AG 2002 12 16 (Regular) - Laserfiche WebLink

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INTRODUCTION Planning tools and documents should be employed to promote orderly development to improve the quality of life for all persons presently living in an area, as well as for future residents. One such planning tool is the Area Plan. For many years, the eastern portion of Cabarrus County has been a rural community that was more or less apart fi.om the more urban and suburban areas to the west. Development trends around Concord and Kannapolis over the past decade have made it necessary for the community to sit back and reassess its position. Twenty-five years ago, mostly farms and forests separated the eastern portion of the County fi.om the County's urban and suburban areas. Now, however, only a few miles to the west of the planning area lies the city limits of Concord and Kannapolis and several newer development projects. Like most growing areas, changes have taken place in the way people live, the way land is being developed and in the way the natural environment is being used. Simultaneously, however, conflicts are emerging between thc use of land and its suitability for such uses, between rural and agricultural interests and those of land developers and between small-town and suburban lifestyles. Although no planning document can state in finite terms what is best for the community and how the community shall grow, this document briefly discusses the trends which have occurred in the past and presents a means of promoting growth and development in a rational and orderly manner. The primary objective of this land development plan is to address three questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? Many issues are raised when attempting to plan for the future of Mount Pleasant and Eastern Cabarms County. Embedded in these issues are conflicts which are emerging and which will continue to surface as development occurs. In any growing community there is a legitimate debate over growth versus protection of the existing man-made and natural environments. Long time residents of a community often want conditions to remain the way they used to be years ago. Residents moving to a new community like to see the community retain the character and aesthetics as when they first moved there. An adopted Area Plan does not by itself dictate what an area will become. Implementation of the plan and its recommendations is the key link needed to achieve the desired changes and improvements to meet the adopted goals. As the Town and sun'ounding area will not stagnate, neither should its planning efforts. To keep abreast of these changes, this plan should be updated periodically so that the needs and goals of the community are always kept in proper perspective. In mm, residents of the area as well as appointed and elected boards are responsible for acting on the recommendations of the plan. EASTERN AREA PLAN- BACKGROUND PREVIOUS PLANNING Prior to this planning effort, the Town of Mount Pleasant did not have a comprehensive land use plan. In 1992, the Eastern Area Plan and in 1993 the North Central Area Plan were adopted. These plans concentrated on the unincorporated areas of eastern Caharrus County. This plan is intended to replace the 1992 Eastern Area Plan and the portion of the 1993 North Central Area Plan east of Irish Potato Road and serve as the first land use plan for Mount Pleasant.