AG 1998 01 20 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The County's Area Plans were developed to ensure that ail land uses are appropriately sited., and that adjacent uses are compatible. They have stood the test of time. Most importantly, they ensure residents and businesses that the future is foreseeable and stable, thereby iht/easing the people's trust in government. They should not be ignored without very good reason. More tax money is not a good enough reason, nor is such an assumption true. If the proposal is approved as offered, other industrial development will follow, and the Western Area Plan will be defunct and the road system will not function. A decision as important as this should not be made incrementally as a rezoning of a large area, but carefully with significant public input to a re-visited Western Area Plan. 2. There is no established need for the proposal. Rezonings are done for sufficient reasons, generally not to benefit persons. Rezonings also occur to refocus growth, encourage certain types of development, and to correct and amend land use trends. In this case, there is no evidence that this is necessary. Further, there are no clients for the land, and no anticipated clients that would need the acres proposed for reclassification. The Executive Director of the Economic Development Board has stated that he has no client even interested, and views the project as a 10-year build-out. If so, then there is no immediate need for rezoning Surely there is time available to review the Western Area Plan, with public input. 3. Other industrial sites are available. Further, many other sites are available now for general and limited industrial development in the County. About 1900 acres are presently zoned limited industrial in Cabarms County, and most of this land is vacant. Large parcels at the Airport, International Drive, Goodman Road, Pitts School Road and along Interstate 85 are available. The attached photographs show some of this land. About 500 acres on south Derita Road between the Airport and Speedway Bvld is already zoned limited industrial. The City of Concord also has numerous sites similarly zoned. In addition, over 3500 acres of General Industrial land exist, primarily along NC 49 and at NC 73 / 1-85. The attached Photographs 3 and 4 show some of these parcels. These sites are appropriately zoned. Indeed, adding the proposed rezoning would only increase the land available by less than 10 %, increasing competition between sites, and probably reducing their marketability. In addition, rezoning the site will put the entire area into a "holding pattern" while industrial purchasers are sought, and in the end most of the site will probably not be developed at all. 4. Reasonable use is not presently denied. The present zoning for the site allows for medium density residential,. At present, the site could be developed for 4 houses an acre or for apartments. High-quality industriai sites along the Interstate goes for about $50,000/acre, but might sell for more if used for high quality housing or apartments. It is certainly inappropriate to rezone a parcel solely tO raise its value, and in this case the site might even be worth less if it were rezone& In our view, the best use of the site is high- end residential, such as Kings Crossing, Zemosa or Carriage Downs subdivisions. Additionally, in rezoning land when there is no market and development may be 5 to l 0 years away, the existing property owners are being unfairly asked to withhold their land from the market without compensation.