The meeting was rescheduled from 20 Nov to 16 Nov to allow three Committee members to attend the Northampton County Commissioners Annual Retreat. We recapped the visit by Roland, Doug and Jack to meet with folks at the Center for Watershed Protection which was held in their Charlottesville, VA facilities on 30 Oct at 1300.
We did make an initial report of the meeting at the LGA Monthly meeting on 4 Nov 09 which explained that we would be getting materials from CWP from which we could formulate future planning. Those materials were not yet received and Doug was to contact CWP to ask for an update.
Attendees:
Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Fred Kneissel, Doug Hughes (consultant), John Cataldo and Patrick Dempsey (for the beginning)
We discussed the upcoming visit by a LGA team to meet with folks from the Center for Watershed Protection. The meeting will be in Charlottesville, VA at CWP facilities on 30 Oct at 1300. Attendees will be Roland Beauchaine, Vernon Wilson, Doug Hughes and Jack Saunders from the LGA.
Roland agreed to write up a broader explanation of what we wish to address in the meeting. Doug agreed to distribute the directions to the meeting place. We will make an initial report of the meeting at the LGA Monthly meeting on 4 Nov 09.
Lack of participation by Committee members is disappointing. It would be useful if at least LGA Directors on the Committee would send a note that they know the meeting is occurring, but they will be unable or choose not to attend.
The Planning and Development Committee continues to welcome anyone who wishes to participate and become involved with activities to identify planning and development standards around the lake which can preserve the mostly rural and environmentally sensitive state of the Lake Gaston area. We need members who are prepared to get involved in research into the appropriate standards and involvement with the appropriate county officials. The next meeting of the P&D Committee is 0830/20 Aug 2009 at the EFG&G.
Roland Beauchaine
Planning and Development
Committee Minutes - 18 September 09
Attendees:
Doug, Joee, David, Fred, Tony and Roland
We discussed the proposed meeting with CWP the week of Oct 26th . Doug wants to proceed with the meeting that week on any day but wed the 28th and wanted Vern Wilson to attend if possible. I have contacted Vern and Jack and they both can make a meeting on the 30th. I have sent an email to laurel to try and confirm a meeting in Charlottesville on the 30th at 1pm. I will let everyone know the results of that email and details on where we meet and how we get there. We also discussed a budget and had agreement on a budget request of $5k. The funds would be used to fund participation in meetings and events relating to P and D and to provide matching funds for grants. Examples of meetings and events are the meeting with CWP
and an upcoming conference in Richmond on storm water management.
Roland Beauchaine
Planning and Development
Committee Minutes - 21 August 09
The meeting was held to discuss future grants to be sought for P and D projects. It was agreed that we needed to define a project in order to consider grant application. We agreed that setting a baseline of the lake condition would be the next step.
I agreed to contact CWP about a meeting with LGA officers to better define a project to evaluate the lake and get an idea of how much it would cost.
We discussed the TDML activity in Va. As well as Smith creek and the growing problem of lyngbya in the lake. We need to get the information on lyngbya fro the Lems and Chuck at PLM.
Roland Beauchaine
Planning and Development
Committee Minutes - 17 July 09
Attendees: Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Fred Kneissel, John Boyle, David Duxbury, Doug Hughes (consultant), and John Cataldo.
We recapped the discussions and briefing provided on 27 June by the Center for Watershed Protection as described in the Aug/Sep bulletin input.
A discussion ensued to expand from the 27 June discussions to address other stakeholders which should be part of watershed protection discussions to include Weyerhouser and organizations in Albemarle Sound.
We discussed again the criticality of controls on porosity, vegetated buffer zones, and
storm water runoff. We need to understand the previous situation with animal waste pollution on Smith Creek and the corrective actions and their success.
The Planning and Development Committee continues to welcome anyone who wishes to participate and become involved with activities to identify planning and development standards around the lake which can preserve the mostly rural and environmentally sensitive state of the Lake Gaston area. We need members who are prepared to get involved in research into the appropriate standards and involvement with the appropriate county officials. The next meeting of the P&D Committee is August 21, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development
Committee Minutes - 19 June 09
Attendees: Committee members Roland Beauchaine,
Jack Saunders, Fred Kneissel, John Boyle, David Duxbury, Bill Lindenmuth, Doug
Hughes, Moira Underwood (Executive Director) and consultant John Cataldo.
The main topic was the efforts to publicize the upcoming 27
June public forum addressing
the preservation of the water quality of Lake Gaston, and
the protection of the fishery by understanding the concept and protection and
preservation of the watershed. The Friends of the LGA have contracted with the
Center for Watershed Protection (www.cwp.org)
to come to this location and provide informational forums so that the public can
understand the benefits to be derived from sedimentation prevention, stormwater
runoff control and buffers between developed properties and the Lake. The
preservation of the vitality of the watershed is the basic ingredient for the
quality of the water and the health of the fishery, both intrinsic to the value
of the properties surrounding the lake. Moira had already contacted most local
printed and radio media to announce the event and will continue to address the
forum in her upcoming Public Service Announcements.
The Planning and Development Cmte continues to welcome
anyone who wishes to participate and become involved with activities to identify
planning and development standards around the lake which can preserve the mostly
rural and environmentally sensitive state of the Lake Gaston area. We need
members who are prepared to get involved in research into the appropriate
standards and involvement with the appropriate county officials. The next
meeting of the P&D Committee is July 17, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development Committee:
May 15, 2009
Attendees: Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack
Saunders, Fred Kneissel, John Boyle, David Duxbury, Bill Lindenmuth and
consultant John Cataldo.
The
main topic was the conduct of information sessions for the LGA Board of
Directors and members and public, made possible by the award of grant funding
from Halifax Helps, Inc. The actual award will be made on 18 May at the
Aurelian Springs School. The Grant amount provided to the Friends of Lake
Gaston Associations is $2,500. The activity funded by the grant will be
administered by the LGA Planning and Development Committee. This is the first
activity we have been able to hold based on obtaining funds from outside
agencies.
The
first planned activity is to gain important insights into the preservation of
the water quality of Lake Gaston and the protection of the fishery. We have
performed research and identified an organization called the Center for
Watershed Protection (www.cwp.org)
which can come to this location and provide informational forums so that the
public can understand the benefits to be derived from sedimentation prevention,
stormwater runoff control and buffers between developed properties and the
Lake. We hope to use this information to gain public awareness of the
importance to implementation of planning and development standards and zoning
requirements which preserve the mostly rural atmosphere and protect the
sensitive ecological system which is Lake Gaston. The preservation of the
vitality of the watershed is the basic ingredient for the quality of the water
and the health of the fishery, both intrinsic to the value of the properties
surrounding the lake.
The
first forum is currently scheduled for 1:30 PM on 27 June at the Littleton
Community Center, 238 Oak St,
Littleton, NC - (252)
586-6773, which can comfortably seat around 200 participants.
This is seen as the beginning of what we intend to be many organized activities
to inform the public and form a citizens group for consensus related to area
planning and development standards.
The
Planning and Development Cmte continues to welcome anyone who wishes to
participate and become involved with activities to identify planning and
development standards around the lake which can preserve the mostly rural and
environmentally sensitive state of the Lake Gaston area. We need members who
are prepared to get involved in research into the appropriate standards and
involvement with the appropriate county officials. The next meeting of the P&D
Committee is June 19, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and
Development Committee: April 17, 2009
We
discussed the times we may want to do a public forum with the CWP group. I
agreed to see if they would consider coming on a weekend or during the 4th
of July Holiday. I have contacted them and they are checking to see what they
could schedule in June or July. They are willing to try and meet our interest
in a weekend or around the Holiday.
We
had a discussion on zoning primarily about the CAC in Warren County.
Roland Beauchaine
Planning and Development
Committee: March 21, 2008
Attendees: Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack
Saunders, Fred Kneissel, John Boyle, Tony Moran, Bill Lindenmuth and consultant
John Cataldo.
It
was reported that the Friends of Lake Gaston Associations� application to the
IRS for 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity determination has been submitted. We also
briefly addressed how the committee would approach administering any grant
received as there is high potential for receipt of a grant to address watershed
protection in the immediate future. We reviewed other courses of action to
develop recommended standards for development and planning versus obtaining
grants to contract efforts out. The consensus previously established is
diminished. In Feb-Apr of 2007, there was a major discussion among the whole
Board of Directors as to what the Committee would attempt to do and the effort
that would be required. Most still want the product, but are unwilling to
contribute the effort.
The
Committee was to further address developing standards for porosity and natural
vegetation buffers on lake properties near term versus not recommending any
standards until all of the work is done which may take several more years. The
Committee person who offered to prepare a draft position based on Pine Hurst/New
Hanover, North Carolina planning documents was unable to attend so this action
is deferred.
Roland and Jack had followed up in looking at the network identified on a Lake
Jordon website to determine what we can gain of value from their experiences.
Attempts to get responses from Lake Jordan contact points were unsuccessful.
Most of the other organizations involved with the efforts to clean up Lake
Jordan are environmental groups with other priorities which are more national in
scope. We will continue to find similar lakes which we might learn from in our
planning and development activities.
The
Planning and Development Cmte continues to welcome anyone who wishes to
participate and become involved with activities to identify planning and
development standards around the lake which can preserve the mostly rural and
environmentally sensitive state of the Lake Gaston area. We need members who
are prepared to get involved in research into the appropriate standards and
involvement with the appropriate county officials. The Chair will be absent
next month and Roland will act in my absence. The next meeting of the P&D
Committee is April 17, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development Committee Meeting Minutes: 20
Feb 2009
Attendees: Committee members Roland
Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Joee Hoxter, Dave Duxbury, John Boyle, Tony Moran
and consultant Doug Hughes.
A
small amount of time was spent discussing the status of the formation of the
Friends of Lake Gaston Associations (FoLGA). The Secretary of State of North
Carolina has approved the incorporation application from the FoLGA and the
remaining documents for tax exempt determination from the IRS are in progress,
and should be complete and submitted prior to the next P&D Committee meeting.
We
discussed the application for a grant from Halifax Helps, Inc., provided to the
FoLGA for approval and submittal. If the grant is approved the plan is to
contract with the Center for Watershed Protection for public training sessions
related to the actions we can address stormwater runoff and porosity standards
in the lake area.
The
Committee addressed perhaps developing standards for porosity and natural
vegetation buffers on lake properties near term versus not recommending any
standards until all of the work is done which may take several more years. Dave
Duxbury indicated that he would follow up in reviewing the standards addressed
in the Pine Hurst/New Hanover County, NC planning documents.
Roland introduced the subject of activities at Lake Jordon to clean up their
lake as they are suffering from a heavy load of upstream nutrients and the
effect on the lake. We are going to contact some of the groups involved with
the Clean Jordon Lake program to see what can be gained or learned from their
experiences, and what we might be able to avoid on Lake Gaston.
The
next meeting of the P&D Committee is Mar 17, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and
Development Committee Meeting Minutes: 16 Jan 2009
Attendees: Committee
members Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Joee Hoxter, Dave Duxbury, Bill
Lindenmuth, and Fred Kneisel and consultant Doug Hughes.
A small amount of time was spent
with the status of the application to the NC Secretary of State for
incorporation of the Friends of Lake Gaston Associations.
The application was returned on Thursday to have
�the Superior Court� replace �the Court of Common Pleas� in one section of
the application.
That has been done and the application
resubmitted.
Approval is anticipated within two
weeks, after which we can secure that organization a Tax Identifier �
Employee ID and submit the application for federal tax-exempt charitable
organization recognition around the mid-February time frame.
We did review the current federal application
and discussed several of its portions and meanings.
We then discussed what might be
considered in applying for a grant from Halifax Helps, Inc.
It is the intent to get started quickly and to
apply for a grant to work with a consulting company that prepares watershed
protection plans and conducts public forums to grow awareness of
development�s impacts to the watershed and means to avoid harm to the
environment and repair damage already incurred.
Successful applicants may be funded before the
end of May.
The Committee also reviewed a
first draft of a short summary of issues, policies and implementation
strategies that could be recommended to local governments for preservation
of water quality in the lake and deliberate good stewardship of the
developing land areas surrounding the lake.
Roland has also identified a guide for crafting
local watershed protection ordinances.
We will continue to work towards finalizing some
recommendations in the near future.
The next meeting of the P&D
Committee is Feb. 20, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development CommitteeMeeting Minutes:
December 19, 2008
Attendees: Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack
Saunders, Tony Moran, John Boyle, Dave Duxbury, Bill Lindenmuth, and Fred
Kneisel and consultants John Cataldo and Doug Hughes.
The
Committee took the entire meeting time addressing drafts of Articles of
Incorporation and By-Laws of the proposed Friends of the Lake Gaston
Associations, Inc. Revised documents will be circulated. These documents
support plans which are going forward for the application for tax exempt status
for a newly founded group and for grant application to activities which do not
require tax exempt status.
The
Committee is also looking at what can be done on a shorter term in calling
attention to asking that consideration be given for designated areas of a county
to preclude high density commercial or residential building(s) and to ensure
that infrastructure is adequately addressed. We are reviewing other plans
including any in the Wilmington-New Hanover County 2006 CAMA Update Plan.
Roland reported that there was no actual plan in the Wilmington document.
The
committee will continue to look at sound examples to use for planning and the
scientific reasons for incorporating measures to protect the water quality and
fishery of Lake Gaston. All LGA and interested residents are encouraged to
participate.
The
next meeting of the P&D Committee is Jan.16, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development
Committee Minutes: November 21, 2008
Attendees:
Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Tony Moran, John Boyle, Dave
Duxbury, Bill Lindenmuth, Joee Hoxter and Fred Kneissel
The meeting was
spirited. Everyone present was asked to review in detail the Wilmington-New
Hanover County 2006 CAMA Update Plan to become familiar with the approach they
took to implementing infrastructure needs to both future and existing developed
properties including commercial, in order to limit the impacts to the
environment from stormwater runoff and sedimentation. The Wilmington-New
Hanover activity was fed by the result of inaction until the area suffered
considerable impacts to the fishery and water quality. A drive for change led
to a new set of policies aimed at halting and correcting the environmental and
quality of life degradation which was being experienced. The intent of the
Planning and Development Committee is to awaken public interest before major
impacts are incurred and gain the support and forward planning to preserve the
quality of the natural resources at the lake by the governmental bodies
surrounding the lake.
It is recognized
that one of the key methods to gaining that public interest and enthusiasm is to
provide communication forums with expert scientific participants who can
knowledgeably and with proven evidence demonstrate to the public the critical
need for infrastructure discipline to protect the sensitive ecological nature of
the lake and the quality of life enjoyed by the residents and visitors to the
area. The value of the area as both a tourist haven and real property tax base
can be easily lost if the water quality and fishery deteriorate.
Members of the
committee are actively involved with the formation of a tax exempt organization
which can apply for grants to gain assistance from professional groups with
extensive background in the scientific basis for taking action through
infrastructure changes to preserve the ecosystem of the lake. Plans are going
forward for the application for tax exempt status for a newly founded group and
for grant application to activities which do not require tax exempt status.
The Committee is
also looking at what can be done on a shorter term in calling attention to
asking that consideration be given for designated areas of a county to preclude
high density commercial or residential building(s) and to ensure that
infrastructure is adequately addressed.
The committee will
continue to look at sound examples to use for planning and the scientific
reasons for incorporating measures to protect the water quality and fishery of
Lake Gaston. All LGA and interested residents are encouraged to participate.
The next meeting of
the P&D Committee is Dec.19, 2008 at the EFG&G.
Planning and
Development Committee: Meeting Minute 17 Oct, 2008
Attendees:
Committee members Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Tony Moran, John Boyle,
Dave Duxbury and Fred Kneissel, and consultant John Cataldo
The meeting was
relatively short. The first thing we addressed is the issue that without being
a 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization, we are unable to qualify for grants which
could help with presenting our case for coordinated, environmentally friendly,
land use recommendations which serve to preserve the mostly rural atmosphere in
the areas around the lake. This issue will be raised at the next Officers
meeting.
A good amount of
time was spent discussing ideas regarding recommendations for commercial
development. As with many aesthetically pleasing communities such as Pine
Hurst, NC, Cape Charles, VA, and Williamsburg, VA, we would like to see
concentration or clustering of commercial establishments in existing
towns/villages which already have the infrastructure or support for the
infrastructure rather than unending strip malls. The infrastructure is critical
to support clusters of businesses which require water, sewer, stormwater runoff
measures and access to transportation routes. Without control over growing
stormwater runoff from parking areas at businesses we can look forward to
increasing pollution to the lake which is the receptacle for the runoff at this
point.
The committee will
continue to look at sound examples to use for planning and the scientific
reasons for incorporating measures to protect the water quality and fishery of
Lake Gaston.
The next meeting of
the P&D Committee is Nov. 21, 2009 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development Committee:
Sep 19, 2008
Attendees: Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders,
Tony Moran, John Boyle and Fred Kneissel.
Those present of the committee reported on the findings
from a number of web searches for information regarding methods to promote the
preservation of the lake environment and quality of life by exploitation of
measures to limit runoff of sedimentation and chemicals into the lake. Many of
these measures are similar to what are being effectively used in coastal
communities to preserve the health of the shellfish and regular fisheries.
These measures can have significant benefit long term at Lake Gaston in
minimizing the nutrient runoff into the water and improving the water quality
for the fishery. The measures would also add to the ambiance of the lake
through the utilization of vegetated buffer zones.
Some time was spent discussing particular recommendations
that would be made along with the benefits that could be cited for the actions
recommended. We also discussed which other organizations interested in the
preservation of the ecology of the lake might be contacted for support for some
of the ideas that we have. We continue to learn new approaches for expressing
what we would like to recommend to the county governments. Success will depend
on the active support of the general membership of the Lake Gaston Association.
Roland and Jack will send the sites of the web locations
where the most helpful data was found to the other Committee members.
We intend to continue to collect data associated with
better utilization of land area to allow development while maintaining and
improving the environment and quality of life for all residents and property
owners surrounding the lake. Such practices can also go a long way to
preserving the value of the investments around the lake.
The next meeting of the P&D Committee is Oct. 17, 2008 at the EFG&G.
Planning and Development
Committee: Aug 15, 2008
Attendees:
Roland Beauchaine, Jack Saunders, Tony Moran, Joee Hoxter, David Duxbury,
Calvin Deshields, Sandra DeLair and Fred Kneissel. Consultant attending was
LGA President, John Cataldo.
The first item of
business was to review the actions that have been taken to date by the committee
and what has been committed to writing. We spent some time then again
addressing our purpose of influencing planning and zoning decisions within an
area proximate to the lake, and the ways we might achieve that influence. We
then went back to figuring out how to influence the decisions without specifying
characteristics which could be interpreted as obstructionist. These
recommendations are best expressed in limits such as maximum impervious surfaces
as a percentage of overall lot size. Such recommendations need to be made based
on scientific and ecological rationale and factual data. The same can be said
for vegetative setbacks and buffers.
We assigned a
series of assignments to be accomplished before the next meeting and to be
reported and shared among the committee members, including contacts with the
Soil Conservancy Group in Warren County, the NC Dept of Environmental and
Natural Resources, Virginia Dept of Environmental Quality and potentially other
help in Raleigh.
There are many
other considerations which we need to address such as minimum sanitation
safeguards, siltation control, water pollution, and infrastructure impacts.
We will continue to
see what elements of existing comprehensive planning documents can be adopted
for local usage. Specifically we will look at the commercial development
portions of the Northampton County, Va and Pine Hurst, NC plans.
The next meeting of
the P&D Committee is Sept. 19, 2008 at the EFG&G.
The first item of business was to discuss the result of the
discussion at the Executive Committee meeting regarding setting aside $15,000
for a study to be performed by the UNC Center for Community Design. John
Cataldo reported that the Officers were willing to bankroll an outside group
prepared document (as much as $15K) if the Chairman of
the P&D committee gave some assurance of a usable product. The Chair did not due
to questions related to the value of the study. Roland indicated that the
Committee needed to determine if it was the intention to communicate to Dr.
Salveson at UNC that we are not going to proceed with such a study as had been
proposed at this time. The Committee agreed that was the intention. Roland
said he would communicate with Dr. Salveson.
The Committee then addressed the value which might be
gained by using existing Comprehensive Development Plans from other locations.
It was properly identified that the plans which have been referenced now and in
the past are not cut and paste applicable to our location or challenge. Several
committee members indicated that there are parts which could be exploited and
maybe parts of other plans which could be mixed in together for a document more
representative of the environment and current state of affairs here. The chair
will look at what could be picked from various plans for potential use.
The Committee discussed what our next steps should be to
get back to progressing to a level of agreement that communication can be
initiated with the local governing and administrative contacts in the counties.
Bob Kenefick recommended person to person communication with several of the key
individuals in each county to find out what their objectives are and to
determine if there is a way to blend objectives to best serve the community. He
suggested finding ways to avoid setting up �we� vs �them� situations.
The Committee then asked for a recap of what we had
identified as our key objectives and what has been accomplished. The chair was
asked to provide a synopsis before the next meeting. The P&D Committee meets
the third Friday of the month at 0830 in the Eaton�s Ferry Grocery and Grill
meeting room.
