Sustainable communities

This is a major issue in the county as well as nationally and internationally.  The idea of sustainable communities and Smart Growth are promoted by most planners as the answer to all our problems. However, there is a substantial group of planners that don't agree with these ideas.  Obviously, our county officials have completely bought into the Smart Growth agenda.

I received an email from the County today about the Environmental Review Board (ERB) meeting tomorrow night, with their agenda.  The agenda includes an item for discussion that was sent by Jeffrey Starkweather.  It's a Sustainable Community Development Code developed  by the law school at Denver University.
http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/rmlui/programs/sustainable-community-...

What caught my attention with a quick glance at this is that one of the first sections addresses climate change.  At the BOC meeting, one of the supporters of the Rocky River Heritage Foundation, who also sits on the ERB, mentioned that the ERB was studying the effect of climate change on Chatham County.

The climate change section mentions the need to preserve mature trees for their ability to sequester carbon.  This was relevant because at Monday's work session, there was a presentation by a new county board
being formed, the Grand Trees of Chatham.  Although at this point it's nothing more than a feel good initiative for people to submit especially nice trees for recognition in the county it could evolve
into something more.  During the discussion, Jim Hinkley, the head of the Planning Board, recommended that this new group have an official connection to the Planning Board, like the Environmental Review Board
has.  He said that Planning Board members often notice exceptional trees while walking proposed developments and unfortunately those trees are often removed during development.  He hopes that with some
type of recognition they can encourage developers to save some of these trees.

While it sounds like a nice idea, I have to wonder at what point this may become additional pressure on landowners to develop according to the county's plans rather than their own.

The county did hire the Sustainable Communities Director.  Here's the

press release:

http://www.chathamnc.org/Index.aspx?page=19&recordid=1157&returnURL=%...