Greg Ford stated the following “All current Commissioners agree that the HOA covenants which the homeowners of the Crooked Creek subdivision gave up as as a condition for the sale of the property to the County will be reapplied in a future sale, because we believe that is the right thing to do.”
Old Homeowners Association (HOA) Covenants and planned unit development (PUD) agreements between the builders and local governments have proven to be weak and insufficient measures of protecting open space. The open space along Crooked Creek was appropriately set aside within a single plat by the developer for riparian buffers, flood protection, and other ecosystem benefits. Declaring this land as surplus and selling to the highest bidder, without strengthening the land use protections through legally enforceable land use zoning, conservation agreement, or some other mechanism would make the county poor stewards of this open space.
The current NC Legislature has been hard at work removing the ability for local governments to protect clean water, but local government actions taken before 2015 were exempt according to Senate Bill 434: “Local government ordinance” action“ means any action by a local government carrying the effect of law approved before or after October 1, 2015, whether by ordinance, ordinance, including, but not limited to, zoning, subdivision control, flood control, or water supply watershed protection ordinances, comprehensive plan, policy, resolution, condition of approval imposed on an applicant for approval of a development plan, or conditional permit, or other measure.
This anti-clean water stance by the current General Assembly will harm our water quality for many years. The creation of gerrymandered districts have ensured the election of anti-environmental leaders in our state, leaving citizens suffering from the impacts of their laws, without fair representation.
Back in the 1990’s Governor James B. Hunt elevated his priority for environmental protection and restoration in public programs. “The General Assembly created new funding mechanisms to acquire more public lands, provide increased outdoor recreational opportunities, and clean up polluted waterways and estuaries through establishment of the Natural Heritage Trust Fund, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. State income tax credits were increased to encourage donations of land for conservation purposes. By the early 2000s the amount of public parklands and wildlife refuges, as well as nature preserves managed by private land trusts or conservancies, had increased markedly.”1
I miss the leadership of Jim Hunt and the old General Assembly’s efforts to protect the environment. Until the citizens are able to get fair elections, it is important that the Wake County Commissioners do everything in their power to protect the environment, clean air, and clean water!
Riparian buffers are scientifically proven to improve water quality, yet they are unpopular with developers, who benefit by building without creating sustainable landscapes, but who do not suffer financially when flooding and water quality issues occur. Sediment pollution is a huge issue in North Carolina, and it leads to costly treatments at water treatment plants, that end up being paid by ratepayers in higher water utility bills.
Wake County Commissioners, if they choose to sell the land, should require that any development that is done on the land be done using Low Impact Development or Sustainable Landscaping methods using the SITES rating system.
Please vote no to the sale of this land as surplus, and instead, convene the leaders from the South Wake Park Project to create a sustainable, resilient South Wake Park Master Plan.
