Overview:
• The plan covers more than 33,000 acres
• This includes about 3,000 people living in and around Godwin, Wade and Falcon
• It lays out where the community would see agricultural, residential, industrial and commercial development
Residents in the Godwin, Falcon and Wade areas can tell the Cumberland County commissioners on Monday evening what they think of a proposed land use plan to guide growth and development in the county’s northeast corner.
The commissioners will hold a public hearing for the Northeast Cumberland Land Use Plan at 6:45 p.m. in room 118 of the Cumberland County Courthouse, 117 Dick St. They are expected to approve or reject the plan during the meeting.
A land use plan is a tool that local leaders use to guide growth, development and zoning decisions.
A copy of the 265-page proposed plan is available on the county website. It has maps, descriptions of what the plan does, and other details.
The Northeast Cumberland Land Use Plan covers 33,062 acres bounded by the Cape Fear River, Interstate 295, Rich Walker Road, U.S. 13, the Harnett County line and the Sampson County line. It includes the towns of Godwin, Wade and Falcon and has about 3,000 residents, according to a memo from Planning Director Rawls Howard to the county commissioners.
“The Northeast Cumberland Land Use Plan is a comprehensive document capturing a cohesive, shared vision of balanced growth, community priorities, and a strong sense of hometown pride,” says the foreword to the plan. The document says it was developed with feedback from the community.
Although land use plans guide growth, elected officials who make zoning and development decisions sometimes deviate from the plans. Residents and property owners on the north side of Fayetteville saw this in September when the Fayetteville City Council voted to change the zoning of 40.54 acres so the Fayetteville Public Works Commission can build a solar farm there. The land use plan for that area of the county, approved a year ago, designated the property for open space.
Some details of the Northeast Cumberland Land Use Plan:
- 56%, or 18,459 acres, is classified for rural agricultural use. Another 706 acres is for open space.
- About 37%, totalling 12,358 acres, is listed for residential uses of varied densities.
- The remaining 4.5%, about 1,488 acres, is classified for commercial, office, or “flex” uses. (“Flex” areas “may be compatible with a wide variety of zoning districts,” the document says.)
The memo to the commissioners says the Cumberland County Joint Planning Board approved the proposed land use plan on Aug. 19, and since then, the town boards in Wade, Godwin, and Falcon have approved it.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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