15A NCAC 07B .0701. PLANNING OPTIONS

(a)  Each county within the coastal area may prepare and adopt a CAMA Land Use Plan that meets the planning requirements adopted by the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC).  The CRC shall prepare and adopt a CAMA Land Use Plan for each county that chooses not to prepare and adopt a CAMA Land Use Plan.  Municipalities may develop individual CAMA Land Use Plans if:

(1)           the County delegates this authority to the municipality; or

(2)           the CRC grants this authority upon application from a municipality that is currently enforcing its zoning ordinance, its subdivision regulations and the State Building Code within its jurisdiction.

(b)  The minimum types of plans presumed for municipalities, based on population, growth rates and the presence of Areas of Environmental Concern (AECs) are illustrated in Figure 1.  In addition, community characteristics other than those listed in Figure 1, such as extent of growth and resource protection issues (e.g., water quality concerns), shall be considered when determining the type of plan to be prepared.

 

Figure 1:  TYPES OF CAMA PLANS PRESUMED FOR MUNICIPALITIES

 

		AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN (AECs)
POPULATION	GROWTH RATE*	OCEAN HAZARD AREAS	NON-OCEAN HAZARD AREAS**	DO NOT MEET         STATUTORY THRESHOLD IN §113A-110 (c) ***
≥ 5,000	N/A
≥ 2,500	HIGH
>1,000 and < 2,500	HIGH
<1,000	HIGH
≥ 2,500	MODERATE
< 2,500	MODERATE
≥ 2,500	LOW
< 2,500	LOW

 

Minimum Core                     Core or Workbook plan                                     Fold into County

Plan Presumed                                                                                                     CAMA Land Use Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(c)  Types of Plans 

(1)           Workbook plan:  This is a simplified CAMA Land Use Plan that addresses the following elements:

(A)          statement of community concerns, aspirations and vision;

(B)          existing land use map;

(C)          land suitability analysis;

(D)          local growth and development policies addressing each Management Topic and applicable Areas of Environmental Concern; and

(E)           future land use map.

The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) shall provide a workbook plan template to municipalities preparing this type of plan containing all required data and examples of policy alternatives. 

(2)           Core plan:  This plan addresses all of the plan elements in Rule .0702 of this Section (Elements of CAMA Core and Advanced Core Land Use Plans) in a complete and thorough manner.  This type of plan is the standard CAMA Land Use Plan required for all 20 coastal counties.

(3)           Advanced core plan: The plan prepared by local governments that, due to consideration of specific local conditions, elect to exceed the core plan requirements in two or more areas.  This plan also may be used to help meet the requirements of other planning programs, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Phase II Stormwater requirements or hazard mitigation plans, that address the CAMA goals, or to address issues of local concern, (i.e. location of a new industry or redevelopment after storm events.)

(d)  Counties preparing a CAMA Land Use Plan shall prepare a core plan at a minimum.

(e)  Municipalities that contain AECs may prepare a Workbook Plan, Core Plan, or Advanced Core Plan, depending on the presumptive type of plan shown in Figure 1.  However, the type of plan to be prepared may change depending on needs that are identified in the scoping process described in 15A NCAC 07L.  Municipalities with Ocean Hazard AECs that choose to plan shall prepare a minimum of a Core Plan.  Municipalities with only Non-Ocean Hazard AECs that choose to plan shall prepare a Core Plan if they meet the population and growth rate thresholds as shown in Figure 1.  Municipalities with only Non-Ocean Hazard AECs that choose to plan and are at or below the population and growth rate thresholds shown in Figure 1 may prepare a Core Plan or a Workbook Plan.

(f)  A County shall accept a municipality's locally adopted policies for inclusion in the County CAMA Land Use Plan for the municipality's jurisdiction if requested to do so by any municipality not preparing an individual CAMA Land Use Plan.  Inclusion of a municipality's adopted policies shall occur either at the time of County CAMA Land Use Plan preparation or a subsequent County CAMA Land Use Plan amendment.  The municipality's policies are limited to its jurisdiction and may differ from the County's policies.

(g)  Municipalities may seek CRC certification for these plans if all requirements found in 15A NCAC 07B and G.S. 113A-110 are met.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 113A-107(a); 113A-110; 113A-124;

Eff. August 1, 2002.