Tuesday, October 30, 2007

See? I wasn't joking about Saturday

Forum ignites interest in county plan
By Scott Nicholson

A local conservation partnership hopes to spark discussion between Watauga County and its towns as the next county comprehensive plan begins to take shape.

The Partnership for Watauga’s Future, a non-profit organization not formally affiliated with county government, formed in 2001 to address and discuss land-use issues, sparked mostly by debate over a high-impact land-use ordinance drafted by the county.

The partnership sponsored a program Saturday in Boone to bring together several different planning issues with the goal of building interest in the comprehensive plan.

The program featured presentations on steep slopes, flooding, “walkability” and promoting more sustainable techniques in local businesses.

Kathy Copley, president of the Partnership for Watauga’s Future, said the group was interested in the county’s comprehensive plan and hoped to stimulate more citizen participation. “We had people at the meeting to describe how the plan was shaping up, to become acquainted with the process and what we hope to do,” Copley said. “Our meetings are designed to encourage participation.”

//more//

No comments: