Date: Mon, 5 May 2014 08:51:12 -0400
From: “John R Dykers”
Subject: Maclyn Humphrey 3 May
RTP grew out of the pine forest between 3 universities thanks to the original vision of Luther Hodges and subsequent contributions by many.
There has been a ‘land use plan’ of some sort for Chatham County at least since the early 1960’s and maybe before. The problem is that the planners, whether county or private or NGO, have few tools with which to influence land sales and use. Roads, water, sewer, electricity, zoning are the tools that are most effective in influencing land sales and use. There has and continues to be a strong public will to maintain the agricultural, including forest management, infrastructure, and even that has evolved from rabbits 100 years ago and marginal subsistance farming on thin rocky soils and quail hunting, to integrated chicken production with textiles and furniture manufacturing, all 3 of which have disappeared leaving mainly fescue, deer, cattle and associated infrastructure of a stockyard, processing plant, tractor companies, multipurpose feed stores, and now many small farmers at subsistance/sustainable? levels.
And homes in this lovely rural setting paying relatively low taxes and living in relatively low crime area. Maintaining this rural infrastructure seems to everyone’s advantage and can be accomplished more effectively if any increased in migration is channeled into a high density living area requiring more focused road/sewer/water/school/police taxpaid infrastructure, (like Chatham Park?).
The Siler City Development Organization (SCDO) is trying to do some of the same and found an NC State group had a ‘plan’ for the town back in 1980!
It is just difficult for ‘everyone’ to know who is ‘planning’ what when where and how. At least now we can ‘Chatlist’ about it!
John Dykers