City begins process to create new comprehensive land use plan

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro has kicked off the creation of a new comprehensive land use plan. 

On Sept. 23, Mayor Joseph Trogdon Jr., the city council and leaders of local organizations went over the direction they’d like to see the city take over the next 20 years.

The consultant firm Kimley-Horn will design and propose the new plan, “Asheboro 2046.”

Senior planner Jonathan Whitehurst and planner Emily Thomas led the discussion with about 40 people at the Asheboro Police Department’s north district station. They had participants plug in answers to questions using the app Mentimeter. The responses popped up in real time on the police station monitor.

Whitehurst said they will soon reach out to the public to share what they want in the plan.

Assistant City Manager Trevor Nuttall called it the evolution of the city’s last strategic plan. That was made in 2007. “It’s remarkable to go through that document and see what community leaders said what is necessary for the city,” he said. “Thank goodness, they identified those things, and many of them came to fruition.”

Goal: A ‘living document’ that adapts to change

A comprehensive plan is not regulatory, Whitehurst explained, but if done well, it will encourage economic development and direct growth to the right places while protecting the community’s current assets.

“It needs to strike that balance between providing strategic, directed strategies but also providing flexibility,” he said.

Council member Mary Joan Pugh said this approach helped the North Carolina Zoo expand with new Asia, Australia and Amazon exhibits, using a land use plan formed in the early 2000s.

“You go back and forth and keep it as a living document,” she said.

Whitehurst and Thomas said their process involves looking beyond Asheboro’s city limits to a “study area” that factors in all land that might influence future growth, including the land around the airport and zoo.

Since the arrival of Toyota in Liberty, he said Asheboro has seen its biggest increase in jobs since 2006.

In 20 years, according to data from the North Carolina State Office of Budget and Management, Asheboro’s population increase could land between 13 and 23 percent.

Whitehurst told everyone to think about what growth means to them. Some cities, he said, prefer to manage growth and keep it low. He asked everyone to choose, on a scale of 1 to 5, whether they prefer a little growth or a lot. The answers averaged out in the middle.

“This question can be frustratingly broad,” Whitehurst said. “My interpretation for a ‘little’ might be different from yours. When we ask the public about this, if the sentiment is more toward ‘little,’ and people are worried about a lot of 

growth, that helps us with our messaging. The growth is occurring. How do we harness that for the good of the community while helping people who are apprehensive about it understand it?”

City Manager Donald Duncan said, “Growth for the sake of growth is not what we’re looking for. We’re looking for quality, sustainable growth. Does it generate enough revenue?”

Defining Asheboro now and goals for next 20 years

When asked to choose a word describing Asheboro now, most followed a theme of growth, change and friendliness.

Council member Kelly Heath chose the word “unique.” She elaborated, “You hear so often people get along, they want to collaborate. I think that’s really unique and is going to help us.”

When asked about priorities for the next 20 years, the answers included downtown, jobs and greenspaces. Water and infrastructure ranked the highest priority. Trogdon added public/private partnerships and fiscal responsibility to the list. Nuttall suggested public safety.

Finally, Whitehurst and Thomas asked everyone to define the future of Asheboro.

Asheboro/Randolph Chamber President Adam Deathe proposed the phrase “evolutionary change,” saying it describes a planned, strategic development. “I want there to be change in Asheboro, but I don’t want it to be revolutionary,” he said. “I want it to be community focused.”

Trogdon added the word “destination.” He explained, “It’s not necessarily for tourism. It’s also for jobs and economic growth. I want people to want to move here. [Destination] serves multiple reasons for people to come to Asheboro.”

Comprehensive plan schedule

Whitehurst said the comprehensive plan should take about six months. Right now, the focus will be on public input.

Kimley-Horn will hold opportunities for public feedback through online surveys, pop-up events, community engagements and an open house to be scheduled later this year.

The timeline calls for Kimley-Horn to present strategies, a policy framework and a future land use map by February. It could go before the city council for a final vote by April.