large- ly centered in areas arouhd communities in the county that.we re not serviced by water and sewer. The recent completion'..of.the Purdue plant in the Lewiston-Woodville.area is expected to increase development pressure in the northwestern section,of 39 the county. The need to comply with development pressures by ensuring orderly development through such. devices as subdivision regulations and mobile home park regulations is recognized by the local officials. If the county proves successful in attracting additional economic development, other areas of.Bertie County will be faced with development pressures similar to those presented by the Perdue Plant - The need to, pro- vide the local control-necessary to ensure orderly growth has been recognized. A f if th major land use. issue was identif ied which dealt with the ef f i- ciency and responsiveness of local government. If this plan:is to be a key element in providing for a growing, prosperous Bertie County, then it must be implemented. Hwwell it is implemented is dependent on (1) how,closely it matches the desires of the people of Bertie County, and (2) the ability of local government to carry..out the objectives listed in this document. This goal seeks to involve more peoplein the local government-process and to ensure.that the programs suggested are carried out in the most effi- cient manner-.. B. ALTERMA IVES CONSIDERED IN THE DEVELOPNENT OF GOALS AND POLICIES Three basic alternatives were considered in the development of the goals and policies for this plan. -These alternatives centered.on the overall growth and development of Bertie County. The alternatives were: (1) To take no action, with the probable results being a continuation of-the trends of outmi'gration, high,.levels of poverty, poor housing conditions,, etc.,; (2) To seek a reversal of the outmigration, a rise -in income levels, re- duced unemployment, etc.; and, 40 (3) To seek largescale,industrial development. The second alternative was_selected. This 'alternative was in keeping with he desires of the citizens of the coutnty to seek more economic develop- ment while retaining the rural lifestyle,of Bertie County. The concensus on the desirable growth direction for the county was held by almost every citizen,contacted by the public participation effort. C. LAND USE GOALS AND.OBJECTIVES Goals provide an ideal or target to aim for. The following goals and objectives were established for Bertie County. The goal is a broad, general area or issue such as growth.. The objectives listed under that goal de- .scribe specifics such as the rate of growth desired by the county. When taken together,, these goals and-objectives draw a picture of what__Bertie C ounty should look like in.the future. Your elected officials will constantly refer to these goals while considering ,matters related to the future growth and development of Bertie County. The goals and objectives for Bertie County are: I. GOAL: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Using almost any indicator, per capita income,family income, etc., Bertie County is shown to be an economically underdeveloped area. Sixty-three percent of the County's residents respondimg .to a gues- tionnaire. felt that,unemployment was a moderate or severe problem while 56.8 percent felt that,lack of employment was a moderate or severe-problem. The need for more economic development was cited in every public meeting held by the Planning Board. Economic development was felt to be the most severe problem facing Bertie County and was assigned the number one priority. In an effort to achieve more economic development the following objectives should be pursued: To maintain or increase the present County ,efforts to recruit industry. To upgrade the-skills of the unemployed. to enable them to qualify for available jobs., 41 To assemble.information on loans, grants, market analyses, etc., to be used by individuals or corporations interested in establishing a business in Bertie County. To assist local communities in upgrading their water and sewer systems .in order to enable them to become more competitive in attracting in- dustry.. --To encourage the.deVelopment and.utilization of the natural resources in Bertie County. To attempt.to stop the County population loss by providing-job oppor- tunitieg. GOAL: NATURAL RESOURCES Bertie County has an abundant supply of-natural resources. Forestry and agriculture are major factors in the local economy and the dominant land use in the County. These resources, properly utilized and managed, can continue to put dollars into the local economy, provide recreation, safe- guard the environment and ensure the retention of the rural quality of life in Bertie County. In order to utilize andmanage the natural resources of Bertie County, the following objectives should be pursued': To seek a detailed soils map of the entire County. To support programs which assist agricultural development within the County. To encourage proper forest management by providing education as to its benefits. To address the constraints on development in preparing County regu la- tions and policies. III. GOAL: QUALITY OF LIFE The goal regarding,quality of.life covers a broad area. Included under it are such things as recreation, community spirit, communications, shelter, shopping opportunities,, church life, and many other factors which contribute to our community and the way we feel about it. Most County residents, when asked "what do you like best about Bertie County?" generally list items, such as, "the rural atmosphere," "good neighbors,if 11no pollution," "the hunting and fishingin the area," Via sense of community;@and other qualities such as these. In seeking changes such as..economic development it is important not to lose these qualities for in doing so we Imay raise Iour standard of living but make our lives less meaningful and enjoyable. The following objectives are proposed: 42 - To retain the rural lifestyle of Bertie County. - To retain.the environmental quality and protect the natural resources of Bertie County'. - To develop recreationa I facilities with pr ograms to utilize those facilities. To provide recreation for,all age'..groups. To support programs which assist the elderly in maintaining their independence. - To-seek improvement in the'transportation system -in Bertie County. - To support community pride by,encouraging local control of programs such as recreation, fire and rescue departments. - To facilitate communication by supporring the concept of a county-wide telephone system. - To encourage the development of safe and adequate housing and upgrade existing housing. - To-support greater cultural opportunity. - To encourage the development of safe and adequate housing and upgrade existing housing. - To support greater cultural opportunity. - To encourage the developmeiit of shopping opportunities. - To establish boat ramps.on-the County's waterways. - To initiate a junk car removal program. IV. GOAL.: LAND DEVELOPEENT One might-not expect-a courrty 'Such as Bertie., which is losing -population, to be facing any land. development @pToblems'. Yet.. citizens ara@ind the County.have cited such,Jand4 development problems- as inadequate-...16t .size, .septic tank problem due,.to.soil characteristics,-improper mobile home development-and other.s.uch.problems. If Bertie County succeeds-in attrac-ting development it will face an increasing number,of land devel- opment problems. In order to cope with ex�s:t�ng,,.1-and development problems and to avoid future problems, the*following:6bjectives.will be pursued. To obtain a detailed soils map of the county.,:t To educate.the.public@on the effect of differing soil types on septic tank performance. 3' - To adopt subdivision regulations to ensure the orderly subdivision of land. - To adopt zoning regulatilons in rapidly developing areas to avoid con- flicting land uses. - To encourage the development of housing within the county.. - To establish building codes enforcement to ensure standard-construction. - To adopt a mobile home park ordinance to ensure the orderly development of mobile homes in Bertie County. - To address the constraints placed.on development by areas of environ- mental concern in local regulations and policies. V. GOAL: LOCAL GOVERMENT Every citizen has a stake in how well his local government.operates. In- efficient local government wastes taxpayers' money and is ineffective at solving problems. The objectives set forth here seek to ensure effective local government which can deal with day-to-day problems and strive for long7term goals such as ame.expzessed in this document. The keys to the implementation of thisplan-are, first, a desire of the local community to implement it, and.second, the ability of local government to address long-range.goals. The following objectives.are suggested: - To develop a management system capable of implementing this plan. - To increase efficiency of.local government by coordinating of pro- grams and departments. - To increase black involvement in decision making. - To foster cooperation among communities within the County. - To better communicate the purpose and operation of County programs to the public. 44 D. PROCESS USED IN DETERMINING GOALS The Bertie County Planning Board used a three step process in determining goals. The first -step was a data gatherin g and analysis process. This pro- vided the planning board with an insight into whether,.and to,what degree, problems existed in areas such as housing, wages, employment., forestry and agricultural production, etc, The second step in the goal determination process was an effort to as- certain what the public perceived as the problems, needs, and desirable points of life in Bertie County, Two methods were used in an effort to obtain the desired public input into the planning process, One of these was a question- naire distributed county-wide through school children, The questionnaire asked questions related to local problems, level of local government expenditures and a number of questions regarding development and environmental quality. In addition to the survey of opinions in the county, the planning board held a number of meetings throughout the county so as to be afforded an oppor- tunity to hold small group discussions on possible goals and objectives, In holding these meetings, a process known as the nominal group process was used. This process ensures maximum participation by each person attending and does now allow any one person or group of persons to dominate the discussion. With the information from the,data collection and analysis and the small group discussions, the planning board met to develop the goals and objectives that were presented in the prior discussion. The process ensured maximum public participation and, goals that are an accurate reflection of the desires of the citizens of Bertie County, 45 In August-, 1975, the planning board met and utilizing the information obtained from the survey and.the public meetings, established the goals that are contained,wi-thin.this.,report.. In November, 1975, a.idraft..of the plan-was submitted to the CRC_for review. Comments from this review were received and corrections'and additions were made to the plan. On May 8, 1976, the.Bertie Cpunty Commissioners held a public hearing on the plan and subsequently adopted it. To what extent was.public participation successful? The [email protected] A. tion process was designed so as to give every individual in Bertie County a chance to participate in the..planning process, however only about,35.pereent of the adult population participated. Proportionately, participation:by,blacks Iwo was higher than by whites.... It was felt that those-who did participate made a meaningful contribution to the planning process. 46 E. SECURING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Bertie County's public participation program was developed by the local planning board following suggestions outlined in the Coastal Resources Commis- sion's "Handbook on Public Participation." In addition to the steps outlined in the handbook, meetings were held in the various communities of the county where small group discussions centered on identifying county land use issues, The first phase of the program was to inform local citizens about the CAMA program. The local newspaper, the Bertie Advance-Ledger, gave extensive coverage to the planning board's activities. In addition, a number of CAMA related articles were published and a large number of CAMA leaflets were dis- tributed. While the informational process was evolving, the planning board held a number of public meetings throughout the county in an effort to obtain public input into the planning process. Meetings were held in Aulander, Colerain, Askewville, Merry Hill, Roxobel-Kelford, Lewiston-Woodville, and a number in Windsor. At these meetings, each person was asked to identify land use issues in the county and then each group established priorities for those issues listed. The information was retained from each meeting for use by the planning board in setting goals. In an effort to reach a broader segment of the population than would be possible through the public meetings, approximately 2,000 questionnaires were distributed throughout the county using school children. These questionnaires asked questions related to local problems, levels of local government expendi- tures, and a number of questions regarding development and environmental quality. Responses were tabulated by the Regional Development Institute at East Carolina University and analyzed by computer. 47 IV, CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT 48 CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT 48 A. @LAND POTENTIAL 1. PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS a. Hazard Areas Hazard areas can be either man-@made or'natural. Bertie County has Pew man-made hazard areas. Possibly of-greatest danger are above.ground tanks used for storage of flammable liquids. There existno concentration of these in Bertie County. Caution should be exercised in development of sites immediately adjacent to any existing tank. Future land use regulations should address this subject in order to avoid potential problems. Two types of natural hazard areas exist in.Bertie County: flood hazard areas and estuarine erodible areas. The shoreline of the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound has a high probability.of excessive erosion occurring, thereby endangering development in the area., Estuarine erodible areas are examined in Part Two under discussion of areas of environmental concerni Based on a general soils map,.approximately 66.perc.ent of the county is subject to flood hazard. Flooding hazards range from seasonal flooding of the Roanoke River bottom land to tidal,flooding,in areas adjacent to the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound. The Town of Windsor has taken steps to come under the National Flood Insurance Program. Because of this., detailed maps of the f1ood-prone areas in Windsor are being prepared. Detailed mapping of flood-prone areas in the.county outside of Windsor are non-existent. Rough mapping of the 100-year flood level has been done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for parts of the.Roanoke and Chowan rivers. No topographic maps exist for the Chowan River. County officials have made no efforts to come under the flood insurance program. The general opinion is that, other than Windsor, areas subject to flooding are underdeveloped and are likely to remain so. Benefits of joining 49 the program are: (1) obtaining detailed mapping of flood prone areas, and (2) qualifying county residents for flood insurance. or Also of major concern is the flooding of the Roanoke caused-by release of water from dams upstream from Bertie County. Local officials feel that the water is released to accommodate recreational interest upstream. The result is that-the Roanoke remains flooded-for longer periods of time than if the dams upstream did not exist. The.prolonged flooding has caused damage to agriculture crops and wildlife along the Roanoke Valley. b. Soil Limitations The soils of an area will greatly determine the extent of present de- velopment and the potential for future growth. Unless an area has the proper soils, progress cannot be made in agriculture, urban development, and con- @structi.on. In general, the soils of Bertie County are favorable for many types of construction and various functions. The General Soils Map of Bertie County, Map No. 4, shows the soil associations, their location and extent in the county. The accompanying soil interpretation table gives the suitability of the principal soils for general agriculture and woods. Also, it gives their limitations when used for non- farm purposes, such as septic'tank absorption fields, foundations for light industry,@@or for dwellings where public sewerage is available. For detailed information on particular areas, the Soil Conservation Service should be consulted. Generally, the soils of Bertie County are rock-free as a result of sedimentary deposits that underlay them for several hundred feet. Consequently, they are excellent for growing field crops. With good farm management, high yields-can be achieved. so The texture of the top soil used for farming is good, ranging from sandy loam to silty loam., The slopes of these soils range from 0-10 percent. Most of the soils suitable for cultivation are somewhat poorly drained, The ground water table varies widely throughout the county depending on weather and location. Below are descriptions of the soil associations as shown on the General Soil Map,(Map No. 4) for Bertie County, 1. NORFOLK-GOLDSBORO-LYNCHBURG ASSOCIATION level to gently sloping, well drained (Norfolk), moderately well drained (Goldsboro). and somewhat poorly drained (Lynchburg):deep friable soils with gray sandy surface and yellow to mottled yellow and gray sandy clay loam subsoil, 2. DUPLIN-CRAVEN-MARLBORO ASSOCIATION Mod.erdtely well drained (Duplin, Craven) and well drained (Marlboro) soils with gray loamy sand or sandy loam surfaces and.deep, firm to very firm, yellow to yellowish red clay loam to clay subsolls@ 3. LENIOR -CRAVEN ASSOCIATION Nearly level. to sloping, somewhat poorly drained (Lenior) and mo&- erately well drained (C!@aven) soils with gray to dark gray fine sandy .loam to silt loam surfaces, 4-10 inches thick over deep, very firm, mottled yellow and gray clay subsoils, 4. CAHABA-KALMIA ASSOCIATION Well drained soils with brownish gray to dark brown loamy sand to sandy loam surfaced 10-20 inches thick over friable yellowish brown.to yellowish red sandy clay loam subsoil. 5. -LENOIR-COXVILLE ASSOCIATION Somewhat poorly drained (Lenoir) and poorly drained (Coxville) soils with thin (4-611) gray, fine sandy loams to silt loams surfaces over deep, firm to very firm gray or sandy clay bubsoils which are mottled with yellow throughout, 6. WICKHAM-ALTAVISTA-WAHEE ASSOCIATION Well drained (Wickham), moderately well drained (Altavista) and some- what poorly d-rained (Wahee) soils.with drak gray to brown sandy loam to silt loam surfaces and firm, yellowish red .sandy clay loam and gray, clay subsoils, These soil.9 are derived.,from old sr-ream,alluvium. 7. SWAMP Very poorly-drained soil material of highly variable textures and depths, occupying positions at or near normal stream level, These soil materials remain inundated,throughout most of the year. 8.- ROANOKE-CHEWACLA-WEHADKEE ASSOCIATION Nea:rly level, poorly-drained (Roanoke-Wehadkee) and somewhat poorly drained (Chewacla) soils of the first bottom on low terraces, having black,to brown fine sandy loam to silt loam surfaces over gray to yellowish brown loam to clay subsoils. They are subject to frequent overflow. 9. WAGRAM-OCILLA ASSOCIATION Nearly level to gently sloping, well-drained (Wagram) and moderately well to somewhat poorly-drained (Dunbar) soils with gray sandy loam surfaces 6-10 inches thick over deep, firm, brownish yellow to mottled yellow and gray sandy clay subsoils. c. Water Supply Areas Adequate supplies of water for farm, domestic, and municipal uses are provided in Bertie County by dug, drilled, or bored wells. Surficial sands and gravels of Quaternary age furnish more water to individual wells than any other aquifer in the county. Dug wells and driven wells, ranging in depth from 10 to 40 feet, obtain from 2 to 15 gpm from this material in most parts of the county. Driven wells deeper than 40 feet and jetted wells as deep as 120 feet obtain water from the sand and marl beds in the Yorktown formation, Inasmuch as no single water-bearing horizon is recognized in this formation, the depths 0 of individual wells is quite variable. No adequate figure for the yield of wells tapping the gpm, and several times the maximum figure, might be obtained at specific sites. In the central and eastern section of Bertie, many jetted and drilled wells upto 4 inches in diameter obtain water from the Beaufort formation at depths as great as 450 feet' the depth depending upon the location. West and northwest of Windsor, jetted and drilled wells obtain the bulk of their water 52 SOIL INTERPRETATIONS GENERAL SOIL MAP BERTIE COUNTY, N. C. LIMITATIONS FOR SUITABITY FOR Z of % in Septic Tank Dwellings W/o Small Commercial Local Roads RECREATION General Aizriculture I I County Soil Association Assoc. Filder Field basements BuildinRs and Streets camp Areas Picnic Areas Playgrounds l/ I ___1 Woods Pasture 10% 1. Norfolk-Duplin-Goldsboro Norfolk - 30% Slight Slikht Slight Slight Slight _ Mod.Sandy Mod.Sandv Good Good Good Good Duplin 25% Sev.Wt.Perc. Mod.Sh-Sw .'_Sb_SW Sev. IS Mod.Perc. Slight Mod. Pere. Good Good Good Good Goldsboro 25% Sev.Wt. Slight -Rod. -Wt -Slight slight Slight Z70d Good Good Good 26% 2. Lenoir-Craven-Dunbar Lena-ir 20% Sev.Wt.Perc. Sev.Wt.Sh-Sw Sev.Wt.Sh-Sw Sev.Wt.Sh-Sw Mod.Wt.Perc. od.Wt. Mod.Wt.Pere. Fift Fair Good Good Craven 307. Sev.Wt.Perc. I Sev.Sh^Sw Sev.Sh-Sw Sev.Sh-Sw Mod.Perc. It ht Mod, Pere. Good Good Fair Good Dunbar 307. Sev.Wt.Perc. Sev.Wt. Sev.Wt. Sev.Wt.LS Mod.Wt.Perc. od.wt.- Mod.Wt. Good Good Good Good 8% 3. Wickhant-Altavista-Wabee Wickham 407. SIt-Mod Slt.-Mod SIt.-Mod Slight I Slijtht Good Good Good Good go-d-Sev.Wt. Mod.Wt. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sev.LS Mod.Wt. i"ht Altavista 30% d.Wt. Kod.Wt. Zood Good Wahee -15% Sev.Fl.Perc. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. ev.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Ta-ir -Foo-d Good Good 3% 4. Wagram-Ocilla WaRram 55% Slight Slitzht Slipht Slight Mad.Sandy 4od. Sandy Mod. Sandy Good Good Fair Good Ocilla 307. Sev.Wt.' Mod. Wt. Sev.Wt. Mod.Wt. Mod.Wt.Sandy 4od. Wt. Mod.wt. Sandy Fair Fair Fair Good 28% 5. Lenoir-Coxvill L, Lenoir 3D% Sey.Wt.Perc. Sev.Wt.Sh-Sw Sev.Wt.Sh-Sw Sev.Wt.Sh-Sw Mod.Wt.Pere 4od.Wt. Mod.Wt.Perc. Fair Fair Good Good �e_v.Wt_. 1. V.Wt. Fl, !;Tvwt -F1. Sev.Wt.Fl. Poor Good --Wood Good Coxville 507. Pere. Sev,Wt.Fl. Sev,Wt,FL, Sev,Wt,LS Sev. 13% 6. Roanoke-Chewacla-Wehadkee Roanoke 457. Sev.FI.Perc. Sev.Fl.LS Sev.Fl.LS Sev.Fl.LS Sev.Fl.Wt. lSev.Wt. Fl. Sev.Fl.Wt.Pere Poor Good Good Good Chewacla 207. Sev,Wt.Fl. Sev,Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sey.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Sev.Wt.Fl. Poor Good Good W.hadkee 207. Sev.Fl.Wt. Good 12% 7. Dare-Pungo-Ponzer Sev.FI.Wt. Sev.FI.Wt. Sev.Fl.Wt. Sev.Fl.Wt. Sev.FI.Wt. Sev.Pl.Wt. Poor -Fair Good Good Dare 40% Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. - r Poor Poor Poor Po Pung. 41. ISev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Poor Poor Poor Poor 15% 1 Sev.Fl. Sev.Fl. Sev.Pl. sevpl. Sev.Pl. gev. @Fl Sev. Fl. Poor Good Good Good DEFINITIONS-OF-S-OIL LIMITATIONS NONE TO SLIGHT: Soils have properties favoarble for the rated use. Limitations are so minor that they can be easily overcome. Good performance and low maintenance can be expected from these soils. MODERATE; Soils have properties moderately favorable for the rated use. Limitations can be overcome or modified with planning, design, or special maintenance. SEVERE: Soils have one or more properties unfavorable for the rated use. Limitations are difficult and costly to modify or overcome requiring major Soil reclamation, special design or intense maintenance. ABBREVIATIONS FOR LIMITING FACTORS: Sev.- Severe Mod- Moderate Sit-- Slight Fl - Flood Ha.ard Perc - Percolation Cor - Corrosion Potential NOTE: In some Instances whan adequate mechanical measures Wt - Water Table and Wetness Text - Texture TSC - Traffic Supporting Capacity have been applied or installed soils rated as 2/18/76 Sh-Sw Shrink-Swell Potential LFC - Low Filter Capacity LS - Low Strength "severe" can be upgraded to a "moderate" limitation i.e., Subsurface drainage applied to Altavista. L/ l'obacco, peanuts and truck. 2/ Corn , soybeans and sma 11 grain. S Sli ht S H E R T F 0 R D C 0 U N T Y \z "14 0 -0 w. 0 REEN 0 R I VER 0 -P 0W 4f A C0"'V .1: 126.720 and ep,.du-d ith I., scale for -i- I'll ibility on sheet s,ze. This General Soil Map is suitable for broad P::@n@n@nngz purposes only. F or rnor. data I led P m individual tr:.cts of land. a detailed Soil ur-y I a n tied. POLYCONIC PROJECTION Bps, General Highway Map. 1970 Revision. North Carolina State Highway Dept. and USDC, Bureau of Public Road.. from the Cretaceous formations at depths as great,t@ as 300 feet. As no single water-bearing horizon is present in these formations, the depths of individual wells cannot be determined in advance of the drilling, Several of the municipal wells at Windsor are gravel-walled wells 12 inbhes in diameter and obtain water fr om the Beaufor. .'Teedee, and Black Creek formations. These wells, tapping multiple aquifers, have specific capacities ranging from 4 to 8 gmp p'er@Joot of drawdown and generally yield 3-00 gpm or more. The chemical quality of ground water in Bertie County is adequate for most purposes. Water in shallow surficial sands, although soft, may be corrosive and have objectionable concentrations of iron. Water -in shell beds of the Yorktown formation and impure shell limeston& of the Beaufort formation may be hard but otherwise is of good quality. The waters generally become softer with depths below 100 to 125 feet. Brackish waters are commonly present in the deeper Cretaceous aquifers in all parts of the county below 500 feet, Flouride in excess of the,maximum concentration (1.5 ppm) recommended in drinking water is present in waters from several-aquifers below a depth of 300 feet. The present rate of withdrawal.of ground water in the county is only a small fraction of the total available supply, d, Steep Slopes Slopes of more than twelve percent occur adjacent to the Cashie, 6howan-.@ and Roanoke.Rivers. Development potential along the Ro anoke and,Cashie is slight. The areas along the Chowan are high bluffs subject to erosion and provide-a constraint on development, 0 53 2. FRAGILE AREAS Many areas exist in coastal North,Carolina which are important economi- cally, environmentally and aesthetically, yet can be easily damaged or des- ,troyed by inappropriate or poorly planned development, These areas in Bertie County include estuarine and public trust waters, complex natural areas, areas that sustain remnant species, scenic areas, and archaeologic and historic sites. The estuarine and public trust waters, complex natural areas, areas that contain remnant species and some of the historic sites are given particular attention as to their constraint on development. a. Coastal Wetlands Bertie County has a limited number of coastal wetlands (marshes) located along the Albemarle.Sound and Chowan River. This marshland type contributes to the detritus supply necessary to the highly productive estuarine system essential to North Carolina's economically valuable commercial and sports fisheries, The higher marsh types offer quality wildlife and waterfowl habitat depending on the biological !4nd physical conditions of the marsh, The vegetative diver- sity in the higher marshes usually supports a greater diversity of.wildlife types than the limited habitat of the low tidal marsh. This marshland type-also serves as an important deterrent to shoreline erosion especially in those marshes containing heavily rooted species, The dense system of rhizomes and roots of Juncus roemerianus are highly resistant to erosion, In addition, the higher marshes are effective sediment traps. b. Outer Banks and Dunes Bertie County has no outer banks or dunesi 54 0 c. Ocean Beaches and Shorelines Bertie County has no ocean beaches and shorelines. d. Estuarine Waters and Public Trust Waters Estuarine waters are defined in G.S, 116,-229, (n) (2) as, 11all the waters of the Atlantic Ocean within the boundary of North Carolina and all the waters 0 of the bays, sounds, rivers, and tributaries thereto seaward of the-dividing line between coastal fishing waters and inland fishing waters, as set forth in an agreement adopted by the Wildlife Resources Commission and the Depart- ment of Conservation and Development filed with the Secretary of State entitled 'Boundary.Lines, North Carolina Commercial Fishing - Inland Fishing Waters, revised March 1, 1965.-,"' or as it may be subsequently revised by the Legislature. .Public trust areas .are defined through-the CAMA Planning Guidelines as "All waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the lands thereunder from the mean 0 high water mark to the seaward limit of State jurisdiction; all natural bodies of water subject to measurable lunar tides and lands thereunder to the mean high water mark; all navigable natural bodies of water and lands there- .0 under to the mean or ordinary high water mark as the-case may be, except, privately owned lakes having no public access; all waters in artificially, created bodies of water in which exist@ significant public fishing re"urces.. orother public resources, which are accessible to the public by navigation from bodies of water in which the public has rights of navigation; all Vaters Jn artificially.created bodies of water in which the public has acquired 0 rights-by prescription, custom, usage, dedication or any other mean@s, 'In determining whether.the public has acquired rights in artificially created bodies of water, thefollowing factors sh@all be considered: (i) the use of the 0 body of water by the public; (ii) the length of time the public has used''the 55 area; (iii) the value of public resources in the body of water; (iv) whether the.public resources in the body of water are mobile to the extent that they can move into natural.bodies of water; (v.) whether the creation.of the artifi- 00 .cial body of water required permission from the S tate; and (vi) the value of the body of.water to the public-for navigation from one public area to another public area.". While estuarine waters and public trust areas are trpated separately in the:State Guidelines, they will be considered as one for.the purpose of this plan. The distinction. drawn between them in the guidelines is an artificial oneandhas no basis other than as a political division between the commercial @.and sport fisheries interest. The significance of both areas is identical as are the-appropriate land uses, The estuarines of any river system are among-the most productive natural. environments of'North Carolina. They pot only support valuable commercial and sports fisheries'@ but arealso utilized for commercial naviigatton, recreation and aesthetic purposes,, The high level of commercial and sports fisheries and the aesthetic appeal of coastal"North Carolina is dependent upon the protectionand sustained quality of our'estuarine and river systems e. Complex.Katural Areas Complex natural areas are defined as areas that have remained.essentially unchanged by,human activity, The Planning Isoard feels that the hardwood swamp of the Roanoke Valley and Roquist-Pocosin are complex natural areas and should. essentially be unchanged.in their use. f, Areas Sustaining Remnant Species Records as,late as,1971 indicate the presence of the red-cockaded woodpecker in association with remnant longleaf and mature loblolly pines. @56 The osprey still occurs in small numbers - however, there ar@ no recent records of the endangered bald eagle or peregrine falcon. Sturgeon have been taken in the Roanoke River, and the endangered short-nose sturgeon has been recently reported in Albemarle Sound. The endangered bigeye jumprock and the riverweed darter are, listed in the Roanoke drainage, as well as the Carolina darter and Roanoke. g. Areas Containing Unique Geological Formations There exists a marine molluscean fossil site near Colerain. h. Registered Natural Landmarks Bertie County has no registered natural landmarks. i. Archaeological and Historic Sites Scenic and prominent high points are prevalent along Bertie County's waterways. Bertie County has an interest in seeing that these areas are preserved. Developers should be made aware whether or not their development is located in a scenic area identified by the County and asked to consider aesthetic values in developing. Future land acquisition for parks or recreation areas should be targeted for these areas.. Twenty-six historic areas have been identified in Bertie County. Four of these are listed on the National Register of His toric Places. @The remaining twenty-two sites possibly have as much local historic significance as those listed on the.National Register. -The County should encourage that these historic sites be retained and that adjacent development be compat ible with the sites. Map 5 locates the historic sites which are listed in Table 17. S7 INVENTORY OF HTSTORTC AREAS TABLE 5 COUNTY Map No. or Letter Name Type of Area Location Description, -Present Use 1 Woodbourne Historic Roxobel Built in 1810-owned by Dwelling Norfleet family, 2 Oaklana Historic Roxobel Built in 1825-owned by Dwelling Tyler family, 3 Fishery Historic. Colerain Named by John Campbell who purchased planta- Town tatIon in 1743, Site of world's largest fresh water fishery, 4 Pugh-Walton Historic Woodville 1801, Two-story house Dwelling 00 Mizelle House with a dentil cornice and double portico, 5 Yellow House Historic Woodville Built in 1815-owned Dwelling by C.B, Griffin 6 King House Historic Windsor ca. 1763 one-and-a Dwelling half@_story brick ended house with gambrel roof, 7 Hope Mansion Historic Windsor Built 1803-birthplace House-Museum Samuel Cox of David Stone, gov- ernor and U.S. Senator 8 Locke Craig Historic Windsor Built 19th Century- Dwelling House birthplace of.Gov, Locke Craig INVENTORY OF HISTORIC AREAS TABLE 5 (con1t) b9RTTF COUNTY Map No.. or Letter Name Type of Area Location Doscription Present Use 9 Hoggard's Mill Historic Windsor Site of town of "Cashie" Woods and site of Bertie Co, Courthouse-1741-1770, 10 Eden House Historic Chowan River Siteof home of Colonial Farm & Woods Governors Charles Eden & Gabriel Johnston, 18th century, 11 Rascoets Mill Historic Spruill's Of the 4 remaining Pond Covered Bridge Store covered bridges in N.C. this is the only one connected to a mill, Ln 12 Indian Woods Historic Site of Tuscarora Woods Reservation-eat, 1717 after the war of 1717- 1713V 13 Bertie County Historic Windsor 1909-1941-built in Courthouse Courthouse classical style, In process of renovation in similar style. 14 Cobb House Historic Windsor Built lst quarter of Dwelling 19th Century, Two- story frame house with a pedimented'porch of. classical design. INVENTORY, OF HISTORIC AREAS TABLE 5 (con't) BERTIE COUNTY Map No. or Letter Name Type of Area Location Description Present Use 15 Gillam, Carroll Historic Windsor Early 19th Century Dwelling House two-story frame house with-one-story porch, Renovated ca. 1960, 16 Gillam, Frank Historic Windsor ca, 1818 two-story Dwelling House frame house with a one-story @orch, 17 Rosefield Historic Windsor ca. 1735-home of Dwelling William Blount, member of Continental Congress signer of Federal Constitution C) 18- Windsor-Castle Historic Windsor 1858, 1908-birthplace Dwelling of Robert Winston, Superior Court Judge, Patrick.Winstoh, Attorney General of State of Washington, Frances Winston, Superior Court Judge U-Gov. of N. C. 19 Gillam, J.B. Historic Windsor ca, 1829-home of Dwelling David Outlaw, memb6ir of House of Commons and U.S. Congress 20 St. Thomas Historic Windsor Built in 1839-congre- Church Episcopal Church gation was organized in late 18th century, INVENTORY OF HISTORIC AREAS TABLE 5 (contt) BERTIE COUNTY Map No. or Letter Name Type of Area Location Description- Present Use 21 "Bal Grall Historic Chowan River Site of "Cary's Re- Resort bellion", 1712 and frequent seat of _V_ 9'91 ernment 1710-1722, Home of Thomas Pollock Dept@ Gov, of NC. 1712-1714-1722. 22 Avoca Plantation Historic Merry Hill Early l9th Century, Farm, Homes of Edward Hyde-@ Seth,. Sothel Samuel Stephens, proprietary governors, were-located in this area, Site of home (Batts House) of Ist known permanent white settlers in N.C., site of the lst gover- nor of the separate province of N.C.; site of Holy Innocents Church, 1890, 23 Scotch Hall Historic Merry Hill 1835, Home of Charles Dwelling Pettigrew, lst bishop elect of Episcopal Church in N.C. Acquired by Capehart family early years of country@s independence and still owned by family, INVENTORY OF. HTSTORTC AREAS TABLE 5 (cen1t) BERTTE COUN, TY Map No. or Letter Name Type of Area Location Description Present Use, 24 Batchelor Bay Historic Merry Hill Battle!of Batchelor Bay Bay 1864-site vhere Confederate "Ram Albemariel'sunk seven VU-Ion Mx1ps, 25 Thunderbolt Historic Cashie River 18th Century small home Dwelling in original condition. 26 Jordan House Historic Windsor 1712-stary-and-a-half brick house laid in Flemish bond, Ll 7, 71: 71 N7: 8 A 1:3 T B E'RTI E COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA HISTORIC -SITES (NUMBERS KEYED TO TABLE) [IA. J. Water Quality The North Carolina Board of Water and Ait,,,R-,@6so,urces..classifies:al1 streams r in the State as to their best usage, This in effect established water quality standards, They provide a guide in determining what level of treatment is necessary prior to discharge of waste into the streams. A brief explanation of the "best usage" for which waters in each class must be protected is given as follows: Fresh Waters Class A-I - Suitable as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary, or food processing purposes after treatment by approved disinfection only, and any other usage requiring waters of lower quality. Class A-11- Suitable as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary, or food processing purposes after approved treatment equal to coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection, etc., and any other best usage requiring waters of lower quality. Class B Suitable for outdoor bathing, boating, and wading, and any other usage requiring waters of lower quality. Class C Suitable for fish and wildlife propagation, Also. suitable for boating, wading, and other uses requiring waters of.lower quality. Class D Suitable for agriculture and industrial cooling and-process water supply, fish survival, navigation, and any other usage,.except fishing, bathing, or as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary or food processing purposes. Swamp Waters. Those waters whichare topographically located so as to generally have low velocities and certain other characteristics which are different from adjacent,tstreams draining steeper topo- graphy are designed by the letters "SW" in the schedule. In Bertie County, all streams are classed "C" or 11C-SW11 except the Chowan, lower 1 mile of the Cashie, the portion of the Roanoke in the area where the Cas.hie joins it, and the Albemarle Sound, which are classed "B." 0 64 3. AREAS WITH RESOURCE POTENTIAL Bertie County abounds with prime, productive agricultural and forest lands. There has been little encroachment on either by development, While development pressure is likely to remain slight, it is important that these lands be identified, The most efficient manner of identifying these,.areas is through soils mapping, The generalized soils map that exists for BeIrtie County is not suffiiient for identifying these areas, A more detailed map is needed. Action by the North Carolina 6eneral Assembly,which stated that forest-land would not be taxed on standing timber, has added further impetus to the@need for a detaildd soils map, a, Forestry and Agricultural Lands Of Bertie County@s total land area (443, acres, 319,754 acres, or 72% of it,,is in commercial forest land. Bertie County's topography, soils and climate make it one of the most productive forest areas in the State. Almost half of the county's forest'-land is owned by farmers. The 'forest industry owns 27.2% of the forest land in the county, Most of the .remaining acres are owned by individuals in other occupations. Figure 1 Own ership Farmer Commercial Forestland 47.5 Public 2,98a 0.1% Porest 0.16 Forest Industry 86,947 27,2% In ust Public Farmer 151,966 47.5% Misc. Private 80,543 25.2% 25.2 319,754a 100. % .1sc. Several forest types are evident in Bertie County ranging from the highly productive hardwood sites of the broad river bottoms to the pure pine the pocosins and ridges, The percentage o'f,.,the d@fferent types Table 19 Net Annual Growth and Removal of Growing Stock and Saw-timber on Commercial Forest Land, By Species' Group, Bertie County GROWTH REKOVAL All Species Softwood Hardwooe All Species Softwood Hardwood ...Growing Stock 19,491 7,766 11,725 32,584 15,919 16,665 M. Cu. Ft. Saw-Timber 77,04.6 40,453 36,593 149,723 80,749 68,974, MBF Agriculture has historically played a major role in the lifestyle of Bertie Count y and continues to do so-today, Of Bertie County's total land area, 282,931 acres, or.63.8 percent, are in farms, Almost one third of this land is used for growing crops (32.3%), while the majority (66,2%) is in woods and some homesites, Pasture land comprises 1,5 percent of the farm land in Bertie County.., Table 20, examines some selected agricultural statistics for Bertie County in the years of 1959, 1964, and 1969. An analysis of this table shows that farms-in the county are becomming fewer in number but larger. Average value of the farms, both per farm and per.acre, has risen dramatically. The number of farms by class category breaks the farms in the county down, into classes based on the value of products sold. Class I farms sold $40,000 or more in products during,the sample year. Class 6 farms sold, from $50 to $2,499, A comparison_of 1964and 1969,indicates that the farms in Bertie County are becoming more large-scale. Class 1 and 2 comprised only 7.3 per- cent'- of the farms, in Brtie County in 1964, whereas in 1969, these two classes comprised 15.4% of the county's total, All of those farms which were.upgraded came out of classes 3 and 4, The percentage of farms comprising Classes 5 and ,at approximately 26 percent during 1964-1969, although the number of' farms-In these two lower classes did decrease, 66 that comprise Bertie County@s 319,754 acres of forest land are examined below. Figure 2 Bertie County Forest Type aY. -.0a__.' Type Groups c .or.. Pine 22. 0 17 Loblolly $hort Leaf- 31.3% 7 01-0 01 1 Oak - Pine 17.0% 4.7 Oak - Hickory 22.9% _hortlea@ F. In.- "A.'sb. oak-0-UM Cottonwood Oak - Gum -"Cypress 24,1% .31.3 Elm Ash Cottonwood 4,7t CyDress 24.1 In 1974, there'were 364,5 million cubic feet of growing'stock and 1,7 billion board feet of saw-timber in Bertie County. Below is a breakdown of these volumes by species group, Table 1EB Volume of.Growing Stock And Saw-timber by Species Group, Bertie County All Other Soft Hard Species Pine Softwood Hardwood Hardwood Growing Stock 503,674 177,273 12,781 175,49l 116,129 (Thousand Cu. Ft.) Saw-Timber -1,701,159 750,276 542271 569s755 326,857 (Thousand Board Peet) During the,past five years the N. C, Forest Service has, sold 3,747,300 tree seedlings in Bertie County. Despite this effort at refqr- estation the rate of removal exceeds the rate of growth., The following table examines the net annual growth and removal by species.group.. In both, growing stock and saw timber the rate of removal is almost double the rate of growth, This indicates overcutting during.the period that the survey was taken. Due to, fluctuating, market conditions, it may not hold true over a period of several years. 67 TABLE 20 BERTIE COUNTY SELECTED KGRICULTURAL STATISTICS ITEM 1959 1964 1969 No. Farms 2447 1785 14.77 Acres in Farms @227,569 191,500 193,966 Average Size,of Farms. 93.0 107.3 131.3 Averag% Valud;of Land and Buildings Per Yarm- $17,498. $24,543. $41,259. Per-Acre $204.53 $222.76 $309.00 No, of Farms by Class Class 1 28 68 Class 2 102 160 Class 3 382 289 Class 4 577 311 Class 5 298 243 Class 6 165 147 Part Time 95 153 Part Retirement 137 105 Source: U. S. Census of Agriculture, 1959, 1964, 1969. ..68 TABLE 21 SELECTED AGRICULTURAL CROPS ACRES, PRODUCTION AND VALUE, BERTIE COUNTY 1973 CROP Areas.Harvested Production Value Corn for Grain 35,200 3,450,000 Bushels $7,994,000 Corn for Silage 150 2,080 Tons ------ Soybeans 19,700 591,000 Bushels 3,298,000 Wheat 300 10,800 Bushels 29,150 @Oats 25 1,130 Bushels 1,200 Peanuts 23,250 64,170 Lbs. 10,652,000 Cotten 955 625 480-16 bales 180,500 Sweet Potatoes 60 7,500 Hundredwt. 52,500 Irish Potatoes 20 3,100 Hundredwt. 25,400 All Hay 1,000 1,000 Tons 43,000 Tobacco 4,280 9,563,000 Lbs, 8,511,000 TOTAL 84,940 Acres $30,786,350 Source; 1974 N. C. A&:@icultural Statistics, N. C. Department of Agriculture. 69, A sharp increase occurred in the number of part-time farms. These are farms where the operator was employed off the farm for more than 100 days. More people are "going to town" for primary employment, and farming is becoming.a.secondary occupation-vocation. Table 21 examines selected agricultural crops in Bertie County. It shows that Bertie County's chief agricultural ciop is peanuts, followed closely by _5 tobacco and corn. These three crops comprise approximately two-thirds of the County's crop production by value. A detailed soils map would allow county officials to identify prime agricultural and forestry lands. b. Potentially Valuable Mineral Sites To date, Bertie County is not known to contain any potentially valuable mineral sites other than sites for the extraction of sand., c. Publicly Owned Lands and Other Non-Intensive Outdoor Recreation Lands There are no publicly owned non-intensive outdoor recreation lands in Bertie County. Much of the County's privately owned forest lands are leased to hunt ing clubs for their,use. d. Privately Owned Wildlife Sanctuaries There are no privately owned wildlife sanctuaries in Bertie County. 70 B, CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES 1. Identificaton, Design Capacity.and Utilization of Existing Water Ana Sewer Services Water and Sewer Water and sewer lines have been called the umbilical cords of modern development, Today is development, whether it be residential, commercial. or industrial, is often dependent upon water and sewer services. Some communities have tried to control when and where development take place by providing or denying water and sewer services. Below are listed the water and sewer systems in Bertie County and an analysis-ofthem . The information is' taken from a recent study done for the Mid-East Commission, The Region Q Water Management Plan, WATER FACILITIES The Town of Askewville Existing Faciliti-es and Conditions The Town of Askewville is a small, rural community just east of' U. S. Highway 13, located near the center of Bertie County, A water distribution system has been recently constructed in Askewville serving approximately 80 connections, Water is supplied by two wells, each having a capacity of 100 gpm, Water storage is provided by a hydropneumatic tank, The groundwater requires no treatment prior to distribution, 71 THE TOWN OF AULANDER, THE MILLENNIUM AND S. AULANDER WATER ASSOCIATTON Existing Facilities and Conditions Town of Aulander The Town.of Aulander presehtly utilizes groundwater as its source of supply, The, water system consists of two wells with a combined average yield of 700 gpm, a 225,000 gallon ground tank, a 75,000 gallon elevated storage tank, and a distribution system which serves most of the town's 1000 residents. Only chlorination is required before the water enters the distribution system. The South Aulander Water Association, Inc. This water system is located along N. C. Highway 305, immediately south of Aulander in Bertie County, The water system serves approximately 30 families and one school. The water supply comes from one deep well which has a yield of 75 gpm, Water from this well is not treated, but is pumped directly into a 1925 gallon hydropneumatic pressure tank, The distribution. system consists of small mains and offers n6 fi-i-e-'pio-tection. The Millennium Water Association Millennium is a small rural community approximately one-half mile north of Aulande'r along N. C. Highway 350, in ther:south,@Mstern portion of Hertford County. The community, at present, is served by the Mellennium Water Assoc- iation, which was organized in 1964. The system consists of one deep well which has a pumping capacity of 160 gpm, a 5,000 gallon hydropneumatic pressure tank, and distribution mains Even though adequate fire protection is not available, hydrants are located:at stra tegic-positions in order to fill the volunteer fire department water truck, The present system serves approximately 300.people. THE TOWN.OF-COLERAIN Existing Facilities and Conditions The Town of Colerain, located in the northeast corner of Bertie County on the Chowan River, has a municipal water system which serves the- residents of the community. The water system.consists of two wells, one 600 gpm and one 60 gpm; a distribution system; Iand a 35,000 gallon elevated storage tank. At present, the water does not require treatment, 72 THE TOWN OF KELFORD The Town of Kelford is located in the northwest corner of Bertie County, approximately two miles south of Roxobel' The town obtained its municipal water supply system in 1965. The system consists of one 75,000 gallon elevated storage tank, a distribution system with meters and hydrants, and one well which-produces an average yield of 200 gpm. Another well exists which.has no pump and cannot, therefore, be.used at this time. THE TOWN OF ROXOBEL Existing Facilities and Conditions The Town of Roxobel is located approximately seven miles from the Town of Aulander, in the northwest corner of Bertie County, The water system, installed in 1964, consists of two deep wells supplying a Combined yield of 300 gpm,,one 75,000 gallon elevated storage tank, and a distribution network with flYle-hydrantst THE TOWNS OF LEWISTON AND WOODVILLE Existing-Facilit ies and Conditions The neighboring towns of Lewiston and Woodville are located in the northwest'.corner of Bertie County, about five miles south of Kelford. They jointly operate a water utility association. The water association serves both towns adequately with distribution lines extended,to most areas within both towns. The system consists of two wells, yielding a.c6ffl@@&-total of 300 gpm; a 100,000 gallon elevated storage tank; and a distribution.system with fire hydrants.. 73 THE TOWN OF POWELLSVILLE Existing Facilities and,Conditions The water system that serves the Town of Powellsville was constructed in 1954, and serves almost,the entire town, The water supply comes from two wells, which have a combined yield of 115 gpm, The water is chlorinated and then stored in two pneumatic tanks having a 1,000 gallon capacity each, There is also one. 10,000 gallon elevated storage tank in the system. The existing water system is insufficient in 'the following areas: there is not enough storage capacity; fire protection-is not provided; distribution lines are too small; and not enough surplus capacity exists to attract any potential industry, The East Powellsville Water Corporation, located immediately east of Powellsville, serves approximately 200 people. The system is in two sections, each having one well. Neither section is connected to the other nor to the Powellsville system, The system to the northeast of Powellsville consists of one well, yielding 50 gpm, and a 760 gallon pressure tank. The system to the southeast of Powellsville consists of onewell yielding 100 gpm,_and a 2500 gallon pressure tank' THE TOWN OF WINDSOR Existing Facilities-and Conditions The Town of Windsor operates and maintains a municipal water system supplied by three deep wells which have a combined pumping capability of 1100 gpm. The water.requires no treatment. Storage is provided by a 0.100 mg ground.tahk and a 0,300 mg elevated tank for a combined storage capacity of 0.400 mg. The town also serves the South Windsor 0 Water Association which extends south of Windsor on U.S. Highway 17/13 approximately-2 miles. Thewater association purchases all its water from the Town of Windsor. 74 WASTEWATER FACILITIES THE TOWN OF ASKEWVILLE. Existing Facilities and.-Conditions Although theTown of Askewville recently constructed a water system, the town does not have municipal wastewater facilities. The residents of the town presently rely on individually owned on-site wastewater disposal systems. Soil in the Askewville area consists primarily of the Lenoir, Craven and Bladen Associations. The soils are generally not suitable for the efficient operation of septic tank filter fields. The streams in the Askewville area have 7 day/10 year low flows of 0 cfs. WASTEWATER FACILITIES THE TOWN OF AULANDER .Existing Facilities and Conditions The Town of Aulander has a collection system and a treatment facility effecting primary treatment. The treatment facility, constructed in 1962, has a design capacity of 0.08 mgd. The collection system presently serves about 650.people., The average daily flow is approximately 0.06 mgd. Treated effluent i6"Aischarged.into Fort Branch, a tributary of Ahoskie Creek. The NC/DEM has requested that the present treatment facility be replaced with a new one whicheffects a tertiary degree of treatment. Disinfection also needs to be added to the treatment process. THE COMMUNITY.OF MILLENNIUM The residents of Millennium presently utilize various on-site methods for v.@ai@f6iater disposal. Soils in the area of Millennium are of the Lenior, Craven, Bladen Associations which are generally unsuitable for wastewater disposal by use of septic tanks and absorption fields. THZCOMMUNITY@OF SOUTH AULANDER This community is similar to Millennium in that it also depends on various on-site methods for the disposal of wastewater. Soil conditions are generally not conducive to the use of on-site disposal units'. 75 THE.TOWN OF-COLERAIN Existing Facilities and Conditions The wastewater collection and treatment facilities for the Town of Colerain se'rve the area within the town limits. The treatment facility is an Imhoff tank, with a capacity of 0.050 mgd. Wastewater treatment is currently'inadequate.@ Effluent is discharged into the Chowan River. The NC/DEM has requested that the treatment facility be replaced with one which would utilize a higher degree of treatment. The residents, in the outlying areas of Colerain are presently relying on various on-site methods for wastewater disposal. With the high water table that exists in this area, absorption fields are often subject to flooding. This presents a possible contamination problem to nearby groundwater sources. THE TOWN OF KELFORD Existing Facilities and Conditions The Town@of Kelford is, similar to Roxobel in that the residents depend on septic tanks.-and absorption fields for the disposal of wastewater. The soils are also favorable, in that there are only moderate limitations tothe use of on-site disposal units. THE TOWN,,OF_ROXOBEL Existing Facilities and Conditions Residents of the Town of Roxobel presently utilize individual on-site disposal systems for wastewater disposal. Soils in this area are comprised mainly of'the Wagram, Occilla, and Kalmia Soil Associations which are generally suitable for the use of septic tanks,and absorption fields. The present population is expected to drop significantly by the year 2020. THE TOWN OF POWELLSVILLE Existing'Facil,ities and Conditions. The residents of Powellsville presently rely-on individually owned on-' site systems for 'wastewater disposal. The soils in the*region.are comprised .of the Lenoir, Craven and Bladen Soil Associations, which severely limit the efficient operation of septic tank absorption fields. The town's population .expe-cted to decrease throughout has dropped 5% in the past ten years, and is'-" the planning period. 76 THE TOWNS OF LEWISTON AND WOODVILLE Existing Facilities and Conditions The wastewater collection and treatment system for both towns is, operated by the Lewiston-Woodville Utility Corporation. The.0.070 mgd secondary wastewater treatment.plant was constructed in 1970 and utilizes an extended aeration process. The collection system serves most of the area within the corporate limits of both towns, The treatment facility is presently operating at-approximately 60% capacity. The Cashie River, which is classified C-swamp, receives the effluent from the treatment facility. THE, TOWN OF WINDSOR .,Existing Facilities and Conditions TheTown of Windsor operates and maintains wastewater collection and treatment facilities. A new 1.150 mgd secondary treatment facility is under construction at the site of the existing lagoons. This facility will be operational in September 1975. The collection system is presently experiencing excessive infiltration. Effluent from the existing and proposed treatment facilities is discharged into the Cashie River. Bertie County does not operate any water or wastewater systems. 77 2. Identification, Design Capacity and Utilization of Existing Schools The Bertie County Board of Education currently operates 12 elementary, one (1) junior high and one (1) senior high school. The elementary schools are located throughout the County and serve children in kindergarten through grade seven in each attendance area. The junior and senior high schools serve the entire county.. The Board of-Education has prepared a proposal for reorganizing the schools. It was felt that several of the elementary organizations are not conducive to good educational programs and revisions are necessary in order to improve instruction. Also several elementary facilities are obsolete and in very poor structural condition. Table 22 lists each attendance area, schools presently serving that area, present membership, projected membership and organization in 1977-78. Table 23 lists the present facilities, capacity, enrollment, puoil-teacher ratio, grade taught and year elected plus additions. The Board of Education, in their proposal for reorganization, states the following: "The declining enrollment throughout the County indicates an urgent need to reorganize all schools in order to maintain the philosophy and concept of community schools to serve local students. Average daily membership has declined from 6118 in 1968-69 to 5559 in 1972-74. This trend of declining population is expected to continue through 1978 and then level off with a County population of 16,400. By 1978, member- ship in all schools is anticipated at 4492. Membership should remain stable around 4400 after 1980. (Note that the population projections differ from others in this study.)" 78 W TABLE 22 BERTIE COUNTY PLAN FOR REORGANIZATION Attendance Schools Serving 73-74 Projected Resulting 77-78 Area Area by Grades Membership Plans ForUse Organization 77-78 Membership Askewville Askewville 1-7 194 Add-1 Class K-8 237 Aulander Aulander 5-7 125 Abandon K-8- 264 South Aulander K-4 187 Addition Powellsville C.G. White K-7 310 N C* K-8 246 Colerain Cblerain 5-7 @296* Renovate K-8 749 348 Renovate West Bertie J. B. Bond .3-5 304 Abandon Weel Bertie K-2 201 Addition K-8 530 Roxobel-Kelfoid 6-r-7 180 Abandon Windsor W. S. Etheridge K-4 551 Abandon Not In Use 0 Windsor 5-7 515 Abandon Merry Hill J. P. Law K-7 173 N K-8 181 Convert to Bertie Jr. Bertie Jr. 8-9 1002 K-8 Windsor Dist. K-8- 794 Convert to 9-12 Bertie Sr. Bertie Sr. 10-12 1188 Senior High 9-12 1491 Additions Total 5572 4492 *NC No Change TABLE 23 BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Public School Facilities 1973-74 School year cu $4 14 44 0 -,4 (U 41 w .,q SCHOOL'. 0 r-4 -w X -w r-q I= 0 w I= 41 0 0. Q 0 -rq U -H 10 bo rA r4 $4 0 Cd r-A cc -w cc ;J- 0 'd co r. 99 w r-A 91 a) Cd $4 Cd w r-4 rd 4z P -<@ P4 E-1 94 0 H PL4 <4 Askewville Elementary 200, @-204. 7 29.1 1-r-7 1964 Aulander Elementary 420 131 4 32.7 5-7 1914,26,41 800- Bertie Junior High 1,000 1,058 5111. 20.7 8&9 1962,68 960- Bertie-Senior High 1,100 1,304 61;1 21.4 10-12 1962,68,70,72 575- C. G'. White Elementary 625 333 12 27.7 K-7 .1951,70 Colerain Elementary 500 305 12 215.4 5-7 19.22,39,49 John B. Bond Elementary 460 322 11 29.2 K,3-5 1935,52 John P. Law Elementary 225 183 7 26.1 K-7 1961 Rox.obel/Kelford Elementary 330 212 6 35.3 6&7 1928 South Aulander Elementary 225 201 8 25.1 K-4 1964 West Bertie Elementary, 225 210 8 26.2 K-2 1961 West Colerain Elementary 200 373 13 28.7 1-4 1932,61 W. S. Etheridge Elementary 780 568 23 24.7 NG 1925,46,52 Windsor Elementar 660 528 21 25.1 NG 1926,41,47 y 80 "Another factor to be considered with declining population is the extreme high cost of construction, Under present organization, Bertie County would need approximately,$4,000,000-to meet current,buil ding needs. "By reorganizing all school districts, the-amount needed could be reduced to approximately $2.7 million. Of.the $2.7 million needed, $1.4 million is available from 1973 State Bond Funds. Bertie County would then ,need only $1.3 million to provide convenient, modern and adequate facilities ,for all children in the County,' In addition to the above public educational institutions pimary and secondary education is provided by two private institutions, Roanoke-Chowan Academy in Windsor and Lawrence Academy-in Merryill, Post-secondary education is offered by Roanoke-Chowan Technical Institute. in Ahoskie and Martin Technical Institute in Williamston, 3. Identification, design Capacity and Utilization of primary Roads Bertie County's prima y roads consist of U, S, 17, running from Williamston with a four-lane road to Windsor and then a two lane road to Edenton; U. S. 13,running from Williamston, through Windsor, north through. Powellsville; U. S. 11, running from Oak City in Martin'County, through Lewiston, to Ahoskie in Hertford County; NC, 308,running from Windsor, through Lewiston Kelford and Roxobel to Rich Square in Northampton County,,*,_ N. C. 305,,running from 5 miles.north of'Windsor, through A ulander to Rich Square; N.C. 350, running from Aulander to Ahoskie and from Colerain to Powellsville; and N. C. 45'running from Washington County, through Colerain to Winton in Hertford County, In order to determine utilization, the peak 24-hour traffic count compared design capacity. The design capacity-of the four-lane portion of U, S. 17-13 is not shown to the low level of utilization vis-a-vis the design capacity, The traffic counts are only for areas in county jurisdiction. Table 24 examines percentage utilization, TABLE 24 UTILIZATION OF PRIMARY ROADS BERTIE COUNTY, 1972 Road Design Capacity Max. 24-hour Count % Utilization 10 920 .4,100 37.6% U.S. 17 U.S. 13 10,920 4,000 36.6% U.S" 11- 10,920 1,900 .17.4% N, C, 30@8 7,200 21000 27.8% NIC, 305 7,200 .1,510- 21,0% N.C. 350 .7,20.0 2,600 36. 1%*. N C, 45 7,200 1,650. 22.9% 82.. V, ESTIMATED DEMAND 83 A. POPULATION AND ECONOMY 1. Population Accurately projecting future population figures is recognized as an al- most impossible task, yet it is recognized that it is essential to attempt such projections in order-to plan for future development. Providing services, such as schools, water and sewer,_require that local -government make some estimate. of the demand that might be placed on these services. Currently, at least two different population projections are-being-used in-Bertie County. The schoolBoard is planning future school services based on population projections indicating that the county will decline in-population from 20,528 in 1970 to 16,437 in 1980. A recently completed water and sewer plan, on the other hand uses population projections showing population in 1970 at 20,528 ,a drop in .1980 to 19,500, up to 20,600 in 1990. Still another set of projections recently issued.by the North Carolina Department of Administra- tion, source of the other projection as well,, shows population rising -from 20,528 in 1970, to 20,880 in: 1980, to 21,110 in 1990. Using different populatiOn. projection s for planning different. services ...could mean that the school should be underdesigned, or the water and sewer sys- tems verdesig ned. Bertie County should reach some concensus on which project tiOns are to be used, or at a minimum, ensure that facility plans are flexible enough to allow for variation between the projections. The following table breaks-down the most recent population proJeCtIons for the county into township and-municipal projections. The accompanying figure compares the various-projections. Many forces affect local population change, such as national population trends and nat ional economic conditions, local economic trends and birth rates. Figure 3 POPULATION PROJECTIONS Bertie County 30,000 25,000 20,000 .......... ......... 000000 a* a* 00 000000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 1Projections used in school planning. 2Most recent Department of Administration projections. 3Projections used in water and sewer planning. 85 TABLE 25 COUNTY, TOWNSHIP AND MUNICIPAL PROJECTIONS Bertie County, 1970-2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 Colerain Twp- 4,069 4,170 4,230 4,360 Iridian Woods T%@p. 874 770 -670 600 Merry Hill Twp. 630 600 500 420. Mitchells_Twp. 2,373 2,450 2,480 2,550 Roxobel Twp. 1,871 1,790 1,770 Snakebite Twp. --J-wD36 830 720 620 Whites Twp.- 2,006 2,060 2,180 2,330 Windsor Twp. 6,141 .6,730 7,190 7,770 Woodville Twp. 1,528 1,440 1,350 1,280 Colerain.Town 373 382 400 Powellsville 247 226 229 237 Aulander 947 923 834 961 Kelford @295 302 295 292 Roxobel 347 309 302 299 Askewville 247 270 289 312 Windsor 2,199 2,494 2,789 3,150 Lewistpn@@ 327 308 289 274 .Woodville 253 250 235 223 86 Therefore, the population projections provided should be used as indications, Local conditions, such as the location of the Perdue plant in the Lewiston- Woodville area, should be considered.in looking at the figures. The location of that particular plant in the Woodville-Lewiston area would probably indicate that the population would not decline and if it did, not at the rate projected. The Bertie County Planning Board feels that all of the projections listed are too low. It is felt that in view of the county's success in attracting in- dustry in the past few years, coupled with national population trends which show a reversal of past rural to urban migration, Bertie County can expect a faster rate of growth than projected, Bertie County is projected to increase in population by 582 between 1975 and 1,985, The capability of the land and water to sustain the above projected popu- lation is largely defined by the means used to dispose of sewage. Bertie County has an abundant supply of ground water,and water supply provides no 0 constraints to growth. If the projected population is accommodated in dwellings utilizi ng septic tanks, it is conceivable that.the projected population could exceed the capacity of the land and water to sustain it. In the coastal area, the detrimental ef- fects of sewage disposal on ground and surface water resources represent an im- portant example of physical limitations of development. After the density is reached which the land can effectively assimilate in its natural state, then any increased development results in a diminution of the quality of ground and surface waters. Up to a certain point, which varies depending on the species, this diminution in water quality can be tolerated by marine organisms which dwell in the surface waters. Also, up to a certain point, the diminution in surface-and ground waters can be tolerated by humans. However, after one of 87 these threshold "toleration" points is reached, the waters become unusable or unacceptable for use by.marine organisms and humans. Beyond such-a threshold a different order of public investment is needed to prevent degradation. Thus, upon approaching these-thresh.olds,,and there are no easily determinable,An- dices by which these thresholds can be established, certain planningdecisions need to be made. Basically, these decisions involve determining whether to limit.further increases in@density, to put money and energy into the,system to provide alternative methods:of waste disposal, or to tolerate the diminution 4D in water quality:as an.acceptable "cost" of further development. If neither one of the first two choices is made, then the third.alternative is chosen by default. It is clear that at some point density must be regulated or water quality will diminish. It is not possible to choose both alternatives without expending money and.energy on,alternative solutions to the problem. Since it is unknown at:what density and where the projected population will be accommodated and-to what extent means other than septic tanks will be used for,,sewage disposal, it'is-impossible to determine the exact capacity of the land and water to sustain population growth. During the implementation of this plan, it will be necessary to constantly monitor the impact of new devel- opment on the land and water. Seasonal population has not traditionally played a major role.in.Bertie County. It is anticipated that the amount of seasonal population will in- crease slightly in the future@,. drawn to the amenities offered here.. The major impacts this will have locally are 1) an:increase in service -related activities and 2) increased demands made on selected local governmental ser- vices such.a� solid waste disposal. 88 2. Economy. The opening chapter examines past trends and present conditions-in Bertie County's economic.-envaronment. In order to make decisions for-the future, it is necessary toun.derstand forces at work in our nationale-conomy which will influence Bertie County. What follows is a look at a few of these forces. Agriculture has play-ed-a-dominant role in Bertie County, but that,role is changing. In the past agriculture was.the major employer,in the.County. With changes in agricultural.practices, mainly mechanization, the number of workers needed in agriculture has been reduced@ There are indications that the impact of mechanization has-leveled off. In the future there,,should be fewer jobs lost,due to mechanization, but it is likely that the remaining jobs will demand a higher level of training and skills. For the past few decades there has been a nationwide trend of population migration from rural areas to urbanized ones. This trendalong with.the mechanization of agriculture, was the cause of'Bertie County's population loss. There now appearsto be a trend emerging of migration from the urban areas to rural areas. If Bertie County wishes to recoup some,of their popu- lation loss, then by providing job opportunities and other benefits, they might be able to capture.a number of the new migrants. Thererecently has emerged a.national recognition that resources are limited. The impact of this,is.jus.t.making itself felt on the national economy. The resulting competition of limited resources will have both 0 positive and negative impact. Perhaps t e major negative impact will be in the area of. higher..energy cost, particularly gasoline.. Most workers not employed in agriculture are dependent-upon the private automobile to transport th em from place of 0 89 residence to plate of work. With-higher gasoline cost, it will become in- creasingly difficult for workers.to live in Bettie County and commute outside the County to work, as 1,006 did in 1970. These workers will be under in- creasing economic pressure to live closet to their place of work. If Bettie County is unable to providemore employment opportunities, it will continue to lose population. .The limited resources'will have a positive impact on Bertie.County in that the long range prospect for,agriculture and agriculturally related bus- inesses '(this includes. timberY. is good. The'.County remains. relatively rich .in hatural resources which will bring an increasingly higher price in the market place. B. FUTURE LAND NEEDS The Coastal Area Management Act guidelines direct that a gross.ten year estimate of land needs be allocated to the appropriate land classes. In doing this the estimated population.growth is allocated.tb the Transition, Community and Rural land classes of Land Classification'System. This system is explained in detail in Part.Three of this plan. Bertie County's estimated population increase from 1975 to 1985 is 582. The County's-policy is to upgrade.'existing population concentration by pro- viding them with Pervices such as--water and sewer. Therefore,the entire. future lind need is allocated to Transitional. C..... COMMUNITY' FACILITIES: DEMAND .1. Ten Year Population.Increase:_ 'As discussed previously, Bettie County's population is expected.to ih- crease by 582 by 1985. Local desires would place that population at a higher level. Thetwo.major growth areas will most likely be Windsor and the Lewis- ton-Woodville area. .90 2. Services Needed to Accommodate Projected Population-, Bertie County will. be, able to, Absorb the p roj ected populat ion. and more without need for extensive,additions to existing facilities. As noted pre- viously, the school system is undergoing modification. When completed the schools will be able,to handle the additional population increase without an increase in-facilities. A '201' wastewater treatment'study is scheduled for the Lewiston-Woodville area and will include. Roxobel and. Kelf aid. Completion of this, study will qualify the area for federal monies for wastewater treatment.. This money would be spent in the area impacted_by the Perdue plant location. Existing water systems and new ones to serve communities in.the county could be financed t hrough FHA loans and grants and be self supporti ng through user fees. The present road system is capable of accommodating-anticipated population increases. 3. Ability. of. Local., Economy to Finance Service Extension- A local government's ability to provide services to its citizens is limit- ed by the amount of revenues, it can, raise. Local goverments in North Carolina depend basically on four sources of revenue. A portion comes from grants from State and Federal government.. While these are important-sources of revenue, local government has limited control over how much money they will receive and how it will be-spent. A second source of funding and traditionally the most important., is local property taxation. Bertie County lacks the heavy industry that is often used to obtain a high per capita appraisal value; therefore,. the Coun ty is limited in the burden it can place on local taxpayers. 91 A relatively new source of income for local governments in North Carolina is the.-local sales tax- Due to,&low level of per capita Income,plus alack @of shopping areas in the County,,,Bertie County has a per capita.retail-sales level of only $1,193 the lowest in Region Q. This limits potential revenue from the local sales tax. Other revenues are collected from miscellaneous sources, such as-ABC- revenues, licenses, and fees. Table 26 looks at county and-municipal tax and debt;data. 92 > > 0 H- 0 0 CD CD 0 0 (n 0 0 0 0 0:z X :r4 ::@ @- I-- I-- PT. H 0 @L P@0 CD H- @-h CD (D Ct w cr 0 0 PI H. ft P- 0 CD rt H P) t2, @(D -@4 H (n0 CU H, (D H- @J C) 0 C-+ 0 .4 C) z H. ID 0 0 0 0 ct (D CD r+ C-+ (A zS ra m H@ rt r+ 0 H. @I 0 0 0 0 U4 U-1 to @3 C-F @0 . . . CD -j -Ij tIj vi @0 ON -4 (A rIj -4 tD Appraised T P., I.- N-) 00 bj -4 tDWto tIj tIj z L- I ?1 00w U4 0\1-- cn t-j0 1@0 Value . 0 -4 4 . . . C-)0 Ln ;@. CD 00 t-j --A ()0 CD Go Co t-j Co -j 4@@ I-- 4@:- 4@-,0W CD -P- m a-. C) CD C) 2.1 0 < 9 a% C'@ 4@-, U4 cn tIj C% cn Ili U1 CD 0. v4 , 4 , , , Per Capita -1 c. U-. -,j.a, U-j Ln @0 co --4 CN (A I-jm0% w -P- Appraised Value CD 5 0% tj oo 00 tQ tJ @0 LQ N) rt 0 Fb n 0 C+ Total All 00 U4 tIj r;;. w 0 00 00 --j @Revenues 4@:- t,3N<D CD C\ 00 tIJ -t- H U1 P. t,@ Ui @O Co 4@@ UI co --j U4 00 00wtD [,a U4 CD 0 w Tax Rate ;1.) '0 ;0 @, ;1_1 ;I 0 0 0 C) C) U1 Ul C) U1 CD VI :j 0 0 P 00 0 Oq C> 4:@,- 4:@ -P- Bonds 0 @a < ,@D P ,@- .00 Outstanding (D 0 CD CD c) c) (n c@ c) 0 c@ (P H ?c) 0 1C) c) I I I C:> 0 :j CD CD CD CD r- 5 N) H (D 0 :j (D c+ 4@- ON 4@, Per Capita :-I cl:@ F @4 c" Debt c7N I0@ Ij I I I co VI. POTENTIALAREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN 94 The North Carolina Coastal Area Management Act states that the local 1and use plan "shall give special attention to'the protection and appropriate develop- ment of areas of environmental-concern"'designated by the Coastal Resources Com- mission. That is the purpose of this part of theplan. Those areas of environmental concern which are listed in the "State Guide- lines for Local Planning in the Coastal Area" and occur' in Bettie County will be described., significance discussed, a policy objective stated, and appropriate land uses prescribed. Once the areas of environmental, concern (AEC) have been adopted by the Coastal Resources Commission, then development taking place within an AEC will require aI permit. Major developments must receive their permit from the-State ...while minor developments can be administered by local government. However, the identification of AEC's in this'document will not serve for purposes of permit letting. This Identification is for planning purposes only. HISTORIC pLACES DESCRIPTION Historic places are defined as historical, archaelogical, and other places and properties owned,, managed or assisted by the State of North Carolina pur- suant to G. S. 121; and properties:.orareas that have been designated by the, secretary of 'the Interior as National Historic Landmarks. Specifically, these sites in Bettie County are: the King House and Hope Plantation. SIGNIFICANCE Historic resources are b0th non-renewable aud fragile. They owe their significanceto their association with American,history, architecture,archaelogy and cul ture. Properties on or approved for the National Register of Historic Places may be of national, state or local significance. POLICY OBJECTIVE. To protect and/or preservethe integrity of districts, sites, buildings and objects in the above categories. APPROPRIATE LANDUSES Adjacent development should.be in keeping with the character of the his- toric place. -Local, government can ensure this by.historic zoning, establishing a historic properties commission and careful planning of facilities. ESTUARINEVATERS,AND VUBLIC TRUST AREAS@' DESCRIPTION Estuarine waters are defined in'G.S. 113-229 (n) (2) as, "all.the water of the Atlantic Ocean within the boundary of North-Carolina and all the waters of the bays, sounds, rivers, and tributaries theret.oseaward of the dividing line between coastal fishing,waters and inland fishing waters, as set.forth in an agreement adopted by.the Wildlife Resources Commission and the Department of Conservation and Development.filed with the Secretary of State entitled 'Boundary Lines, North Carolina Commercial Fishing Inland Fishing Waters, revised March 1,-1965," or as it may be subsequently revised by the Legislature.. Public trustareas are-defined.through the CAMA Planning Guidelines.as "All waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the lands thereunder from the mean high water mark to the seaward limit..of State jurisdiction; all natural.bodies of water subject to measurable lunar tides and lands thereunder to the mean%high water, mark; all navigable natural bodies of water and lands ther6under-.to the mean or ordinary high waterimark,as the case may be, except privately owned lakes having no public access; all waters in artificial-I created bodies of y water.in which.,exists significant public fishing resources or other public -resources, which are accessible to the public by navigation from bodies of water in which the public.has rights of navigation; all waters in artificially created bodies of water in which the'public has acquired rights by prescription, custom, usage, dedication or any other means. In determining whether the pub- lic has [email protected] in artificially created.bodies of water, the following factors shall be consideted:.(i) the use of the body of water by-the public; (ii) the length of-@time the public has used the area; (iii) the value of pub- lic resources in the body of water; (iv) whether the public resources in the body.of water are.mobile to the extent that they can move into natural..bodies of water; (v)'whether.the creation of the artificial body of water required permission from the State; and.(vi) the value of the body of water to the pub_ lic..for navigation from one public area to another public area." While estuarine waters and public trust areas are treated separately in the State Guidelines, they will be considered as one for the purpose of this plan. The distinction drawn between them in the guidelines is. an artificial one and*has no basis other than as'a political division between the commercial and sport tisher'ies.,.,interest. The significance.of both areas is iden tiCal as are the appropriite land uses. SIGNIFICANCE The estuaries of any river system are among the most productive natural environments of North Carolina. They not-only support valuable commercial and 8ports.fisherids, but are also u.tilized for commercial navigation., recre- ation and aesthetic purposes. The high level of commercial and sports fisheries and the aesthetic appeal of.coastal,Norith Carolina is'dependent upon the pr o- tection and sustai ned quality of our estuarine and river systems. POLICY OBJECTIVE To preserve and manage'atir,estuarine waters-and public trust areas..so as to safeguard and perpetuate their biological, economic and aesthetic values. APPROPRIATE JJSES Appropriate uses shall.be consIstent.with the above policy objective. Highest priority,sh.all be given to'the conservation of estuarine waters and protection of public trust rights.- The development of navigation.channels, the use of bulkheads-to preven;t erosion., and the-building of piers or.wharfs are examples of appropriate land use, provided such land uses will not be detrimental to the biologir-all.and-:physi.cal.estuari'ne function and public trust waters. Projects which would directly or indirectly block or impair existing navigation channels, increase shoreline erosion, deposit spoils be- r low mean high tide, cause adverse water circulation pattern, violate water quality standards, or cause degradation of shellfish waters are generally.con- sidered incompatible with the managementof estuarine waters and public trust .areas. Development control ove-r.develop-meht occur-ring in estuarine water or public trust'areas is presently exercised by State or Federal government. Local,govern- ment can assist in managing these areas by controlling development adjacent to these areas. Devices such as setback lines, minimum lot sizes, septic-tank ordinances, flood plain ordinances and sedimentation control can be used to 'control adjacent.development which could impair estuarine waters or public trust areas. 98 COMPLEX NATURAL AREAS DESCRIPTION_ Complex natural areas.are defined as. lands that support native plant and animal communities and.provide habitat conditions or characteristics thathave remained essentially unchanged by'human activity. Such areas are surrounded by landscapes that.have been modified but that do not drastically.alter the conditions within the natural areas or their scientific or educational-,value. Specifically these areas, in Bertie County are the bottom swamp and wood- lands of the Roanoke River and Roquist Pocosin. POLICY OBJECTIVE To preserve the-natural.condition of the site so -as to safeguard its existence as an example of naturally occurring, relatively.undisturbed plant and animal communities of major scientific or educational value. APPROPRIATE LAND USES Appropriate land uses shall be those consistent with the above policy objective. These largely will consist of forestry practiced in a manner con- .sistent with good forest and wildlife management practices. E STUARINE AND RIVER EREDIBLE AREAS. DESCRIPTION--, EstuArine and river erodible areas are defined as the area above ordinary high water where excessive erosion has 'a high probability of occurring. In delineating the landward extent of this area, a 75 foot recession lineshall be used. The. erodible areas in Bertie County are located along the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound. SIGNIFICANCE.. The estuarine, sound and river erodible areas are natural hazard.areas especially vulnerable to erosion....Deve@opment within this type of AEC is subjected to the damaging process of erosion unless special development standards and preventative measures are employed-. POLICY OBJECTIVE. To ensure that development..occurring within the 25 year erodibility line is compatible with the dynamic nature of the erodible lands thus miriimizing the likelihood of significant loss of property. APPROPRIATE.,,LAND.USE, No development activity shall take place.within the area vulnerable to erosion unless measures are taken to prevent the erosion which have proven effective.in similar situations and which do not:threaten to accelerateerosion on adjoining property. The 25-year,erodibility line shall be used in deter- mining setback from the river or sound in all ordinances and regulationssuch as subdivision.regulations and health regulations. As 100 VII. PLAN DESCRIPTION 101 The areas-exp-ected to increase in population in the-future are@ Aulander, Lewiston-Woodville, Co,lerain and Windsor, the Me rry Hill Community and Askew- ville. The-remainin&areas of the County should lose population to the above areas and areas out of the County. Efforts should be made,to.upgrade the community facilities in existing communities to enable them to facilitate development. Map 6 classifies all of the land in Bertie County into five classes contained in the North Carolina Land Classification System. The five classes provide a framework to be used@by local governments to identify the general use of all lands in each-county. As a statement of local-policy consistent with statewide needs and.goals, the county land classification map will serve as a basic tool for coordinating numerous policies, standards, regulations and other governmental activities at the local, state and federal level. The system also provides a guide-for public investment in land- For example, State and local governments tan-anticipate the need for early acquisition of lands and.easements in the Transition class-for schools, recreation, transportation..and other public facilities. The system can also provide a useful framework for budgeting and@ planning for the construction of..community facilities such as water and sewer systems, schools and roads. The resources of many state and Federal agencies, as well as those of the local government'which are used for such facilities, can then ..be more efficiently allocated. In addition, such a system will aid in better coordination of regulatory policies and.decisions. Conservation and.Rural Production lands will help to focus the attention,of state and local agencies and interests concerned with the valuable natural resources of the state. On the other hand, lands in the 102 Transition and Community classes will be of special concern to those agencies and interests who work for high quality development through local land use controls such as zoning and subdivision regulations. Finally, the System can help to.provide guidance for'a more equitable distribution of the land tax burden. Private lands which are in the Rural and Conservation classes should have low taxes to reflect the policy that few, if any, public services will be provided to these lands. In contrast, lands in the Transition class should.be taxed to pay for the large cost of new public services which will be required to support the densit y of growth anticipated. 103 THE FIVE CLASSES DEVELOPED,.. Purpose: The Developed class, identifies developed.lands which are presently provided'with essential public services. Consequently, it is distinguished from areas where significant growth and/or new service requirements will occur. Continued development and redevelopment should be encouraged toprovide for the orderly growth in the area.. Description: Developed lands are.,areas with a. minimum gross population.density .of 2,000 peopl&@per square mile. At a minimum,,.these lands.contain existing public services including.,water and.sewer.systems., educational systems, and road systems--all of which.are able to support'the present population and its accompanying land uses including commercial, industrial and institutional. TRANSITION Purpose: The Transition class identifies lands-where moderate to high density growth is to.be encouraged and where any growth that is permitted by local regulation will be provided with the necessary public services. Description: The Area to be designated as Transition must be no greater. than that required to accommodate the estimated,county population growth at a. minimum gross density@of 2,000 people per square mile. For example, if the population increase for the following ten year period is.projected to be 10,000 people, and it is planned that 8,000 of them will be accommodated in 'the Transition area, then no-more than four square miles of-Transition.area *should be shown. In addition, the minimum services-which will be required are the necessary water and.sewer facilities, educational services, and roads. Consideration must be given.to the cost of public services in the Transition area. Each local government is encouraged to estimate the approximate cost of providing public'services where they do not already exist. Lands to be classified Transition should be considered in the following order: 1) First priority is for lands which presently have.a gross popula- tion density of, more than 2,000 people per square mile, but do not qualify as Developed because they lack the necessary minimum public services. These areas-may not be expected to accommodate additional population, but they will require funds for services to avoid public health and safety problems, 2) Second priority is for lands' that have all thenecessary public services in place, but which lack the minimum gross population density of 2,000 people per square mile needed to. qualify the area as Developed. These areas therefore have not utilized the capacity of the.existing services. 104 3) Additional lands necessary to accommodate the remainder of the estimated Transition growth for the ten year planning period. In choosing lands for the Transition class, such lands should not include: 1) Areas with severe physical limitations for development with public services. 2) Lands which meet the definition of the Conservation class. 3) Lands of special value such as the following unless no other reasonable alternative exists: a) Productive and unique agricultural lands; b) Productive forest lands; c) Potentially valuable mineral deposits; d) Potential aquifers and key parts of water supply watersheds; 6) Scenic and tourist resources; f) Habitat for economically valuable wildlife species; g) Flood fringe lands; Open coast flood hazard areas, exclusive of ocean erosive. areas; i) Estuarine flood hazard areas, exclusive o-f estuarine erosive areas. COMMITY Purpose: The Community class identifies existing and new clusters'of low density development not requiting major public services'.- Description:. 1) The Community class includes existing clu sters of one or. more land uses such as a rural residential subd ivision or a church, school,. general store, industry, etc. (Clusteris defined as a number.of structures grouped together in associati:on or in physical proximity.) -Webster"s Distionary 2) This.class will provide for all new rural growth when the lot size is ten acres or less. Such clusters of growth may occur in .new areas, or within existing community lands. In choosing lands for Community growth, such lands should not include: a) Areas with severe physical limitations for development; b) Areas meeting the definition of the Conservation class;.. C) Lands of special value,such as the following,unless no other. reasonable alternative exists; 1) Productive and unique agricultural:lands; 2) Productive forest lands; 3).Potent'ially valuable@mineral deposits; 4) Potential aquifers and key parts of water supply watersheds; 105 5) Scenic and touristresources; 6) Habitat for economically valuable wildlife species; 7) Flood fringe lands; 8) Open coast flood hazard areas; 9) Estuarine flood hazard areas, exclusive of estuarine erosive areas. 3) New development in the Community class areas will be subject to subdivision regulations under.the Enabling Subdivi'sion Act (G.S. 153A-330 et. seq,.) 4) In every case, the lot size..must be large.enough to safely accommodate on-site sewage disposal and where necessary water supply so that no public sewer services will be required or needed in the-future., 5) Limited public services should be provided in the Community class such as public road access and electric power. 6) As a guide for calcul ing the amount of land necessary to accommodate new rurai"'community gj,,qwth, a grossIpopul ation density of 640 people per square mile or one person per acre should be used. For example, if 1,000 new people are txpected to settle in low density clusters during the [email protected] ten year period, then roughly 1,000 acres of land should be all6dated for new growth in Community class areas. RURAL Purpose: The Rural class.identifies lands for long-term managpFent for productive resource utilization, and where limited public services. will be provided. Development in such areas should be compatible with@resource production... Description: The Rural class includes all lands not in the Developed, Transition, Community and Conservation classes. CONSERVATION Purpose: The Conservation class identifies.land which should be maintained essetitially in its natural state and where very limited or no public services are provided. Description: Lands to be placed in.the Conservation class are the least desirable for development,because: 1) They are toofragile to withstand development without losing their _fi@itural value and/or; 2) They have'sevore or hazardous limitations to development and/or; 3) Though they are not highly fragile or hazardous, the natural resources they represent are too valuable to endanger by development. 106 such lands at a minimum should include; 1) Fragile a) Wetlands ',z@b):@--_Steep slopes and prominent high points c) Frontal dunes d) Beaches e) Surface waters"", cluding Lakes and ponds - Rivers and streams - Tidal waters below mean high water f) Prime wildlife habitat g) Unique natural areas and historic and archaeological sites 2) Hazard a) Floodways b) Oceanerosive areas c) Tnlet lands d) Estuarine erosive areas 3) Other a) Publicly owned forest, park, and fish and game lands and other. non-intensive outdoor recreation lands b) Privately owned sanctuaries, etc. which are dedicated to preservation C) Publicly owned water supply watershed areas d) Undeveloped key.parts of existing water supply watershed e) Potential water impoundment sites In addition to the above named types of land, a county may include other areas to be maintained in an.essentially natural state which are needed to implement their stated policy objectives. 107 VIII,SUMMARY 108 A. MANNER OF DATA ASSEMBLY AND ANALYSIS Due to time and monitary limitations, very little primary data was generated for this study. Data used in this plan was obtained from six different sources. These sources are: 1) Standard references such as U.S. Census, N.C. Statistical Abstract, N. C. Agricultural Statistics, Profile: N. C. Counties, etc.; 2) A county-wide survey conducted by the Planning Board; 3) Small group discussions held county-wide; 4) Interviews; 5) Previous studies; and 6) Field studies. Analysis of this data was conducted by staff and presented to the Planning Board for their consideration. The following is a bibliography of material used. Barick, Frank B. and T. Stuart Critcher. Wildlife and Land Use Planning With Particular Reference to Coastal Counties, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh, N. C., 1975. Bertie County Board of Education. Bertie County_Schools, Proposals for School Improvements, Windsor, N. C., 1974. Bertie Soil and Water Conservation District. Outdoor Recreation Potential for Bertie County, N. C., Windsor, N. C., 1972. Carolina Population Center.. County Population Trends, North Carolina 1790-1960, University of North Carolina and Statistical Services Center, Department of Administration, Raleigh, N. C., 1969. Clark, John. Coastal Ecosystems, Ecological Considerations for Management of the Coastal Zone, The Conservation Foundation, Washington, D. C., 1974. Employment Security Commission. North Carolina Commuting Patterns, 1960-1970, Raleigh, N. C., 1974. Ferrell, Joseph S. County Government in North Carolina, Institute of Government/ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N. C., 1975. 109 Land Policy Council. North Carolina Land Policy Council-A Land Policy Program for North C-aro-lina, Raleigh, N. C., 1976. Mid-East Economic Development Commission. A Guide for Land Use And Development In the Mid-East Region, "Regional Land Use Plan", Washington, N. C., 1975. Mid-East Economic Development Commission. Planning for Open Space and Recreation In the Mid-East Region, Washington, N. C., 1975. Mid-East Economic Development Commission. Region Q Transportation Plan, Washington, N. C., 1975. Mid-East Economic Development Commission, Region Q Water Management Plan, Washington, N. C. 1975. N. C. Agricultural Extension Service. North Carolina Land Use Data, eds. Enrique Ospina and Leon Danielson, Raleigh, N. C. 1973. N. C. Department of Administration. Profile, North Carolina Counties., Raleigh, N. C., 1975. N. C. Department of Administration. North Carolina State Government Statistical Abstract, Raleigh, N. C., 1975. N. C. Coastal Resources Commission. State Guidelines For Local Planning In the Coastal Area Under the Coastal Area Management Act of 1974, Raleigh, N. C., 1975, N. C. Department of Natural & Economic Resources. Preliminary List of Endangered Plant and Animal Species in North Carolina, 1973. Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall and MacDonald. North Carolina Inland Waterways, New York, New York, 1954. Rivers and Associates, Inc. Bertie County, Comprehensive Water and Sewer Study, Greenville, N. C., 1968, Sharpe, Bill. A New Geography of North Carolina, Edwards & Broughton, Raleigh, N, C,, 1966. State Department of Public Instruction. Survey/Bertie County Schools, Raleigh, N. C. , 1974. U, S. Department of Commerce, U, S. Census of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 1962, 1972, Virginia Electric and Power Company. Bertie County, North Carolina, An Economic Study, Williamston, N. C,, 1965. Welch, Robert L, and Herbext A, Knight. Forest Statistics for the Northeast Coas.tal Plains of North Carolina, 1@_74, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station, Asheville, N. C., 1974. Wilson, Kenneth A. North Carolina Wetlands, Their Distribution and Management, N, C, Wildlife ources Commission, Raleigh, N. C,, 1962, 110 B. APPLICATION OF DATA TO PLAN FORMULATION Once data was assembled and analyzed, then it was presented to the Planning Board, The Planning Board utilized the data by using it as (1) a catalyst to discussion of issues, (2) parameter to discussion, and (3) documentation that problems and issues,exist. IX. TOWN-COUNTY PLAN RELATIONSHIP 112 While the county and towns in Bertie County are separate govern- mental entities, their future is closely entertwined. Most of the develop- mental problems discussed in this report are not limited to political boundaries. The benefits that accrue from implementation of this plan will cross political boundaries. The Coastal Area Management Act places the primary planning responsibility with the county. Towns are permitted to do their own planning if they are of a certain size. Only Windsor, of all the towns in Bertie County, was eligible to do its own planning. The County prepared "mini-plans" for the remaining towns in the County. The Windsor and Bertie County Plan Relationship can be defined as a coordinated effort through effective land use planning to provide a balanced growth that offers the best affordable working and living environment for all Bertie residents. This relationship has been part of a continuous process which has taken two forms: (1) Complementing goals and objectives,,and (2) A compatible county-town land classification system. The Bertie County Plan utilizes the towns as growth centers, Develop- men. t will be encouraged to locate in or near existing towns in order to tmilize_.existing services and minimize cost of future services. The following town plans give a view of each incorporated town in the county with the exception of Windsor, which has prepared its own plan. 113 CAMA LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN ASKEWVILLE, N.C. BERTIE COUNTY November 23, 1975 114 Askewville is a small, rural community just east of U,S. Highway 1 3, located near the center of Bertie County. The town has been known as "the center of the county's tobacco belt."' Today Askewville remains rural- residential in character. POPULATION Askewville's population is estimated at 260. The town experienced a 33.3 percent population increase between 1960 and 1975 (Figure 1). A look at Askewville's population in 1970 shows that 25.1 percent of the population is over 45 years of age,(Table 1). Over 40 percent of the, population is Betw-@@fi f5 and 44:-ye'ars of age. This is a disproportionate. number of younger people as compared to county, state and national averages, The lower proportion of the elderly population and the higher proportion of younger,people indicates that Askewville will most likely increase in population due to the higher proportion of the child bearing population. As of 1970, Askewville had no Black population. TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX ASKEWILLE 1970 Percent of Ag_e Total Male* Female Total Populettio@n Under 5 years 24 12 12 9.T@ 5-14. 52 20 32 21.1 15-24 33 14 19 13.4 25-34 43 24 19 17.4 35-44 33 17 16 13,4 16 8 .8 6.5 55-64 26 14 12 10.5 65+ 20 7 13 8.1 TOTALS 247 116 131 100 SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, First Count Summary, 1970. 115 FIGURE 1 POPULATION TRENDS ASKEWVILLE 1940-1970 1,200 1000 800 600 400 247 2.60 200 1940 1950 1960 1970 19751 1 Estimate SOURCE; U. S, Census of Population, 1940-1970 and N. C, Dept, of Administration. 116 ECONOMY Askewville is largely a residential community with residents computing to work to various industries in Bertie and neighboring Hertford County, As of 1965, the town has no industrial tax base. The only businesses in town are limited to service related businessess. EXISTING LAND USE The major laneuse in Askewville is rural residential, Limited commercial uses are spotted along U, S. Highway 13. There are no industrial land uses, Since no district commercial and residential areas exist, the existing low level commercial and residential activities do not pose a--pkoblem. of conflicting land uses. CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT Several factors act as constraints on development in any community. These factors are discussed as follows; Soils Agkewville soils pose severe limitations for development. Generally these limitations are economically feasible to correct. The major limita- tions are a result of severe flooding, These soils are not generally suited for sanitary facilities or community development due to the severe flooding. From an agricultural standpoint, the limitations are very severe due to not only flooding but high.water tables.and are not generally developed. Water Supply Askewville's water distribution system was recently constructed. The new system is serving approximately 80-connections to date. It has been recommended that the town construct a 150,000 gallon elevated water storage tank to provide adequate fire protection for residents and businesses. 117 Due to an abundance of grouiW water, water supply poses no constraints on development. Capacity of Community Facilities Lack of community facilities or inadequate community facilities can serve as a constraint on development. For instance, the density of develop- ment within Askewville is limited as long as the town is dependent on septic tanks. Other factors such as waf&r systems, fire departments, etc, influence both individuals and businessess in decisions on where to locate. At the present time Askewville has no wastewater facilities and relies total on on-site disposal methods. This, in effect, imposes a minimum lot size due to the area needed for septic tank and drain field, This places a constraint on development both from a density standpoint and from the stand- point of the town being unable to accommodate any type of development which cannot use septic tanks for wastewater disposall In addition, soils of the area do not lend themselves to on-site disposal methods. The town has recently constructed a water system. The system is supplied by two deep wells, each having a capacity of 100 gallons per minute. If the recommended 150,000 gallon elevated water storage tank is constructed, AskewVille's water system will provide adequate service. Rowever, if not, the projected increase in water consumption could place additional demands upon the existing water system. ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND Population Askewville is projected to increase in population, Table 2 shows population-projections for the town, township, and county. 118 TABLE 2 PROJECTED POPULATION ASKEWVILLE, WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, BERTIE COUNTY 1970-2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Askewville 247 270 289 312 Windsor Township 6,141 6,730 7,190 7,770 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 SOURCE: Region Q Water Resources Management Plan; Township projections by Department of Natural & Economic Resources Economy There are slight.indications that Askewvill&ls economy will change@. An increase in the areats population possibility will increase the current I Ievel. of service. However, these increases are expected to be minor due to projected population percent changes. Future Land Needs If Askewville's population projections are realized, the town should concentrate on developing land within the existing service areas of the -town This wotdd allow the town to realize the greatest return on the recently constr0c"ted water system. As a result, the cost of providing future services, suchV@s sewer, would be minimized, Community Facilities Demand Tf.the community's population pr ojections are realized, the present water system will probably need up-grading. Reliance upon on-site disposal of wastewater will cause problems for development. The.location of an industry in Askewville might require a wastewater treatment system. LAND USE ISSUES In summary, the land use issues facing Askewville are: 1).Continuing population increase 2) Lack of local economic base 3) A high proportion of the childbearing population 119 IMPLEMENTATION If Askewville is to retain the desirable characteristics of the community and address the land use issues outlined above, it must: 1) Form a planning board to advise local officials on development issues, and 2) Make a decision on whether the town will attempt to attract industry, The town may wish to explore the possibility of continuing land use planning and management services from local, regional, and state agencies. 120 CAMA LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN AULANDER, N.c. BERTIE COUNTY November 23, 1975 121 THE TOWN OF AULANDER The Town of Aulanderis located in northwest Bertie County, Historically, the town has been a rural* trading community, with industry -locating in the community recently.7,.-At one time Aulander,.was the "largest city in the wo.rld." -The incorporating act specified boundarie s extending 1,000 miles in each direction. The error was corrected. Aulander is served'by a number of roads.- N.C. 305 connects the town with Windsor, 19 miles to the southeast. N.C.,11 connects Aulander to Lewiston, 8 miles to the southwest, and Ahoskie, 7 miles to the northeast. Secondary roads connect Aulander with surrounding rural areas. The town is served by a railroad. POPULATION Aulander's population is estimated at 940 for 1974. The town has been experiencing a decline in,population since 1950 (Figure 1). This pattern of population','Iqss hasoccurred at a slower rate than the county's population decline. A look@at Aulander's population in 1970 (Table 1) shows a high percentage of population in the 55 years old and above categories. This, coupled with a relatively'low percentage in 25 44 categories, indicates a pattern of outmigration. Generally, those who-migrate out.are the young, who having completed their education, look elsewhere for greater opportunity. This appears to have happened in Aulander. 122 FIGURE 1 POPULATION TRENDS AULANDER 1940-1975 1200 1,057 1,112 1,083 1000 940 800 600 400 200 1940 1950 .1960 .1970 1975 1Estimate Source: U. S. Census.of Population, 1940-1975,and N. C. Dept. of Administration. TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX AULANDER 1970 Percent of Age Total Male Female Total.Population Under 5 years 5@ 25 31 5.9 5-14 136 73 63 14.4 15-24 118 57 61 12.5 25-34 112 56 56 11.8 35-44 102 50 52 10.8 As 45-54 112 53 59 11.8 55-64 62 92 16.3 65+ 157 63 94 16.,6 TOTALS 947 439 508 100, Source: U. S.-Census, First Count Summary,. 1970., 123 The age-distribution pattern in Aulander also has implications for provisions of services by'@.'@Iocal government. For instance, Aulander with a relatively high [email protected] o7f population in the 5 - 24 age categories would'vant to provide active recreation for those young people., Black's number 146, or 15.4 percent of the.total population of Aulander. ECONOMY Aulander is a rural trading community. The location-of the"Blue Ridge Shoe Corporation.with approximately 200 employees,and National Peanut 'Corporation,with 90 employees,,has given the town an industrial base., in additionto the industries located in Aulander, many residents to work in surrounding counties or southeast Virginia. commute GOVERNMENT Aula'nder.hasorecently adopted Manager-Mayor-Council form of government. The town has a full-time town manager, clerk, and two policemen. Apart-time policeman also serves the community. The-town presently exercises no regulations which wouldimpact land develop ment patterns. The town has contracted to have zoning and subdivision regulations and an annexation study prepared during the coming year. EXISTING LAND USE Most of the land in Aulander is vacant. Of the developed land, the overwhelming majority is residential. Commercial development is largely confined to, a -well-4efihe4d central business district. The residential and commercial areas of town are distinct. This is a ,desirable feature which should,be preserved. The industrial land uses are located on the periphery of the 'residential areas. They create some co n- 124 flicting-land uses in-regard to, the housing immediately adjacent to the industrial uses. A number of local citizens have also expressed concern about @mobile homes moving into-established neighborhoods. Conceptually, land use in Aulander can be viewed as concentric rings with the central.business district forming the core, residential development forming the next ring out and industrial development and agriculture forming the outermost ring. This conce'pt,breaks down where N. C. 305 from Windsor and N. C. 250 from :Ahoskie.-lead into town,. Residential,strip development has occurred along these highways outside-of the existing city limits. These are the primary -areas the town'will examine in its annexation study. CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT Several factors act as constraints on development in Aulander.@,These may be broken down into.the.broad categories of land potential--the natural .constraints placed,on development--and capacity of community facilities., these-constraints on development do not mean that development cannot take place in.the affected areas, only that the development may not be economically -feasible. Soi-Is" Most of the soils in Aulander have slight limitations for development. The@soils are well drained to moderately well drained,with only slight limit- ations.for development and fbr@agrtculture. They are,generally well adopted for septic tanks, sanitary landfills, but may have moderate problems with sewage lagoons. As far, as building is concerned, shallow excavations would only have slight limitations. Basements would be possible on high ground in this area and in general would have fair to good bearing strength. 125 In small areas of the town, largely to the southeasti the soils are not su-itable.for development and therefore pose a constraint on development. Water Supply The Town of Aulander utilized groundwater as its water source. A.distri bution system.serves most of the townt's residents, The area south of Aulander, along Ni C. 305, is served by the South Aulander Water Association. The area north of Aulander, along N. C.-,350 is served by the Millennium Water Association. Groundwater''i,4;-pl-entiful in the Aulander area and presents no constraints on development, in reg ard to supply. The distribution system would serve as the.only constraint. *The existence of the South Aulander and Millennium Water Associations will aid the'town's efforts to annex these areas. Capacity of Community Facilities Lack of community'facilities or inadequate community faQilities,can serve as a constraint on development. For instance, the town-served treatment facilitiesmight not Wadequate to*handle the additional burden a new industry could place on them. Therefore, that new industry could decide to locate elsewhere.,. The constraints of the water supply and distribution system were discussed eariler. It was concluded that water supply would not provide a constraint on development. The distribution sys tem possibly could provide a constraint. The town has a wastewater-collection and treatment system. The treat- ment facility, constructed in 1962., has a design capacity of 0.08 million gallons daily.., The collection system serves about 6,50 people. Treated effluent is discharged into Fort Branch, a tributary of Ah6skie Creek. 126 The North Carolina Division of Environmental Mtagement has requested that the present facility be replace&with a new one"Which-will. give a tertiary degree of treatment. Disinfection also needs to,b-iE@ added to the .-..-,,.,1treatment process.. ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND Population Aulander is projected to lose population to a level 'of 834 in 1990. 'After.1990'the town is projected to gain population to' a level of 961 in the year 2000. Annexation or location of new industry could influence the future population trends. The.population@projection presented below (Table 2) was computed by the N..C. Department of Natural and Economic Resources. A projection is only a guess based on past performance. TABLE 2 PROJECTED POPULATION AULANDER. AND BERTIE COUNTY, 1970 2000 Area 1970 1980 1990 2000 Aulander 947 923 834 961 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 Source: Computed by N.C. DNER based on OBERS county and township projections. Economy- Aulander's proximity to Ahosk.ie,coupled with an existing water and .sewer system,indicates that the town's economy could prosper in the future. 127 Future Land Needs Aulander has adequate land within its present boundaries to service any anticipated.future land needs. The town c ould explore the possibility of annexing the developed areas south of town along N. C. 305 and north of town along N. C. 350. Community Facilities Demand The present water system is adequate for anticipated future needs. The system could be joined with that of,the,South Aulander Water Association and the Millennium Water Associates, thereby strengthening all systems. The.present wastewater treatment facilities need to be upgraded. LAND U SE ISSUES in summary.,,the land use issues facing Aulander are: 1) The need to upgrade the sewer treatment facility; 2) A need to preserve the central business district; 3) Mobile:homes appearing in established neighborhoods; 4) Theissue of annexing adjoining communities;., and 5) Join the,various water systems into a single system. 128 CAMA LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN COLERAIN, N.C. BERTIE@COVNTY NOVEMBER 23, 1975 129 The Town of Colerain is located approximately one mile from the Chowan River on North Carolina Highways 45 and @50 in Bertie County. Colerain was incorporated in 1873. Two noteworthy events can be cited from Colerain's early history. First*, in 1743, the herring fishing industry was established in Colerain by John Campbell and Richard Browning. Also, at Colerain is the Hardy Home, one residence.of the.Hardy family who came to Bertie.County about 1690. Today Colerain is a quiet farming and fishing community. North Carolina Highways 45and 350 provide connections with U. S. Highways 13 and 17. These ....transportation routes provide goodaccessibility to surrounding ruralareas. POPULATIO14 Colerain's population was-estimated at 380 in 1975. The town has a slight increase in population since 1960 (Figure 1). This slight increase,(fr om 373 in 1960 to 380 in 1975) is significant@when compared with age group populations (Table In.1970 over 40 percent of Colerain's population was over 45 years of age. This is-a disporportinate number of older people as compared to county, state and national averages. The higher proportion of older people indicates that Colerain will not be as likely to increase in population due to deaths, h exceeding.birt s., Any population increases or even maintaining existing population levels, will require-people moving into Colerain. Other characteristics.for the 1970 Colerain population, include: 14 percent Black and an average household size of 3.6 people. FIGURE 1 POPULATION TRENDS COLERAIN 19.40 1975 1200 1000 800 600 400 307 367 340 373 -380 200 1940 1950 1960 1976 19751 Estimate Source: U. S. Census of Population, .1940-1970 and N. C. Dept. of Administration. TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX COLERAIN -1970 Percent of 'Age Total Male Female Total,Population Under 5 years 35 19 16 9.4 5-14 51 26 25 13.7 15-24 54 29 25 14.5 25-34 31 18 19 9.9 35-44 36 17 19 9.7 45-54 61 27 34 16.4 55-64 50 18 32 13.4 65+ 49 16 33 13.1 TOTALS 373 170 .203 100 Source.: U. S. Census,,,First Count Summary, 1970. 131 ECONOMY Colerain is largely a residential, farming and fishing comunity. There is one industry in Colerain, a fish processing company. It employs appr6x- imately 200 (seasonal) workers.: Otherbusinesses in town are service related, such as service stations, general stores, grocery stores, etc. Colerain has a Local Development Corporation.tha.t is Presently working toward economic development.of the area. It is hoped that increased economic opportunity will result from its efforts. GOVERNMENT Colerain is governtd by a Mayor-Commissioner form of government. The 9 town has one full-time eaployee. Police protection is provided by one town policeman and fire protection is provided by,-25 volunteer firemen. The Fire Department has an insurance rating of 9AA. the sources of income to support Colerain's governmental services include the following: (1) Ad Valorem.Taxes 30%;.(2) Utilities 24%; (3) ABC 3%; .(4) Privilege License 1%; and (5) other 42%. EXISTING LAND USE Most of the land in Colerain is vacant or in agricultural production.. Of the developed,land, the-overwhelming majority is residential. Commercial, development has occurred in proximity to N. C. 45 and 350 intersections. ...Industrial,activities,are located in and around the eastern portion of town along the Chowan River. In all, no distinct land use conflicts exist. 132 CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT Land potential the natural constraints placed on development and the capacity of community facilities are broad development factors. Colerain's potential development is examined in view of these broad factors.. Soils .Colerain soils have been identified as having severe. limitations for development - severe limitations that are not generally economically feasible to correct. The major limitation is severe flooding. These soils are not generally suited for sanitary facilities or community development due to the severe flooding. However, small areas of higher ground that could be included in the area might be suited. From an agricultural standpoint the limitations are very severe due to not only flooding, but high water tables, and are not generally developed. However, certain small areas of higher ground may be used for these purposes. Water Supply Colerain has a municipal water system which serves the residents of the community. Ground water is abundant throughout the area, and availability of water provides no constraints upon development. Historic Areas Although not officially declared a historic site, the Hardy Home is of historic significance to the Colerain community. The Hardy Home was once the residence of one of the first families in Bertie County, Colerain's fishery is surely noteworthy. Built by John Campbell in 1743, it remains the town's sole industry. The Town of Colerain should take action to insure that future development occurring in proximity to these sites is not detrimental to these local landmarks. 133 CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES The capacity of community,facilities is imp ortant to the future development of the Colerain cbmmuhity. The most important developmental factors are the adequacy of water systems, sewer systems, etc. These factors influence both individual and business decisions regarding-location. The water system has a@maximum daily capacity of 35,000 gallons per day (GPD) with a peak load to date of 17,500 GPD. Thus, the water system appears adequate for anticipated development. On the other hand, wastewater treatment is.currently inadequate. Effluent is*di.scharged into the Chowan River. This places a constraint on development,both from an environmental and economical (attracting industries) standpoint.. ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND Population, Colerain's population is projected to increase slightly over the next years. As Table 2,shows, by the year 2000 the town will.have increased by only*37 in number. The population projection presented below was computed by the N.C. Department of Natural and Economic Resources. Several population factors were not inclucle&ih-this projection. Moreover, due to Colerain's size (less than 2,50OYmuch information needed for realistic projections does not exist. Nevertheless, the following does indicate the most probable trend. 134 TABEL 2 PROJECTED POPULATION COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, COLERAIN, AND BERTIE COUNTY 1970 2020 1970 1980 1990 2000 Colerain 373 383 388 400 Colerain Township 4,069 4P170 4,230 4,360 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 SOURCE: Region Q Water Resources Management Plan; Township projections by N. C. Department of Natural and Economic Resources. Economy Colerain@s service related economy does not appear to be changing. A relative,slow growth rate will probably sustain the curren't level of service.. Colerain has one basic industry and has identified two sites for industrial development, Potential for industrial development does exist in Colerain due to its proximity to the Chowan River,, a natural transportation route. Although outside the town's limits, other areas along the river have potential for residential development, Future Land Needs Being that Colerain does notexpect rapid growth, the town should concentrate on developing lands within the existing service areas of the town. This would provide greater and more efficient use of governmental services. If growth accelerates, then orderly growth by extension of the town's service-area can be provided, Community Facilities Demand- If current projections are realized, the present water system will provide adequate service, Today the most pressing demand facing the Colerain community is that of an adequate wastewater disposal system.. 135 The town should remain cognizant of this fact and explore means of providing adequate wastewater disposal. LAND USE ISSUES In summary, the land use issues facing Colerain ate: 1) Slow population increase; 2) Lack of local economic base; 3) A high ( and increasing) proportion of elderly population; 4) A need to provide an adequate.wastewater system; 5) A need to protect the'historic aspects of Colerain. INPLEMENTATION If Colerain is to retain the desirable characteristics of the community and address the land use issues outlined above, it must.: 1) Form a planning board to advise local officials on development issues; 2) Make a decision on whether.the,town will attempt to attract industry, or face a continuing slow population increase; and 3) Develop land use regulations to protect the historic aspects and the aesthetic qualities of the town, Due to its small size it is questionable whether Colerain would be able to properly administer a set of land use regulations as proposed.- The to Wn should explore the possibility of the county administering these regulations for the town, 136 CAMA LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN KELFORD, N.C, BERTIE COUNTY November 23, 1976 137 Kelford is located in northwest Bertie County, approximately two miles@ south of Roxobel and three miles from the Roanoke River. The town was-laid@ out in 1890 by Colonel S. A. Norfleet and incorporated in 1892. Kelford once had a bank and considerable commerce. Today, Kelford is a small agricultural- residential community. POPULATION KelforVs population to date is estimated at 290. The town has been experiencing a decline in population since 1940 (Figure 1). Since 1940 to present, Kelford has experienced a 36.4 percent population change. This pattern of population loss is more rapid than the township's population decline. As of 1970 over 50 percent of the population belonged to the 45 and over age groups (Table 1). This is a disproportionate number of older people as compared to county, state and national averages. This higher proportion of older people indicates that Kelford will not be as likely to increase in population due to deaths exceeding births. Any population increases.,or even maintaining existing population levels, will require people moving into Kelford. The above is characteristic of several towns within Bertie County. As of 1970, other Kelford population characteristics included a 56.2 percent Black population and a 4.0 average household size. 138- TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX Kelford 1970 Percent.of Age Total Male Female Total Population Under 5 yrs, 14 5 9 4.7 5-14 @56 33 23 19.0 15-24 @36 11 25 12.2 25-34 20 11. 9 6.8 35-44 20 9 11 6,8 45-54 35 14 21 11.9 55-64 58 24 34 19.7 65+ 56 23 33 19.0 TOTALS 295 130 165 100 c SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, First Count Summaryj 1970. FIGURE I POPULATION TRENDS KELFORD 1940-1970 1200 1000 800. 600 456 405 400 362 295, 290 200 1940 1950 1960 1970 1975 1Estimate SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, 1940-1970 and N. C@ Department of Administration 139 ECONOMY Kelford is a residential farming community. There is one industrial operation in Kelfo.rd. Existing businesses are service related, such as gasoline service stations, several general stores, etc. Kelford does not have a local development corporation to work toward economic development. In summary, Kelford lacks an extensive economic base. EXISTING LAND USE Kelford's land use is primarily residential and vacant. There are limited commercial activities sp .otted along N. C. 308. Due to the low level of commercial activity, problems of conflicting land Les are limited. CONSTRAINTS Soils Kelford has.good soils for development. The soils are moderately well drained with-a.friable subsoil. These type soils are suitable.for septic tanks. As such, they provide few constraints on development, Water Supply Kelford obtained its municipal water system in 1965,. With present and projected population trends indicating population losses over the next years, water supply does not appear to pose-consttaints@ However, if population trends should reverse and/or additional industry is introduced'into.. the area, the present water supply-would pose constraints on development. Capacity ofCommunity Facilities At present, Kelford's water system consists of bne.75,000 gallon elevated storage tank and one well which produces an average yiela of 200 gpm. The town has.an additional well, but no pump., .140 Residents depend on septic tanks and absorption fields for the disposal of wastewater. Studies show that the soils are favorable, in that there are only moderate limitations to the use of'on-site disposal units. However, this in effect imposes a minimum lot,,size.due to the area needed for septic tank and drain field, This places a constraint on development both from a density standpoint and from the standpoint of the town.being unable to accommodate any type of development which cannot use septic tanks for waste- water disposal. ESTIM ATED FUTURE DEMAND Population Kelford is projected to continue losing population. The town@s past unsuccessful efforts to attract new residents, a lack of any basic job .opportunities and a high percentage of people past the child bearing age tend to bear this out. Table 2 shows population projections for Kelford, Roxobel Township, and Bertie County, TABLE 2 PROJECTED POPULATION KELFORD, ROXOBEL TOWNSHIP AND BERTIE COUNTY 1970-2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Kelford 295 302 295 292 Roxobel Township 1,871 1,830 1,790 1,770 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 SOURCE.: Town and Township Projections by N, C, Department of Natural and Economic Resources 141 Economy There are no indications that Kelford's service related economy will change. A'decline-in the areafs population possibly will curtail the current level of service. Kelford has no developed industrial sites. The probability of attracting industry is small, Future Land Needs If Kelford should be able to reverse its population loss, it should concentrate on developingland within the existing service areas of the town. This would allow the town to realize the greatest return on the investment already made in the water system and would minimize the cost of providing future services, such as sewer. This policy of containing growth within the existing town boundaries and upgrading existing services within those areas has resulted in the town-* being classified Transitional in the county land use plan. Community Facilities Demand if the community maintains its present population ordeclines in population, the present water system and reliance upon on-site disposal of wastewater is adequate. A gain in population or location of an industry in Kelford might require a wastewater treatment system. LAND USE ISSUES In summary, the land use issues facing Kelford are: 1) Continuing population loss; 2) Lack of local economic base; 3) A high proportion of elderly population. 142 IMPLEMENTATION if Kelford is to,retain the desirable characteristics of the community and address the land use issues outlined,above,.it must; 1) Form a planning board to advise local officials on development issues; and 2) Make a decision on whether the town will attempt to attract industry, increase the tourist trade,, orface a continuing loss of population, Due to its small size, it is questionable whether Kel.ford would be able to properly administer planning activities. To this extent@ the town should explore the possibility of retaining local planning and management services from area local,, state, and federal agencies. 143 CAMA LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN LEWISTON-WOODVILLE, N.C. BERTIE COUNTY NOVEMBER 23, 1975 144 Lewiston and Woodville are Bertie County@s twin towns.although they.were separately incorporated, The twin towns are located in the northwest corner of Bertie County on U. S. Highway 11, POPULATION Lewiston@s and Woodville@s population is estimated at 430 and 240 respectively (Figures 1 and 2). Since 1940 to date Lewiston has increased 126 in number while Woodville has decline d 186 in number, The age characteristics of the twin towns show some similari ties (Tables 1 and 2). The 45 and over age group comprise the largest population percentage - Lewiston, 44.6 percent and Woodville 39.0 percent. Approximately 32 percent of the population in both towns belong to the 15-44 age groups. The higher proportion of older people indicates that Woodville and Lewiston will not be as likely to increase in population due to deaths exceeding births. However, an increase in births by the 15-44 age group could stabilize the populations, FIGURE 1 POPULATION TRENDS Woodville 1940-1975 1200 1000 @800 600 400 426 387 344 40 200 1 1940 .1950 1960 1970 1975 1* Estimate SOURCE: U. S, census of Population,'1940-1970 & N, C. Dept. of Administration. 145 FIGURE 2- POPULATION.TRENDS Lewiston 194AD-1975 1200 1000 800 .600 0 400 3Q4 359 3aQ 327 200 1940 1950 1960 1970 1975 1 Estimate SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, 1940-1970 & N. C. Dept, of Administration TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX LEWISTON-1970 Percent of Age Total Male Female Total Population Under 5 yrs. 16 10 6 4.9 5-14 59 29 30 13,0 15-24 51 33 18 13.6 .25-34 23 11 12 7,0 35-44 32 11 21 6.8 45-54 58 28 30 17.7 55-64 48 22 26 14.7 65+ 40 13 27 12,2 TOTALS 327 157 170 100 SOURCK: U. S. Census of Population, First Count-Summary, 1970. 146 TABLE 2 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX WOODVILLE 1970 Percent-of Age Total Male Female Total Population Under 5 yrs. 24 11 13 9.4 5-14 5 0 22 28 19.7 15-24 36 17 19 14.2 25-34 20 8 12 7.9 35-44 24 10 14 9,4 45-54 34 19. 15@ 13.4 55-64 38 16 22 15.0 TOTALS 253 118 135 .100 SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, First Count Summary, i970-., ECONOMY Lewiston is one of the most industrialized towns in Bertie County.. Harrington Manufacturing, the county@s largest employer, is located here. Lewiston has two other industries who, along with Harrington Manufacturer, employ approximately 607 people (peak). In,addition, service-related activities add to the townts economy. These activities consist of service stations, banks, grocery stores, etc. While Lewiston has industries, Woodville does not, Woodville is largely a residential community with an economy consisting mainly of.service-related activities. Overall, the twin'towns can be termed economically stable, 147 GOVERNMENT. Lewiston and Woodville are governed by separate Mayor-Commissioner forms, of government. EXISTING LAND USE Lewiston has@a mixture of land uses. Commercial and industrial uses are located along U. S. Highway 11, while agriculture and residential uses dominate the town. On the other hand, residential, agricultural and limited commercial activities dominate land use in Woodville. The commercial and residential land uses are less distinct in Woodville. Yet, the low level of.commercial activity poses no conflicting land uses. CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT Soils The soils of the Lewiston-Woodville area pose limitations for development, The major limitation is severe flooding. However, there are small areas of higher ground that may be used for development. Water Supply The twin towns jointly operate a municipal water system..The system consists of two wells and an elevated storage tank. In addition, the water system provides fire protection to both towns. Historic Areas Two early 19th century homes are located in Woodville. They are the Pugh-Walton.Mizelle House and the Yellow House. These homes are presently being used as residential dwellings. 148 Capacityof Community Facilities The water system's. two wells yield a combined total of 300 gallons per minute. A 100,000 gallon elevated storage tank is also part of the water system. The distribution system includes fire hydrants. Lewiston-Woodville wastewater collection and treatment system consists of a 0.070 million gallon per day secondary wastewater treatment plant. To date, the treatment facility is operating at approximately 60 percent capacity. The water and wastewater treatment systems appear adequate to meet,the twin towns! anticipated demands. ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND Lewiston and Woodville are projected to continue losing population. Table 3 shows population projections for both home towns, the townshipi and county. Due to the location of a Purdue chicken processing plant nearby, the projected decline in population is probably inaccurate. The towns should, maintain their current population and possibly increase population to a small extent. TABLE 3 POPULATION PROJECTIONS LEWISTON, WOODVILLE, WOODVILLE TOWNSHIPS, & BERTIE COUNTY 1970 - 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Lewiston 327 308 289 274 Woodville @253 250 235 223 Woodville Township 1,528 1,440 1,350 1,280 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 SOURCE: N.- C. Department of Natural and Economic Resources 149 Economy There are indications that the economy of the Woodville-Lewiston area will change.- The location of the Purdue plant near the towns will have a definite impact on the local economy. The area has basic industries and undeveloped industrial sites. The probability of attracting further industry exists. However, this will involve progressive local economic development capability. Future Land Needs If Lewiston and Woodville should be able to reverse their population loss, they should concentrate on developing land within the existing service areas of the towns. This would allow the towns to,realize the greatest returns on the investments already made in the water and sewe r systems and would minimize the cost of providing future services, such as sewer. Community Facilities Demand If the community maintains its present population or declines in population, the present water and sewer systems@are adequate. A gain in population or location of additional industry in the area will require improvements in the existing wastewater treatment system. These improvements would depend on the amount of growth. LAND USE ISSUES In summary, the land use issues facing Woodville-Lewiston are:: 1) Continuing population loss; 2) Lack of local economic base; 3) A high proportion of elderly population; and 4) Aneed to protect the historic aspects of Woodville. 150 IMPLEMENTATION If'Lewiston and-Woodville are to retain the desirable characteristics of the communities and address the land use issues outlined above, they must. 1) Form a planning board to advise local officials on development issues; 2) Make a decision on whether the towns will attempt to attract industry, or face a continuing loss of population; and 3) Develop land use regulations to protect the historic aspects of the area,. Due to their small size, it is questionable whether.Lewiston and Woodville would be able to properly administer a set of land use regulations as proposed. The towns should explore the.possibility.of the county Administering these regulations for the towns. In addition, the town�*may. wish to explore the possibility of retaining local planiiing and management services from stateor regional agencies. CAMA LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN POWELLSVILLE, NX. BERTIE COUNTY November 23, 1976 152 "No Historical Data Available on P6wellsville" Powellsville is located -in Bertie County on U. S. 13 and N. C. 350. The town. is rural-residential in character.' POPULATION Today, Powellsville has,an estimated population of 250. There have.been no significant population trends in Powellsville. Since 1940 the town has experienced minimal population decreases and increases (Figure 1). A look at the town's population by age group shows that 20 percent of the population is under 14; 40 percent belongs to the 15-44 age group; and 39 percent are 4.5 or above (Table 1). These population percentages suggest that Powellsville will continue to lose population. Any population increases as.a,result of the 40 percent child bearing age population will probably be offset by deaths of the 39 percent above 45. Powellsville's.racial mix is 34.4 percent Black and-65.5 percent White. TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX. POWELLSVILLE, 1970 Percent of Age Total Male Female Total'@?opulation Under 5 yrs. 15 8 7 6.1 5-14 36 24 12 14.6 15-24 41 18 23 16.6 25-34 29 12 17 11.7 35-44 30 15 15 12.1 45-54 31 14 17 12.6 55-64 32 12 20 13.0 65+ '33 11 22 13.4 Totals 247 114 133 100 Source: U. S. Census of Population, First Count Summary, 1970. 15.3 FIGURE 1 POPULATION TRENDS POWELLSVILLE -.1940-1975 1200 1000 800 .600 400 267 250 259 247 250 200 1 1940 1950 1960 1970 1975 1Estimate SOURCE: S. Census of Population, 1940-1970 & N,. C. Dept. of Administration. ECONOMY Powellsville is largely a residential community with residents commuting to work. There are no industries in Powellsville. There are limited commercial activities along N. C. 350. These. activities are services-related. One industrial site located at the town limits, east of intersection U. S. 13, State Highway 350, and State Road 1235-has been identified. GOVERNNENT Powellsville is governed by a Mayor-Commissioner form'of government. The town has no full-time employees. EXISTING LAND USE Most of the land in Powellsville is vacant, residential or-ih.agricul- tural uses. Commercial development is spotted along Main Street and N. C. Highway 350. 154 There are no distinct commercial and residential areas in Powellsville. The existing.commercial activities are low level and do not pose a problem of confli6tifig-land'uses. CONSTRAINTS ON DEVEMPNENT Soils Pbwellsville has, soils limitation which are generally economically feasible-to correct. From an agricultural standpoint, the limitations are very severe due to not only f looding,11-but high water tables, and are not generally developed. However, c ertain small areas of higher ground may be used for these.purposes.. Water Supply The existing water system is insufficient. There is not enough storage capacity; fire protection is not provided; distribution lines are too,spall; and there is not enough surplus capacity*@existing to attract any potential industry. (For detailed analysis see Region Q Water Resource Management,, 1975).'' Capacity of Community Facilities Lack,6f community facilities.or inadequate comunity facilit ies can serve as a constraint on development. For instance, the density of develop- ment within Powellsville*is limited as long as the town is dependent on septic tanks. Other factors such as water systems, fire departments,'etc. influence both individuals and businesses in decisions on where to locate. At the present time Powellsville h4s@' no wastewater facilities and relies totally on on-site disposal methods. This in effect imposes a minimum lot size due,to the area needed for septic tank and drain field. This places a constraint on development from a density standpoint and from the 0 155 standpoint of the town being unable to accommodate any type of development which cannot use septic tanks for wastewater disposal. The present water system is inadequate and poses constraints on develop- ment. The water system is composed of two ground wells, which have a combinedyield of 115 gpm. The water is chlorinated and then stored in two pneumatic tanks having a 1,000 gallon capacity each. 'This water system does hot lend itself to potential industrial development. ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND Population Powellsville is projected to.decline in population to year 1980 after which the town will experience a slow growth period (Table 2)., TABLE 2. PROJECTED POPULATION POWELLSVILLE, BERTIE COUNTY 1970-2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Powellsville 247 226 229 .Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,700 SOURCE: N. C. Department of Natural & Economic Resources. Economy There are no.indications that Powellsville's service related economy will change. A decline in the area's population possibly will curtail the, current level of service.- Powellsvillehas no basic industries and no developed industrial sites. Even though one industrial site has been identified, the probability of attracting an industry is minimal. 156 Future Land Needs. If Powellsville Should be able to reverse its.population loss, it should. comcentrate on deveioping land within the existing service areas of the town. This would allow the town to realize the greatest return on the investment already made in,,the water system and would provide the most cost 'effective means.of administering governmental services. This policy of containing.growth within the existing townboundaries an&upgrading existing services within those areas has resulted in the town being-classified.Transitional in the county land,use plan. Community Facilities Demand If the community maintains its present population or declines 'in popula- tion, the present water system and reliance upon on-site disposal of waste- water is adequate. A gain in population or location of an industry in Poweilsville will require a wastewater treatment system and a new water syste Im. LAND USE ISSUES In summary, the land use,issues facing Powellsville are: 1) Continuing population loss;,and 2) Lack of local economic base. IMPLEMENTATION If Powellsville is to retain the desirable characteristics of the community and addres's the [email protected] outlined*above,, it must: 1) Form a planning board to advise local officialson development. issues; and 2) Make a decision on whether the town will attempt1to attract industry, or face a continuing loss of.potiulation. Powellsville.may wish to explore the possibility of receiving local planning and management services from @@ounty,.state, or regional agencies.. 157 CAMA LAND DEVELOPNENT. PLAN ROXOBEL, N. C. BERTIE COUNTY November 23, 1975 158 Roxobel is locatedin Bertie County on N@ C. Highway 308. Roxobel's history dates back to 1750 and was originally named Cottone's Cross Roads. Since 1750 the town has changed names three times: (1) Granberry's Cross Roads, (2) Rritton.s.Cross Roads, (3) and finally,in 1849,to present Roxobel. As with other towns in close proximity to rivers, Roxobel's early history .1 and business centered around river transportation. The town is approximately four,[email protected] Roanoke River. At one time three banks operated in Roxobel and nearby Kelford. Today, Roxobel is a quiet farming community with limited activities centered-around farm products, feed mills and lumbering. POPULATION Roxobel's 1974 population was estimated at 340. The town has been declining.in population since 1960 (Figure 1). From 1960 to date Roxobel has experienced a negative 25 percent population change. Similar to other towns throughout eastern North Carolina, Table 1 shows that Roxobel is experiencing rapid growth in the over 45 years of age group (42 percent. of the population is over, 45 years of age). The higher proportion of-older people-indicates,that Roxobel will not be as likely to increase in population due to deaths exceeding births and out-migration. Population increases,or even maintaining existing population levels, will require attracting more people to live in Roxob6l. or FIGURE 1 POPULATION TRENDS ROXOBEL 1940 -1975 or 1200 1000 800 600 452 400 332 394 47 340 200 1940 1950 1960 1970 1975 Estimate SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, 1940-1970 and N. C. Department of Administration TABLE 1 POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX ROXOBEL 1970 Percent of Age Total Male Female Total Population Under 5 yrs. 22 10 12 6.3 5-14 62 30 32 17.9 15-24 66 27 39 19.0 25-34 20 9 11 5.8 35-44 32 14 18 9.2 45-54 58 23 35 16.7 55-64 44 19 25 12,7 6.5+ 43 14 29 12.4 TOTALS 347 146 201 100 SOURCE: U., S. Census of Populat ion, First Count Summary, 1970. 160-' Soils The Roxobel area soil is made up of well-drained to moderately well-drained soils with slight limitations for development and for agriculture. They are well adapted for septic tanks but may have moderate problems with sewage lagoons. As such, they provide limited constraints on development. Flood Hazard Roxobel has an elevation of 88 feet and is not subject to frequent flooding. Water Saply Roxobel has a municipal water system consisting of-two deep wells. The system was installed in 1964 and appears adequate for future needs since present and projected population trends indicate Roxobel will experience a loss of population in the next years. Historic Areas Roxobel has two historic dwellings presently in use. These dwellings are (1) Norfleet House and (2) Tyler House, built in 1810 and 1825, respectively. Development occurring in proximity to these homes should not be such that, would destroy their historical status. Capacity of Community Facilities Lack of community facilities or inadequate community facilities can serve as a constraint on development. Water,and sewer facilities a re two of the most important facilities affecting constraints-on development. At present Roxobel's water system consists of two deep wells which supply a combined yield of 300 gallons per minute (GPM). Also, there is a 75,000 gallon elevated storage tank and a distribution network with fire hydrants. 161 The water system is adequate.to meet RoxobeVs anticipated demands. It poses no constraints on development, Presently, Roxobel utilizes individual on-site disposal systems for wastewater disposal. Soils in this area are generally suitable for the use of spetic tanks and absorption fields. With the present and future population declining, the town should continue to utilize septic tanks until population trends reverse or industrial development warrant otherwise. ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND Population Roxobel is projected to continue losing population. As Table 2 shows, the town will experience a 14 percent population change between 1970 and 2000. However, one must remain aware of the fact that projections are only predictions based on many variables. A change in the economy of the area would affect the projections in Table 2. TABLE 2 PROJECTED POPULATION ROXOBEL TOWNSHIP, ROXOBEL, AND BERTIE COUNTY 1970-2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 Roxobel 347 309 - 302 299 Roxobel Township .1871 1830 1790 .1770 Bertie County 20,528 20,880 21,110 21,160 SOURCE: Region Q, Water Resources Management Plan; Township projections by N. C, Department of'Natural and EconomicResources, 162 As of 1970, Roxobel has a Black population of 31.1 percent and an average household size of 3.5 people. ECONOMY Roxobel is largely a residential community with residents commuting to work. There is one industry in Roxobel which has an employment range of 50@99. The only businesses in town'are service-related such as general stores, service stations, a bank, grocery stores, etc. Future economic development is essential to the area to reverse past trends of out-migration. GOVERNMENT Roxobel is governed by a Mayor-Commissioner-form of government. The town has no full-time employees. Police protection is provided by one part-time policeman and fire protection provided by 21 volunteers. EXISTING LAND USE Roxobel is primarily an agricultural-residential community. Commercial development is spotted along N. C. Highway 308. These supporting' services are characterized as low density activities. and pose no problem of conflic ting land uses. CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT Constraints on development usually fall within the broad categories of land potential and capacity of community facilities. The constraints listed should be reviewed in terms of economic feasibility since modern technology places constraints on money rather than land., ECONOMY There are no.indications that'Roxobells service related economy will change. A decline in the areals population possibly will curtail the current level ofservice..,' Roxobel has one industry.. An additional industrial site has been identified. Tt is in close proximity toN. 1C. 308 and Seaboard Coast Line, 163 However, this is not to assume that development will occur, but rather the limited industrial incentive does exist in Roxobel. Future Land Needs If Roxobel were able to reverse its population loss, it should concentrate on developing land within the existing service areas of the town. Such action would allow the town to realize the greatest return on the invest- ment already made in the water system and would minimize the cost of providing future services. This policy of continuing growth within the existing town boundaries has resulted in the town being classified Transitional in the county land use plan. Community Facilities Demand If the community maintains its present population or declines in popula- tion, the present water system and reliance upon on-site disposal of waste- water is adequate. However, in the event of industrial,development and/or. population increase Rokobel will probably require a wastewater treatment system, LAND USE ISSUES In summary, the land use issues facing Roxobel are: 1) Continuing population loss; 2) Lack of a strong economic base; 3) A high proportion of elderly population. 164 INI@LEMENTATTON If Roxobel is to retain the desirable characteristics of the community and address the land use issues outlined above, it must: 1) Form a planning board to advise local officials on development issues; 2) Make a decision on whether the town will attempt to attract industry, or face a continuing loss of population; and 3) Develop an economic.,4,evelopment program. The town's local development association should coordinate their efforts with county and regional agencies in order to explore all possible means of economic development. 165 This report was,financed in part by the National Oceahic and- Atrospheric.Adrdnistration and the State of North.-Carolinat and meets the requirermnts of the.North Carolina Coastal Area Management Act of 1974. DATE DUE GAYLOROJNo. 2333 1 PRINTED IN U.S.A. 3 6668 14108 7298 1