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Parkside

Land Use

I have consistently supported private property rights against interference from unreasonable government regulation. While government should plan for the future, the reality is that in most areas of life, we have too much government interference instead of not enough.

Zoning

The citizens of Buncombe County have repeatedly rejected mandatory countywide zoning. In November 1999, Buncombe County citizens rejected mandatory countywide zoning by thousands of votes. I have consistently fought to make sure that the will of the people on these issues was respected. If a community in the county wants additional regulation, the county provides for a community-based planning process --- if a majority of the citizens in that community support the idea.

My opponent continues to support zoning, despite the voters unqualified nd consistent rejection of it. While I respect that there may be an honest difference of opinion on this issue, what I find particularly troubling is his position that voters ought not to have a say on the issue.

As with District Elections, I believe that our citizens should have the opportunity to decide for themselves --- and not be dictated to on issues of such fundamental importance. I think my opponent and his colleagues are terribly wrong on this issue and out-of-touch with the citizens of Buncombe County.

Urban Sprawl

There are those who contend that a lack of more regulation in the county, especially the lack of countywide zoning, is contributing to suburban sprawl. This is patently false.

The area of the county that is growing the fastest is South Buncombe, and that area has been zoned for over twenty years. Clearly, standard zoning ordinances as applied there, and in most communities, does not stop sprawl. This is easily seenin Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) and Wake County (Raleigh) where countywide zoning has been in place for decades.

The only possible regulatory mechanisms to limit suburban sprawl are mandate density in certain urban corridors and then to mandate large lots in the more rural areas to prevent urbanization. But there are severe consequences to these actions: housing prices will skyrocket, land values will plummet (for those that the government determines should remain rural) and land values will dramatically rise in urban areas. In my view, we should have a land use planning system that preserves consumer choice while encouraging affordable housing for all of our working citizens. This is accomplished through less regulation, not more.

Annexation

I have consistently opposed forced annexation without the consent of affected property owners. While I recognize that municipalities should be able to grow, annexation should never be just a "money grab" to balance the city’s budget in order to avoid making the required hard choices of cutting frivolous spending.

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) has repeatedly worked to make state annexation law more fair to property owners and county governments. Several years ago, the General Assembly tightened requirements for annexation, requiring more urbanized land area and adequate provision of city services within a reasonable time frame. Unfortunately, the Board of Commissioners cannot prevent annexation if the action meets the requirements of state law. The better solution --- instead of forced annexation --- is for the city and county to merge redundant services, saving money for both city taxpayers and county taxpayers.

For more information on where I stand on these issues, please visit my page on Land Use.