North Carolina Plans for Growth

A great effort initiated by CNU member Ben Brown!

In rural North Carolina, hundreds of people participated in the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, a public forum for citizens organized to better manage the growth this region has been experiencing in recent years.

The effort culminated in a weeklong charrette where a “tool box” of planning guidelines and ideas for the region was created, including a suitability map for future development.

While governments in this region have a variety of laws for managing growth, from strict to none, organizers of the landscape initiative say it has already been a success just in having such a large group of people working together and getting acquainted with the charrette process.

Tom Lasley, of Lasley Construction Co. Inc, who is developing the Mountain Watch subdivision, notes that by using the best practices, the property is worth more, and has a smaller impact on the environment, “ when you can do the right thing and make more return on your investment, that is really pleasant.”

http://www.mountainlandscapesnc.org/