[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
COASTAL ZONE INFORMATION CENTER M @EHEAI 1@ N Morehead City Land Development Plan 268 M67 P76 1976 J PLANNING DEPART,-Ai@&AT CARTERET COUNTY P. 0. MRAWgR 630 OF-AUFORT, N. C. 28516 COASTAL ZONE INFORMATION CENTER Proposed 1.11orehead City ZZ % Land Developmant. Plan/ cl< :ay 21, 197' PLANNING DEPARTMENT CARTERET COUNTY V P- O-DRAWaR 630 bEAUFORT, N. C. 28516 T b I e f I. Introduction II. Description of Present Conditions 4 A. Population and Economy 4 B. Analysis of Existing Land Use 14 C. Current Plans, Policies and Regulations 23 III. Public Participation Activities 28 A. Identification and Analysis of Majqr Land Uses 28 B. Alternatives 32 C. Objectives, Policies and Standards 32 D. Public Participation 35 IV. Constraints 40 A. Land Potential 40 B. Capacity of Comunity Facilities 46 V. Estimated Demand 52 A. Population and Economy 52 B. Future Land Needs 56 C. Cormiunity Facilities Demand 58 VI. Plan Description 60 A. Description of Land Cl&ssification System 60 B. Hlorehead City's Land Classificdtion 63 VII. Potential Areas of Environmental Concern .66 A. Coastal Wetlands 67 B. Es'Cluarine 11aters 63 C. A-r-as Subject to Public Rights-Cer-IL-ain Public Trust Areas G9 D. Hazard Areas-Ccastal Fl,-),Dd-la-n 70 r I E. IN'atural Hazard Areas-Excessive Erosion Areas--c'-stuarine and River Erodible Areas 71 VIII. S,,j; a ry 73 1X. Cit@'-Coumty Plan Relationship 74 X. Appendices 75 A. 'Analysis of the Goals and Objectives of the !Ibrchead City 7oning Ordinance '5 B. Suggested Prograi-@s for r'C-rk Development 85 C. Sketch Thoroughfare Plan 86 1-; 1 oi_': UC'L''i Oil The Town of Morehead City has prepared this Land DeVelopment Plan in comp- V liance with the Coastal Area Management Act of 1974 (CAMA). Technical assistance in preparing this plan was provided by the Carteret County Planning Department, but the issues, objectives, and policies as stated in this document, represent the collective input from the citizens, elected and appointed.officers and off-. -1cials,of Morehead City. It is hoped that this plan reflects the best needs, desires, and wishes of the citizens of Morehead City and will provide a solid foundation for proper planning in the future.. This plan has been written according to the State Guidelines for Local Planning in the Coastal Area under the Coastal Area Management Act of 1974 as adopted by the Coast-al IrZr-sourrces Cor,,,mission. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist each of the t@,,-,@nty coastal COUnties and their respective municipalities in 'L-',',e preparatUion of -*c*'@ own il'idiVieLlal land u;se plan. Within each county, the @,uidelines stipulete t-hat '@C-ch ii-Jun *1,1 i pial p1pin i-ilust fit in the overall CoUnty plan. FUtheriiiore the@ pr-'1i,,:ary objective of the Coastal A-rr.-a f,1anaqei-r,_,nt Act of 110174 is the @,-;sis for a c&,-ipr(_,h(3ns`1ve plzn for the pi-otection, ori'lerly devL@lo,@-.@Jri-ient, and maraclei-,',,@nt of the coastal area of North Ceyolina. in the dev,,alopillent of a local land developni,,ent plan, it is essential for the involved local officials and citi.-c-i-is to understand the legislative 9cals of the as S4 CAMA Lated in G.S. 1131A_1402(b). 1. To provide a riana-gement system capable of preserving @,nd r,,,ai-aging the natural ecological conditions of the estuarine dune system, and the so as to safeguard and pirpletuate their natural productivity and 1-heir hiciogical, economic and a2st'hetic values. 2. To insure t-hat the devc1opm-?nt. cir preservation of the land --nd water resources of Ve coastal area proceeds in a i-,,anncr consistent with the capability of the land and @,.:@@tcc-r for (-,'U--vclopmc_-nt, Use, or preservation based on ccological c,'nsiderations. 3. To insure the orderly and balanced use and preservation of our coastal resources on behalf of the people of North Carolina and the nation. 4. To establish policies, guidelines and standards for the conservation of resources; the economic development of the coastal area; the.use of recreational lands and tourist facilities; the wise development of trang-, portation and circulation patterns; the preservationand enhancement of historical, cultural and-scientific aspects of the region; and the pro- tection of common law and public rights in the lands and waters of the coastal area. Over the past months, the usual data collection and analysis that are character- istic of most land development planis were followed. However, this Land Development Plan is unique from any other.in several ways..__ Public participation and inout were given the high@st priority. Through'the use of extensive questionnaires mailed to residents in Morehead City, public meetings, and candid conversations with various individuals,the citizens of MOrehead City have determined how their town should develop in the future. This is not only important in determining-objectivet@[email protected]@ehead City'@.-but,also@is.:inst@umental@l-in'.deter(nining the public demand for improved community facilities. Another factor contributing to the uniqueness of this plan is. the potential Areas of Environmental Concern,!(AEC). The 74 Legislature realized that in many areas of coastal North Carolina, development pressures were causing adverse and irreversable effects on the natural environment. "Unless these pressures are controlled by coordin- ated management, the,Act states, "the very features of the coast which make it economically, aesthetically, and ecol.ogically.rich,will be destroyed." The land development plan is divided into several sections. Section T-I, a description of present conditions, includes a brief analysis of population and.. economy, existing land use and,the current plans,.policies and regulations. The public participation activities are outlined in Section III. Section W, Constraints, is concerned with the potential of the land and the capacity of community facilities. Section V is the est*mat.ed demand secti.on, including the demands on population and econorly, land needs and the community facilities needs. Section V_I is a description of this plan. Other sections includes summaries, the city-county plan relationship and the appendices. The Town of Morehead City has long recognized the value and importance of proper land use planning. Many accomplishments have resulted from the planning process and it is hoped that this plan will contribute to the preservation, protection, and.orderly development of Morehead City and its resources. 11. Description of Present Conditions A. Population and Economy 1. Population: The number of people living in a specific geographic area is one of the most important elements of man's environment and must always be evaluated prior to the formulation of any plan for the future use and managemant of our'land. Population evaluation is essential in making decisions and determinations as to the capacity of land to support a given population..-There are three basic questions whicli arise.when.one reviews population for analysis: (1) @,Ihy was there an increase or de- crease in population? (2) 14here did the increases or decreases occur? (3) What was the impact of the increases or decreases? The following chart shows population changes for Morehead City for the 45 years between 1930 and 1975. Chart 1 1930 1940 Percent 1950 Percent 1960 Percent 1970 Percent 1975 Lh @ne Change Change 3,483 3,695 +6 5,144 +39 5,583 +9 5,233 -6.3 5,516 The above chart shows Morehead City gained population from 1930 to 1960. From 1960 to 1970, there was a loss of 350 people for a 6.3 percent decrease. Some of this decrease can be accounted for by the declining birth rate of the city as well as the county, state and.nation; bui, the major reason for the population decrease in I'lorehead City is due to out-migration (See Chart 2, trlig- ration Trends and Sex-Age Distribution.) Many %-.,omen of child-bearing age are leaving the city. Many males who make up the labor force are leaving to look for better employment *in other places off'the county or*state. Many of,the'people leaving.Morehead Ci.ty are remaining within the one mile planning area. As More- head City was losing population from 1960 to 1970, the one-mile planning'area was increasing its population. "or'ehead City's loss was the one-mile planning area's gain. "ha-'-evr c,:, L d rig _@r r- -c@n -f-or leaving, the Po')ulatior) itilin the exis i) city limits of :1,ore')ead City has been decreasing since thile 1960's. "etween 19500 and 1960, 11.1orehead City lost 174 people because of either death or out-migration, but it, gained '013 people through the annexation of land. This resulted in a net gain of 439 people. From 1960 to 1970, Ilorehead City lost 350 people. The 1975 estimates show that Morehead City increased its population from 5,233 in 1970 to 5,516 in 1975. This shows 'and in- crease, but, again, the increase was a result-of annexation. Although I Morehead City's population is not increasing without annexation, there is land available to support additional pooulation..:Presently, there are 132 vacant, platted, residential lots which cover 18 acres. These lots would allow for high density development and would provide a basis for a signifi- cant population increase. If *:orehead City hopes to continue increasing in population, it must use the land within the city, or it must annex areas in one mile planning area. Me areas to the north and west of !1orehead City are the areas in which Horehlead City must expand. Only 16 percent or 456 acres of the land in the one m-1le planning area is developed. Of the developed land, 33 per- c--nt or 152 acres are covered .-.,ith low to mnedium density residential develop- ment. There a re 200 platted, vacant, residential lots which cover 60 acres. These lots offer the potential for fini-iiediate increases in population in the one nile planning area, and for possi'Lile annexation to i-lorehead City in the future. An analysis o-IF the dis'l-ribution of' population Lby 'ge and sex helps -erilline who is leaving the area and @,Jho is coming into tine area. !:,'i t h - to deL if out this inf'ori-@,ation, it ,-,,ould be i;,,,ipossible to prepare for the future. It is necessary to knov@ the nul-,ilber land distribution of people in order to provide for schools, recreation areas, jobs, MIGRATION TRENDS AND AGE-SEX DISTRIBUTION MALE. FEMALE TOTAL TOTTVL Total NET MOREHEAD CITY 1960- 1970 Change___ 1960' 1970 Change 1960 1970 Change CHANG[ Under 5' 291 .192 -99 299 215 -84 590 407 -183 318 249 -69 296 227 -69 614 476 -138 10-14 282 240 -42 271 244 -27 553 484 -69 15-19 207 264 +57 231 270 +39 438 534 +96 20-24- 136 224 +88 180 @177 -3 316 401 25-29 139 132 -7 157 152 -5 296 284 -12 30-34 166 127 -39 184 131 -53 350 259 -92 35-39 191 124 -67 222 137 -85 261 -152 40-44 205 1517 -48 210 159 -51 415 316 -99 -45-49 201 166 -35 201 185 -16 402 351 +32 50-54 132 133 +1 151 182 +31 283 315. +32 55-59 113 136 +23 114 166 +52 227 302 +75 60-64 100 110 +10 124 140 +16 224 250 65-69 77 +21 102 ill +5 179 209 +30 70-74 56 65 .49= '.83 120 +37 139 185 +46 75+ 59 71 -'+12 85 129 +44 144f': 200 +56 -350 health care facilities and commercial establishments. Morehead City's age distribution is similar to other towns in Eastern North Carolina where out-migration is a problem. From 1960 to 1970, the pop- ulation of females in Morehead City increased by 39 in the 15-19 years age group and by 189 in the 50 and above age group. The number of males increased by 57 in the 15-19 year age group; 88 in the 20-24 year age group and 76 in the 50 and above age group. With the exception of the above-mentioned age groups, all age groups lost population. The 15-19. year age groups and the 20-24 year male age group were the only groups below. 50.-. to-@gaini population. :An examination of Chart: 2 will verify thls,-7: statement. Morehead City is losing its younger population and gaining population in the 50 and above age group. This is an indication that many retired people are coming to Morehead City to live. It is certain that Morehead City is becoming a town with an older population. Another indication that Morehead City is becoming a town with an older population is indicated in Chart 3, Selected Age Group Percentages. Morehead City falls below the county and state averages in all categories except the 65 year old and older age group. These figures indicate a decline in Morehead City of women of child-bearing age and of men in the labor force. Many of the young workers are locating in the one-mile planning area. The 1975 population estimate of the one-mile planning area was 1,765. Vhen the young people who once',lived inside Morehead City, marry, they move out of town to live and make a home for themselves. This accounts for the increasing number of residential developments in the planning area b.ijt outside the city limits. it 3, Selected Age'Group Percentages Cha 2- Below 18 18-64 64 and over Morehead City --'-.----32.5i 56.1% 11.4% Carteret County 33.8% - 57% 9.2% State 34.6% 57.2% :Seasoml?opulation It is estimalted that florebead City's seasonal population increases by approxii,,lately _20.0 during the s ui-wer months..@ flo s tof the visitors to Carteret County are accmidiodalted on Bog4e Banks, due to the:,avallability--of sed-sonal accom,iodations, but. visit Morehead City to ta ke advantage of the tourist related businesses that are available. 2. Economy Morehead City, the largest town in Carteret County, is tile retail trade center for the county. A majority of retail and sales establishments in tile county are located within Moreh,ead City. It contains over 50 percent of the apparel and accessory stores; furniture; home furnishings and equipment stores; eating places; and drug stores and proprietary stores. The following chart,. Gross Retail Sales'for Carteret County in 1974, gives an indication of the retail sales throughout the county. Detail Sales. 1968,19019 1971 1974 1% Retail Sales $ 269,076 713,345 NA A"uto and Planes 5,468,523 9,154,7550 Apparel 953,407 1,511,679 Automotive 9,04-0,120 15,470,562 Food 16,377,436 30,753,092 Furniture 2,293,852 4,6304,691 General t-lerchandise 00,002,358 105,0518,949 Building 111aterials @19391191 10,151,173 Uncldssified Tax 6,309,816 14,731,5311 3-52,713,7179 Pl 02 , 61000, , 732 During 19610-54, retail sales in Carteret County totaled 1,35,504,727. 15y Y 1963-69, this total reached $52,713,799. In 'L.:,,e next' five years (197,'3-74) L LA,is total nearly doubled to '102,609,732. It is easy to see that the gross retail sales have grown tre,,-,iendously in the county. Due 1;o the many Lourist related stores and restaurants, it. js felt t-hat a considerable ai,,-,ounL of ttiese expenditures -Lake place i'll 'Orehead City. -Me to-J.-i serves not only as a t-rading center for the county residents, Dut also as a.touris'k center for the miany visitors that travel to the coast each Y-nar. The 1"ollo-ding ci-,ar-1'_- inl-jicates ti-,e gro,-:ing nuMiber of travel ex- -,;j jS Coulilty. t Tra v,@-111. Expenditures 1959 $6,317,000 1970 7,020,000 1971 7 1390,000 1972 .,8,050,000 nn examination of the types of employmen't i n' Carteret County reveals people who work i n manufacturing and agriculture has@ at the numb r o' dropped in recent years. Trade, service and govermiient are the big employers Of the labor force'. 'Plorehead. Ci ty. and Carteret 'County have many government facilities-, especially those involved in-marine service.. Employment-Labor Force'. Ikly. Avg. I Total Non- Public Rate of Earnings Unemploy, Per Employ- llanufac-. Manufac- Admi ni s-: '..'--.-Agricul- ment turing turing. -trati on tural Other ment Worker 1963 6,320 1,160 2,660 920 620' 1,460 10.5% $55.69' 1964 .7,070 1,140 2,930 930 .500 1,570 9.7% $59.94 1965 7.,920 1,200 3,110 940 440 2,230 7.3% $63.47 19.66 8,440 1,340 3,420 990. 420 2,270 7.0% $62.88 1967 8,470 1,430 3,490 970 390 2,190 6.6% $64.28 1068 2,840 11440 3,680 -1' J50 3SO 2,220' 6. 5" @74.02 1969 9,170 1,500 35,770 1 '280 .340 2,280 4.5% $79.03 1970 11.1580 1,610 3,940 1,470 330 2,330 4 . 7 0/0' $83.12 1971 11,380-- 1,430.:. 4,100 1,410 330 2,320-- 5. 3% 1972 11,880- 1,580@-: 4,410 1,370 @10 2,380@@ 5-.3%.-' $92. 43 1973-13,140 1,740 5 050 1,470 N A NA 4..3% $97. 55 nigh percentage of ;-Jorehead City's labor -force works,in civil service, @-Jhicjh illustrates the iniportance of governi-0,2ntal 'activities on the economy. The state has iiiiany agencies with o-F-Fices in -oreifiead Cifty, bUtLthe pr-1:71ary source of civil service eMD10",lellt -!S `-ierry Poin-* 1"ari L I Ui L I ne Base. Approximately Id- OCLC: 5161294 Rec stat: n Entered: 19790712 Replaced: 19930715 Used: 19790712 $ Type: a Bib tvL: m Source: d Lang: eng Repr: Enc LvL: I Conf pub: 0 Ctry: ncu .Indx: 0 Mod rec: Govt pub: L Cont: Desc: i Int lvt: Festschr: 0 ILLUS: F/B: 0 Dat tp: S Dates: 1976, % $ 1 040 ERE Ic ERE t 2 043 n-us-nc % $ 3 090 HD211.M6 lb N6x 1976 % $ 4 090 lb % $ 5 049 NOW % $ 6 110 1 Morehead City (N.C.). lb Board of Comissioners. % $ 7 245 10 Morehead City land deveLopment plan. % $ 8 260 [Morehead City, N.C. : lb The Board], Ic 1976. % $ 9 300 86 Leaves ; Ic 28 cm. % $ 10 500 Cover title. % $ 11 650 0 Land use Ix Planning Iz Morehead City (N.C.) % $ 12 650 0 City planning Iz North Carolina. % $ 13 651 0 Morehead City (N.C.) Ix City planning. % 'forty parcentt of -the 4,300 plus civilian wor,, force on t;ie Lase live in Carteret County. The I.-Iorehead State Port facilities also have a profound impacton the economy. The volume of business handled by the port gives some indication of the potential value to the economy of the county. Refer to.Chart for specific information. Recent trends have indicated that the number of ships that use the port has fluctuated considerablyi but the total amount of, business has remained relatively high. North Carolina State Ports Ter;-iiinal Horehead. Cfty@ :North, Carol i na.-- General Cargo Asphalt and Grand Import Export Petroleum 14i 1 i tary Total 1953 21,347.80 11,299.10 404,505.2-2 87,954.23 525,106.35 1 0 '4103,839.91 95n 194.61 65,119.40 122,523.13 487,677.10 1963 16,369.56 103,975.22 171,324.36 50,480.70 342,150.34 1963 133,564.99 202,430.20 204,923.70, 31,226.11 577,145.00 1973 533,895.81 435,697.04 314,788.31 10,090.45 1 029,683. 30 This section concerning the econoi,,iy of !.'Iorehead City is intended to indicate the relationship o -Ir -.'Iorehead City's economy to that of the county's, andthe finportance of the tourist industry in i'lorehead City. Ilorehead City's economy is directly proportioned to the county's econoillly. 1,111hen tourists visit Carteret County, sales'and services for.i-Iorehead City rise; more JODS are created; and 'the standard of living increases. The tourist industry provides for gi.,eat-er stability of the econor.,.ic situation for 1,4orehead City as well as other areas of the couhty. MOREHEAD CITY EXISTING LAND USE (MAP 1) t 2. cf4hva EXISTING LAND USE MOREHEAD CITY, N. C. PLANNING AREA, IN TOWN LIMITS ONE-MILE FRINGE ',IN PLANNID;G'AREA of % of % f % of of % of- @.f. io 0 Acres Urban. Total Acres Urban,i',Total Ac r e s Urban Total Land Land d Land Land. Land .33 28 1 434,!;@ "33 -12 Residential. 282 52.. 33 (6.. 82 6 2 Commercial 69 8 7 :3 1 176 IndusLrial-Wholesale 138 16 14 8:: 13 4 9 1 Public-Semi Public 116 13 12 -@-20 3 201 J6 5 Rights-of-way, streets .,railroads, utility 30 16 2 ,easements, alleys 255J 26 3 6.::: @6 .__418 32 11 100 34 456 Total Urbanized 86,1 100 166 13 17 3 Vacant (in town) 130 @13 130 7 Farmland .0- 269 9 269; .2197 56 Wooded & Estuarine _O_' 5 2197 7 .9911 100 29 2 2., -.100 100 4.6 sq. m i'. 6. 1: sq. 1.5 sq. mi. *Includes 87 acres for Morehead City Golf and Country C I ub.: R Analysis of Existino Land Ose The existino land use of Morehead City has been classfied into generalized categories. The amount of Land by each general category is totaled and the I relationship between different categories is analyzed. From this analysis, one can see that land use compatibility problems have resulted from unplanned development. The purpose of this s -tudy and the subsequent Land Development Plan is to prorose solutions that will give the citizens of Morehead City a better living environment in the future. These solutions are presented to aid the., ToWn Board-of Morehead City in making -land development decisions which include.."-... commercial and neighborhood renewal, public housing construction, zoning, street ,navinn and aesthetic,improvement. The existing land uses in Morehead City have been organized into five use ca.teqories. A listing is given below of the typical uses in each of the general categories. 1. Residential - This category includes single family homes, apart- ments, duplexes, mobile @omes, cottages and cabins. 2. Commercial This catepory includes retail and service trade. A retail store is one that sells physical goods as onposed to intang- ih-le services. Such stores include clothing stores, drug stores, service stations and grocery stores. Service stores trade in intangible goods. This sub-category includes motels, banks and nrofessional offices. 3. Industrial - This category includes all industrial uses. Un- offensive industrial uses include such operations as wholesale storage, and the production of textiles and apParels. Other in- dustrial uses include boat manufacture, metal work and metal shops. A Public and Semi-Public This category includes schools, churches, governmental facilities, recreational facilities, cemetaries, and various types of rights-of-way. 5. UndeveloDed LLnd - This category includes land that is O'cant. In the extraterritorial area, undeveloped land is often used for agriculture, woodland, and in the case of shallow estuarine areas, for replenishing the valuable fish supply. Existina Land Use The five land use categories noted above*are treated-separately in the .succeeding analysis. In each discussion, primary emphasis is placed on the size, 6,ercentage, and development pattern of each category of land use. (See Existing Land Use Vap, page 1. Residential Approximately 861 acres or. 87 percent of the total land area in the Morehead City limits are developed. Residential development (mostly single family dwellings) occupy 2R2 acres or 33 percent of the developed land within the city limits (See Chart 12, Existinq Land Use Planning). For the most part, high density development has occurred in town with an averaae density of eiqht@ dwellinqs Der acre. There is a concentration of multi-family units north of the business area in east Morehead City. The amount of land used as multi-family units is 18 acres including ten acres for public hous-,-,Iq. The pattern of converting older single family structures into multi-family units and the construction of ar)art- nents and duplexes will most likely continue:in the area of More- head City north of Arende'l Street and east of 16th Street. 4. Public and Semi-Public This category includes schools, churches, governmental facilities, recreational facilities, cemetaries, and various types of rights-of-way., 5. Undeveloped Land This category includes land thatis vacant. Ih the extraterritorial area, undeveloped land is often used for agriculturej woodland, and in the case of shallow estuarine areas, for replenishing thevaluable fish supply. Existing Land Use The five land use categories -noted aboveare treated separa tely in the succeeding analysis. In each discussion, primary emphasis is placed on the size, percentage, and development pattern of each category of land use. (See Existing Land Use Map, page 1. Residential - -Approximately 861 acres or 87 percent of the total land area in the Morehead City limits are developed. Residential development (mostly single family dwellings) occupy 282 acres or 33 percent of the developed land within the city limits (See Chart 12, Existing Land Use Planning). For the most part, high density development has occurred in town with an average density of eight dwellings per acre. There is a concentration of multi-family units north of the business area in east Morehead City. The amount of land used as multi-family units is 18 acres including ten acres for public housing. The pattern of converting older single family structures into multi-family units and the construction of apart- ments and duplexes will most likely continue in the area of More- head City north of Arendell Street and east of 16th Street. There are a number of garage apartment uses east of 24th Street and south of Arendell Street. These apartments plus a few duplexes supply some of the housing needs of military per-. sonnel who have found a tight housing situation for short term residents in the Carteret County area. In the one-mile planning area, 456 acres or 16 percent of the land is developed.. Moderate density residential development covers 152 acres or 33 percent of the land. The land in the country club area is continuing the development of moderate density subdivisions.,,,- These housing units are built on lots of 20,000 square feet or more. All of the units built in this area, according to the Carteret County Health Department, have septic tanks and water wells. This type residential development is costly if it becomes necessary to extend water services and sewer services from Morehead City into these areas. The need for these services may develop as sub- division density increases and more residential development occurs. This problem should be resolved by the planning board in the prep- aration of future subdivision regulations. There are approximately 19 mobile homes in Morehead City and 212 in the,one-mile planning area. The density of mobile home parks is subject to substandard living environments that should be improved. More common park space should be provided to residents of mobile home parks. Future subdivision regulations and mobile home ordinances should consider this need and provide for common open space in mobile home park development. 2. Commercial - The land devoted to commercial activities in More- head City is 69 acres or*7 percent of the land within Morehead City. In the one mile planning area, there are 73 acres devoted /7 to commercial activities. The amount of land used for commer- cial uses is an expression of the trade position of Morehead City in the county. In June, 1973, Morehead City had almost 50 percent of the total retail and service sales in the county. In the past, it has been a community shopping place for the community of,the Carteret P6ninsula and its tourist guests. The pattern of commercial land use in Morehead City is lineal. The pattern follows a line that extends along Arendell Street for four- b I ocks. from Seventh- Street -to Eleventh- Street. :-Also -in the downtown area is a large amount of waterfront or marine commercial along Shepard and Evans'between Ninth Street and Fourth Street. These provide moorings for many of the charter boats and locations for fish houses and waterfront restaurants. Arendell Street is becoming a commercial highway strip development which is most pronounced in two areas: (1) Between@ Eleventh Street and Fourteenth Street (2) The north side of Aren- dell Street west of 24th Street. At Bridges Street, the commercial development, which is highway oriented, developed on both sides of Arendell Street past the extraterritorial jurisdiction boundary. Local neighborhood shopping uses and scattered shopping places are found throughout Morehead City. Most, however, exist as non- conforming uses, which reflect either a weakness in the current' zoning ordinance or the desires of Morehead City to discourage use of neighborhood commercial districts. The problem of mixed commer- cial and residential land uses will be discussed in the following section. It was noted that proper enforcement of the zoning ordin- ance will prevent these nonconforming uses from expanding. 3. Industrial Morehead City has 138 acres in industrial use. This is 14 percent of the total land in Morehead City.. The amount of industrial land used in the planning area is 176 acres. This is 13 percent of the total.urban land in the planning area and 4 percent of the total land. 'The principal industrial uses in the area are boat and metal works, a garment factory,@a roofing plant and the port activity which includes storage and bulk goo'ds shipping. The port activity cons ists of nearly 150 acres on the extreme eastern-tip of-the-peninsula.on which Morehead,Citylis-_-,@..__=@%- located. The next largest piece of land in the industrial cate- gory are the two fish processing plants which are located on Bo'gu'e Sound adjacent to Carteret. Technical Institute. 4. Public and Semi-Public This category includes schools, churches, governmental facilities, recreational facilities, cemetaries, and various types of rights-of-way. a. Schools-Within the Morehead City Planning Area are one junior high school, two public elementary and one private elementary school. The present sites of these schools are inadequate when compared with North Carolina Division of School Plant Planning school site standards. According to these standards, an elementary school site should contain 10 acres plus one additional acre for each 100 pupils. A junior high school site should be 20 acres plus one addit- ional acre for each 100 pupils. Morehead City Central, a junior high school having an enroll- ment capacity of 430 pupils should be located on a 25 acre site. The present site is only eight acres. This site could be expanded through landfilling of Calico Creek and park development along Calico Creek. The Morehead City Elementary School site is five acres and according to state standards should be 18 acres. This site is surrounded by residential development and will be difficult to expand. Camp Glenn School is located on a ten acre site and needs six additional acres to meet state standards of site adequacy. Additional space is needed for parking and play acres. b. Government Facilities- Government facilities in Morehead City presently occupy 20 acres or about two percent of the land with the corporate limits. The facilities includes the U.S. Post Office, numerous state installations, and various municipal offices such as water, public works, and general administration. The general administration office site is not adequate and expansion should be considered. c. Churches - Churches in Morehead City occupy 30 acres or about three percent of the land. Church sites are generally inadequate. They fail to meet expansion needs and increased need for off-street parking space. Churches should be-en- couraged to acquire adequate sites when purchasing land in newly expanding residential areas. d. Transportation, Communication, and Power - Transportation facilities include roads, alleys, highways, and railroad rights-of-way. These rights-of-way use 26 percent of the land area in Morehead City and 11 percent of the land area in the total planning area. Communications and power lines generally occupy the same ri,ghts-of-way as streets and,highway rights-of-way. Additional right-of-way purchase and development is needed in northwest Morehead City between the country club area and Bridges Street. The North Carolina State Highway Commission Division of Advanced Planning is developing a Thoroughfare Plan for the Morehead City-Atlantic Beach area. The two plans should be discussed and a final plan adopted..by the Town Board and the State Highway Commission. 5. Undeveloped Land - Undeveloped land is placed into three categories: farmland, vacant in town, and wooded and estuarine. Land used for farming in the planning area is 269 acres. This is seven percent of theltotal land use in.the planning area. Much of thit agricultural land will probably be developed residentially as more and more @eople move into the Morehead City Planning Area. Usable vacant land in Morehead City is 130 acres. This is 13 percent of the total land area in Morehead City. Vacant land in the downtown area should be used for parking, commercial,.or high density apartment development with supporting community facilities such as parks. Outside of the downtown area, the best use should range from apaftment to single family development. The iacant land in Morehead City is generally scattered throughout the town in'' small lots. Wooded land, swamp land and spoils land consume 2,197 acres of land. This is 56 percent of the total land in the planning area. This includes a large number of tidal marsh landJn the north-'- east section of the planning area. This land will most likely not be developed in residential use before the year 2000. The future potential of this land for estuarine purposes should be determined before any kind of urban development is considered. Land Use Problems and Problems from Unplanned Development In the past, Morehead City has had problems of mixed land uses. Such problems include small grocery stores in residential areas and service and repair shops in residential areas. Such uses are nonconforming uses and should not be allowed to expand. It is hoped that this land development plan and the proper enforcement of the zoning ordinance will prevent.these situations from occuring again in Morehead%City. @The following paragraphs.--....'-:-. are a discussion of these problems and possible solutions to them are discussed late In the past, small stores have located next to houses without leaving a buffer between the two. Because of their proximity, noise and dust severely limit the usefulness of the house as a place to live. There is usually a limited number of parking spaces and a danger of fire spreading easily to residential structures. The presence of repair shops in residential areas is also deleterious to surrounding housing. Trucks parking and loading and unloading in a housing area is hot a good home environment for citizens. Situations such as these are nonconforming uses and should not be permitted to happen again. Strip commercial development along Arende'll Street has resulted in inconvenient shopping service to the customers in the Morehead City trading area. Having so much of Arendell Street as strip commercial has caused an impediment of traffic with a 20 m.p.h. speed limit from 26th to Third Streets. A second problem of strip commercial development exists along U.S. 70 and N.C. 24 to Pelletier Creek. Any further commercial development in this area should be stemmed and should be concentrated around existing commercial. developments. The lack of development along Calico Creek is a land development problem. The creek needs dredging so that oyster fishermen may have access from this side of town to the Newport River. Mosquitoes are a problem since there has been no waterfront development for beaches and boat slips. Problems such as neighborhood stores in residential areas and strip commercial development are nonconforming uses. As has been previously stated, it is hoped that this land development plan and the proper enforce- ment of the zoning ordinance wi-11 prevent these -situations from -occurri rig again in Morehead City. C. Current Plans,@ Policies and Regulations 1. Plans and Policies The following is a listing of major actions, plans and policies which,hdve currently been attempted or accepted or adopted by Morehead City. Each document represents another step in the comprehensive planning program initiated in 1968 with the formation of the More- head City Planning Board. The Planning Board with technical assistance from the DepArt- ment of Community Services has completed the following studies and plans: a. Transportation Plans - A Sketch Thoroughfare Plan was in- cluded in the Land Use Survey'and Analysis and Land Deve.lop ment Plan in April, 1970. Of course this plan is now out- dated. An updated Sketch Thoroughfare Plan will be completed later during this year. b. Community Facilities Plan In May, 1973, an analysis was made of the facilities and services in the Community Facilities Plan and CapitalImprovements Budget. Some information in this plan is outdated. Part of this outdated information will be updated in this plan, but Morehead City should up- date the complete Community Facilities Plan in the near future. C. Utilities Extension Policies Morehead City's policy is to extend and provide services wherever new development dictates it. d. Open-Space-and RecreatiwPolicy-. Morehead Ci.ty.-has no-,.-.-.. formal open space and recreation policy, but this matter was addressed in the Land Development Plan of April 1970. Morehead City is currently updating the recommendations made in that plan. e. PHar Land Use Plans and Policies I=--- Land Use Survey and Analysis and Land Development Plan 1970 Its purpose was to propose solutions that will give the citizens of Morehead City a better living environ- ment in the future. These solutions are presented to aid the Town Board of Morehead City in making land development decisions which include commercial and neighborhood renewal, public housing construction, zoning, street paving and aesthetic improvement. 2.- Annexation Study (1971) f. Other Plans and Policies 1._ Community Appearance Program This program is intended to promote a better community appearance through use of an appearance committee.-. The duties of such a committee should include: a to initiate, promote, and assist in the development and implementation of a community appearance program for Morehead City. b. help formulate appearance standards; and c. promote community interest in appearance and under- standing of an overall town appearance policy. 2.- Community Development Application The purpose of this application was to gain federal assistance in Morehead City's endeavor to upgrade the town's transportation system (in neighborhood sections), drainage problems and deteriorating housing, city wide. The application was not approved. 3.- 201 Facility Plan for Carteret County Morehead City is one of several communities involved in the county comprehensive regional sewer plan. The plan's aim is to provide public sewer services to the general public that is cost-effective. 2. Local Re_gulations a. Zoning Ordinance-1972 Zoning is simply a device in which land is classified and designated for certain broad purposes. Land uses are divided and placed in general categories such as residential, commercial-, industrial, etc. The printed zoning ordinance is combined with'an official map that shows the location of each zone within the city. The zoning ordinance protects against haphazard develop- ment patterns and conserves property values. Through the use of such things as population density controls, lot coverage limitations, and bulk and height regulations, the public welfare and private investments are safeguarded. The Planning Board and Town Board wrote and adopted the zoning ordinance, and the building inspector is the individual who administers the ordinance. b. Subdivision Regulations-1972 Subdivision regulations provide a means of guiding new residential development. They require developers to comply with.minimum.desigh7ttandards-.------:The purppse...of--.--'---,: applying subdivision regulations is to establish maximum neighborhood density standards, to provide for the efficient flow of traffic, to require adequate drainage of developing areas and to construct sufficient water and sewer facilities. Additional regulations may include provisions for parks and open space. Enforcement of the subdivision regulations is performed by the Planning Board and the Town Board. c. Flood Plain Ordinance - Morehead City does not have a Flood Plain Ordinance at the present.time. d. Building Code Morehead City has adopted the Southern Standard Building Code and the North Carolina Building Code. The Bbilding Code is designed to protect the safety and wel-,@ fare of the public. The building inspector enforces the building code. e. Septic Tank Regulations The Carteret County Health Depart- ment enforces regulations concerning septic tanks and indl- vidual wells in the areas that are not served by water and sewer. In Morehead City, municipal water and sewer serves the 'A 4 i.oh-ile -Park -enulations These regulations require developers to comply with minimum design standards. They are enforced by the Planning Board and Town Board. g. The guidelines for local planning require that the following be listed. However, these do not pertain to Morehead City at this time. I.- Historic District Regulations@ 2.- Nuisance Pegulations 3.- Dune Protection Ordinance .4.- Sedimentation Codes-%-- 5.- Environmental Impact Statement Ordinances 3. There are many federal and state regulations that affect land development. All property owners should check these regulations before attempting to develop their land. A list of these reg- ulations were not available at the time this document was written. ITT. Public Participation Activities A. Identification and Analysis of Major Land Use Issues - In order to prepare for the future, it is important that major land use issues be: identified. By'recognizing.the issues and planning objectively to face them, the citizens and local government.will.become.aware of1the pos- sibilities, capabilities, and limitations of the land and its resources. The following issues have been determined as a result of input received from the citizens of the Morehead City Planning Area. The public input and the method of analysis will be- included-later.-- 1. Impact of Population and Economic Trends Population trends are important because they affect all aspects of land development in Morehead City. Until, recently, most population growth has been within the city limits of Morehead City. Now much of the growth is outside the city limits, but within the one mile planning area. As population increased in the past, it created the need for municipal services as htell as private services. Past population increases led to other noticeable effects: .(I) The local schools became more crowded. (2) Services such as water and sewer and recreation i,.,ere needed. The need for land use regulations and enforcement personnel increased. (4) Local elected and appointed boards received expanded responsibi'lity, especially in terms of land development planning. Future population trends will certainly have a profound effect on land development in Morehead City and its one mile planning area. If the population continues to expand as expected, additional demands will be placed on services offered by the city and will certainly cause the need for additional services. This can be readily seen when one considers there are 182 vacant residential lots in the city limits and approximately 200 vacant platted lots in the Morehead City Planning Area. In addition,@Ithere are 78 vacant residential acres in the planning area. In particular, central sewerage services will be- come more desirable for the planning @rea beca-use individual-se-ptic tanks may become inadequate. Also, as population increases, the land will become developed and pressures for expansion of town boundaries will certainly follow. This will be one of the most important issues faced during the planning period. Economic trends will also have an impact on land development in Morehead City. The amount of development in Morehead City and its planning area is affected by the overall economics of the county and the nation. This is particularly true because Morehead City is a tourist town and depends on the economic well-being of everyone who visits Morehead City. Many of the commercial establishments in More- head City are dependent on these tourists for their Jivelfhobd. Since the emergence of the Morehead Plaza Shopping Center, the downtown ar ea of Morehead City has deteriorated. The citizens of Morehead City advised that they would like to see the downtown.area revitalized. Development that can help revitalize the downtown area of Morehead City is listed in Appendix A Besides the tourists who visit this area, nearby military installations and the state port are two'other major sources of income to this.area. They provide employment for many citizens. In order to prepare for growth, Morehead City must constantly analyze these factors. The issues of population and economy must be addressed because they affect growth in the planning area, and growth causes pressures on services, as well as creates desires to expand. Hbusing and Service Issue Through public input, the citizens of Morehead City and its planning area have indicated that housing conditions are important to them., Most of the housing within Morehead City is--..:in good-condition with a:.neat appearance. But there is some housing that is deterioratiag or dilapidated. The most dilapidated housing is located north of Arendell Street between 10th and 16th Streets. The lack of multi-family housing units also concerns the residents of Morehead City. Based on the national trend, the demand for apart- ment buildings is likely to increase. Through public input, the citizens of Morehead City and its plan- ning area have indicated that municipal services are important to them. Because additional residential areas have developed in the one mile planning area, the need for water and sewer services, fire and police protection, rescue services, and recreational services have increased tremendously in the past few years. If Morehead City and its planning area is going to contunue to develop, the type of services provided and the level at which these services should be prbvided will certainly be an issue that must be addressed. 3. The Natural Resource and Natural Environment Issue Morehead City contains many natural resources and important nat- ural environments. This is demonstrated by the fact that it is surrounded by water on three sides. On the south, Morehead City.is bordered by Bogue Sound. Calico Creek and the Newport River run through the northern part of the planning area. With this in mind,,one can readily see that development in Morehead City may affect the estuarine waters and the wetlands of the area. Most residents of Morehead City value these resources highly, and feel that land development within Morehead City and its one mile planning area should consider these important areas. Not only are they productive areas, but they also add much @o the natural beauty of the area. The citizens have a great desire to protect these areas. Many of the residents of Morehead City came to this area because of the natural environment which surrounds it. If this environment is destroyed, much of the natural beauty of,the area will be destroyed. If these basic issues are faced squarely at this point in the planning process, the remainder of the decision making will be made' easier. 4. Cultural. Issue The citizens of Morehead City have indicated their desire to re- main a relatively "small,I.,-,"friendly," "tourist" oriented community. They are especially proud of the waterfront area, which tourists have been vis iting for many years. They come to eat at the restaurants, visit the gift shops, charter the fishing boats, or just to look at the boats.dock after a successful fishing expedition. To the citizen of Morehead City, their culture is important and should be considered in the planning process. rr,@@tiv- - "orehead City has many a, Larnative routes it c-n `ollon. 11ne alternative that affects all the others is @,,,hether to grow in size or@i stay the same. The size of the population and land definitely affects all other alternatives. It is necessary to knoWMw many people and how much land there will be before deciding how much commercial and industrial develop- ment can'occur. It must then be decided if the alternatives for commercial development will be strip, scattered or There can be high den-. sity residential development or low to moderate density. The alternatives the citizens of Morehead City have are numerous. Each of these alternative routes t,,,ere considered when the citizens of Morehead City identified-,the objectives, policies and standards. C. Objectives, Policies, and Standards Once the land use issues have been determined, the people must formulate a method of facing the issues as they arise. This has been done in the Morehead City.Land Development Plan by the identification of land use objectives, policies, and standards. The objectives, policies, and standards have been identified through the pUblic input process as described in this report, and should give the Planning Board and Town Board a clear indication of public desires and wishes. lvle must remember,, however, that all land development objectives are not equally obtainable, and that'"trade-offs" must be made in order to arrive at decisions that, are consistent@with the overall desires of the citizens. The following objectives have been identified by the citizens of More- head City and its one mile planning area: 1. Continue to provide for sound land development planning that reflects '1orehead City's coastal nature throuqh: 3.2- @%i e 11 a. Contfivie erir)@--asis on the :,nd o@ -c'-wrS -1 t ar t e U,_ L I Li. basis for thecurrent zoning of Vorehead City. Refer to Appendix A for a description of the objectives as they apply to each major classification of the zoning ordinance.* b. Initiate actions to revitalize and unify the downtown area. This can be done through zoning and traffic circulation patterns.. The goals and objectives for downtown commercial zoning are included in Appendix A. c. Encourage industries to locate in environmentally sound. areas as indicated in Appendix A. d. Insure the coordination between all enforcement agencies. e. Encourage the immediate dredging of Calico Creek. f. Analyze current parking facilities and increase the number of off street parking spaces to complement other develop- ment in the downtown area. g. Beautify public grounds through efforts of the Town Reauti- fication Commission and civic clubs. 2. Encourage the expansion of existing services and the development of thoseservices required to maintain the standards desired by the citizens of Morehead City through: a Emphasizing the need for recreation facilities for all aae . groups. (1) Adopt a comprehensive recreation plan. (2) Land use regulations that preserve those areas that may be well suited foi- recreation. (i.e. flood prone areas) Current zoning seems to be accepted by the riajority of the people. The, public input has indlicated that additional thought should be given to revitalizing an.d unif@ying the doinitown area. -3-3 (3) Fr-,,I,,&.sizing* the recreational area requirement within the subdivision regulations in the event additional land is subdivided. (4) ln@itiating a study to -determine the possibility of acquiring recreational areas and the possible sources of revenue that could be used to acquire these areas. b. Providing adequate riater and sewer facilities through- out II-Iorehead City and its one mile planning area. (1) Encourage and support plans for improved water system of Morehead City. (2) Support the regioRal sewer concept encouraging the implementation of the Carteret County 201 I Facilities Plan. (3) Encouraae the extension of water and sev,er services in those areas of the one-mile that are in need of these services. c. Expandin@ rescue, fire, police, and solid %.,,aste collection set-vices as population increases. This should include the examination of the cost of services and an analysis of all taxes, permits, and fees to assure the citizens using the services and bearing the rajor cost of the services. 3.. Develop land use regulations that prevent development that,has a hig@ I.i.kelfhood'of-affecting estuarine waters and wetlands. a. -Support and develop regional water and sewer services. The first step is to adopt the Carteret County 20-1 Facilities Plan. b. Emphasize the proper use of the Land Classification System described in this plan. The conservation classification will be particularly important to help achieve this objective. 4. Encourage and improve lines of communication between the citizens of Morehead City and the local officials, and strive to improve the lines of communication between Morehead City and Carteret County Government through: a. Emphasizing a plan for frequent review of the land develop- ment plan that encourages a high level of public participation during the review process. b. Encouraging appointed and elected officials to communicate frequently with all county elected and appointed boards. D. Public Participation - It takes the efforts of many people to write an effective land development plan, but the most important input in formulating any plan comes from the citizens themselves. The citizens of Morehead City and the one mile extraterritorial jurisdiction provided the input for this plan. This plan is "their" plan and reflects "their" desires and needs. @-;@Fiy cont-il-lued public input. &nd participation can this plan re;,iain viable and a true indication of t-he desires of the citizens of 1',orehead City. Public input received during the planning process was solicited. by three major methods. The first method of public input resulted from questionnaires being distributed to all property owners and residents of Morehead City. Of 2:000 questionnaires distributed, 259 were returned for a total of 13 percent. The Town Board and Planning Board are confident that'the consistency of responses reflected the desires and wishes-of the majority of citizens in tile planning area; Below is a compilation of the results of the questionnaires. (1) Uould you like to see riorehead City remain iiluch the same as it is now? Yes 133 No 120 (2) 1fliat do you like about i'lorehead City that you would prefer to see un- changed? Friendly p--ople ',a@er-'ron' area J L I G Size of (Li'le to@"'n 3' i,, a t Ud o y o u U'll s -1 i k e al.,-jo u t t. h aarea t1-,at you @,-iould pre-lFer -lu-o see c1langed? Dilapidate @owiltown, no wat-er-front developi-,ient, traffic probleias (railroad in middle of town), dirty alleys, and not enough doctors. (4) If c,)ange occurs in :1orE:,eaU' City, ,,!ould you like to see it occur? r 'tal' U t. evi ize -he do,,"m'own develop-l-,eilt of tile water-front furViar A__-veloxmant of tile -ort. -3 you t!-,ine, "lore!-,ead Clt,,@j nee',-ls :-,iore co'.-,ii,,-,arc1al Jevelop:-.1ent? its io 70 (6) What type of commercial development,if any, do you feel Morehead City needs? A. Tourist related 91 B. Retail 84 C. Manufacturing 123 D. Other: 39 ___,Industry (7) Do you feel Morehead City should encourage more residential growth within the city limits? Yes -:161 ---.No 78 (8) How do you feel the one (1) mile extraterritorial jurisdiction should be developed over the next ten (10) years? A. Single-family 149 B. Multi-family (ie. apartments or condom4ni4ms) 72 C. Commercial 70 D. Mobile Home Parks -5 E. Camper Trailer Parks 8 F. Combination of the above 44 Explain: (9) Should Morehead City annex additional territory? Yes 177 No 59 (10) What type development do you feel should occur in the Downtown area of Morehead City? Comments: -Retail Parks/Industry/Craft shops (11) Do you believe the public services being offered by the City are adequate? Yes 149 No 82 (12) D6 you feel there is adequate recreational facilities for everyone? Yes 94 No 137 37 A second method of public input was through public meetings. A series of four public meetings was attended by 80 citizens. These meetings were designed to expla4n the Coastal Area Management Act as well as. to solicit public input. In addition, it should be noted that each regular Planning Board meeting throughout the past year devoted time for discussion of the development of the Morehead City Land Development Plan. A third method of input was provided by the three member Morehead City Citizen's Advisory Committee. This committee not only added input, but helped.to.'synthesize the-input@-received:from@all citizens-into:a.workable-,-,@@@.@-- and understandable document. The following is a brief summary of the input received from the questionnaires, public meetings and Citizen's Advisory Committee: A summary of the input received during the public iMput Process indicated the citizens of Morehead City were basically pleased with their community. They feel that the small friendly nature of Morehead City is the basic reason for this. The waterfront and the downtown area were often mentioned as important to the beauty and viability of Morehead City. There was great concern over the future of the waterfront and the downtown area. Additional concerns were over the strip development of Arendell Street, and the presence of the railroad in the middle of the town. '.Mlost of those participating in the input system indicated a desire to develop the one mile extraterritorial area in basically a moderate density residential manner. There was also a recogniz.ed need to expand the economic base. The expansion and wise use of the port, the encouragement of non- offensive industries to locate in the area, and continued concentration on the tourist industry were also indicated as methods of expanding the economic base. 3,Y It is also reconnized that Morehead City is a shopDing center for' the county and all retail development will have to expand with growth. Efforts should be made not to infringe on residential areas, not to slow down traffic and to sunply adequate parking. The environment of Morehead City was another important topic to the people. participatinq in the input system. They felt planned develooment should always consider the effect it will have on the estuarine waters, marsh land, and the beauty of the planning area. A great deal of inDut indicated:-the need to dredge out Calico Creek- in order to allow fisher,-,ien to use partions of the area and to provide a safe harbor. All municipal s ervices were important especially water and sewer services. Regional water and smier was indicated as being desirable to the majority of those participating. Tn conclusion, the process used to determine the objectives, policies and standards was very important to the planning process. The following is a step by step analysis of how the public input was used to determine them. The questionnalres were sent out and the public meetings were begun over a year aoo.' The results of the puhlic innut were reviewed at the plannina board meetings, and snecific public OD.inion trends were identified. The Citizen's Advisory Committee assisted the planning consultant in formulating these trends into a-series of objectives. After several rough drafts were oresented, the Planning Board made specific recommendations to the To,.,.In Board. These recommendatioris tqere accented and are identified in this plan. S ;F Soi 1 Map Submitted in November The coastal floodplain is defined as the land areas adjacent to coastal sounds, estuaries, or the ocean which are prone to flooding fr6rwstorms with an annual probability of one percent or greater (100 Year storm). These lands are subject to flooding or wave action during severe stofts or;,hurricenes and can emdAnger life or property if uncontrolled, inc6mipatible or improperAevelop- ment occurs. A map of the Coastal Floodplain, which delineates surge from a 100 year storm, has been prepared by the Department of Housing andArban Development-and is on file at the Morehead(:City7:-:-:- Town Hall. Other natural hazard areas which are physical limitations on land are estuarine erodible areas. They are defined as the area above ordinary high water where 0(cessive erosion has a high proba- bility of occurring. The information necessary to identify these areas specifically will' be'supplied at A later date. Smnd erosion seems to be in and around the shoreline that fronts on the intra- coastal@waterway. This area from 10th Street to 35th Street is listed as an estuarine erodible area. b. Soil Limitations - Morehead City is a peninsula which was developed without a great deal of land fill because the majority of soil drains well and is good for construction. In the past, it has been cheaper to build further fr6mridowntown along the peninsula than to fill land near downtown. The area with better soil and' drainage has been and will continue to be developed first. When, the demand for more land closer to town increases, land filling may become a more common occurrance unless prohibited by state laws prDtectilng marshlands. The soils capabilities map on page shows areas as good," "fair" and "poor." Areas shown as "good" are best suited' for urban development. "Fair" areas can be used for urban de- velopment and "poor' areas are least suited for O.Ve opmen. Any conflict that'may have resulted because of demands of urban development on agric.ultural land has been resolved in the planning area by the develooment of nonagricultural wooded land. The wooded land is adequate for the purpose of supported buildings, filtering sanitary sewage and draining excess water.----- The soils capabilities map is only one of many indicators of the location of future development. Topography and drainage are also good indicators. Drainage is generally adequate in the land areas not inundated by tidal flooding. The low lying land listed at "poor," on the soils map can only be drained by diggingideainage ditches; this action, however, can destroy the estuaries valuable to Morehead City's fishing industry. Other factors which influence the urban development of a particular area are access to paved roads; nearness to places to work; neamess to schools and shopping; access to natural amenities such as Bogue Sound and the Newport River; development cost of alternative parcels of land; and the willingness of owners to sell undeveloped land. c. Water Supply Areas Since the Town of Morehead City uses deep wells for its water supply, the reliability of this supply can be judged only by past performance and current testing of well water levels. This will continue to be the primary test until adequate elevation of the acquifer system through pumping tests and obseryation wells have been,acc6mplished to provide data on well yields, operation and spacing. The two deep wells provide Morehead City with an average capacity of 790,000 gallons per day. The water is pumped fr6nr the wells at a rate of 1,600 gallons per minute. If the pumps were operated a maximum capacity for a straight twenty-four,,hour period, it would be possible to.pbmp a total of 1,728,000_gallons. However, this would be unlikely. Besides pumping water directly into the mains, water is also pumped into a 120,000,'gallon,ground level -tank-at' the well-site on [email protected] Due to the high hydrogen sulfide content in the water supply, high chlorine treat- ment is used. The town waterdepartment furnishes the North Caro- .1ina State Health Department with.samples for testing each month to insure a safe water supply. Since the State Port is served by this water, six samples instead of the normal one are forwarded to Raleigh for testing each month. d. Steep Slopes The guidelines indicate that areas,with slopes over 12% shall be identified. Morehead City has no areas with slopes greater than 12'.. 2. Fragile Areas -,Fragile areas are those which could be easily damaged or destroyed by inappropriate or poorly planned development. In the coastal zone, competition between development and environment has causedin many instances an alteration, impairment, or destruction of such fragile areas as wetlands, sand dunes, ocean beaches and shorelines, estuarifne waters.' S6m.e of the fragile areas listed here have been identified by Morehead City as proposed Areas of Enviro6,-,mnta1 Concern. They are coastal wetlands, estuarine waters and areas subject to public rights. They are covered in more detail in the section on proposed Areas of Environmental Concern. public trufst waters, complex natural areas, areas that sustain remnant species, areas containing unique geologic formations, registered natural landmarks, arche- ological and historic sites, and others. A discussion of the presence or absence of each of the fragile areas in, Morehead City will follow.-, Adescription of the 16cation and the extent of the location will also be made., a. Coastal Wetlands - Coastal wetlands are defined as any salt marsh or other marsh subject to regular or occasional flooding by tides, including wind tides, provided this shall not include.hur-ricane or tropical storm tides. There are many areas in Morehead Cil@-y-c'6nsid@@'ed as'coastal wetlands. -The@-e areas include the marsh area on the north shore of Morehead City which lies on Calico Bay; the perimeter of Calico Creek; the remainder of.Calico Pay and its tributaries, thus inclu ding small islands north of the state port property and most of the lllei%lport marshes; the fringe marsh areas along the east end of 4th Street to the state port property; the marshes on Sugarloaf Island which lies south of Morehead City; and the sparsely patches section of marshes along Bogue Sound. b. Estuarine Yaters - Estuarine waters are defined 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 thereto sea%..,ard of the dividing line beti,.,een coastal fishing waters and inland fishing waters. Al I the@ water surrounding Miorehead City is included in estuarine waters. C. Public Trust Vaters - Public trust waters are defined as all natural bodies of water subject tb measurable lunar tides and land thereunder to. the mean high water mark. Public trust waters generally include all the waters surrounding !-lorehead City. d. The state guidelines for local planning identify the following as fragile areas: ic 1.-Outer banks sanO @unes 2.- Ocean beaches and shorelines 3.- Complex Natural Areas - These areas are defined as lands that support native plant and animal communities and provide habitat conditions or characteristics that have remained essentially unchanged by human activity. 4. Areas Sustaining Remnant Species Areas that sustain remnant-@species are those places that support native plants or animals, rare or endangered, within the coastal area. 5. Areas- containing Unique Geol ogic. Formations Areas -containing unique geological formations will be identified by the State Geologist. 6. Registered Natural Landmarks 7. Archeologic and Hi.storic Sites These areas are not pertinent to Morehead City at this time. 3. Areas with Resource Potential of more than local significance, where uncon- trolled or incompatible development could result in major or irrever sible damage. Some of these areas include productive agricultural lands, poten- tially valuable mineral sites, publicly-owned lands and other non-intensive outdoor recreation lands, and private-owned wildlife snactuaries. None of these areas are applicable to Morehead City. CE@p,--Icity of Facilities Another constraint placed oil development is the ability of tile local governi-iient to prQvide adequate municipal services and facilities to accommodate the additional population. iluni ci pal i ties without adequate design capacities in water and sewer, schools, and transportation' systems should not encourage additional growth until these problei-lis are remedied. Following is an inventory and coTnilunity analysis of the basic facilities in lor-L-11lead City. Since these servic es are for the benefit of the citizens of Horehead City the publ ft has-,: a right to, expect that they:a.re adequately-agd-:.- efficient'lly provided. The cost of i-iiaintaining and expanding nunicipal services has increased drastically over the years. It becoMes finperative that all expenditures be carefully planned to, insure JL-:ie naxfi,,iui-,i benefit possible. Seiver System ,Until 1965, the To,,,,,n of "torehead City did not treat wastewater generated by its residents. The untreated wast-eviater was -discharged dir-actly into Calico ti oil Creek or 'Dogue Sound... In, 1954, the tol,,iin awarddi cont'racts to begin construct. o 1@* a t L Li Cal'co 'reai<; f-ur ins-allation Of i1l'Er- - en acra siLe o-n. `:-a nor'-h si-'e o' ceptor lines along the sound and tile creel,; and foi- construction of lift st-ations lp .1 Lo pui-, the ,:Fstawater to, t@'ie tlreatuil-iantl plant. resently, wastewaLer collt@ction lilies .,re extencled only wilthin tl-,e t-own's L I i iiii -L'. Tiie d@,_siqr, capacity of the plailtis 1.71 ud1lion gallons daily with 4,.-Iie a v-,a r a e ea:-.iouilt of .;,,astewater being between 300,2130 -to 1,9-90,003 gallons daily. Tjl-jis redresonts a utilized rate oi@` 17 to 53 Parcent'.. There is a pro'_Aam o-IF into s2,,.,,n-r system. ',later enters -L-.!.-,e ac'l 4 i,laans of old ifnes wMch ar- crac@@ej or priiiiarily `ua Lo the aq:@2 of soi-,,,e of the lines. Ad6itionally, there is.s&Tletlfi@ies an overflow at the plant due to heavy rainfall which places surface water into the facility. During the rain@ seasons, the facility has experienced peak flows of 1,500,000 gpd. 'Morehead'.s participation in Carteret County's Complex 201 FAcility Plan should alleviate this problem as well as.incr6asing the capacity of tile treat- Ment plant. Presently, the regional s ewer system is in the planning stages. Nater System i1orehead City's water system is supplied and managed by the town. The distribution-lines serve the entire to@an and cover over--fifteen nileSj'-:-. The water supply is obtained from two deep wells located at the corner of 24th Street and Fisher and at 105 North 5th Street,. The @qater is pur:iped from these wells at a rate of 1,600 gallons per minute and stored.into a 120,000 gallon elevated storage tank. Due to the high hydrogen sulfide content in' the water, hig:-, chlorin-- treatment is used. T'lie average capacity of the water systeii-i is 7/9-3,000 gallons per day with the average daily use of 700,000 qpd; a utilization rate of approximately 39 percent. There are approxirjately 2,000 do!'i'ies-tic, 300 coiii,,iercial, and five S industrial user which rely on I'lorehead City's ,.,,ater system. A recently approved bond referenduin will improve Morehead's water system tremendously. In conjunction with a new 500,000 gallon tank, additional water mains, truck lines, and fire hydrants are planned for construction. Schools T;iere are four public schools in 1111orei@-iead's Planning Area. All are ad- ion. There is also a priva"a ministered by the Carteret County Doard of 'EdUcatl school in 11orehead.CitY-St. Egherts School. Ca;-v ;lIenn is locat,@J :,'i-ti,.:ay 73 ;%,,cst "A e-Cf'a in ID-S-", a -,vvicj ro.:".... (Aass- FA Si te - T he mai n schuol A 1 ding was cons! 1-Ur room built in 1949. The elementary school offers grades kindlergarten thr'ough fifth and has' 30 classrooms. Nith a maximum .capacity of 7@5 students, its present enrollment is 740. There are 25 teachers employed and the teacher/pupil. rat.io is 30 students per tea'cher. 1-ofthead City 'la-,en'ary is located on a saven acre site on Bridges Street.- The main classroom was cons1tructed in 1929 with additional classrooms built in 1950-and 1957. The school offers grades kindergarten 16-.irough sixth. The -maxi- mum capaci ty of the 'sc.iool i s '000 pupi 1 s and thd p'resent enrol linant i s .546. 11ith 24 teachers employed, the teacher/pupil...ratio is 23 students per teacher. 11orehead Central'School is-located at Fisher Street on a ten acre site. The classroom buflu'ling was const-ructed in 1949. There are 21 classr=ms'with at a v3axipinium capacity of 400 students. Presently, 453 students are'enrolled .:nre%ctad Cantral and 2" I-aac' ers are! e:@.-,.ployed. T! e sc:),)ol of, ers gra.-Ics six D ;.nd cev3n and ra. LLio is I: a s t C a r 16- e r e ti 9h S co u I i s o c a t a d o n th e C r, u110.- ry IC I u 1.) .610ad Oil a fil fty zick-a siloa. T:-,a Mg.'l Sc:1301 (-,;rZdCs 0' '121 uf s i i^_ ai. - - rt I C:.,untv a`,:-#'.-en-d V-1-is school whic!-i was constructedA in 19.65. '11here are C4 c'je-_zs;- 'I'Joi,is ;.Ath a raiaxilaum capacity of 1.1050 students. Presantly, 14r-1 st-ut@'ervl,:s at"C.;;nd `;a t: 0 4. s avj :-ac%e%-s a .,as@ Car %-, -e;-, -I-' is loca-!@ed on I'vanis '-"re=t. EG' i f. ly at':.l i I. @.4 U e r JL,.' s is priva'al -ir, ---! -a` a, al-adas oniS thjroug% Six al-.2 Ofllero%?; .-;ith four classrooms being ut-illiZed. Pi,_,sanit oym& a-.@r3l'lment is IS ar:-- JW Roads ;1ore:ie.--ad City presently has atotall of 31 miles of paved stree-tLs and five miles of unpaved. In the one i,,-dle planning area, there are 15.5 miles of paved roads; six miles of unpaved. Besides a major interstate highway transversing through the planning area (U.S. 70), there are numerous types of roads, e@ach having different volumes .and design capacit,ies. As a rule, every street in Morehead City has increased in daily traffic problems. Traffic counts at five key locations during a five year period (192@1973)--were analyzed to deterimine--the increase -in traffic.flow._ There @vjas an average increase of 30 percent. Currently, a thoroughfare plan -For 'lorahead City is being prepared. Th i s plan should help alleviate present and anticipated traffic problems and provide a much safer and efficient traffic flow through the planning area. Recreation. The-t-otal a-mount of land available for-active and passive recreation in "orehead City ai-;iounts to appro^-fi-,iate"1y An J acres. The i-ilajority of t1lis acrGage can be attributed to S@,,,inson Park, wMch comprises 34 acres. Swinson Park is provided and maintained by It"le county and is located in the one mile Planning area. Tennis courts and several ball fields co:-,iprise thle !,.iajority o-F recreational flacilities at- the park. In i1orehead City a 21j acre park is located on 'Evans Street where the recently burnedirecreation center i@,,as located. This park ofiFers tennis and bas%atball courts and swings. Other sma;ll parks include a @4- acre park on the corner of [email protected] Street and Bridges and a one acre park on the corner of l0th and @,,rendell Street. 0,--rose Col 1 C-C-Li Oil :11orehead City provides refuse collection to all areas of town. Refuse is collected.twice a week in residential areas and six times a week in industrial and conriercial areas. Twenty-seven people are employed by the Sanitation Department. Equi pment includes 12 vehicles, five of which are packer trucks. Library The Earle W. 14ebb, Jr. I'llei-ilorial Library and Civic Cbnter, located at 107 South Ninth Street, is furnished from the earnings of a trust fund established 1 6 LI by the Webb fami ly. 'The ci ti zens of I jorehead Ci ty are -abl e to use till s. 1 i brary... facility in addition to the County Library located in "Oeaufort. Presently, the Ue@b Library has 19,928 volunies. The library staff consists 01 one librarian.and is open 11onday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. On SAturday, the library is ppen from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Police Department The Iorehead City Police Depart;ient i s sta 1"Ied vd th seven teen regul ar o -1c -fi cers and one chief. Four policei--len and one dispatcher are on each 86 hour shifts. Equipment operated by the department includes five patrol cars and one chief's car. Ad@itionally they @iiave onie Chushr,.,an Scooter. -ection Fi re Pro-L. The 'Ilorelh@@--ad City Fire Departi-,Ient is located alC. two, locations: the 1-.1ain station at 303 Evans Street and one station at 3300 Arendell Street. The area of service provided by the fire depcartbl-,ent includes the iliore,',,ead Fire District (east of t'@e Road to e `,ev 11) o i - t, 11 i v e rThe depart aint al so l.i-Al ongs -L'.o -G!ie Caroll na Fi remian's -.'.i o@i a,-id coi,.lpl es LS i-iiut-ual assistance corles. Last year therelere approxiviiately 155 fire alariiis answered by t1he departUient. There are thirteen full tii@iie firemen'eniploy-ed by the departlient; tWelve drivers and one chief. There are also 34 volunteer firemen.. Each year a portion of the volunteer staff is sent to various state recognized schools. The depart- iiient also conducts hoi-iie inspections. on request and routine business inspections. The :,ore!-iead City Fire Deparltx@ient is equipped with:, *ty Year a k- e Pui-;ip Capac, I-later Tank Ca,.paci,t,y._,... 1949 CI-lev. Foam Generator 100 gal. roo gpM 1950 F. 14. D. 500 gal. 1957 G" .'! I. C. 750 gpm 300 gal. 1963 G.1; I. C. 1000 qPM 50O.gal. I ')) 7 2) 1-ord 13,00 gP'I 500 gal. 1372 F 0 r (1, '35') qpm 120 0 gal. 10'7@1 F 0 r J pi C!"-UP C;-, i e f/ uti I i ty '"V@ou' P@,oper 'Plam-ing, @;ie Pre-e-Nng cor.-...-,unity -Facilities represent L L I potent,ial constraint-s 'Co 'u'ure developi@,ient. 14ith tj@ie upgrading I Uie water I L of 'I swstei@.:', in th,,&@ near l'uture, ;'!orei,ead City's part.-Icipation in Cartereat Coun-L':Y's -he Planning area, -,-he "Jasic ,Zegional a `.`iorough fare Plan for t L Aon occu-ring co;l'.' .1 1 a c i t i e s s o u 1 @a a U-@eq ua te I'D r, tt'-; a -2 Xpe c ted po j) U a JL vlit-hin t-he nExt ten years. V. After careful analysis of the land use objectives, policies, and standards as well as the present and past land use conditions and Lrends, the following projected conditions are expected to occur. A. Population and Econot,.iy Population It is the desire of the people of r1orahead City 'Go remain "a rela- tively small," "friendly," "tourist" oriented community that reflects l -e' ty's coastal nature. The future population.gro','Ith patterns oi -lead Ci L L L of @11,orehead City are primarily based on two factors: (1) the desires o f the people and (2) the capability of the land to sustain -then,. Following is Chart q -Population Projections, w:iich shot-is the projected popula- tions of ',',orehead City for the next fifty years. Cllart Popuiation Projections 1 C; -17 5 IC30 i Do S 12 0 0 0 201 2 5 !'lorehead city 5516 5303 (U100 71010 90,00 3) 7 0 5 ) One @Iile Irea 1765 MO 4200 G100 Relationship of the Population Projections to the Desires of the People During the next ten years, the population of I'lorehead City is expected to increase approximately lul p.arcent to a total of 6100. The development of this projection was based on the desires of the people to increase resi- dentIal develop),,-ient in the city limits. Appendix A demonstrates tile tech- nique t--hat %4ill be used to encourage 'Uhis Tile 16 percent qrovit:h figure v;as presented at pu@lic i.ieetings and found to be consistent with those participating. lie population of the one mile area is expected Lo -Increase by over 109 percent in the next ten years.to a total of 3765. 'This projection was based on four major factors: (l)-The public input has expressed -this would be a desirable growth area, (2) There is a high likelihood that central. water and sewer services will be provided, (3) There have been many recent subdivision requests in this area, and (4) A total-of recent building permits indicate an accelerated growth rate in this area. (50 perimits for houses in 1975). A conibination of the ten year projections for the city limits and the one mile indicat es wi thi n ten. years the popul ati-on -of the 111orehead Ci ty--- - planning area will be 91265. After a review of the public input system, the)Tbwn Board and Planning Board determined this would be a desirable grovith rate. The long range population projections have been very difficult to determi tie. The fifty year projection of 9,500 in the city limits, and 6,000 in the one mile has been determined by the Town Board and Planning L U Board to be the most realistic projections at this time. As -'evelopri-ient occurs in the ona mile area, it is realized this projection, niay have to be revised. It is not@anticipated that Lijere will be significant seasonal popu- lation in llorpahaad City. The rental units in ',Iorehead City have been used to project year around population. i'lost. rental uni ts. in oi ehead City are occupied year around. 04, Capabilit of V@i-= Land and 1,1atar to Support Pr jected Growth 7he popula projections that have been made ']Or i"orellead City are based' on tlie assu,-.-i-ption that the central _-ater and sewer services of 'i'lorahlead ri U input t."@!l be up." and ex'enJed dui aniiiilq PC; U 1, L , I i UU U@ @A L. I n JL'I A r_-ciaived fro-,,i riany property o1qners in the on& i;iile area, indicates they are L the expai-ision of water willing to pay,the r share in order to faci and sewer services. The availability of land will also support the growth that is projected for "lorehead City and its one mile-. There,@are approxi-mately 182 vacant, residential lots in the one mile. Also, thereare approximately 52 unplatted,. vacant acr2s in the city, and 1500 vacant, residential acres@ln the-- one mile. that could be devoted lor residential purposes. Pending subdivision requests indicate--appro,,,,Ii-,iately-100 lots are baing-anticipated at the present time., 2. Econoi,,ly Economic data.on a county level is very significant for Morelhead City. Solletimes it is necessary to present information on a larger unit of government in order for one to realize the importance of a snaller unit k-.ti thi nthe larger unit of governmi-ent. For this reason, much of the data in -this section will concern Carteret Count@,, of which 11orchead City is the largest town. -As in the past, !%iorehead City will coi-itinu3 to be the retail trade center for the county. Retail sales for 1'artaret County have increased from 30,419,974 in 1960' to $102,6019,732 in 1974. It has been estimal'.'ed that 11ore'llead City accounts for approximately 50 percent of all retail sales in Carteret County. If this trend continues, the growl.-h of 1MOrehead City will be facilitated. From 19613) to 19-72, the nu,-,iber of tourist dollars spent in Carteret County increaseu f r o .m $4,329,1300 to $010501030. TI-Js ri'se in tourisid '-,as contributed to the cons truc L-1 on boom in the county. Hoi-ies, apartmients, condominiums and motel-hotels are being built to provide for the tourists. Restaurants are needed to provide places to eat. The rise in tourism is rapid, but it is not so rapid that the county can not provide proper planning. Most of the tourists that visit the county will visit Morehead City only to sight-see, eat, and shop. This will certainly hAve.a significant affect on the future economy of I'lorehead City. t A high percentage of the labor force in i1orehead..City and CarLeret County are civil service ei-iiployees, -which illustrates the iniportance of governiiienCal activities on the area's economy. The State has many agencies with offices in 1,11orellead City and Carteret County. The primary source of civil service eiiplo@Aiient is Cherry Point.Marine Gase. Approxi- Y mately forl,- percent of the 4,000 plus civilian aork force on the base live in Carteret County. The 'vIIorc,'-iead _`tate Pori,; fac-ML'ies have increased in size and activities since 1,061. Ii-,ere are indicaLions t1hat. the State "Fort F iora:iead City will continue to expand as it lacility in did V-.1-oughout IX the 1960's and early 1973's. Private cori-ipanies, such as Texas Gu Sulphur Company arc- -also increasing their facilities at the State Port. D-11phasis should be placed on the continued growth and development of this State facility, which would allow the Port to function. on an equal basis with the port at ilil;-ning-Lon. Speculation is present concerning the location of ol] refineries and relate@ facilities ir, thie general location oil il,orel.lead Ci"--Y and Carteret County. I-F -111s OCCui^s, there will-be -o@ lin llurehead City. L, L t, il I c)us econo;-iic 91 -ith wit@ B. Future Land Needs After careful.analysis of-the land use objectives, policies, and standards, as well as the present and past land use conditions and trends, tile following paragraphs indicate how the1and is expected to develop in tile future. 1. Residential - It is the wishes of the citizens of Ilorehead City to remain a relatively small," "friendly," "tourist" oriented community that reflects 11orehead City's coastal nature. In order to achieve this objective, future ulevelopi-,ient must be %,.rell.-plann'ed. During the next ten years, it has been estimated that tile population of Morehead City will increase by 5084. It is assumed that this growth will require approximately 200 additional living units. If these units are developed in accordance with the standards of resi- dential development as stated in Appendix A the objectives for local planning will be facilitated. It is anticipated t1lat lass than 1/3 of the vacant residential area in i".orbllead City ,-Jll be needed to accoi-m,,,odate this growth. (There are IUIO vacant residen-tial lots and 52 vacant residential acres). In the next ten years, the one mile area of Morehead City is expected Lo incur a 9roi-,,t1h of approxii-nately 2,000. This grovitn would require between 651J-700 additional housing units. At a moderate density, this growth will require a little over 330 acres of land. A review of the existing land use section viould indicate the eXlsting 200 lots and 12013 vacant residential acres skjould be adequate to handle -1-his pro-ec-ed aro-.-,,th. L 2. Co@i,.,.iercial Future com!Mercial nee%ls are projected by using the ratio of 142 acres of existing commercial land to the present population of 7,281 people in the planning area. In the residentialsection, it is estimated 3,185 people will live in the planning area in 1935. Using the ratio of 142 comi-ilercial acres for 7,281 persons, it is projected that 17 acres exclusive of off-street parking needs will be needed to serve the commercial needs in 1935. Off-street parking has not been adequate in the past and this makes the 142 -to 7,231 ratio inadequate for the future. Because of the likelihood-of increased autonobile'use and the already pressing need for additional parking, a factor of ll@ is used in estimating a future co;,alierc1al need of 26 additional acres making a total estimate of 163 commercial acres for 1985. L The Carteret County Chamber of Ronomic Development Com- Industrial Z mission has selected several sites lor potential industrial development. The Sites are outside the "Jore,iead City planning area. llowever, there are seven-significant industrial locations in the planning area that are addressed in 11 1- h 1' `)e planning area 45' acres are reserved 'or industri n L, al uses. This includes an es-L-,fi-.._1ated 3755 acres for the port. Fresent-ly, 138 acres are useu' -For in.'ustrial purposes in lilore:-,ead City, and 175) acres. are used -if-or inu-1ustrzial purl-loses in the entire planning area. Significant ad'iditional industry activi-ty is anticipated to occur at the port. 4. Pu@lic S-3mli-PV@-Olic Thie i-laijor for pul,iic usE _111 '-e in --,e forill of recreation. I Lj Li Th,era is rza-J; for ad@itio,Ial recr@@a-'L-Jon areas. 71,_4, one iiiiie area con- tai ns a large county par',,, tut :1orehead Ci ty nEedp to audd adii ti onal recrt-=@ a o-, a I L ir planning area. S U,@ fcl^ i. 11 K develop:-,-,ent have been shown in A'ppendix B. C. Cor-riunity Facilities De;-.,iand An increased population usually means an increase in tile demand for community facilities. The projected ten year planning area population estimate of 15,500 will certainly make S*ignificant demands on the coriviunity lacilities.' Uater and Sewer tr' By.1985, itAs estimated thati ie population -within J"orhead City wil I be 6,100. The population in the one mile planning.area is estimated to L be 3,765. In-order for th*6 one mile area to grow at the projected rate, ,.?ater and seWer services will have to be extended to this area by tile Town of !1orehead City. Current support of the regional sewer plan for Carteret County indicates the citizens of the planning area are willing to pay for- V hese services. Jicates a need t If the @Iorelhead Area 201 Regional Sawer Plan i nu L 0' collEct affluent froi'n ',ewport at the 11orehead sewer plant, th,@_ treat.-Ilent facilities will have to be planned for accordingly. It is estimated t1his will demand treat.-,ient facilities for 2.5 m9d by 1985 and 3.5 i-@,igd by 20-3.). Currently, :1orehiead City's water storage facilities contain 120,000 gallons which is 580,030 gallons short for a tvianty- four 'flour supply. T 1-1 e ci'(izens have recently votted for a 500,000 gallon elevated tank. The con- structJon of this tant, will begin this fall. '_`@%lso, ',Iorehead City has re- ceived perMission to use t1le 500,000 gallon storage tank at the state port. These two tanks will suf-ficiently increase the water storage capacitLy of I'l.orehEad City to meet the needs of the estimated 1935 population. 11i th ,L-!.I@.,se new tanks, 'qore:iead City's water pressure will increase from the current 40 to 45 pounds per square inch to 75 pounds per square inch. Taiis increased pressure will allow water to be pumped,to the storage tanks. By increasing the water pressure, it will become necessary to replaiae the galvanized.water lines with plastic lines. The galvanized water lines would not be able to withstand the pressure. .Roads -The Thoroughfare Plan for Morehead City should adequately address ma ny of the traffic and circulation prob-lei-lis, present and anticipated. Tile plan is currently being prepared and should be completed in-the near future.---- -hir, ten years Morehead Central School will Schools - It is anticipated that wit be relocated to a t,@,enty acre site east of Country Club Boulevard. This re- location should enable the entire school system in the planning area to meet L.;Ie needs of the expected youth population. Recreation - In the next ten years Morehead City will be called upon by its citizens to provide a recreational program -k'-.hat -vjill satisfy the needs of all tile citizens. It Is recoirmended that. Vhe town acquire land, upgrade existing facilities and focus program.,s to,,,4ards meeting tlie recreational demands of all the citizens. O@f ther services provided by the town will need new equipment and additional manpo'wer as present equipment becoii-ies obsolete and as the population increases. An annual assessment by the tolan has and should continue in order to provide the citizens of !1lorehead City with the highest quality of services possible. L . .Land Classification Map - VI. Plan Uescription A. Description of Land Classification System. The Coastal Area Management Act has required all land within the twenty coastal counties, including municipalities, be classified in one of five land classifications. This land classification is an attempt to pinpoint areas that have experienced.and will exp erience different growth rates and patterns. Obviously, areas withdffferent growth rates and patterns -should,be plannned for differently@ . Further, this will add coor- dination of growth patterns throughout the entire county.. All land class- ifications must be consistent with the overall county land.classifi cation nap. This will enable all citizens in the county to become aware of V'ie type services that may be required within different areas.. The overall county land classifications will not only assure consistency, but will also provide reasonable assurance that all anticipated growth is planned for in terms of services that are required. There is a likelihood that changes will have to be made as development occurs. This system will assure that proper services are planned before the development occurs. The five land classes that have been designated to all the land area of this county include (1) developed, (2) t ransitional , (3) community, (4) rural, and (5) conservation. These five classes provide a framework to be used by'local governments to identify the general use of all lands within each county. It is hoped that this classification system will between all local land use help coordinate and encourage consistency ated, polici.es, @nn@ `)ose of t-he state. Of.the five land classif.'cationsdesign only four are pertinent to Morehead City an@ its planningarea at this time. 1. Developed Purpose: The Developed classidentifies developed lands which are presently provided with essential public services. Consequently, it is distinguished from areas where significant growth and/or new service re- and redevelopment should be quirements will occur. Continued development encouraged to provide for the orderly grovith in the area. Description: Developed land are areas with a.minimum gro ss population density of 2,000 people per square mjile. At a minijnuj-.,i, these lands con- tain existing public services including water and sewer systems, educa- tional systems., and road systei-ils all of:which are able to support the present population and its accompanying land uses including cowi ercial , industrial, and institutional. 2. Transition ion class identiffes lands where iiioderate to high Purpose: The Transitl density growth is to be encouraged and vdiere any such gro';4th that is to be encouraged and k@,-here any such growth that is perii-titted by local regulation will 'De provided with the necessary public services. D@scriptlon:. The area to be designated as Transition rjiust be no' greater than that required to a ccommodatle the estimated county population growth at a minimum gross density of 2,000 people per sqqare mile. In addition, the. minfiiiium services which will be required are the necessary water and sewer facilit'Jes, educational services, and roads. Consider- U-t-@on 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. 3. Coml-nuni ty Purpose: The Community class identifies existing and new clusters of low density development not requiring major public services. Description: 1) The Community class includes existing clusters of one or more land uses such as rural residential subdivision or a church, school', general store, industry, etc. (Cluster is defined as a number of structures grouped together in association or in physical proximity - I.-Jebster's Dictionary). 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 ne w areas, or within existing community lands. .3) flew development in the Community class areas will be subject to subdivision'regulations under the Enabling Subdivision Act (G.S. 153A-330 et. seq.) 4) In every case, the lot size must be large enough to safely accom- modate on-site sewage disposal and where necessary water supply so that no public sewer services,will be reqOired now or in the future. 5) Limited public services should be provided in the CoiTKiunity class such as public road access and electrical power. 6) As a guide for calculating the amount of land necessary to accom- modate new rural co-Mr-nunity growth, a gross population density of 640 people per square mile or one person per acre should be used. 62- 4. Rural Purpose: The Rural class identifies lands for long-term manage- ment for productive resource utilization, and where limited public services will be provided. Development in such areas.should be compati- ble with resource production. Description: The Rural class includes all lands not in the Developed, Transition, Community and Conservation classes. 5. Conservation Purpose: The Conservation class identifies land which should be--- maintained essentially 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 d2velopment because: 1) They are too fragile -to withstand development without losing the-jr natural value; and/or 2) They have severe or hazardous limitation to developiment; and/or 3) Though they are not highly -fragile or hazardous, the natural resources they represent are too valuable to endanger by de- velopi-tient. B. Morehead City's Land 'Classification Morehead Ci ty's Land Classification has taken into account the needs of Carteret County as vell as !I-Iorehead City, and is consistent with the county's classi-lication. A relerence to the Land Classification I'lap (11a P lv.,ill famil iiarize t',-12 rea-1.1ar to tile -Frjur diff-arent classi-Fi cations existing in the planning arc-a. 6_3 Lj r- 71 ssifi-d as dc-v,--loDod sir;c@-. -,iatLi- an,@'j s--,-,,-c2s are d 69 people L r c u o u t t'-1 3 t o,,in i',n es'u1i.-1a'L-.,,UJ populational increase of 5' hin 'lie L is emactad to, occur in the developed area of "orehead City wit, next t-en years. Trarisi ticnal - i,`,,,u@t of --rea north and west of !!,orellead City in the onz, ci-iile planning a@ea -has @(@:2n classified as trarisiLion. It, has been d e t c-, ri-li i ne d t @Il a t, -this area will 1@iost li'rl-ely receive wall-er and sawar services and will continue its r1oideralce d-ailsity sub-division grovjth in the next ten Lk-ed lots which cciv,@, 60 y,-,a,,-s . Tl.,,,-,,re ara, pr,2s@,--n-'Cly 200 undeveloped, platt L 2crcs in '11Ms In audition, t,tlere are ]E00 acres of unplat@(-.ad land tl-iat, ccan 1ja used -Ircr This 'Duilt-in gru"ith factor -is a S'L.1-Ong indicat-21on one p of @Iorehead City 'D by 1905. N i n a ty vldll, i1w.1-2-ase its !)Y 8-Mr3Xl1,:iat,-.1Y 21--)@) @-,COD 1 e n t a i S @j It is estfil-lated t S j; yi-O ,@s I j.)e classifi o n. U@ ed trp.;@is I L j 4- 12- &r rr- 0, Ja C L. ra@'.-e is lm-,-er Vian the 2,"JO'i per sciuare 1 ". ,v I L -1 S OX@' @2C L @? dth,-i t '',','a t, er and se%;I@r snrvic@s @.Jll be ex- t L i- I u 11 L. L Li-a tt-i oil o '-! e ar:@a an' -ie d'-sired ci-c,@@-Ujh %-A-11 cl-assi-Fication. T.-e 1u--;-!t--if'iPS lai-@d S.fiJUld tj e csSeln-i Ily in its 1-tJ,'L;-Tal StLat-E!, and vzzry lin-i-it.ed or no pullic s@@rvic-s ailL, :'@re!--ar r4@ -1jeS,_ @: j;jC1 A u,'l e v,., e t"'I a nd s - 1 & 7, @Jai-, Oil ai- S a as k Q3 f tion !*,ap. 6 46 7. f !:ie importance of these areas hava been discussed in th;@ Constraints Section of-this plan. Basically, improper development in these areas will cause undesirable effects. It should be noted that by classifying these areas Conservation,'Morehead City is not indicating development should not occur in these areas. This classification indicates these areas are important to the town, and if development occurs it should consider the effect the development will have on the objectives for local planning, and the effect these areas may have on the development. Careful consideration of appropriate development in these areas has already begun. Rural----- The areas classified as rural are the areas in. the one mile planning-'- area which are not classified developed, transition, or conservation. These areas are generally Along the one mile line where no subdivisions have begun. (See Land Classification 'Hap). It is anticipated that these lands will basically remain farmland and will not require water and sewer. rM insignificant population growth will occur in this area. ;-i"al Areas of 17nvi @_"J;Icern The Coastal A?ea @,Ianagerilant Act has charged the Coastal IZesources Commission With the responsibility of identifying Areas of Environmental Concern in the twenty coastal counties affected by the Act. The Coastal Resources Commission has also been instructed to determine what type of uses or dev4lopment are appropriate within such areas. Due to the import-ance of this responsibility, the local governi-tients pre- Management- Act -rient plans in coi--ipliance,with the Coastal Area paring land developi iiave been requested to give special attention to those areas within their jurisdiction that iiiay becoi-3e Areas of Environinental Concern. Tile Town of rlore- head City has identi-Fied the following areas as Potential Areas of Environmental Concern. These areas were-defined and discussed in the State Guidelines for Local Planning in__Coastal Areas Under the Coastal Area I'lanagement Act of-1-974. C-astal I:etlands 'eneral Coastal wetlands are defined las any salt riarsh or other marsh sOject to regular or-occasional flooding by tides, including wind tides (whether, or not the tide waters reach.the'marshland areas through natural or arti-, ficial Watercourses). provided@--bhis shall not include hurricane or tropical storm tides. Coastal Wetlands Low Tidal Marshland a. Description Defined as marshland usually subjectIto inundation by the normal rise and fall of. lunar.tides. b. Significance Low tidal niarshland serves as acritical component,... in the coastal ecosystem. The marsh is the basis for the high net yield system of the estu"ary 'through the production of partially decomposed plant material which is the primary input source for'. the food chain of the entire estuarine system. c. Appropriate Land*Uses Appropriate land uses shall be to 9.ive the Inighest priority to the perservation-of low tidal marshland., Coastal Uet.1ands Other Coastal @".arshland a. Description All other marshland which is not low tidal marshland. b. Significance-- This mars1halnd type contributes to the production of partially decomposed plant material. The higher n-iarsh types offer quality wildlife and water-fo,.,-jl habitat depending on the biological and physical conditions of the miarsh. c. Appropriate Land ..Uses - Appropriate land uses shall be to give' a high priority to the preservation and manaciei-Ilent of the i-i-iarsh so as to safeguard and perpetuate their biological, economic and aesthetic values. S L;@' r rie :.:I t ers a -Description Estuarine @,,@auers are defined as all the -@.,aters of the Atlantic Ocean within the boundary of Nlorth Carolina and all the waters of the bays, sounds, rivers, and tributaries thereto seaward off-he dividing line between coastal. fishing waters, as set forth in an agreement adopted by the Vildlife Commission and, the Department of Conservation and*Development. b. Significante Estuaries are among the most productive natural. envi roninents in NP r th Caro I i na They not only support valuable com-mercial and sports fisheries, but are also utilized for com- mercial navigation, recreation, and ae@thetit POrposes.- c. Appropriate Land Uses - Appropriate uses shall be to preserve and manage estuarine @,,,aters as to safeguard and perpetuate.their biological, economic, and aesthetic, values. ON r'u',,,ljc R41 @J'-,tls - Certain Pol) tic Tr,is -, "I'---Cls A All ,-@aters of the Atlantic Ocean and A-.1-ie I.-.nds thereunder from the mean M gh 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 thereunder to.the mean high water mark or ordinary high water mark as the case may be, except privately,'.ioaned lakes to which the public has no right of access; all waters in artificial.1y created bodies of water in whi ch exists :significant public fishin'g.resources- or. other,.publi-c 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.. b. Significance - The.public has rights in these waters including navigation and recreation. In addition, these waters support valuable co-m-mercial and sports fisheries, have aesthetic value, and are important potential resources for econoit-ii cdevelopment. c. Appropriate Land Uses Appropriate land uses shall be to protect public rights for navigation and recreation and to preserve and LIS manage ---e public trust waters so as to safeguard and perpetuate their biological, economic and aesthetic value. 1 rd r e Coa s ta I Fl oodp I ai ns a 0,--scription - Coastal floodplain is defined as the landareas adjacent to,coastal. sounds, estuaries or the, ocean whi ch are prone to flooding from storms with an annual probability of one percent or greater (100 year storm).-, These areas are,analogous to the 100 year floodplain on a river. Information necessary to identify these areas will be supplied by the State Geologist.. b. Significance Coastal floodplains are those lands subject to flooding or wave action during severe storms or hurricanes. They arelands where uncontrolled, -7incompatiblei-.or-.1riproperly @-.designed building, structures, facilities, and developments can unreasonably endanger life and property.. c. Appropriate Land Uses Appropriate land uses shall be to insure that a-11 buildings, structures,.facilities and 'devel opi-iients are properly designed and built to maintain their stability, integrity, and safety i.n'- the event of flood surge from a 100 year storm. Natural iNaznrd P.reas __S I Erodible Areas a. Description Defined as the area above ordinary high water where excessive erosion has a high probability of occurring. In delineating the landviard extent of.this area a reasonable 25 year recession line shall be determined using the best,avail- able information. The information necessary to identify these areas will be supplied by the Stat Geologist.', b . Si gni f i cance The estuarine and sound,and river erodible areas are natural hazard---areas es pecially vulnerable to erosion c. Appropriate-Land Uses:.".-Appropriatealand uses :shal 1: be to: i ns ure.-... that developi,,qent occurring within these areas is compatible with the dynamic nature..of the erodible lands thus minimizing the likelihood of significant loss of property. It is '_)z@t the final designation of PAreas of Environmental Concern and the deteri,.iinatiob of appropriate uses within these areas, receives as much local input as possible. Proper.coordination between the Coastal Re- sources Corilmission and the local governi-iients is the key to proper management of these areas. Once these areas are adopted as final Areas of Environmental Concern, a permit will be required before development can occur from the Coastal Resources Co-iiii-iiission or the local govern;i1ent. 111i nor projects, defined as projects less than 20 acres or which involve construction of one or more structures having an area less than 60,000 square feet, will be process by- th-P Towtf.of Mlorehead:_L:Z@ City. 11ajor projects, defined as projects currently needing state permits, those of greater than 20 acres in size, those that involve drilling or exca- vating natural resources on land or underwater, and those involving construction of one ormore structures having an area in excess of 60,000 feet will require a peri-jift from the Coastal Resources Coranission. (72- VIII. Summary The development of this plan has been materilizing since the Coastal Resources Commission adopted on January.27, 1975 the state guidelines for local planning in the coastal area unde r the Coastal Area Management Act.of 1974. During this time, questionnaires, were distributed, public meetings were held, and a citizen's advisory committee was formed in order to become aware of the feelings of the citizens of Morehead City. The data collected from-these*questionhaires'.. meetings.and committees7was consisteW enbugh--so-, that the Planning Board and Town Board felt that the desires of all citizens had been expressed. By using the data submitted by the people,the Carteret County Planning Department wrote this plan. After many additions, revisions, discussions and debates, the Town Board adopted this plan. This plan generally states that the citizens of Morehead City and its planning area want the area to develop much as it has in the past. There will be some changes made as a result of the growth pressure during the planning period. It is hoped that this plan reflects the citizens' desires and needs and that the Tovin Board and Planning Board will refer to,this plan when making decisions that affect future growth and development. Ix. City-County Plan Relati onship The Coastal Area Management Act guidelines requi re that all municipal plans be an integral part of the county plan. In order for the Coastal Area Management Act to be successful, it is extremely important that the municipali- ties and the counties are seeking the same goals. Morehead City has attempted to insure the consistency.of its plan with that of Carteret County's by coor- dinating data with the county plan throughout the planning process. The fact that the Carteret County. @Planning Department added technical ass-i-stance,was. very.,.--;.-- helpful in insuring consistency with the. county plan. Morehead City public input meetings were conducted by the Carteret County Planning Department. Many of the people who attended the Morehead City public meetings-also attended the Carteret County public meetings and many of the issues discussed at both meetings were the same. The final assurance that this plan for Morehead City was con- sistent with the county plan was made when the Carteret County Commissioners held a public hearing to review all of the municipal plans in the county for consistency. The results of this hearing indicated that in the opinion of the Carteret County Commissioners, the county plan and the Morehead City plan are consistent. APPENDIX A ANALYSIS OF T@IE GOALS Aai!D OLr3JECTIVES OF THE ;1O.")ZHEAD CITY ORDINNNCE. A. Residential 1 High density in City 7 It is recommended that high density develop- ment be confined within the existing corporate limits. A density of eighlk; units per acre should be the maximum desnity for single family dwelling units in high density'areas. This means that a minimum lot size for. a single family detached dwelling.: unit. would. be.5,000 square feet. The areas designated as high density are already de- veloped at a density of eight units per acre. Future developm-ent of single family detached dwelling units should be on larger lots so that yard space is not taken up for parking. For this reason, it is reco;ivienjed that t;iose areas not platted in 5,000 square feet lots be devaloped at i-i,,ediurn densities. This in2ans a mini:-;ium lot size of 7,000 to 00,000 square feet 1--Or each single family detac.-jed dwel 1 i ng 2. l'oderate to low in the one r.-iile - Those areas not presently served by viater and sewer are generally recommended -For a i@:iinilmum lot'size -1-en'ed of .90,391) square feet. As lvjata@r and sewer services can be exu U to these areas, the density rJaximums should be raised from -'Ckqo single family detached units per acre to as many as six such units per acre or frie-jium density. 3. Strip 'housing developnient - In the fluture land use regulations should prevent t-he developi-,-Jent of strip housing along i'iiajor arterials as fULUre Much as Possi'Dle. Tjie k, subdivision regulations should prevent the over cro'V,-di ng of structures on small lots, thie Jevelopi',ient of subdivisions with unpaved roads, and other poor practices. The 75'_ developar shlould be r,.--quired to pave the streets of new subdivision's and si.)ould be encouraged to avoid plattin.g lots that face on major thoroughfares litke Country Club Road. Subdivisions which abut major thoroughfares should be designed so that access to the major roads would be limited to ingress and egress from secondary or collector streets. Access from the individual lots should be via interior residential, streets or service roads. 4. Lot sizes and PIrrangements - The size and arrangei-iient of lots to be used for residential development should vary according to housing type (s i ngl e fai-iii ly, dupl ex, attached row, -or apartment)-,- - drai nage---- and relationship to open space. Very little mixture of housing types has occurred in the Morehead City area. This has been clue to a preference for single family housing, -the platting, and selling of small lots making large tract assembly difficult, and the risk in- volved in depending on a transient rental market. Planned Unit Development with a mixture of housing types and land uses should be permitted %ithin @he zoning ordinance. 5. Street design and guality - The purpose of a residential street system,is to allow free movement of vehicles to arterial street-s@ and the drainage of run-off water to tile storm sewer system. The design of streets to serve residential areas should discourage vehicle speeds.over 35 miles per hour. T improperly prepared streets are a problem throughout tile planning at-ea. The city's subdivision regulations should include provisions that will insure that neO streets will not need repair soon after they are built. This ;-,ieans the town will require streets to be cur'J-2-d, guttered, and paved accordling to standards sufficient to provide good streets. Cora.-nercial Hlixed land uses, such as small grocery stores next to houses, have become problems in Morehead City. The zoning ordinance should help make mixed land uses less of a problem in the future. It is recommended that paving parking areas, adding a buffer zone between stores and residential areas and having adequate parking spaces for newly con- structed stores could help alleviate these problems. Strip convi-iercial development is also a problem. In the future, zoning should prevent strip commercialadevelopment on.either,@.-.side-of@ Arendell Street betwe en 13th and 26th and on the south side between 26th and the west town limits that cross U.S. 70. There are still some .large areas of residential development that should be preserved to pre- vent Arendell and Bridges Streets from being choked by strip coi-nmercial devel opinent. Furt!ler strip davelopi-nent shoUld not occur along U.S. 70 and N.C. 24 to Peltier Creek. The solution t-o these problei-3s will be the continuation of exist-ing zoning in 1",lese areas and the concentration of coi-JiIiErcial uses around exist-ing comvjarcial develop-iient. The beginning 0 f s tr ip coillmercial developinent. along Crab Point Road, the 20"th Street extension north, should be steirnlied and commiercial devalopmaent concen- trated '.-,v the Land Develop;,,ieiit. Plan and the Z01,11;Ig Ordinance. Strippi ng Major tfloroughfares with comw..iercial uses will havethe ef fact's of spreadi ng t:12 shoppi ng area al I over tourn. . The proposal s for co-Mii:lar.-ial gro,.-ith propose to concen-L-Tate, future conimercial activities, prevent coi@-ciercial land specuiatioii in residential areas, prevent a F large Jecrease in the tra-l"fic i.',oviniq capacity of i-iiajor t1lorough-lares, and L, is provide more efficient and pleasing s:-,opping places for "orehead City 7 7 ci ti Zens The list below is a cotilifliercial location reco;',tiiendation thlat Will guide the improvement of thoroughfares and the ii'@iprovement of thorough- fares and the improvement programs for comi,,iercial areas. Downtojqn Commercial I. Concentrate retail stores in two major centers. Downtown and the Morehead Plaza Shopping Center west of 28th Street and between,. Arendell and Bridges Street should become the centers of primary retail trade for the I'lorehead City area. 2. Discourage further coriimercial development along Arendell and Bridges Streets. 3. Allow tourist commercial development along the @.,iaterfront from Fourth Street to Eighth Street. Support this (tourist commercial area with improveplients:in parks, open space and public buildings. 4. Guide future downtown business development toward the waterfront a,aay frorci a strip pattern along Arendall and Bridges Street. This can be done. by changing traffic flo!.,4s to circulate around the pro,- Posed downtown business area, by effective zoning, offf-streei; parking improvements, and public investment, in the dok-,,ntown INIater- front a,rea. The concentration of the downtown area should be developed between, 7th and 11th Streets and south and north of Arendell Street with the future major concentration to the south to complement the tourist area east to Fourth Street. -Com-P,,arcial Shopping (Shopping Center 1. The highest concentration of primary com;mercial activity has occurred at Norehead Plaza Shopping Center between Bridges and Arendell Streets just west of 2Sth Street. The site is approxiinately 20 acres. HIiQ"-:;'"-.'av Cor,I:-'Ercial 1. Highway commercial establishments should be concentrated much like other businesses. A band of commercial uses along Arendell or Bridges Streets would decrease the traff.ic.capacity of the two streets by reducing the volume and speed of the traffic flow. A commercial band along these streets would likely increase the num- ber of traffic accidents because,the number of.conflict points where one flow of traffic crosses a second flow, would be increased. 2. Highway commercial uses are concentrated on the Land Development Plan Map at locations that provide reasonabl@ safe access.and Are - ----- highly accessible to the traveling public. One concentration is between 23th Street and Holmes Drive north of Arendell Street. A second concentration is at the intersection of Bridges and Arendell Streets.@ The third concentration is between Jefferson.AVenue ex- tended and Hickory Drive. The-s,e@_areas of the Morehead Extension should be limited as commercial highway. Neighborhood Commercial 1. Neighborhood commercial uses should be located adjacent to residen tial areas and uses to serve the purpose of selling goods needed With daily frequency such as bread and milk. Since some of these areas are separated from residential areas by Bridges Street, the location:of specially marked c rosswaiks on Bridges Street is needed. Crosswalks should be located on Bridges Street at Ni nth, 11th, 14th, and 105th Streets to allow safe pedestrian access to neigh- borhood shopping areas and to schools located north of Arendell Street. 2. A few smal 1 neighborhood groceries should be allowed in residential areas, especially where the pattern of small grocery stores is well 7f establisil-l'-d in the areas bett,ieen Arendell Street and Calico Cre.-KI. These@stores should be restricted in total floor area to 2,000 1 square feet when allowed in a residential area. 3. Neighborhood commercial development is recorn-nended in four areas of Morehead City. Each of these a reas has already demonstrated their neighborhood attraction by the type of uses located in the respective areas. Future uses in these areas should support the neighborhood commercial character. Marine Commercial The waterfront coin mercial area adjacent to I'lorelhead Cit@'-@-d&vintown- area is the primary source of tourist income in the planning area. The industry and bulk oil storage in this area does not complement the marine atmosphere of the area. To promote the further development of tourist com- mercial activities, it is reconiniended that the area between 3rd and 7th and along Shepard Street to Sth be encouraged to develop coninnercially, and in- dustrial uses should be encouraged to viove to a more coi-iipatible area. C. In'ustrial Industrial Location Alternatives There are s even significant industrial locations in the planning area that should be encouraged to expand, prevented from further expansion or encouraged to relocate. i lorehead Extension 3etween U.S. 7-0-an-d- the-Atlantic-North Carolina Railroad Recorriended for @-Jholssale 11a n ufacturing The location of wIllolesala and othel, bulk-break injustry is i-i-jost appropriateln this area. The area is not suitable for residential b--cause of the* intense Vol' Ye:licles and trains on either side. Consequently, it is proposed that this strip, which is 4300 feet long and 300 feet wide encompassing 30, acres, be developed for wholesale-manufacturing,use such as bulk.goods storage and distribution, garment manufacturing, and other types of storage and production. However, for the protection and convenience of the public, those uses locating along Mlorehead Extension should be limited in the number of access points to U.S. 70. The effects of the use of this area on surrounding land uses will be softened.by. the higlwvl-ay and railroad, rights--of-way of-major proporLioms-1-.. which both form barriers bet.Ween highway commercial and residential land uses, respectively. The railroad and highway right-of-way are both 100 feet wide. The expansion of @,Aolesale industrial activities should be en-, couraged, and any further expansion of residen-Lial and commercial uses should-be discouraged. Hlenhaden Processing Plan Pecoi-a7iended-for Port-Industrial Tile location of the old 'Ienhaden fish processing plant between Boque Sound and U.S. 70 just west of the present Carteret Technical Instit-ute site shQuld remain unoffensive industrial. Railroad "Y" Recom-.ilendad for Unoffensive Nanufacturing The railroad "Y" property is vacant except for a grain storage and a m.oving company storage warellouse. This property is located between Arendel 1 :and "'ridges Street -nd bet'Naen 25th and 27th Streets. St, orage 4 and unofllensive i;,.anufacturing, with no exterior noise or air pollution, are appropriate uses and @hould be encouraged in.this area. The area n-w-l"I across Bridges S11-reet is also recoi--ii-nand.-d -For -,,,!zireho1jse and light F.1,70-;Ulacturing uses. This is recom;-.1ended because the land use pattern has been established in this area, and Bridges Street is the bes't, street west of 20th Street for truck traffic because of heavy tourist traffic on Arendell Street. The Railroad'"Y", and the area directly north, form an appropriate area for unoffensive industrial activities and should be encouraged to expand. Hiorehead City Garment.Company Recoianended to Remain as Unoffensive- r1anufacturi ng The Morehead@City@Garment Plant is recorii-Rended to remain-unoffensive.-..., manufacturing. The appearance of the building has been improved by painting and placing planters on the grounds. Shrubs have been pla ced around parking areas to improve the visual character of the neighborhood and increase the potential:for community prid@ in the neighborhood. 'larine Commercial Rqe6on-lended as Future Placement for Industry on Evans St"Leet Do@,-jntown The present operation of bulk oil distribution plants should be discouraged and not allolaed to expand in the dovni'Mv@n marine cwriercial area of Hlorehead City. The fish processing activity, which is reconii@;Iended as unoffensive manufacturing, could be considered an ii-iiiportant part o-F a waterfront mystigue. It is therefore recoi-,iii-iiended that the present fish processing operation be encouraged to re;0ain but not expand. Non-expansion PZe-cor-i-iended for Socgue Sound llaterfront Boat* !anu-Facture and 1,epair Doat and repair on 'L,Ti2 nort:-,east t-lp of 1;orahiead City si-lould be allo,4ed somie expansion if 'C';,@e noise, harsh ligAt", anl-I pa-rk-inq bml Ecl ved so as not to i ni ure resi denti al value of land @q -i s m-2 s n, a r 5This should be done by screaning, , ith a hedge or fern.-., L -o protect the areas Vat would possibly offend those livin ins'al 1 edt L nearby. On the Land Developi-3ent Plan I'lap on page, this area 'is bounded by 5th Street on the west and Calico Creek on the north and east- w,itli Arendell Street forming the south boundary. Port Recommended for-Industrial Port Activity Future port facility expansion is likely to occur north and south of the present U.S. 70 highway bridge especially where products that are not readily transported by convayor belt-a@e involved.' In the Land Development Plan for Carteret County, Radio Island was recomi-iiended for port industrial use. County Industrial Planning Industrial areas planned for Carteret County's future industrial expansionare the present 5'eau'lort-I'llorehead City Airport and north of t! hat site 'along N.C. Hlighway 101 adjacent to the Intracoastal Wraterway. These area s should furnish a,,,lple expansion space for industrial activity needing sites in Carteret County. J,1A 'ledical PXts District The' purpose of this district shall be to create and maintain areas .1 in which. iiospitals and doctors' and dentists' offices and clin'lcs@i,,iay be compatibly imixed, in order that 'these related uses can be near each o -her for doctor and patient convenience, and in order that a heal"hful t 1 i v ing environinlent in abut-L-ing residential areas will not.be encroached upon. r %larteret, County Land Developmant Plan, 1N.C. Department of Conservation and Development, Division of Community. Planning, p. 55. 9,3 -0 and @--I`Nce and Professional _District The purpose of this district shall be to create and maintain areas in which residential, business, and professional uses may be and are compatibly mixed, achieving a healthful living en vironment for the residents of the district and at.the same time preventing the develop-' ment of blight and slum conditions. This district is limited to those sections of the community in which the mixing of such uses has been found to be necessary and desirable for the buffering of residential, COMMercial, and industrial uses. P7"Di Li; -"Uggested Proqr&;@i for Part, Dev--'s@@j@lent The following outline suggests the steps that should be taken to develop an adequate park system in Morehead City. 'A. I'lorehead City Recreation Commission should continually review. and update the park acquisition and development proposals in this plan and recoi-.mend to the Planning Board amendments to this proposal. B. The Civic Clubs interested in park and open space development should be presented this proposal and en couraged to recomaiend amendments. C. The Pl anni ng -D.oard shQul:d then reconmiend a. f i anl pl all to the -Town Board of Comillissioners with an attached program for achieving the.p.lan. D. The program for achieving the plan should include the flolloviing: I.. Civic Club and private donations and support available. A determination should be made of the percent of plan achieve- ,ient to be carried by civic clubs and other private groups. The remaining percent of plan achie vaent should be carried by by the to,rin through the following riathods. a. Developm-en t regulations encouraging the dedication of park space by d-avelopers. b. :Finance plan for site acquistion for the next five years. This Paan would include estfii-,alEled expenditures and sources, of revenue. The location plan and finance plan will be the basis -For applications under iteim c. below. The five year finance plan should be revise-I anl)Ually. c. Fe--!--zzal and, Stat'-n open-space an-z' park flunds should be sought t'.Irough the DLapart;,@ent. of Local .".f1fairs. [email protected]:i"! 'Ian L Tile purpose of a slkatc!i -@L:horo ugh fare plan is %.o provide IL-.oan adiinn- istrators and governing officials with right-of-way acquisition and street fi@iprovement proposals to guide them in budgeting and land development that will provide the tdvin with a safe and efficient'. streot.system. Tile ilorehe.ad City thoroughfare system should achieve-two major objectives: co nvenient access to shopping, work.-and school facilities; and support a concentration.: of downtown corriiercial development. Street Classifications The Advanced Planning Departi*I-lent of the kNorth Carolina State Highway Com- mission is presently developing a de-'Zailed 171horo ugh fare Plan for 1@11orehlaad City. The purpose of this sketch plan is (to introduce the Planning Board and citizens Lo a iuture thoroughfare sYstem. Since tile plan will be subject to acceptance I by the. To,.@jn Board of Co-mmissioner@ and the State Highway Cotanission, as a t-,,,utually adopt-ed plan, the Planning Board s'lould be familiar with tile possi- bilities and be prepared to advise tihe Adv-ii;ced Planning Division and the To@-.,n Doard concerning the plan alternatives. Concept Streets perform, tVV'O priiiiary functions they provide traffic service and land sel-vice. -1 hese two functions, when corriMmed, are basically incoi,,ipatible. The conflict is not serious if both traffic volui-iies are high, conflicts created- by uncontrolled and intensely used abutting property, result in intolerable L-raffic flow, friction, and congastion. The underlying cancep-L. of the thoroughfare plan element is that it prov ides a functional system of streets alilich per;--iits travel froni origins to destinations .14 -11 _I-el+ -eets in Vie -e designed with U`irectness, -ase, and saflety. I I I sti L system at niiiii zi ng to perform specific functions, thus m, the traffic and land service con flict. Streets can be categorized as to flunction.and s tan C4'ards