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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 1 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. 2 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. 3 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 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 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 4 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 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 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 5 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 6 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 7 Figure 5. Image Analysis Elements Landmarks Nodes Districts Edges Paths 8 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. 9 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. 10 Notes