County survey process moves among communities
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Watauga County residents now have a variety of ways to add their input to the county’s next long-range growth document.

The county commissioners have appointed an oversight committee and hired the engineering consultant firm Martin-McGill to undertake the first phase of the plan and make recommendations.

The committee and consultants developing the Citizens’ Plan for Watauga has held several community meetings already, and the meetings will continue over the next two months.

Watauga planning director Joe Furman said while there are several avenues for people to provide input, the oversight committee helping develop the plan is hoping for more personal interaction through the community meetings.

The surveys have questions that allow people to rank issues on a scale of importance or concern and can also be marked on paper and mailed to the county administration office.

Furman stressed the county was still in the early stages of the process and wanted to make sure to get the most broad and comprehensive public input possible.

“The purpose now is to gather as much information as possible,” Furman said.

“There are no preconceived notions, including what kind of document it will be and how to get to it.”

The county had discussed using the process to develop a long-rage land use plan, replacing the current one that’s more than a decade old.

However, the first phase of the process will last well into next year. Furman said the first phase will result in the committee’s making recommendations to the county commissioners, and the crafting of a document or the application of the information would be the second phase.

“It’s an 18-month-to-two-year process,” Furman said. “We’re only a couple of months into it.”

Consultant Jac Whatley said a number of issues have emerged at the early meetings.

Among those receiving the most attention in Blowing Rock were county-wide water and sewer needs, reviewing the property tax structure, managing growth and encouraging the availability of affordable housing. Greenways, bike lanes, river protection and securing adequate water sources were also of concern.

In Cove Creek on Nov. 27, 11 pressing issues were identified. Among those receiving the most attention were widening U.S. 321/421 from Boone to the fork of the two highways near Cove Creek, parkland acquisition and determining the adequacy of the water supply.

In addition to a series of public meetings, people can mail in surveys or fill them out online at the county Web site, www.wataugacounty.org.

Upcoming community meetings:
Dec. 4
Parkway Elementary School
Dec. 6
Green Valley Elementary School
Dec. 13
Triplett: Stewart Simmons Fire Department
Dec. 18
Foscoe: Foscoe-Grandfather Community Center
Jan. 8
Hardin Park Elementary School
Jan. 15
Mabel Elementary School
Jan. 22
Valle Crucis Elementary School