It seems like just yesterday we decided to rewrite the UDO for Currituck County, but with a new election and a new direction we might as well rewrite the rules too. If I sound a little jaded it is because I am in the 98% of the population that is still trying to understand the rules of the current UDO (I have given up on predicting how the county actually interprets them). Historically, counties start off this process with gusto, setting out with the re-election popular buzz words such as "higher stantards, low impact, improved quality of life, preserving cultural integrity, etc.... I am hoping Currituck can finish with the same resolve they are starting. Citizen input is critical, so if you have an opinion, take the easy online survey and also sign up for email alerts at the county's Code website. This is important people, please participate. Below is an article from the Daily Advance's Toby Tate:
Currituck embarks on UDO rewrite
By Toby Tate
Staff Writer
Friday, February 19, 2010
CURRITUCK — What do Currituck County and Key West, Fla. have in common?
More than you’d think, says Chad Meadows, senior associate for Clarion Associates, a Chapel Hill-based consulting firm hired to help county officials rewrite Currituck’s book of planning and zoning rules.
For one thing, there’s the shared problem of having only one major highway that splits the county.
“You’ve got one main road and that’s your highway,” he said. “That’s got a whole realm of problems wrapped up in it.”
The biggest difference? Key West doesn’t have agriculture, Meadows said.
“That’s really unique to have a coastal component and an agricultural component together,” Meadows said. “We’re excited about the project because it’s such a cool place to work.”
The “project” to which Meadows was referring is the updating of Currituck’s Unified Development Ordinance.
Earlier this week, Meadows facilitated the first of two meetings to provide county residents an opportunity to weigh in on what the revised UDO should look like.
About 30 county residents attended the meeting, held Tuesday at the county’s Cooperative Extension Service building.
Participants were given keypads and asked a series of 35 questions mostly geared toward how developments should look and how eco-friendly they should be. The questions were broken down into two geographic areas: the Currituck Outer Banks and the county mainland.
The assessment of most of those in attendance was that Currituck should pursue low-impact, eco-friendly development with high standards.
Meadows said the survey wasn’t designed to be scientifically representative. However, it is a helpful tool for finding out what residents think about what Currituck’s future should look like.
“We found it very helpful, especially when you’re getting results consistently, when 80 or 90 respondents favor one preference over another,” he said.
The main objectives for the UDO rewrite, according to Clarion Associates, is to ensure the environment is protected, agriculture remains viable, and county residents’ quality of life isn’t negatively affected. The updates are also designed to make the county’s planning codes more user friendly.
The revised UDO also seeks to encourage high-quality development, provide more housing choices and better neighborhoods and to incorporate “sustainable” development practices.
Meadows said his team will be able to show the cost of various development scenarios as a way to help county residents determine which direction should be pursued.
Clarion Associates held a second meeting with citizens Wednesday in Corolla. This week’s meetings won’t be the last, however.
“We’ll be back many times in the future to meet with you guys over various steps in the process as we go,” Meadows said.
“We’ll be back to present what we call a code assessment where we’ll wrap all this stuff up and present it to the community. (It’s) kind of our thoughts on the current code, the plans you want to do, and the differences between the two.”
Meanwhile, Meadows said there are a few problems with the current UDO that need to be addressed.
“We talked a lot about stormwater, we talked about open space and we talked about density,” he said.
“These are big issues in this county. You guys have some serious challenges.”
Meadows said the UDO updating process takes time.
“We’re a year and a half away from having a new code,” he said.
Currituck County Planning Director Ben Woody said the county staff also plan to hold additional meetings with the community.
“Particularly once the code assessment is out there, to review that ...,” he said.
“We want everybody to have the opportunity to participate, or at least be aware of what’s moving forward.”
Woody said residents can follow the progress of the UDO on the Currituck County website
