Comprehensive Plan Community Input Meeting – 7/17/08
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
What do you love about your community and about Madison County?
· Scenery and natural beauty
· Water, creeks, rivers, and good drinking water
· Trees
· Not much light pollution; can still see the stars
· Lush greenery
· The mix of people in the county
· Family traditions inherent in local cultures
· Heritage
· Small towns (and that each is different)
· Roads – it takes time to get places (instills patience)
· Arts and culture (and artists)
· Like development of downtown Marshall (low)
· Rehab; studio spaces and reuse of other structures
· People and community – feels like family (provides opportunities to learn from each other)
· No big box stores
· Recreation opportunities (water, trails)
· Little 2-lane roads
· Focus on ranches and farms in school system (woven into curriculum)
· Quiet
· Independent spirit
· Fresh air
· Only 20 minutes/closer to urban center with services and businesses and employment opportunities
· Cottage/Home-based businesses
What is your vision for Madison County 20-30 years in the future?
· More affordable housing – responsible and low impact (no HO)
· Rent control – yes/no?
· Still have all the loves
· No big box stores
· Effort to attract employers – people can live/work here
· Still see the beauty of surrounding lands
· Still feel warmth of people here
· Breathe good air
· Have access to good jobs
· Passenger train – Hot Springs/Marshall/Asheville and across state
· Entrepreneurship (low-impact industries to natural beauty and resources)
· Want to see bobcats, deer, bear, etc. – wildlife living here
· “Green tourism” – focus on safe, fun, family rec. parks in towns
· More retail spaces in downtown Marshall (and garden spaces)
· Green building
· Farming preserved as way of life and viable occupation
· Preservation of culture, history, and integrity of towns, farms, and communities
· More publicity of home/farm-based businesses
· Lifelong educational opportunities
· More recycling and education in schools to encourage not throwing trash along roads and public spaces
· No junk cars, unless they run
· More zoning – more direction/regulation on what can go where
· Civil service – everyone gets a fair chance for a good job
· Free of predatory intimidating policies
· Group transportation option to get around county and to/from Asheville
· Carpool/Ride-share program
What are your concerns about the future of Spring Creek and/or Madison County?
· Keep rehabilitated small buildings, but not artificial (like Taos) and “touristy”
· Gentrification of culture – need to respect each other
· Don’t pass on traditions, history, and culture to young people
· Traditional way of life is dying
· With changing demographics, find ways to grow together, not apart
· Rezoning – done without regard to plan or surrounding area (done behind the scenes with political/personal motivations (not enough transparency, is too easy)
· Very little oversight of development
· Privatization of water and metering of wells and springs
· Flood of Florida developers (60% [illegible] years’ permits?)
· Steep slope development (concerns re: water damage)
· Without stricter development regulations, we’ll lose what we love
· Local contractors able to work here
· BMPs implemented especially to protect water quality (stormwater, low-impact)
· Steep grades on grades
· May not be enough water for new development – this should be evaluated
· Don’t want “Anywhere, USA”
· We aren’t studying/monitoring acid rain/pollution
· Board members educated on development issues
SUGGESTIONS:
- Moratorium on rezonings until Comprehensive Plan is adopted