Union County steering committee proposes sweeping rural‑land vision, seeks public input

Alan Balcom, chair of the county’s rural land use steering committee, presented a progress update March 17 on a rural land‑use plan that aims to preserve farmland, natural habitat and rural character while guiding future development.

The committee, appointed last fall and working with grant funding and technical assistance, reported it has gathered more than 200 public responses to a draft vision statement. "Agriculture, rural character, and environment" topped respondents' priorities, Balcom said, and the committee is compiling strategies for the Land Use Board and Commissioners.

Why it matters: The committee’s draft vision and strategies could inform zoning, subdivision and conservation policies that affect large parts of Union County where farmland and rural neighborhoods are under development pressure.

Key recommendations under consideration - Identify and expand agriculture‑preservation or conservation overlays along priority river corridors and other high‑value habitat. - Adjust the number and placement of commercial nodes to concentrate nonresidential activity and reduce sprawl. - Add stronger buffering requirements along streams and water bodies. - Prioritize land set‑asides inside major subdivisions and recommend conservation easements acquisition where appropriate. - Consider conditions that would allow limited commercial uses on residential parcels without a full rezoning (examples discussed included small businesses based at a home that have a few employees). - Examine changes to rural lot‑size requirements and flexible options for future lot splits. - Evaluate the county’s approach to private, engineered and permitted septic systems to understand long‑term performance and county liability.

Balcom said the steering committee hopes to "work ourselves out of a job" by producing concrete recommendations for the Land Use Board and the commissioners. He asked the board for feedback and encouraged commissioners to attend the committee’s monthly meetings, which staff said occur the third or fourth Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in the commission boardroom.

Technical assistance from state program Lisa Davis, a wildlife and fisheries conservation planner with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, described the Green Growth partnership that provides non‑regulatory technical assistance and cost‑share options to integrate wildlife habitat and agricultural preservation into planning. Davis showed examples from other North Carolina counties that adopted agriculture protection overlays and preferred development guides to direct growth toward infill and to protect corridors for wildlife and farming.

Concerns raised and next steps Commissioners and the committee discussed private engineered septic systems. Commissioners said they want the committee to clarify practical risks and who would handle long‑term liability if a private system fails. The committee flagged the septic review as a priority for further study.

Balcom said the steering committee will return with more detailed recommendations later in the year; the group’s work is grant‑funded and intended to produce a preferred rural plan for commissioner consideration.