PITTSBORO, NC— On October 16, 2023, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved and adopted the Plan Moncure Small Area Plan by a 4 to 1 vote.
The Plan Moncure Small Area Plan has been a priority project of the Board of Commissioners and was initiated upon the announcement of the VinFast plant on the eastern side of the Triangle Innovation Point (TIP) site in March 2022. The County’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan, Plan Chatham, provides that a “small area plan” would be created upon the occupancy of the first major tenant at the TIP site.
Chatham County Planning Department staff and consultant firms White and Smith Planning and Law Group, Nealon Planning, and Green Heron Planning made up the Project Team. The Project Team consisted of community planners, transportation experts, water and sewer engineers, and a market analyst. This level of expertise was critical to the planning process to ensure that the County had subject matter experts on board to help build this plan to be effective and reflective of the community’s vision.
“We are confident that this carefully crafted plan positions us well to address the future of the Moncure community and ties into Chatham County’s larger picture for growth and development that is tempered by protection of our natural resources and environmental assets,” said Karen Howard, Chair, Chatham County Board of Commissioners. “Some of the options developed for the Moncure community are new and innovative approaches for Chatham that will allow for increased population density while maintaining a strong sense of place.”
Hearing from the community about their vision for the future of Moncure was a critical component to the creation of the Small Area Plan. Throughout the planning process, the Project Team reached out to stakeholders including residents, business owners, environmental groups, the development community, and faith and community leaders to receive their input. Through a variety of public engagement strategies, community members were invited to receive information and updates, participate in planning activities, discuss the project, ask questions, and provide feedback. Printed and electronic surveys were also disseminated throughout the community during the project. The Project Team used this direct input from the community to draft the plan to capture the community’s vision of the future of Moncure.
“We appreciate how the Project Team included all facets of the community to ensure their voices were heard throughout this entire process,” added Howard.
On August 9th, the Project Team completed the draft plan. On August 23rd and September 5th, the Chatham County Planning Board reviewed the plan and recommended it for approval by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners with the Planning Board feedback provided for consideration of adjustments or changes, if desired.
On October 2nd, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners held its first meeting to consider the plan. The meeting included a presentation by the consultants, opportunities for public input, and Board discussion. Following its discussion, the Board decided to carry over its consideration of the plan to its next meeting on October 16th.
The Small Area Plan will now be published on the project website and a physical copy will be made available at the County libraries. The plan will be implemented over the next 20 years and will be a tremendous resource for the County decision makers and policy makers to make informed decisions regarding future development and infrastructure planning.
The public can read more about the Plan Moncure Small Area Plan at https://www.recodechathamnc.org/planmoncure.
