9-17-18 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hon. Andre Knecht 8505 Sugar Creek Drive Sanford, NC 27332 Hon. Larry Oldham 714 Clifton Lane Sanford, NC 27330 Dear Commissioners: As a county manager and a county attorney, I understand the challenges of your positions and the breadth of issues you must continually address. I write to address the proposed zoning and land use change relative the airport overlay district. My family farm located on Lower Moncure Road is a part of the proposed overlay district. This tract of 200+ acres has been owned by my family for nearly a century. Once an active crop and animal farm, it is now a certified tree farm. In the event that a change in use to residential development was contemplated by my family, the potential overlay district would restrict residential development from one unit per acre to one unit per five acres. I understand from county staff that industrial and agricultural activity would remain fully authorized under an overlay district. It concerns me that the airport overlay will reduce by 80% my family's ability to pursue residential development potential. This property is also bounded by the Deep River and has potential for a variety of uses. I believe the overlay is too stringent a restriction on the property, and would request that the Board either remove all tracts on the northeast side of Lower Moncure Road from the overlay or explore other parameters that result in lesser restriction on residential use. I support the airport. My father was a member and officer of the Airport Commission for over a decade in the 1970's and early 1980's. I do, however, believe that a small area of Lee County is being unduly burdened by this overlay district with no articulated benefit being provided to that property within the overlay district. Close attention needs to be focused on the necessary size of the district and its land use prohibitions as well as the effect on property value.