HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_1507 (2)1. An Economic Hardship/Loss of Jobs/Possible Bankrupcies for
Homebuilders: Weber said all construction wasn't being curtailed.
The ordinance wasn't a moratorium, and the building cap measure only
limited residential growth until infrastructure caught up.
2. Economic Hardship on Supporting Businesses: Weber said this
referred to building material suppliers/subcontractors. He said this
prediction would suggest these businesses limited their products to
the peninsula exclusively, which was unlikely.
3. Economic Hardship on Local Service Businesses: He said this
referred to gas stations and restaurants. Weber said construction
individuals usually frequented these facilities and then moved on to
another location. He said, however, they left behind residents to
fill the void.
4. Enactment would Result in a Loss of County Revenue from the Homes
not Built: Weber said it was more likely that the economic investment
would increase as different opportunities were pursued and spread out
in different areas of the county. He said growth would still occur in
the county because the "drivers" were outside the county.
5. Enactment would Make it Difficult for Investment Property Owners
to Sell at Proper Market Value: Weber said this prediction might have
some merit, but the current residents' public outcry about the
unrestrained growth was making many potential buyers to look
elsewhere.
6. Enactment of the Ordinance would Make it Difficult to Attract New
Industry: He said corporate America had learned much in the past, and
one lesson learned was that, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."
(Note: Lindemann and Weber spoke for the Growth Management
Commission, and as such, their comments were on behalf of a large
group of people in the audience.)
Rick Howard (opposition) said the market place would take care of
the problem. Howard said the congestion occurred at "peak times" and
law enforcement officers could assist by directing traffic. He said
the area was paying the county tax bill and questioned why anyone
would want to stop the "economic engine." Mr. Howard compared the
building cap lottery to one that would require the names of peninsula
residents to be placed in a lottery for the purpose of choosing 100 of
them who would be told to move away from the peninsula. Howard said
the latter wasn't a solution, and neither was the ordinance.
Rob Collier (opposition) said the builders and developers did not
create the situation, rather these people and companies responded to a
demand from homebuyers. He said the county had approved the lots and
subdivisions, and now, a restrictive building permit cap was being
considered. Collier said it was unfair to make people pay interest on
useless property until the NCDOT made the road improvements. He said
some of the information referred to the degradation of air and water
quality. Collier asked where the studies were for these two topics.
He said if an air and water problem existed, why could all permits be
approved during the 13c" month or when the road was widened. Collier
said the ordinance inferred it would help the NCDOT to make the
improvements, which was incorrect. He said if approved, the ordinance
would devalue the affected lots, and this would impact the
revaluation.
Connie Evans (advocate) spoke about recent terrorism events and
the safety of the residents. She said the community needed to plan
ahead and be self-reliant.
Dick Handshaw (advocate) mentioned he lived on Meck-Neck, an area
previously governed by Mecklenburg County. He said the primary
argument used by the Meck Neck residents to become a part of Iredell
County was that the citizens couldn't vote for the representatives who
governed the schools, the property taxes, and roads. He said the
residents provided a "nice tax base" and growth needed to be slowed.
Don Bartell (advocate) said he had measured the traffic
congestion along the Brawley School Road, and there was an average
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