GRIFTON - Planner Bill Smith, in a meeting last month with the Grifton Board of Commissioners reviewed the town’s Land Use Plan.

Smith provided a huge map of the Grifton area that included both in-town and extraterritorial proper-ties. He also gave the board a notebook containing the plan and how it is organized. He said the plan is modeled after one recommended by the state and includes an overview of the community, its history and achievements.

It also deals with development opportunities of the town as well as various threats to the community.

The plans details the town’s vision statement as follows: “The Grifton Development Plan will provide a framework to establish policies that will encourage compatible

new development-residential, commercial, recreational and industrial while protecting the small town character of the community, especially Contentnea Creek.”

The plan covers a variety of information from population growth to the economy as well as an analysis of land use that would include residential, commercial,

industrial, farmland, historic preservation designation and archaeological sites.

Also included is utilities, information about the Neuse River Basin, soil types, transportation, and various local, state and federal policies and management capability.

Mayor Billy Ray Jackson said he thought that the maps should include areas that will need sewer and areas that will accommodate septic tanks. Much of Grifton’s land will require sewer for future growth.

Smith said he would try to get that information on the map. Smith said, “The key here is having a document that will help you and the board in  decision making.” The plan can be used to help the board in addressing a wide range of housing policies. “This is a document that gives you a broad picture,” Smith stated. “We’re going to develop some specific tasks to develop the picture.”

Smith complimented the board on its downtown area.

“Your downtown is much better than a lot of towns,” he said.

He also suggested that the board should work to keep commercial and residential uses out of the 100 and 500 year flood plains.

“This is a conceptual plan,” Smith stated.

He also added that the plan will also recommend the reduction in the use of conditional

uses in the zoning ordinances.

“You need to develop standards that everyone will have to abide by, “ he said.

He also pointed out that the town’s zoning should jell with those of neighboring municipalities and that the zoning ordinances should be more

user friendly. Wiley Price Jr., chairman of the Planning Board, said, I’m pretty excited that we’re here with this today. The plan that you look at here is a result of about 250 man hours by the Planning Board and has gone through a lot of planning and a

lot of work.” Price added, “What you’ve got is simply a tool for your future use. It is more than anything a rule and a guide. It is something you are going to try to go by. It is something that will help you make decisions in the future.”

Commissioner Bill Smith said of the plan, “I see a lot of hard work in it. I know there’s a ways to go.”

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