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2011 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
for BOONE, NC
NOVEMBER 8TH
IMPORTANT
NOTE to New River 1 Precinct Voters: Your polling location has permanently changed.
On election day, you no longer vote at Watauga County High
School. You now vote at the Boone Town Council Chambers on
Blowing Rock Road.
NOTE to Brushy Fork Precinct Voters: Your polling location has changed for this election only.
On election day, you will vote at the County Administration Building beside the County Courthouse on King Street.
NOTE to Blue Ridge Precinct Voters: Your polling location has changed for this election only.
On election day, you will vote at the National Guard Armory on State Farm Road,
HOW I WILL CAST MY BALLOT: (in the order the names appear on your ballot)
ANDY BALL
LYNNE MASON
ALLAN SCHERLEN
Click HERE for shortcuts to all other information on this site
BOONE TOWN COUNCIL (you may pick up to THREE):
DISCUSSION: Three seats are open on the Boone Town Council. While four candidate names appear on your ballot, one candidate (Anne Rasheed) has withdrawn from the race, saying she does not have the time to serve the office.
The
two top vote getters in the race will achieve four-year terms on the
Town Council; the third top vote getter receives a two-year term. Since
Rasheed has officially withdrawn, this leaves the three remaining
candidates competing for the two four-year terms.
The Disclaimer: What is Pam's Picks?
“Pam’s Picks” is simply one person’s
opinion about the upcoming election races. I am a Town of Boone resident and have long held
interest in local politics. I have researched candidate campaign
platforms and records where available. I have
also supplied candidate web site references below where available. For
additional information, you can follow the provided links or contact
candidates directly with your questions.
What's in Pam's Picks?
Below you will find: general voting information (when and where) and
information on
candidates whose names will appear on the November 8th ballot (the candidates are presented in the
order they will appear on your ballot).
SHORTCUTS to The Information On This Site:
Click here for "DISCUSSION" (personal message about this year's elections and choices).
Click here for the Pam's Picks disclaimer.
Click here for voting information (where and when you vote and who can vote this ballot).
Click here to read my endorsements for BOONE TOWN COUNCIL.
Click here to read individual candidate responses to my questionnaire for BOONE TOWN COUNCIL.
VOTING INFORMATION
Who Can Vote this ballot?:
All registered voters who reside within the Boone Town limits. This
includes ASU students who live in dormitories on campus as
well as those who live in the town limits in off-campus housing.
When and Where to Vote: Election Day proper is Tuesday, November 8th, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEN TO VOTE!
Early “one-stop voting” is available in 2 locations this year at varying hours and dates:
The Watauga County Board of Elections (inside the Courthouse)
Thursday, October 20 (weekdays from 8AM-5PM) - Saturday, November 5 (8AM-1PM)
The Multi-Cultural Center in ASU's Student Union (Across from CrossRoads coffee shop)
Monday, October 31- Friday, November 4 (10AM-5PM)
Not Registered to Vote?:
You can “Same Day Register and Vote.” During early
one-stop voting ONLY, you can both register and vote at the same
time. YOU CANNOT SAME-DAY REGISTER ON ELECTION DAY PROPER.
To register and same-day vote, you will need to present identification
that shows proof of Watauga County residency (i.e., one or more of the
following: a driver’s license with a local address, a document from ASU showing
current name and address --pink piece of paper that lists your dorm, a
lease agreement, a paycheck stub, a bank statement, or a utility bill
in your name that includes a local address). If you are a student, it’s a good idea to
take your ASU Student ID as well.
If you vote on November 2nd (Election Day), where do you vote?”:
Blue Ridge: National Guard Armory on State Farm Road
Boone 1:
Watauga County Administration Building, beside the Courthouse
Boone 2:
ASU Student Union, Blue Ridge Ballroom
Boone 3:
Farthing Auditorium
Brushy Fork: County Admiinstration Building beside the Courthouse
New River 1: Boone Town Council Chambers on Blowing Rock Road
New River 2:
Three Forks Baptist Association
New River 3:
National Guard Armory
Polls are open on Election Day, November 8th, from 6:30AM-7:30PM.
Need More Information?: Call the Watauga County Board of Elections at 265-8061.
CANDIDATE INFORMATION SOURCES:
Information
for my candidate discussions below comes from individual candidate information online as well as candidate responses to
a questionnaire I sent to all candidates on
September 21st.
BOONE TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES:
Andy Ball: http://www.andyballforboone.com/ and Andy Ball for Boone Town Council on Facebook
Brief Candidate Statement Excerpt:
Ball, 28, will seek a second term on the Council after being elected
the youngest elected official in Watauga County history. Councilman
Ball is a senior at ASU studying Government and Public Policy, and
works in the local hospitality industry and as an independent
consultant. He is involved with Appalachian Voices, MountainKeepers,
and PHARMN, a non-profit collaborative supporting the Watauga
Farmer’s Market. Ball serves as Council liaison on the Historic
Preservation Commission, the Economic Development Commission and the
Sustainable Development Task Force. He also served on the Boone Board
of Adjustment before being elected to Town Council in 2009.
(1) The Town of Boone
adopted its “Boone 2030 Land Use Plan” in 2009. Do you
support this plan? What do you consider to be the strongest part of the
plan? What do you consider to be the weakest part of the plan?
I strongly support the goals of the 2030 Land Use Plan, and believe it
is crucial that we work constantly to codify these development and
transportation-related goals so they can have some teeth and be
enforced. The plan was developed over the course of several
months, after a rigorous public hearing process, and stakeholder input
from a variety of community groups.
The strongest portion of the plan is the integration of
ecologically-friendly and sustainable development tenets throughout the
document. The community came to a handful of public hearings and
told us they wanted us to preserve water quality and the overall health
of our environment. This is my core issue, and one I plan to
continue work on in my next term.
The weakest part of the plan is that it doesn’t go into enough
detail regarding the options available to the Town using form-based
code. Throughout the document, it alludes to “focus
areas” and “developing a plan for” different
areas. The Lawrence Group are professional planning consultants,
and the Town can benefit from seeing what ideas have worked and which
ones have not in other communities.
The other weakness of the plan is that it is just a plan.
It’s not law. We have integrated the document into our
project approval process quite well, but the visionary and ecologically
friendly ideas such as the Kraut Creek Restoration Project located
along the 321 corridor at Red Roof Inn and the Scottish Inn are already
losing out to a large hotel and stand-alone restaurant concept.
This plan needs to remain at the forefront when we hear new development
requests, or we’ll never get there.
I don’t believe we will see Boone in 2030 looking anything like
this plan if the majority of Council doesn’t act NOW to
prioritize these various aspects. I am committed to following
through on implementation of the 2030 plan throughout my time on the
Council.
(2) Once the Town’s
new water intake facility is completed, the Town will have the
resources to provide water to county properties, but there is no
comprehensive zoning in the county. Do you support or oppose a
requirement that county properties applying for water follow Town of
Boone zoning regulations in exchange for water resources? Please
explain.
IF the Town gets the DENR permit in hand by next summer, we can go to
bid immediately and begin allocating funds by the September 2012
deadline. The intake facility as designed is state-of-the-art,
and one Boone residents will be proud of. We have committed to
advanced filtration systems for potable water at this facility, and I
am continuing to look at the availability and cost of cutting edge
treatment systems that would rid wastewater of chemical byproducts of
pharmaceuticals. We will explore such a treatment system when it
becomes commercially available.
It will be a welcome reversal to begin granting water requests outside
town, but it will require that we make those decisions taking many
factors into account. I believe in zoning and smart land use
planning. Our development policies should allow developers to
build to their bottom line as long as they take extra steps, and incur
a few extra costs, to make their projects fit in harmony with their
surroundings.
As of today, the county has shown great interest in future development
along the 421 corridor toward Deep Gap, yet has not responded to the
idea that they would contribute their share to the project so that a
source line can be laid from Boone to Deep Gap. They would need
to share in this cost if they are serious about providing water to the
Deep Gap community.
As for the idea of granting Town water requests to areas outside the
town, I believe that those requests should come with a certification
from Boone Planning and Inspections that the property is zoned, and can
be used only for a certain set of purposes as allowed by that zoning
district. Without the incorporation of Deep Gap with independent
taxing authority, the County Commission will have to make land use
planning a priority for those areas, as outlined in the Citizen’s
Plan for Watauga.
(3) What do you see as
the single most pressing need for downtown Boone revitalization? How
much will it cost to address this need, and how do you propose to fund
it?
It is very difficult to identify one single pressing need for downtown,
as there are many. I would first list sidewalks along King Street
and Howard Street. The existing sidewalks have deteriorated in
many areas, and it is time for this Council to prioritize pedestrian
safety to an even greater degree. The most recent estimate of the
cost of new sidewalks from First Baptist Church to Scott Casey’s
office was $350,000. We will have to look at paver and concrete
options, but the design should be a consideration as well, as it
contributes to the look and feel of downtown, and to the safety of the
thousands of pedestrians our streets see in just one week.
For the past four years, past councils have not made progress on the
Howard Street Project for a variety of reasons. Prior town
councils have spent a total of over $300,000 for engineering work and
design for the Howard Street Project, and it has since stalled for lack
of buy-in from Howard Street property owners. The negotiations
between the Town and individual property owners have broken down over
the past three years, and the Town Council has yet to identify the
projected $5.2 million to fund the project. Consultants have
urged us to go ahead and add $2 million to that total to account for
property acquisition and securing right of ways. I do not see the
financing of this project as an immediate priority of the Council
because we do not have the support of businesses on Howard Street to
move forward.
If in the highly unlikely scenario that we see another round of federal
stimulus funding, I will push to hire an outside property acquisition
consultant to survey property owners on this one more time. If we
can reach reasonable accomodations, I would be open to lobbying for
project funding as part of a shovel-ready stimulus project. But
first, we need to get shovel-ready.
(4) Do you believe
persons appointed to the Town Planning Board and the Town Board of
Adjustments should be required, as part of their appointment process,
to uphold town zoning regulations in all decision making? Please
explain.
Yes, without exception. In most instances, development decisions
are made by our Planning Director through his or her administrative
authority. Anything outside of their authority, applications must
be decided through the Boone Board of Adjustment through a special use
permit or variance request. This board especially must be capable
and knowledgeable about the UDO, and be able to impartially enforce its
provisions regardless of personal belief. When I see an
application for this board, I pay special attention to two factors: 1)
their answer to whether they are familiar with the 2007 Comprehensive
Plan and 2) any experience with neighborhood advocacy or past Board of
Adjustment experience from another community. This process has to
remain a fair one, and individuals approved to serve must enforce the
ordinance as best they can and without personal agendas.
On the Planning Commission, we need people committed to long-term
sustainable growth and a planned growth process. The Council
relies on this body for advice on modifications to existing policy and
to play an integral role in the public hearing process.
Successful applicants must have a passion for this community, and a
willingness to work to improve it for future generations.
(5) Some citizens
affiliated with Boone's biggest employers have indicated there is a
lack of single family, detached homes at affordable prices for their
workers. What would you do to facilitate the development of such
housing?
Those employers are correct - we do need more traditional single family
homes in an affordable price range. The reason we don’t
have more right now, is because our attempts to “let the market
determine” an affordable price range, and the very need for
affordable housing, have failed. Among our existing developers in
the area, the vast majority believe that new development has to
maximize profit for the investor. (Or they won’t build
anything.)
The only solution I can find at this stage is to mandate affordable
housing through deed restrictions, which developers have been very wary
of doing. We tried mandating this through Council upon approval
of the permit, but without deed restriction (see Village of Meadowview
above WalMart.) But soon after, the property management agency
took control of leasing operations, and claimed that there were no
voucher candidates in August, the calendar month they chose to flip
their units.
We don’t have enough housing options in Boone. We need more
condos, townhomes, and duplexes in the R-2 and in areas bordering
commercial districts. It shouldn’t always be a choice of an
old home, or a new 2 bedroom apartment. I will encourage a
variety of development in the policies Council passes.
The current structure of Council business allows each member to focus
on a smaller subset of issues, and on this one topic has received
nearly 10 years of attention by the Boone Town Council without much to
show for it. I am committed to educating myself more broadly on
solutions that are working right now across North Carolina through my
contact with fellow policymakers and through the League of
Municipalities.
I rent my home, and cannot find affordable housing in Boone. This
is a statement far too many people are making as I knock on doors and
talk to town residents. I am a realist, yet I believe there is
always a workable solution to problems in local government. The
hard part is finding it.
(6) Despite much
attention to the problem of neighborhood preservation, Boone's
neighborhoods continue to be threatened by adjacent incompatible
development and other factors. What do you see as the greatest
threats to Boone's neighborhoods and the best ways to protect them?
This is a cornerstone issue for me, and I am committed to preserving
existing single family neighborhoods from over-development,
particularly from traditional high occupancy rental apartments.
We need more housing options, but not at the expense of existing
neighborhoods. In the past two years, Council Member Leigh and
myself have the strongest pro-neighborhood voting records. I have
opposed developments in the Delmar community, the Perkinsville
community, the Greenway Road area, the Poplar Grove/Russel Drive
neighborhood, and the redevelopment of the driving range property on
Hwy 105 either because it put pedestrian safety at risk, would cause
traffic congestion, or was just too dense a project for the
neighborhood. I also fought many other projects in my prior
service on the Boone Board of Adjustment, where I gained a full
appreciation of the growth pressures and challenges our community faces
from ASU and from those who may not have our best interests at heart.
There is never one silver bullet policy solution to fix anything, but
the 2008 adoption of 5 Neighborhood Conservation Districts has done
wonders for the preservation of our neighborhoods. These
districts impose parking maximums, occupancy maximums, additional
community appearance standards, all of which are working right now to
help renters be good neighbors. I love that we have them, and am
looking at 2 additional neighborhoods which are ripe for this
designation.
Lynne Mason: http://lynnemason.com/ and Lynne Mason on Facebook
Brief Candidate Statement Excerpt:
I contribute vision, leadership, dedication and
integrity to the Town Council, carefully and fairly considering all
issues and basing decisions on objective information as well as input
from citizens. I have been a leader on the Town Council that has
abandoned the status quo and has been willing to take a stand on the
many difficult issues facing our community. I am an active Council
member that commits the time and energy required to get the job done. I
represent no special interests, and I am strongly committed to
enhancing the quality of life not only for the short term but for
generations to come.
(1) The Town of Boone adopted its
“Boone 2030 Land Use Plan” in 2009. Do you support this plan? What do
you consider to be the strongest part of the plan? What do you consider
to be the weakest part of the plan?
I am a strong supporter of the Boone 2030
Plan. During the 10 years that I have served on the Boone Town
Council I have consistently supported the planning process as this is
the only way that we will obtain the vision we have for our
community. Prior to adopting this plan the Boone Comprehensive
Plan was updated in 2006 which prompted the Smart Growth Audit in
2007. The Boone 2030 Plan was officially adopted in October 2009
following much community input through workshops and public
hearings. The Boone 2030 Plan is our community’s vision
statement and framework plan for future growth and development in
Boone. The Town Council is currently working with the Planning
Commission on updating the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) such
that our ordinances support our achieving this vision. I believe
that the strongest part of the plan is the framework it provides for
future growth and development which was developed with strong community
participation and support. The weakest part of the plan is that
we currently do not have the ordinances in place to implement this
plan; however, the Town Council is actively working on updating the UDO
to support this plan.
(2) Once the Town’s new water intake
facility is completed, the Town will have the resources to provide
water to county properties, but there is no comprehensive zoning in the
county. Do you support or oppose a requirement that county properties
applying for water follow Town of Boone zoning regulations in exchange
for water resources? Please explain.
When planning for the new water intake, the Town
included water for expansion into the county. I am committed to
managing growth by adhering to our Comprehensive Plan, the Town’s
UDO and other adopted plans such as the Boone 2030 Plan in order to
enhance the quality of life not only for the short term but for future
generations. Any water expansion needs to be consistent with the
growth plans for the Town. Our current Water/Sewer Ordinance
allows the Town to place conditions as the Town Council may deem
appropriate and in the best interests of the Town. I am in
support of all properties receiving water (Town and County) being in
full compliance with the Town’s growth plan and UDO.
(3) What do you see as the single
most pressing need for downtown Boone revitalization? How much will it
cost to address this need, and how do you propose to fund it?
I have and remain a strong supporter of the Howard
Street Project which was officially adopted in 2005. I believe
that this project will promote economic development in an area of our
downtown that will benefit from redevelopment and thus benefit our
entire downtown area. I share the frustrations of many in the
lack of progress, which is in part related to the Town not being able
to get the required easements. In addition, the downturn in the
economy has delayed moving forward with the project. This cost of
this project is estimated at 5.2 million which includes updating
water/sewer and storm water infrastructure as well as streetscape
improvements. The Town would need to finance this project;
however the Town needs to pursue funding through grants (examples:
economic development and Main Street Program), finance the water/sewer
improvements through the water/sewer fund and then finance any
debt. One option to finance any debt could include using
dedicated tax funds from the TDA and MSD (DBDA), both of whom have
expressed support this project. In addition, as the town
increases its tax base through new development, property improvements
and increased economic activity, additional funding will be available
to finance this project. I would like to see the Town develop a
plan to pay for this project without raising property taxes. Our
Downtown should be a destination for residents, students and
visitors. In the meantime, the Town Council has adopted and is
implementing a streetscape plan for King Street (consistent with the
Howard Street Project) and is moving forward with the renovation of the
Downtown Post Office.
(4) Do you believe persons appointed
to the Town Planning Board and the Town Board of Adjustments should be
required, as part of their appointment process, to uphold town zoning
regulations in all decision making? Please explain.
I strongly believe that all that all persons
appointed to the Boone Planning Commission and the Boone Board of
Adjustment must be required to uphold the Town’s Comprehensive
Plan, the Town’s UDO and other adopted plans. I am a firm
believer in the planning process. Planning is especially
important in Boone due to the higher population density. Planning
is critical to achieving the vision in the 2030 plan which is the
community’s plan that was developed with extensive community
input. The Town needs those serving on our Boards to help us
achieve this vision and to be willing to enforce our ordinances.
We are elected to make decisions for the good of the community not on
behalf of select individuals and to protect the public health and
safety of those in our community.
(5) Some citizens affiliated with
Boone's biggest employers have indicated there is a lack of single
family, detached homes at affordable prices for their workers. What
would you do to facilitate the development of such housing?
Affordable Housing is a complex issue in our
community for which there is no single cause or solution. In fact, this
is an issue that many communities both in North Carolina and nationwide
face. For the past several years, I have had the opportunity to
serve on the county wide housing task force and in 2006 I convened a
town affordable housing task force.
Locally there is still some debate on what the term affordable housing
means. As a community leader, I believe that we need to insure
that there is safe and decent housing that individuals and families can
afford either to rent or buy where housing payments are no more than
30% of income. Those most challenged in finding housing they can
afford in our community include those employed by our local service
jobs, the elderly and disabled on fixed incomes, students and young
professionals whose employers may include ASU, Watauga Medical
Center or Watauga County Schools. Affordable housing includes
everything from low income housing to work force housing.
As a community leader, I am committed to pursuing creative alternatives
to expand housing opportunities in our community. Recognizing
that there is not a one size fits all approach, it is important that we
carefully analyze affordable housing tools and incorporate those that
will work best in our community. Options currently being
considered by the Boone Affordable Housing Task Force include:
1. Removal of regulatory barriers
2. Utility service provision such as water and sewer
3. Allowing Accessory Units in some residential areas
4. Preservation of existing housing inventory
5. Mixed use development
6. Incentives to build alternative multi-family units including townhomes and cluster homes
7. Land Trusts
8. Inclusionary zoning
9. Encouraging development that utilizes the Affordable Housing Tax Credit
10. Pursuing funding through the Community
Development Block Grant, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and
other funding sources
(6) Despite much attention to the
problem of neighborhood preservation, Boone's neighborhoods continue to
be threatened by adjacent incompatible development and other factors.
What do you see as the greatest threats to Boone's neighborhoods and
the best ways to protect them?
I have consistently been a strong advocate for the preservation of our
single family neighborhoods. It is critical that we have safe,
desirable and livable neighborhoods in order to remain a vibrant
community. The threats to our neighborhoods include rezoning
requests that are not compatible with our neighborhoods, development in
commercial areas that adjoin our neighborhoods and increased
traffic. The best way to protect our neighborhoods is to
consistently apply our Comprehensive Plan, the 2030 Plan and the UDO,
including enforcement of occupancy regulations. In addition, the
Town Council has adopted Transitional Zones for the purpose of creating
special protections for residents in protected districts from potential
adverse impacts. Conditional District Zoning also provides a
mechanism for a developer to work with other property owners to address
concerns proactively, with any agreed upon conditions being included in
the permit. The Town Council has also made traffic speed
enforcement a priority in our neighborhoods. And last of all, the
Town continues to make strides in making our community more walker and
biker friendly, which will contribute to the livability of our
neighborhoods
Anne Rasheed: Has withdrawn from the race but too late to have her name removed from the ballot.
Allan Scherlen: Allan Scherlen on Facebook
Brief Candidate Statement Excerpt:
I have been a resident of Boone since 1992. My wife,
Renee, and I have two children, Nicholas (15) and Antonia (11). I have
been an involved citizen of Boone for many years, and am looking
forward to bringing my skills and perspectives to addressing some of
Boone’s most pressing challenges. I have served as a member of the Boone Board of Adjustment since 2003,
where I have developed a deeper understanding of the importance of
balancing the need for change with preserving what we all love most
about Boone. As a resident of the Stadium Drive and Dogwood
neighborhood, I am keenly aware that one of the most important issues
for the future of our town is that of maintaining a high quality of
life in Boone’s neighborhoods. I believe that Boone’s
future success and livability rests with sound decisions about
development and long-range planning.
(1) The Town of Boone adopted its “Boone 2030 Land Use
Plan” in 2009. Do you support this plan? What do you consider to
be the strongest part of the plan? What do you consider to be the
weakest part of the plan?
Yes, I strongly support the Boone 2030 Land Use
Plan. One of the strongest aspects of the plan is the high level of
stakeholder and citizen input that went into its formation. The
concerted effort to include citizen voices mirrors a major aspect of my
own candidacy for Town Council. I believe that, in order to grow
together, we must continue to match community objectives with planning
objectives.
I also believe that the subdivision of Boone into transect zones will
allow us to grow together as a community rather than by piece and
parcel. The identification of transect zones gives developers and
residents alike a clear understanding of what types of buildings should
go where. It also provides Council members with a clear plan for how to
grow Boone sustainably and focuses the town’s developmental goals
on downtown Boone—the area that, I believe, most needs a clearly
defined framework for revitalization.
The Boone 2030 Land Use Plan also demonstrates a clear and (in my
opinion) vital commitment to green infrastructure. I particularly
applaud the goals of recovering lost tree canopy, educating the
citizenry about urban forestry outreach efforts, and establishing
requirements for sustainable site planning.
I also applaud the acknowledgement of the need to develop alternative,
sustainable energy sources. However, much of the section on sustainable
energy suffers from vague language. For example, the section on
“planning for energy and climate uncertainty” employs
particularly uncertain language that underscores the plan’s lack
of specific strategies for taking on one of our town’s most
pressing, long-term problems.
In stark contrast to the lack of clarity in the section on sustainable
energy, the section on improving Boone’s transportation is
impressively detailed, including the recommendations for improving
pedestrian and bicycle mobility. I was also impressed by the clear
recommendations for bettering Boone’s most problematic roadways.
Finally, the section on improving Boone’s downtown provides a
number of thoughtful short and long-term goals. Specifically, I am in
favor of creating more sidewalk cafes, establishing a WiFi zone, and
promoting more family-friendly programming to bring families downtown
during later hours.
(2) Once the Town’s
new water intake facility is completed, the Town will have the
resources to provide water to county properties, but there is no
comprehensive zoning in the county. Do you support or oppose a
requirement that county properties applying for water follow Town of
Boone zoning regulations in exchange for water resources? Please
explain.
I fully support the comprehensive approach to zoning undertaken by the
new 2030 Land Use Plan. As such, I believe that it is in the best
interests of both the town and the county that all future development
be subject to the high standards the Plan sets forth. While I recognize
that the goals of the county and the goals of the city don’t
always converge, and that the Boone Town Council does not have direct
jurisdiction over the county at large, I believe that we should do all
that we can to promote the sustainable and responsible use of our most
vital natural resource.
(3) What do you see as
the single most pressing need for downtown Boone revitalization? How
much will it cost to address this need, and how do you propose to fund
it?
One pressing need downtown is parking. If we
want to draw visitors and shoppers to the downtown, visitors need
to feel confident about finding a place to park. If parking is
difficult, many folks will go elsewhere. Downtown businesses need parking for their business to
thrive; Appalachian state needs parking for parents and university
visitors (who, incidentally, would appreciate the proximity to
downtown); and the Town and County governments need parking for their
facilities and community events. So, one solution to the parking
problem is a parking deck project that would benefit needs of the Town,
County and University constituencies. Such a project should not be the
financial burden of any one of the three governmental entities and is
arguably unaffordable for any one of the three. By
structuring a joint venture (or parking authority), we could jointly
seek bond financing. Due to the shared liability, the cost of funds
could be kept low and funded by future revenue that the project would
generate. This would allow us to join together to provide
greater accessibility to downtown in a revenue-neutral way. In short,
the fees for parking would pay for the facility.
(4) Do you believe
persons appointed to the Town Planning Board and the Town Board of
Adjustments should be required, as part of their appointment process,
to uphold town zoning regulations in all decision making? Please
explain.
Generally yes for both. But, as I understand the Planning Board,
it is primarily there for just that – planning. A Planning
Board member must be able to question and criticize established
guidelines and regulations in order to improve upon those guidelines.
He or she must have an open mind to possibilities. But, of
course, before one can build new paths to the future, one must be
familiar with current regulations and guidelines. Planning Board
members thus should be extremely familiar with the established
regulations as set out in the Unified Development Ordinances (UDO) and
planning guidelines such as the Boone Comprehensive Plan and the Boone
2030 Land Use Plan and understand the usefulness these documents
provide for showing the way to the desired future we want for Boone.
The Board of Adjustments (BOA), on the other hand, is a quasi-judicial
body that does not have the liberty in the course of its duty either to
plan urban change (Planning Board’s domain) or to change
ordinances (Town Council’s domain). The BOA’s duties
include reviewing requests for special use permits and variances, as
well as appeals of staff decisions. So, yes, the Board of
Adjustments is there to uphold the UDO and should adhere to them.
(5) Some citizens
affiliated with Boone's biggest employers have indicated there is a
lack of single family, detached homes at affordable prices for their
workers. What would you do to facilitate the development of such
housing?
There are two primary challenges facing the creation of affordable
housing in our community—the overall perception of affordable
housing and the question of where to put it. In order to increase the
availability of affordable housing in our community, we must tackle
each of these challenges head on.
First, we must strive to alter our preconception that
“low-income” means “low-quality.” As dedicated
employees of Boone’s employers, the beneficiaries of affordable
housing comprise a cornerstone of our town’s economy. We must all
recognize that these are hard-working, honest people who share the same
goals as the community at large: to provide a safe, nurturing
environment for themselves and their families. Changing our
preconceived notions of affordable housing is the first step in
creating a more welcoming, worker-friendly community atmosphere.
The second challenge is one of logistics. The North Carolina Housing
Coalition provides some valuable information on their website about
pursuing the goal of providing affordable housing to our citizens in
need. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), affordable housing is “housing that costs its occupant
(owner or renter) no more than 30% of their gross monthly household
income.” The reality is that the availability of physical
space in Boone is severely limited. As such, we can pursue at least two
different tracks. In the first track we can focus on maximizing
the efficiency of the space we do have available. By building
affordable housing in compact, mixed use areas, we can enhance the
commercial climate for business owners and the quality of life for
residents in need who want to live close to the center of Boone.
The other track follows upon discussion begun by the Town of Boone
Affordable Housing Task Force which looked at partnering with the
County to form a nonprofit Community Land Trust. This plan would
remove the cost of the land from the purchase price of homes within the
Land Trust area and thus make some single family detached homes more
affordable.
(6) Despite much
attention to the problem of neighborhood preservation, Boone's
neighborhoods continue to be threatened by adjacent incompatible
development and other factors. What do you see as the greatest
threats to Boone's neighborhoods and the best ways to protect them?
Right now, the greatest threat to Boone’s neighborhoods is the
language that surrounds the neighborhood question. The current language
is unproductive in two ways. First, it suggests that someone must be
either for or against “protecting” neighborhoods. Second,
it suggests that the three interested parties (long-term residents,
students, and developers) are locked in a zero-sum struggle in which
any “win” for one group is a “loss” for the
other two. It does not need to be this way.
Much of the problem stems from the fact that Boone has grown so quickly
over such a short period of time. To be blunt, the town was not
adequately prepared. Because the town lacked well thought-out zoning
laws, apartment complexes and other student housing options were built
in established neighborhoods. The tension that developed between
students and long-term residents was inevitable. While we cannot go
back in time to restructure our zoning laws, we can and should do
everything in our power to promote a more harmonious pattern of
development from now on.
Although I believe that diversity is a vital element to a rich and
thriving community, I also believe that we must be conscious of the
differences between the lifestyle of students and that of long-term
residents. In short, students should, for the most part, live near
other students. We can encourage this in two ways. First, we can make
sure to zone in such a way that no more large complexes are erected in
the middle of quiet, established neighborhoods. Second, we can
incentivize the louder, more boisterous student groups to seek housing
in areas more conducive to their lifestyles by relaxing noise
restrictions in certain zones while tightening noise restrictions in
others.
Most importantly we, as a community, must stop vilifying each other.
Instead, we must engage in a reasonable and frank dialogue. We must
strive to understand one another’s needs and concerns. And we
must formulate a long-term plan for promoting the harmonious growth of
our shared community.
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