revising land-use plans under the new CAMA 

 rules. The new rules link land use to coastal 

 water quality — with attention to nonpoint 

 pollution sources such as stormwater runoff. 



Since then, Ardizone has convened 

 roundtable discussions for local government 

 agencies and developers to explore topics 

 such as land-use compatibility and water 

 quality guidelines. The dialogue begins with 

 identifying natural resource features and their 

 ecological functions — and how they might 

 figure in land-use planning. 



Part of the exercise is to help people 

 think about issues in the long term, she 

 explains. 



For example, much of coastal North 

 Carolina is still rural, but that could change 

 as large farm and timber operations are sold 

 to real estate developers. Increased numbers 

 of outlying developments stretch any local 

 government's ability to provide services and 

 resources. 



"Land-use planning is proactive. It's a 

 vital component in a community's ability to 

 control its own destiny," Ardizone says. 



A strong land-use plan could serve 

 as a benchmark for measuring future 

 development proposals. 



While CAMA land-use planning has 

 been quietly at work for three decades, 

 other development approaches more 

 recently have made their way into the 

 popular press. Sustainable Development, 

 Green Building, Smart Growth, Low-Impact 

 Design, New Urbanism and Mixed-Use 

 Development have become buzz-words in 

 development discussions. 



Each is a variation on a theme: balance 

 environmental and economic goals while 

 creating livable communities. 



Specific definitions get tricky. Mary 

 Beth Powell, associate director of the UNC 

 Center for Urban and Regional Studies, 

 defines Smart Growth this way: "Smart 



Growth is about making places that are 

 worth caring about, economically sound, 

 environmentally friendly, supportive of 

 community livability, and that enhance the 

 quality of life." 



But a definition — even a 

 comprehensive one — goes only so far. The 

 devil is in the details. 



Come along on a "tour" of two 

 environmentally friendly building projects to 

 see how — from planning to production — 

 attention to details formed the foundation 

 for success. 



One is a large-scale community 

 being carved out of a pine plantation in 

 Pamlico County that takes the sustainable 

 development approach. 



The other shows how individual 

 homeowners can build their dream house 

 green and clean. 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 



