[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
LAND USE PIA@.' IS" ,D TOWN' O@, $M@B -0 r< HD 268 .S93 L36 1976 COASTAL ZONE- INFORMATION CENTt3j@ INTRODUCTION This document is a synopsis or summary of the.Land Use Plan which the Town of Swansboro has been preparing over,the past ye,!x. Copies of the complete land use plan from which much of the information presented here was extracted are available for study and review from the Town Clerk at the Swansboro Town Hall on Church Street. The synopsis is being distributed to every'household in town and is intended to provide each and every citizen of Swansboro with the basic information necessary for a general understanding of land use planning and the Coastal Area Management Act as it relates to Swansboro. Please retain your@copy of the synopsis and use it for future reference. If you know someone who would like to have a copy of the synopsis but has not yet received one, pass along the word that copies are available from the Town Clerk. Thank you. BACKGROUND This land use plan was mandated by the North Carolina General Assembly under the Coastal Area Management Act in order to enable the citizens of Swansboro.to have a voice in land use planning for a twenty county coastal area,of North Carolina. Under this Act, state and local governments are working together to plan for the future in order to maintain and improve the quality of life in the coastal region. Local governments.have the task of preparing local plans according to local values while state-level planning will focus upon areas of broad signi- ficance to the region, state, and nation such as rivers, marshland, historic sites, etc. A fifteen meriber Coastal Resources Commission composed entirely of coastal residents has been appointed to coordinate and.review the land use plans and to provide guidance in implementing them. The need for land use planning in the coastal area is perhaps beat sumed up in the following excerpt from the planning guidelines: C.Mmeree us Departmeni Mbr"Y 1 0 IqOAA@@Oafgta 4- The 1974 Legislature found that "the coastal area, and in particular the estuaries, are among the most biogically productive regions of this State and of the nation" but in recent years.the area '%as been subjected to increasing pressures,which are the result of the often conflicting needs of a society expanding in industrial. development, in opulation,-and in the recreational aspirations of p its citizens.11 "Unless these pressures are controlled by coordinated management, the very features of the coast which make it economically, aesthetically, .and ecologically richwill be destroyed." What is a land use plan? Aland use plan is one method which local governments employ to outline the impacts which growth (or non-growth) of an area may have upon the consumption of vacant land and the reuse of land1which is currently occupied. But the realm of land use planning extends far beyond just the physical patterning of land... the way in which land Is used 'can also affect traffic circulation, property values costs of governmental.services and many other facets of co-11nity life. The plan may also be used to. lay the foundation for the adoption of Ian d use regula- tions, such as zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, or flood, plain restric- tions. The land use plan, then, should,not be viewed as an end within itself but as a thorough and systematic guide to.be followid'in.the continuing growth and development of an area.; Imagine, for example..that an interstate highway is,proposed for construction along the outskirts of a large city at a,point ten years into.the future., Through well-conceived planning, landusea which would not be compatible with a busy. highway (e.g., a quiet family residential district) can be directed away,from 2 the highway and.uses which are dependent upon the road (e.g., trucking lines,' large industrial plants, etc.) can be encouraged to locate nearer to its access points. In the long run, everyone involved,:including the communifif as a whole, gains greater benefits from'the land. The plan has guided action. Why do we plan?. First and foremost, we plan because we wiih'to create the best living environ- ment possible for all citizens of Swansboro. Unlike some areas-which have awoken too late and found themselves plagued by-excessive impurities in their water and air, large districts of decaying housing and endless avenues of flashing neon signs, Swansboro has managed to preserve a.quiet, pleasant and friendly small- town atmosphere which its citizens value very highly. We need only to.look around us, however, to envision the problem which we.might encounter should we adopt an uncaring and indifferent attitude, choosing to ignore the forces which are' acting upon the Town. We plan because we are concerned and seek to promote and preserve those features of the co-unity,which,are desirable and prevent and discourage those which are undesirable. These words (desirable, undesirable, etc.) will undoubt- edly mean different things to different people ... while one citizen may vigorously encourage industrial development as a form of economic salvation, another might just as strongly oppose it on the grounds of environmental destruction. The plan, therefore, should attempt to strike a balance, carefully weighing each fact and opinion in order to.support the general welfare of the entire community. We want to see Swansboro reach its highest p@ssible level. How do we plan? The completed land use plan is a product of several factors: population and economic trends and forecasts; physical features of the laud (such as soil properties); existing land use maps; the capacities of community facilities and so forth. Perhaps the most important factor of all, howev@ar, is the feelings 3 of the people of Swanaboro. How does the average man or woman on the street feel about the growth and development of their Town? Although all the fac- tars mIention,id above will figure heavily Into Swansborols future.land use patterns, the ultimate decision lies with the public. Citizen opinion is the weight in the balance ... if ninety-nine percent of Swansboro's citizens desire expanded retailie'rvices, chances are that we canexpect more land to be devoted to commercial purposes in the future. As a noted author on the subject of planning bas pointed out: The town planner (layman or professional) must of course look at the town as it is. If he is true to his calling, he cannot.stop at this. He must look backward to see how it got that way. He must look around him to see what the greater public interest de-ands.of his town. He must look ahead, to see what his town is likely to become and what-it should become, After he has done these things, if he Iis a wise planner$ he will be guided in what he proposes by a simple rule: no town is an island no time is forever. The job is to guide change to fit need. not to stop change. The change should be staged and ordered po be as painless as possible, but If the general public needs demand change, the planner who blacks change betrays his trusto* In this land use planthe people of Swansboro have become the "citizen plannersol and have been coordinated by aprofessional planner who has provided technical assistance. What role have we, the citizen planners had in this plan? In accordance with the requirements of the Coastal Area Management Act, extensive efforts have been.undertaken to insure that the pe ople of Swansboro *Bair, Fred H., Jr., Planning Cities American Society of Planning Officials, 1970. p. 25o 4 have been given, the opportunity to provide input into the land use plan..Leaf- lets were distributed throughout the Town explaining the intent of the Coastal Area Management Act and inviting citizensto participate in th-t planning process; a-public meeting was held, and although sparsely attended, ?rovided insight into. the planning program for those few who were in attendance news releases were published and broadcast; a Citizens Advisory Committee composed-of seven Swa,nsboro I citizens was formed and.met several times with.the expressed purpose of providing advice and guidance.into the development of the plan; questionnaires were railed to,every known household in Town. Perhaps you filled out one.of.the Ise.questionnaires during the summer of 1975--ab.out one out of every three households di.d-if so, your answers and comments are accounted for in this plan. Based largely upon the questionnaire responses and the very successful'work of'the Citizens Advisory Committee, land use.issues in Swansboro were identified and goals and objectives were formulat.ed.,-.The goals and objectives'should be followed In dealing with the land use issues-or other related questions which may arise from time to time. What are issues, goals, and obJectivis? Land use issues are -one means. of pinpointing forces affecting land use which have acted in the past,. are now in existence, pr are likely to be experienced in the future. Oncethese subject areas havIacome to our attention. goals which describe how the citizens believe things "should be".can be defined. Then, objectives.or steps to'be takewto.achieve those stated goalscan be presented. Issues, goals, and objectives are perhaps the key elements of the land use plan for they represent the judge-,ent'of, the'peop'lg and should be adhered to when making decisions regarding land use.' Issues, goals, and objectives are the "guiding light" of the plan. Issuei: Throughout the public participation process, several.dominant themes. regarding the general welfare of the Town of Swansboro surfaced. These themes form the backbone of the major land use issues outlined in this section.. Public discussion has focused heavily upon the following topics.**; A large segment ofthe Swansboro citizenry feels that there are n ot., enough retail outlets in the Town to.adequately serve the demands of the con- suming public. In order to purchase -any goods and services, trips to nearby cities such as Jacksonville are, often necessary. Increased retail. growth in Swanaboro could result in savings of energy for the individual and an increased tax base for the Town. On the other hand, there are those.who fear that stimula- tion of commercial or industrial- development might cause the Town to.lose much of its small town.charm and damage the integrity of residential districts if allowed to proceed.too rapidly or in a haphazard fashion.. @The rezoning of land to accommodate the shopping center, proposed for construction at the intersection of NC 24 and Ha-_ Road, stirred a significant amount of public debate and controversy on the subject of commercial growth versus preservation.of the community in its present state. Swansboro has thus far managed to avoid large scale strip development, that is, development which runs in a linear fashion along major traffic arteries as opposed to cluster style building. The costs to the community associated with strip development have been be very high' Water and sewer lines, for proven to example, yield less return per,.unit of line when.strip-deVeloped than if develop- ment were grouped together in a cluster pattern. Problems are also. encountered when commercialand industrial . uses intrude,into areas'.4hich areactually better @suited for residential purposes, resulting In wastage of valuable land.due to mixing of uses. The localgovernment'Is then forced into the,position of providing services to areas with a high ratio of. Lind to population. This.usua.l,ly causes taxes to be [email protected] to the high cost of services relative to the tax base. "10c often the strip-developed.area becomes an eyesore and a source of general congestion. The NC 24 corridor near Swanaboro is parti-:ularly vulnerable to strip development. A section of the highway just beyond the Town L imits has already begun to spawn rapid growth, and many citizens have expres sed the fear that if c6trols (such as one-aLUe extraterritorial jurisdiction) are not soon enacted, there is a strong possibility that the same type of landscape which lines the shoulders 'of Marine Boulevard in Jacksonville could very easily spread into the, Swansboro area* The comimmity facilities identified,as the most deserving of attention are: a) the sewer system, b) parking facilities, and c) recreational areas. The', sewer system is presently inadequate to handle theload which the, Town places upon it, and is incapable of acconmodating new hookups. The wastewater. treatment plantprovides primary treatment-bitt must be upgraded to render secondary treat- ment in order to meet the minimum water quality standards of the White Oak River Basin. The municipal government of the Town of Swansboro is very anxious and willing to upgrade the plan as soon'as possible, but must wait until an areawide ("201") wastewater facilities plan is completed before construction can begin. Until the new plant is installed,'very little development can be added to the Town except that which can utilize septic tanks# The general lack of par4.dng space in the.,downtown area and the clogging of .streets which accompanies it has also evoke.dlitizen discussion. In order for .the downtown to remaincommercially competitive with suburban.shopping facilities, expanded parking areas will be necessary., Also, an overwhelming,number.of questionnaire respondents listed recreation as one of the primary needs of the Town.. Plans are currently under consideration for the development of-a recreational"area in the northern section of Swansboro. 7 Swansboro is a very old.town; it was settled during the mid 1700's and has remained a small fishing village settlement for many years afterwards. Even today Swansboro retains,much of the historical and cultural atmosphere of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, evidenced by the many aged structures located in the downtown business district and along the waterfront. Many resi- dents would like to see these features of the environment preserved for future generations. While it is realized that progress cannot forever be. held back, it is felt that the old and the new should be able to exist compatibly side by side and should be encouraged to do so. With few exceptions, a pleasant,*clean, healthful and attractive environ- ment is desired by all citizens. While the steps needed to reach this state. are many and varied, Swansboro residents have expressed specific view points. regarding land development in the coastal area '(see below). The Town's,sewer system should be-improved so.that shellfish waters adjacent to the present treatment pla nt clan be upgraded to allow ma rketing of shellfish extracted in. the area. ..As both small and large-scale building-is brought into being, taste. and tact should be employed during design and construction. A well-planned land- scaping effort aroundthe new shopping center, for example, would provide.the community with an attractive asset in whickresidents could take pride. -000- The following responses were given to the survey question regarding land development In certain coastal%are": Question: Do you think- development should be the.following permitted In areas: Answers: Never ''Seldom Frequently Always Lands.Near Inlets 50 25. 4 6 Beaches .35 22 12 113 Marshes 61 7 5 Dunes 65 7 6 24 11 Wand' Waterway ,.23 8 Goals and Objectives: Goal Promote contr'olled and:orderly growth by creating a pregrax capable of Planning a" managing Swansboro's land c---- Objectives Develop land within Tbim Limits before expanding ourward Discourage strip devilopm Mt along traffic arteries Enact authority to plan and'umi@tge one mile area,adjacent to the Town (extraterritor Lal jurisdiction) Enforce, development regulations (Building Permit System,. Zonlng,Ordinance@*' Nationai Flood Insurance Program, etc.) Enact subdivision. regulations Encourage citizeu@particiaation_ln planning program Goal Stlmlllate@@economic-developpent In Swansboro while recognizing the undesirable effects which could result'from expanding tcorapidly and/or beyond the Town'sc.apacities Objectives Encourage wide variety of retail.-trade Regulate location of commercial activities so as,not to conflict. with iesidential. areas, Strengthen economic,vitality of the downtown area by promoting its historical background Increase potential of commtmity facilities to handle commercial/ industrial development Make sure co-ercial/industrial activities are consistent with Swansboro's overall growth policies (e.g., small-scale, low pollution and noise levels) Improve transportation and parking network by regulating on- street parking and possibly constructing an off-street parking ..'area adjacent to the downtown district Goal Maintain and improve the'attractive features of the cultural. historical,*and.natural environments' Objectives Consider appointment of aCommunity Appearance Commission Enhance and preserve the cultural a.nd historical atmosphere of the downtown area Preserve natural contour, vegetation, etc., as new development occurs 9 Encourage environmental e,ducation in'school.s. civic.groups, etc, Rehabilitate the waterfront area while preserving its unique atmosphere Goal Provide.adequate and reliable public services, and sound; housing for thecitizens of Swansboro Objectives Enforce the Zoning Ordinance (update if necessary) and expand to one-mile extraterritorial area. Explore@[email protected], low-density bousingi development (w1JJChL tends to result in urban sprawl) Maintain an active Building1nopection System Discourage residential development.within flood prone.areas Discourage. excess development until :new'.sewer system begins,@ @operaxion funding and@construction:of a new'-seva e treatment 9 plant Provide'efficient system for disposal and collection of refuse-material: Goal Conserve the na'tuial'.resources of the Swansbbro area Objectives 7, Abide by regulations-governing Areas of Environmental Concern issued,by the Coastal Resources Commission Qualify as a permit letting agency "der the'Coastal Area Management Act, Encourage-envirbnmental awareness (keep abreast.of monitoring efforts, etc.) Insure the consideration of the natural environment when drafting plans, policies,.ete.. by encouraging citizen participation Limit Installation of septic tanks.-in areas where soils, water table, etc., are.unfavorable Appoint a local official to review, process,_.,;md issue permits for development wi thin.AECts now is Swansboro's land pre d? use- Within most any town one finds land.11eins used for a multitudeof purposes. YAbst towns contain a downtown.commercial distrlct,@ residential neighborhoods which 10 fan out from the commercial district. governmental'institutional buildings such as churches, schools, and post offices located central to the neighbor- hoods which they serve,'and possibly an industrial district or a s1k;'Pping center lying on the outskirts of town. The transportation network (roads,, streets, railways, etc.) laces the various uses together and often they are separated by tracts of open space or recreational acreage. A land use survey was conducted in,June, 1975 which found land being used in Swansboro in the following manner: Existing Land Use Acreages Acreage Percent of Total URBAN AND BUILT-UP Residential 103.46 acres 32.3% Commercial 17.31 5.4 Industrial 1.83 0.6 Transportation, Comm., Util. .30.40 9.5 Government and Institutional 5.3 Cultural, Entert., Rec. .68 -0.1 Undeveloped Land 16.61., 5. z AGRICULTURE 56.48 FORESTLAND 68.32, 21.3 WATER NA KA WETLAND 9.30 2.6 BARREN 0.00 0.0 320.38 acres 100.0% 'Swansboro initially grew up along the banks of the White Oak River and has subsequently expanded in a northwesterly direction, basically following the route of NC 24 toward.Jacksonville. a rule, the various land uses are well separated and do not conflict with each other* A noisy industry within a .quiet residential neighborhood, for example,, would be thought of as a conflicting use of land and would undoubtedly arouse.the anger of ne-arbyresidents-not to mention the ire of the. factory.owner if 4z industry were forced to cut produc- tion in order to reduce the noise.problemo-ind reduced production would inevita- bly translate into job lay offs....and so on! Now," jr tA EXISTING LAND USE Residential .Commercial I-ndustrial CAUWWAY Govt.-Institutiona7. Trans., Comm., Util. i Recreational Undeveloped lie, How does the land itself figure into land use planning? Acareful examination of the natural resources of the Swansboro area was ur@deriAen during 1975 in order to determine which areas of town were best- s ted for urban growth and which areas should be avoided. Factors s ch uii U as soil characteristics, susceptibility to flooding, and proximity to critical@ areas such as salt marshland were closely studied. On the basisof'this study,.. it was found that the majority of land within the Swansboro Town Limits is favorable for development. The.areas least-s,uited for development are generally those lying.,'adjacent to or partially within water bodies,%such.-as marshland and flood plains. Problem relating to high water tables, drainage, flood hazards, and potential damage to marine life make these areas the most unattractive for development. What about@areas which are sensitive to development? One of the major reasons land use planning,bas been initiated in the coastal region of North Carolina is to protect a@nd/or preserve certain critical areas known as Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC's). Generally, these are areas which if developed unwisely or In a baphazaid-fashion could resuli in economic loss, destruction of the marine environment,, and damage to the natural beauty @of the area (just to mention a few,adverse,effects). In order to prevent this type of damage, local governments -'such.as. the Town of Swansboro have been requested to designate areAp:whtch.'#,fee1s1 meet AEC standards. The areas which the CRC designIates will be known4a Interim Areas of Environmental Concern (IAEC's) and.will serve in the I ce of,'AECTs until they are formally designated. p 4 This gives the local community:t4e.opportunity to provide S@ddance and input into the final determination of these most Important areas.@ Dnce@AEC'e are defined-by the Coastal Resources Commission, restrictions will be placed upon the types of development wh c4 may occur'within,their bounds. Building permits within AEC's will be required: a) through the local government if it is a relatively small project, or b) through the Coastal Resovirces'Commission for larger-scale projects. Local' governments will establislf4f@egula ttans later stating more specifically what types of development will fall'under thf-ir Jurisdi'c- tion. The accompanying map and text outline the various L4LEC's. which @exist Swansboro and the land uses which are generally felt, to be compatible with,them: 1) Low and High Tidal Marshland (Coastal Wetlands) -.Approximately ten Iacres of marshland, consisting primarily of Spartina. Alterniflora vegetation exists just north of the Swansboro Elementary School Scattered parcels of low.tidal marshland also exist along the shoreline of the White Oak River. This area will be considered unsuitable for development which will alter its natural functions. Marshland is perhaps the'most fragile*of all marine environ- ments, for many marine species are.depeadent upon, it for feeding and breeding pur- poses. Acceptable land uses will include: fishing piers, docks, utility easements, etc., provided no detrimental excavation orlilling takes place. 2) Estuarine Waters/Public Trust Areas,- Voters of the White Oak River and its tributaries, such as Hominy Creek, Hawkins Creek, and Wise's Branch are considered estuar ine waters (as well 4spublic trust areas). Because the Town Limits.presently extend indefinitely into the White Oak River, 'the exact acreage of eatuarine'waters within Swansborols Jurisdiction cannot be accurately computed. These areas should be conservedo'but some uses,(e.g., bulkheads, piers, wharves),may be allowed if they do not A.-afflage, physical, biological, 'or public. trust rights. 3) Historic Places The North Carolina Dept@. of Cultural Resources has approved the Ringware House for Inclusion4n the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying it as a voteoitial;AEC. Uses which would result in substantial irreversible damage to the structure will be,deemed Inappropriate. 13 4) Coastal Flood Plains The flood prone Areas of Swansboro described by USGS maps.have been used as a basis for delineating the coastal flood plain. There is a good possibility that these maps are not exact and that the flood plain .does not extend as far inland as the maps may indicate. Unt iladetailed flood insurance rat-aking study is undertaken, however, this is the best available information and must be relied upon. Development may take place,provided it meets certain regulations pro- viding safeguards against flooding damage as required by the National Flood Insurance Piogram. How much can we expect to grow in the future? Perhaps the most@crucial,force affecting growth in a town.is the size of its population. The 1970 U.S.-Census listed the@population of the.to.wn, of Swansboro at 1,207 persons.(a 1OZ increase over 1960); it is estimated.that @the 1975 population was only slightly larger, perhaps 1,250. While Swansboro has nearly tripled its population over the*last four decades (1930-394@persons to 1970-1,207) this rate of growth was muchAlower than Onslow. County','s whose p opula- tion increased nearly sevenfold over the sam period. This, of course, is a result of the growth of*Camp Lejeune'. which was established during the 19401s. The pleasant natural environment of.Swanabord has made it a favorite for many retired people, especially retired military personnel, and has caused the median age of the Town to rise eight years above the Onalow County median. The population growth of Swanaboro, could be termed "healthy growth" for it is.neir ther alarm@ngly low nor high, and.does not suffer from high but-migration. -000- Based upon questionnaire responses, most of Swansboro's citizens would like to see the Town continue to grow In the future: Question: During the next five-years, would you like to see the population of Swansboro 'Answers: Increase Greatly 27 Increase Slightly 39 Decrease Greatly 1 Decrease Slightly Stay the Same 27 @14 'Population Change 1930 1970 Onslow Svansboro Township Swansboro 1930 15',289 2106 394 1940 17,939 (+17.3Z) 2455 (+16.16%) 454 (+1.5.2%) 1950 42,047 (+134.0%)'@ 11662 (+375.:0%) 559 (+23.1%) 1960 82,706 (+96.7Z). 18176 (+55.9Z) ..1104 (+97.5%) 1970 103,126 (24.7%) 10800 (+14.4%) 1207 (+9.3%) Based upon past trends and using the.questionnaire responses as a yardstick for evaluation, the future population of Swansboro within the present Town:Limits is projected ta be roughly 1,550 .persons by the year 1985. Geographical expansion of the Town through annexation coul. of urse' raise this figure considerably., co Three mathematical methods were used to project population, the arithmetic,. geometric, and least squares'tecbniqqes- Theleast squAres method was felt to best fit the Town assuming that presenttrends continue. Arithmetic Geometric, Least Sluares 1980 19410 persons, 10645 1,426 1985 - 1,511 9@29 1,551 .1990 1,613 2,242 1,67.6 If present trends continue and local values tend to,favor growth, Swansboro could conceivably reach a population of 2,500 persons by the turn of the century and perhaps as.many as 6,000 persons at the fifty year interval. Projections 'for small towns covering twenty five years or more are at beat an "educated guess'! and should not be regarded as being.conclusives How does population affect land'use?@ The population projection of 1,550 persons by the year 1985 serves as a foundation f6r.the estimation pfland needs over the coming decade. There are currently 320 acres of land within the Town,: 6f.which 170 acres are developed. Based upon projected population g;owtho it is eptimted that about 43 additional acres will be consumed by 1985; with a "safety factor's we could,expect as many as 96 acres to be needed, Laud which is expected.to accommodate added,growth during the.next ten years is called.'Transitiou land and is in'All probability the arealwhich will first deman;d community services such as water and sewer lines, 15 police and fire protection, garbage collection, etc. In order to reduce the costs of governmental services to taxpayers, Swansboro should plan to absorb as much growth as possible during the coming decade into the areas designated Transition on the accompanying land classification map. "The North Carolina Land Classification System contains five class es of land: a. Developed-Lands where existing population density is moderate to high and where there are a variety of land uses which have the necessary public services'L b.. Transition--Lands where local government plans to accommodate moderate to high density development during the following ten year period and where necessary,publiq services will be provided to accommodate that growth. C. Co mmunity--Lands where low density development is grouped'in existing settlements orwill occur,in such settlements during the following ten year period and which will,not require extensive public services now or in the future.. (No land of -this type is projected for. Swansboro) d. Rural-Lands whose highest. use.,is for agriculture, forestry, mining, water supply, etc., based on their natural resources potential. Also, lands for future.needs not.currently recognized. e. Conservation-Fragile, hazard and other lands necessary to maintain a healthy natural environment and necessary to provide for the public health, safety, or welfare..,,(Conservation land in Swausboro is identical to IAEC's) These five classes provide a framework to bemsed by local governments to identify. the general use of all lands in each county. Such a system presents an opportunity for the local government to provide for its needs as well as consider those of the whole state. Also, they can make astatement of policy on where and to what LLL L 4ddd ............. eveloped ..................... a 0,60,0 .0. 00 0 .......... 0 .0 .. .. .. 'Cole 0 00 0 a Do a 00 .0, 00 41 0 000 601, ,a *0 0 go 0 go .0 0 0 *0 00*00-g- 0 go 0 0 0 00 0 CIP" 06 0000 0 conservation transition 00OW v rural Ole 000, 4se ornneidnity. ----- . . . . . Undw *4 land Clemsift9fta Wetem at UM will be pialsed hm omef a" ttu"L The Communilty -class wilt Include existing. clustered rural lid"6111 and 001MOrdal won such as crossroads deval opments. was May TMITG 8 PUNIC water Wstsm. but public sftwrs should not be allowed. Ybe Developed Class will ;WU& axis ino urban areas which 61L lure. The Rural elm will Identify those lands qocd@ lot gl@i I-11OR We currently supplied with a full range of public services including forettry., mining, and other find uses such a rural housing f@Cilitin., depending on private wells and septic tanks. - The Transition class will identify those areas with land good The Conservation don will identify those &ran which due to__ fn,t*d, of irrepift for urban development which wilt be supplied with public services their significant. I *able n&JUrej.'recrefrtibnal. or *.,Z 0 a_ ej "mcomodate future population economic growth. scenic resources need to be protected. f A4 kVW--- LAND CLASSIFICATION Developed Con@ervition 'Transition Rural density they want growth to occurs, and wheri-A,they want to conserve the county's natural resources by guiding growth." What are our alternatives for developient? There are several different developmeat routes which Swansboro may choose from. Low density development usually consists of from one to eight residential units per acre and Is characterized by single family detached housing. Medium density development ranges from eight,to.sixteen units per acre and is most often accompanied by duplex units or two story apartment buildings. Sixteen xinits or more per acre reaches high density levels and-consists primarily of multistory apartments. Swansboro is [email protected]@y,.single-.-family-detached,,-lov density housing, and judging from citizeninput would prefer to remain on'this course. There are now 410 residential units, in Town occupying 103 acres of land, which yields an average of about 4 units pe.racre (1 unit:for every 1/4 acre, or 1 unit per every 10,890 sq. ft.). Current zoning regulations require mining,- lot sizes from 6,000 to 8,000 sq. ft., indicating that within lands now used for residential purposes, lots are somewhat larger than.,r6quired. In all likelihood, Swansbord will'coAtinue to exist Primarily as a single family residential community* If at some point in the. future, however, develop- ment pressure becomes excessively great,.the Town should begin to explore alterna- tives to present patterns of housing densities in order to prevent the unnecessary wastage of space utich usually*accompanies single family detached housing patterns. Again, "the job is to guide change to fit need, not to stop change." Where do we go from here? As was pointed out at the beginning of this synopsis, land use planning is a continuing process; hopefully, we can benefit from the mistakes we have made 17 in the past in order to,mold. better plans for the future. For this plan to be truly effective, an effort should be undertaken at least once every five years to review the plan as a whole And to revise those elements which have become outdated. The public participation program should be revived so that new opinions and views can be stated; existing land use should be remapped; population data should be analyzed to include recent findings (such as the 1980 Census); and future land use should be reclassified. General recommendations for implementation of the Land Use Plan are embodied in the "'objectives" section of- the-plan. Netir-term recommendations, or those which should receive top priority for-.the period 1916-1'980, should focus upon: a) extending the Town of Swansboro's municipal jurisdiction to a one-mile extraterritorial areas b) updating the Townts Zoning Ordinance to take into. account. the findiogs of -..,tbe Land Use, Plan, c) enacting. subdivision regulations to govern.the.convprsiort of xaw land Jnto.Jots, afid. _d). qu;31.ifyiAg to act as.p permit:-letting ageocy tor minor dovelopment-in AEC!s. by submitting a local implementation gnd jenfoxcement plAn..ta the..Coag;tAl_.Resoprces Com- mission.., It is. also recommended thati.conupexcial deyelopment which. is in kgepiXig wio Swansborp'n P.V_era-Jl._growtb goals"be epcour@ged* pnd-tbat- con struction of A new wastowatgr t re a tment facility An-accordance with the Swansboro Area 201 Facilities'Plan be actively pursued* The cost of operation, maintenance, and debt service fortbe pr oposed treatment plant is estimated by the 201 study to be $50,529 per year. Prop.er implementation will hinge upon the extent to which the goals and objectivei outlined in the plan are utilized In the decision-making process. Deviation from the plants general intent could result in a collapse of a workable planning program and a waste of the times efforts and monay which has gone into its preparation, 18 The aim of the Coastal Area Management Act is to enable local control to rest within the hands of local people; control will pass on to a higher level only if a path of apathy is- chosen. An equitable system of land use planning and management tailored specifically to local needs and with the general welfare of all in mind, should begin to take form if the suggestions outlined in this plan are followed. The choice belongs to the people. 19