Contact: Brian Long (919) 733-2293, ext. 229
Date: Aug. 2, 2001 Distribution: Targeted
Hearings On Proposed CAMA Land-Use Planning Improvements Begin Aug. 8
RALEIGH - The first in a series of public hearings about proposed improvements to coastal land-use planning guidelines will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building, 512 N. Salisbury St.
The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources are conducting the hearings to gather public input on a proposal designed to improve local government planning flexibility, increase implementation of land-use plans and encourage more public participation in the local planning process. The hearing here originally was scheduled for July 25, but a snag in submitting the rule text to the state Office of Administrative Hearings forced Division of Coastal Management staff to reschedule it.
The Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) requires the 20 coastal counties to develop land-use plans and update them regularly. The practice is optional for cities and towns in those counties. CAMA gives the CRC authority to approve the plans. The CRC is considering needed improvements in the planning guidelines and the way the state helps local governments pay for coastal land-use plans.
Other hearings on the guidelines will take place in each of the state's four coastal regions:
· Thursday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m., Pasquotank County Courthouse, 206 E. Main St., Elizabeth City;
· Wednesday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m., Beaufort County Courthouse, 112 W. 2nd St., Washington;
· Wednesday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m., Craven County Courthouse, 406 Craven St., New Bern;
· Wednesday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m., New Hanover County Courthouse, 314 Princess St., Wilmington.
After holding the public hearings, the CRC could adopt the guidelines at its October meeting. If that happens, the new rules would take effect in August 2002, following review by the state Rules Review Commission and the General Assembly.
The new guidelines have several goals, including:
· Giving local governments more flexibility to tailor planning to meet local needs;
· Improving coastal water quality by requiring local governments to adopt policies that prevent or control stormwater runoff;
· Strengthening public education requirements to ensure that all segments of the community, including non-resident property owners, have the opportunity to take part in the development of the land-use plan; and
· Encouraging the implementation of plans by providing financial incentives to local governments and requiring them to submit periodic reports about the status of their plan.
Land-use planning has been a part of North Carolina's coastal management program since its beginning. In 1974, CAMA's authors recognized that local planning was the best method for addressing long-term general development issues in coastal communities. Land-use planning also offered local governments a substantial role in coastal management. By 1997, 72 coastal towns and cities had joined the 20 counties in land-use planning.
The program was a model for state-local partnership, but it also garnered criticism. Environmentalists and local governments alike complained about complicated guidelines, one-size-fits-all regulations, a lack of implementation of local plans, and inadequate public participation and understanding of the planning program.
In late 1998, the CRC appointed a team of professional planners, local government leaders and environmentalists to review the guidelines and recommend improvements. The team submitted its report to the CRC last year. The commission accepted the team's recommendations and went to work revising the guidelines, a process it completed in May.
Information about the proposed changes is available on the Division of Coastal Management's Web site at http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/.
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