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Wake County Land Use Plan
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Southwest Wake Area Land Use Plan 1-2
Area Land Use Plans
Area land use plans
augment the Wake County Land Use Classifications Map. Reflecting more
defined, smaller geographic planning regions, the area land use plans revise and expand upon adopted
joint municipal plans, the land use aspects of the water-supply watershed protection plan, and create
new plans where no joint plans have been adopted with municipalities or in non-urban areas. Area
plans’ USA boundaries are re-evaluated to determine where municipal sewer and water utilities will be
extended. The new delineations revise Short-Range and Long-Range USA boundaries.
Area plans have a long-term timeframe [20-25 years] and incorporate the following objectives:
Emphasize the development of communities;
Encourage development in and around municipalities;
Maintain resources including natural areas, historic sites, major wildlife corridors, potential
parks and greenways; and
Coordinate with transportation plans.
These area plans also address open space, scenic and transitional areas along highways and recreation
nd leisure resources.
a
ain Uses of the Plan
M
A plan filled in with greenways, parks, residential densities, and other future uses, can help the Wake
ounty Commissioners (and municipalities that grow into the area) do at least the following three things.
C
1.
Decide on Landowners' Development Application Petitions
The plan does not rezone land, but is a source of advice to the Commissioners when they have
to decide on a landowner's rezoning petition. Other sources of advice include neighbors'
comments at the public hearing and other information each Commissioner considers relevant.
2. Decide Timing, Direction and Scale of Growth
The plan's goals guide growth into the municipal Short-Range Urban Service Areas. Multi-use
activity centers are the preferred locations for more dense and intense land uses.
3. Plan Services and Infrastructure
Because the plan, in a very general way, projects land use it may help in the long-term planning
of services, community buildings, and other infrastructure
outhwest Wake Area Land Use Plan (SWALUP)
S
The Phase One of the Wake County Land Use Plan, adopted in 1997, included a vision, goals,
strategies, and a map. The map showed ultimate urban service boundaries for each municipality in
Wake County. Urban services area designation applies to lands within the Wake County Planning
jurisdiction that are expected to become part of a municipality in the future. These areas are located
outside a city’s or a town’s corporate and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The previous Wake County Land
Use Plan map did not show activity centers, future greenways, parks, residential densities, and other
uture uses.
f
On May 19, 1999 the County Commissioners adopted
the Southwest Wake County Area Land Use
Plan
that included activity centers, greenways, parks, residential densities and other future uses,
generally missing from the Phase One Plan. The 1999 Wake County Southwest Area Land Use Plan
encouraged growth close to the municipalities to take advantage of existing and planned infrastructure,
such as transportation, water and sewer facilities. Also, the Plan encouraged higher densities and a
wider range of land uses where existing and planned short-range community facilities and infrastructure
could support them.
Update 2007