Planners say zoning may be needed for U.S. 70
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on September 15, 2004 2:00 PM
Wayne County may consider zoning land along the planned Goldsboro bypass on U.S. 70 in preparation for the highway's construction.
Planning Board members say that they want to meet with county commissioners, both informally and formally, to start talking about a land-use plan for the proposed bypass route.
The board voted Tuesday night to ask the N.C. Department of Transportation to do a corridor study for the entire Raleigh-to-Morehead City section of U.S. 70 and to assign someone to oversee all U.S. 70 projects.
But doesn't Wayne County need to do its own planning? asked board member Steve Keen. "Should we not be proactive?"
The Planning Board had asked the county commissioners earlier this year to be allowed to work on a land-use plan for the entire county. But barring that, the bypass route needs to considered, Keen said.
Keen suggested convening a group of 20 to 25 people, including county officials, residents, businessmen and landowners along the corridor.
Even though the project won't be built for a few years, its route is already set, Planning Director Connie Price said. It would not be difficult to draw maps that include property, say, up to 1,000 feet on each side.
Some of the route goes through Goldsboro or its planning areas, but the bypass will have interchanges with the existing U.S. 70, N.C. 581, the new and old U.S. 117, and Wayne Memorial Drive, all of which will affect undeveloped land in the county, Price said.
But Chairman Wayne Aycock said the Planning Board would talk with the county commissioners first to make sure they would support the project.
Also Tuesday, the board chose its 2004-05 officers. Aycock was returned as chairman, while Chris Cox was elected vice chairman.