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Summary Report
Technical Planning Studies
Mitchell County, NC
Mar 08
Table of Contents
List of Graphics ................................................................... 1
Critical and Sensitive Areas .................................................. 2
The Economy...................................................................... 3
Image Analysis ................................................................... 6
Conclusions ........................................................................ 7
List of Graphics
Figure 1. Critical and Sensitive Area Classifications
Figure 2. Critical and Sensitive Area Locations
Figure 3. Location Quotient Results
Figure 4. Employment and Earnings by NAICS Sector
Figure 5. Image Analysis Elements
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Part of the Mitchell County planning activities included technical planning studies.
Although these studies are not in-depth inventories and analysis of existing
conditions, they do highlight considerations that will be helpful as the county begins
action planning. The purpose of this report is to briefly describe each of the technical
planning studies. Specific report sections include information about critical and
sensitive areas, the economy, an image analysis of the county, and conclusions.
Critical and Sensitive Areas
Several natural landscape features in the county are either critical or sensitive in
classification. Critical areas are the most important resource classification, and these
areas require the most restrictive level of controls in terms of land uses or
protection. These areas typically relate to health, safety, and sustainability issues.
Sensitive areas are just one level below critical areas, and these areas also require
restrictive levels of controls in terms of land uses or protection. Figure 1 is a chart of
the critical and sensitive area classifications identified for this report, and Figure 2 is
a map showing the geographic locations for all areas except the 100 year floodplain.
Figure 1. Critical and Sensitive Area Classifications
Sensitive Areas
Critical Areas
• Farmland of state-wide significance
• Prime agricultural farmland
• Slopes 16-24%
• Slopes equal to or greater than 25%
• Water features and stream buffers (15
• 100 year floodplain
feet each side)
• Designated forest areas (US)
A large part of the county consists of either critical or sensitive areas. If development
is to occur in these areas, it should be in accordance with established standards (i.e.,
decision-making that explicitly recognizes the importance of these areas). In
addition, development proposals involving these areas should include review by
county staff who have appropriate technical training to accomplish such review.
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Figure 2. Critical and Sensitive Area Locations
The Economy
Location quotient analysis and a comparison of economic sectors (using both
employment and earnings data) are two tools that provide a simple but useful
overview of the economy. Each of these tools focuses on economic structure both
within and between political jurisdictions.
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Location quotient analysis measures the degree of economic specialization (based on
employment by economic sector) in comparison to another political jurisdiction. The
comparison jurisdictions selected for this report are Avery County, Yancey County,
Madison County, and McDowell County. All of these counties are rural counties within
the same region.
In order to obtain comparison data, the first step is to calculate the percentage of
sector employment – for all comparison counties – using North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) standards. The most recent NAICS employment data
available from the Employment Security Commission of NC is for 2006, and even this
data has gaps for some employment sectors.
The next step is to compare the percentage employment – by economic sector –
using an arithmetic ratio. If the ratio is equal to 1, parity exists, and there is no
specialization; if the ratio is greater than 1, economic specialization exists; and when
the ratio is less than 1 in several sectors, structural economic problems may exist.
The margin of error for this tool is 0.75-1.25.
Figure 3 shows the Mitchell County location quotient results for each comparison
county. Location quotients in Figure 3 that are equal to or greater than 1.1 – for
Mitchell County – are highlighted in bold and indicate economic specialization (in
comparison to the specified county). In terms of policy initiatives, the county should
Figure 3. Location Quotient Results
Mitchell County …
NAICS Sector
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•
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•
•
•
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Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting
Mining
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Information
Finance and Insurance
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Professional and Technical Services
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Administrative and Waste Services
Educational Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Accommodation and Food Services
Other Services (Except Public Admin)
Public Administration
Unclassified
to Avery
to Yancey
0.84
3.46
1.22
1.08
1.87
0.96
1.45
0.32
0.78
0.89
1.47
0.77
0.33
0.64
0.30
0.74
-
0.57
0.84
1.05
1.10
1.19
0.31
1.23
0.74
0.67
0.59
1.08
1.53
0.97
0.96
1.02
0.86
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to Madison to McDowell
0.95
1.22
1.51
1.64
1.49
3.37
1.77
1.13
1.13
0.75
0.57
0.94
0.51
1.03
1.17
0.83
1.79
22.75
1.48
0.31
1.01
1.22
3.09
0.95
2.41
1.57
1.19
0.57
1.71
4.08
1.08
0.80
1.29
2.27
NAICS Sector
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Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting
Mining
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Information
Finance and Insurance
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Professional and Technical Services
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Administrative and Waste Services
Educational Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Accommodation and Food Services
Other Services (Except Public Admin)
Public Administration
Unclassified
try to maintain this edge (i.e., economic specialization). Likewise, location quotients
below 0.75 are potential targets for policy initiatives that might improve economic
specialization.
The comparison of employment and earnings by economic sector shows the degree
of wage balance that exists within the economy (Figure 4). A visual comparison
Figure 4. Employment and Earning by NAICS Sector
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shows that earnings are strongest in six sectors: mining, utilities, manufacturing,
transportation-warehousing, real estate-rental-leasing, and health care-social
assistance. Likewise, the earnings are weakest in four sectors: retail trade, artsentertainment-recreation, accommodations-food services, and other services.
Image Analysis
The visual quality of any community is the result of both private and public decisionmaking and investment. Builders and developers transform the physical landscape
with facilities that give distinct form and structure to our towns, cities, and rural
areas; local governments enact ordinances and regulations that also impact form and
structure; and local governments additionally invest public funds for infrastructure
that supports a variety of community needs relating to private sector investment.
This private-public process of investment and control is very dynamic, complex, and
laced with politics.
Both residents and visitors – in any community – form mental images of their
surroundings. Some images are strong, and some are weak; some are beautiful, and
some are ugly; and all relate to land use decision-making. The resident's domain
consists mostly of activity centers (i.e., where a person lives, works, shops, and
plays) and the routes they travel between activity centers. The visitor's domain
focuses mostly on transient living space, shopping, recreation areas, and may also
include linear experiences such as scenic byways/trails.
Both residents and visitors create private images of a place. When several individuals
share the same private images, these private images merge into the larger public
realm.
Image analysis is a tool to show the relationships between various public images ...
both existing as well as proposed. The concept of image analysis consists of five
elements, none of which exist in isolation: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and
landmarks. Paths (the predominant element in terms of quantity) are movement
lines; examples include roads, walkways, bikeways, railroads, and transit lines.
Edges are linear breaks in continuity between different areas (and may be penetrable
barriers, impenetrable barriers, or just seams); examples include boundaries such as
walls, water features, terrain cuts, edges of development, or distinct physical and
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cultural features (often relating to or including paths). Districts are medium-to-large
sections (or building blocks) of a community that are visible from the outside and
have some type of common identifying quality or character (i.e., setting these areas
apart from the inside) … places where people mentally can enter the physical space;
examples include towns, central business districts (within towns), shopping areas,
ethnic areas (i.e., a Chinatown), a school campus, etc. Nodes are strategic spots
(often transportation-related) that are intensive focal points; examples include
transportation mode break-points, crossings or intersections, convergence of paths,
enclosed squares, symbols such as a street corner hang-out, entrances to town, or
concentrations/cores (sometimes within a district). Landmarks are defined physical
objects used for identity or point-references (but without need for entry); examples
can include a building, sign, store, mountain, bell tower, etc. These five elements –
combined – create images that result in feelings relating to a sense of community or
place.
The technique of image analysis involves field reconnaissance, mapping data (Figure
5), and analyzing the results. The analysis of data for this report focuses only on
images that are either strong or weak. The strong images of Mitchell County are:
streams and rivers, ridgelines and escarpments, downtown areas, historic
properties/districts, most landmarks, and the Blue Ridge Parkway; these are areas
that contribute to or enhance the quality of community life in Mitchell County. The
weak images of the county are: aesthetics of the built environment, poorly defined
paths, blasé nodes, and some mining landmarks; these are areas for policy initiatives
that can improve public images in Mitchell County.
Conclusions
Mitchell County is a beautiful part of western North Carolina. It is a rural area that
has a tremendous natural resource base. However, it is also struggling to maintain
its economic vitality and sense of place feelings.
Critical and Sensitive Areas
Land use decision-making frequently relates to critical and sensitive areas in the
county, and all such decision-making can have significant and lasting impacts (both
positive and negative) regarding the built and physical environments. Private
property right values often clouds such decision-making, and it requires a shared
community vision, strong political leadership, broad-based community support, easy
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Figure 5. Image Analysis Elements
Landmarks
Nodes
Districts
Edges
Paths
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access to knowledge-based data, and administrative technical support to successfully
wade through these value-packed issues. The failure to recognize and address the
complexity and interconnected implications of such decision-making can harm longterm sustainability efforts. For example, focusing primarily on micro-issues (i.e.,
private property rights) rather than macro-issues (county-wide sense of place
feelings) will over time erode the natural resource base that both makes Mitchell
County unique and also significantly contributes to the creation of private property
values.
The Economy
Mitchell County is at a fork in the road regarding economic policy. One fork is to seek
manufacturing jobs, and the other fork is to focus on tourism, recreation, and second
home development1. Both alternatives will require development of an economic plan
and infrastructure investment.
Although it is unlikely that traditional manufacturing jobs will continue to be an
important employment component of the economy, the creation of innovative
manufacturing jobs – that relate to mineral/natural resources in the county – is an
intriguing possibility. The infrastructure investment will likely require an industrial
park, road improvements, and water/sewer facilities. In addition, it will be necessary
to accomplish coordination at both the regional and state levels and engage in
aggressive marketing (at the national level) to attract potential employers. In terms
of potential earnings and economic base multiplier, this alternative clearly will have
the highest impact but will also result in the greatest cost to the county.
The second alternative is to focus on tourism, recreation, and second home
development. This alternative will require aggressive marketing (mostly on a
regional level). In terms of potential earnings and economic base multiplier, this
alternative will have a lower impact but will also be less costly to the county.
A third possibility is to concurrently pursue both alternatives. Although this possibility
will provide the broadest platform for realizing success outcomes, it will also be the
most resource intensive choice.
1
Tourism, recreation, and second home development all have implicit linkages to several
NAICS sectors identified previously in this report.
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Making Better Decisions
As the county makes tough decisions (e.g., regarding the environment and the
economy), it is important to avoid placing at risk the assets that either make the
county unique or which over time can develop into negative public images. During
times of change – and as the county engages in action planning – residents and
elected officials should strive to strengthen and build on the asset base and also try
to develop positive public images (i.e., as part of the planning and decision-making
process). This will help to create quality memories and strong sense of place feelings
for all who live, work, play, and visit within the county.
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Notes