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In November 2005,
Pike County voters affirmed the importance of preserving and
protecting the natural resources of Pike County and the County's
scenic rural character, by voting "Yes" with a margin of more than 2
to 1 on the Scenic Rural Character Preservation $10 Million bond
referendum placed on the ballot by the County Commissioners.
This vote was in keeping with the
findings of the Pike County Planning Commission’s Community Survey
completed in summer 2004 as part of the update of Pike County's
Comprehensive Plan. Approval of the Scenic Rural Character
Preservation Bond was an important step in protecting the County's
natural resources, preserving sensitive natural areas and critical
open space, providing parks and recreation areas and improving
planning efforts at both the County and Municipal levels.
Early in 2006, the Commissioners
moved forward with the implementation of the voters’ directive by
soliciting for interested citizens to serve on the County's Scenic
Rural Character Preservation Board. A nine-member Board with two
alternates was appointed in April 2006. The Scenic Rural
Character Preservation Board met regularly throughout the
year working on the development of policies and procedures for the
administration of the County's first Scenic Rural
Character Preservation Program.
The Pike County
Commissioners in September 2006 voted in favor of financing a
portion of the $10 million SRCP Bond to jump start the program.
Initially $1.2 million will be financed over three years. These
funds will be used to start the Pike County Agricultural Land
Preservation Program (giving the County access to significant State
funds), to provide technical planning assistance for the
municipalities and to offer planning grants for
municipal/multi-municipal comprehensive and open space plans.
Also in Fall 2006, the Preservation
Board presented a Municipal Planning Initiatives Grant Manual to the Commissioners for their review. The Commissioners approved
the Manual on October 18, 2006, and it was distributed to the
thirteen municipalities in the county. The Municipal Planning
Initiatives Manual contains the guidelines for Pike County
municipalities to access Scenic Rural Character Preservation Program
funds for the purposes of “municipal planning.” Grant funds under
this aspect of the program are provided for municipalities to
undertake the development or update of Municipal Comprehensive
and/or Open Space Plans or the update of land use ordinances such as
Subdivision and Land Development (SALDO), Zoning, Stormwater or
Floodplain Ordinances.
By December 2006, seven Pike County
municipalities had submitted “Notices of Intent” to apply for funds
under the SRCP Program to complete planning and
ordinance projects. Applications are due to the County under the
program by March 31, 2007. Grant awards for Municipal Planning
Initiatives under the SRCP Program are expected to be
announced early in 2007.
Currently, the Scenic Rural Character
Preservation Board is moving
forward on the Scenic Rural Character Preservation Program
Manual, which will provide funding guidelines for Conservation
Easements and Acquisitions as well as the continuation of the
Municipal Planning Initiatives. This Pike County Scenic
Rural Character Preservation Program Manual is scheduled for
completion in late Spring 2007. (Please note: Any purchase of
conservation easements or acquisitions of parcels will be from
“willing sellers” only as defined in the original language of the
Scenic Rural Character Preservation Bond referendum listed on the
November 2005 ballot.)
The
implementation of the County’s $10 million Scenic Rural Character
Preservation Bond through the Pike County Scenic Rural
Character Preservation Program will help provide valuable
tools to residents and local governments for managing growth and
protecting important land and water resources.
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