Ok...I admit, I have been super-busy the last few weeks. But, in that time, our website has perhaps overtaken the blog as the most reliable means of up-to-the-minute information from the Town. That's as it should be, though. So, I want to ask: Is anyone reading this blog? If you do, please email me at mjohnson@jamestown-nc.gov and tell me to keep posting. Otherwise, I'll probably move the blog into a holding pattern until I have more time to devote to it.
Let me know!
~Matthew
8.25.2008
7.15.2008
It Has Been A While...
It has been quite a while since I've posted. Almost a month in fact! I do apologize, but it has been a busy time. The July 4th Parade sponsored by the Jamestown Lion's Club was a great success. Despite the warm weather, a lot of residents came out to see the parade and visit with neighbors.
The Planning Department will be presenting two requests for rezoning at the Town Council meeting this evening. The first case involves a request to rezone the property at 411 E. Main St. from residential (R-15) to conditional use agriculture (CU-AG). The applicant wishes to create pasture lands for horses on this property and will clear a portion of the property in the coming months for that purpose.
The second request involves a portion of property located behind the Mendenhall Plantation. The entrance will be located immediately opposite of Kearns St. There will be a new public street built in this area to serve a 10 acre lot where the applicant desires to locate a nursing facility. This facility will be approximately 72,000 sq. ft. in size and will bring a number of new residents and jobs to Jamestown. This is a challenging site, and engineering design work will likely take some time to complete. I would expect this to be approximately a 2 year project to complete.
The Planning Department will also ask Council to set a public hearing date for the expansion of our ETJ (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) for September 16, 2008. Notices will go out to property owners in this area on July 28th. The Town Manager will update Council on the status of the Downtown Business Study which was recently completed by Hilary Greenberg of Greenberg Development Services. We have received an initial draft and are reviewing the material at this time. Once we have received the final copy, I will have it posted to our website for easy viewing.
Our Tree Preservation Ordinance (which was a grant project through NCDFR)is almost done! Copies are available through the Planning Department and should be on the web before the end of this week. Check the 'News & Notices' Section. Also, keep your eyes posted on this section to see our new Sign Ordinance. The final draft of the Sign Ordinance is nearly complete and I think it is a very fair and balanced product, which was written by a gentleman with many years of experience in this area. I believe everyone will be able to work within its bounds and I look forward to seeing people's reactions!
I hope everyone is enjoying their summertime vacations and hopefully I'll have more opportunities to post in the near future.
~Matthew
The Planning Department will be presenting two requests for rezoning at the Town Council meeting this evening. The first case involves a request to rezone the property at 411 E. Main St. from residential (R-15) to conditional use agriculture (CU-AG). The applicant wishes to create pasture lands for horses on this property and will clear a portion of the property in the coming months for that purpose.
The second request involves a portion of property located behind the Mendenhall Plantation. The entrance will be located immediately opposite of Kearns St. There will be a new public street built in this area to serve a 10 acre lot where the applicant desires to locate a nursing facility. This facility will be approximately 72,000 sq. ft. in size and will bring a number of new residents and jobs to Jamestown. This is a challenging site, and engineering design work will likely take some time to complete. I would expect this to be approximately a 2 year project to complete.
The Planning Department will also ask Council to set a public hearing date for the expansion of our ETJ (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) for September 16, 2008. Notices will go out to property owners in this area on July 28th. The Town Manager will update Council on the status of the Downtown Business Study which was recently completed by Hilary Greenberg of Greenberg Development Services. We have received an initial draft and are reviewing the material at this time. Once we have received the final copy, I will have it posted to our website for easy viewing.
Our Tree Preservation Ordinance (which was a grant project through NCDFR)is almost done! Copies are available through the Planning Department and should be on the web before the end of this week. Check the 'News & Notices' Section. Also, keep your eyes posted on this section to see our new Sign Ordinance. The final draft of the Sign Ordinance is nearly complete and I think it is a very fair and balanced product, which was written by a gentleman with many years of experience in this area. I believe everyone will be able to work within its bounds and I look forward to seeing people's reactions!
I hope everyone is enjoying their summertime vacations and hopefully I'll have more opportunities to post in the near future.
~Matthew
6.20.2008
Goals for FY 2008-2009
Good morning! It has been a few days since my last post, and for that I apologize. We have been busy over the past 2 weeks with a number of exciting projects that necessitated evening meetings. That has reduced my time allowance for posting information to the blog site.
As the Jamestown News reported, the Town hired Hilary Greenberg of Greenberg Development Services to give us a rundown on the health of our business community. Originally, this was to be a collaborative effort between the Town and the Jamestown Bussiness Assocation (JBA). While we had a good turnout for the individual interviews (many thanks to Martha Wolfe for her help in getting that set up for us!!!!), I was a little disappointed that more folks did not show up for Hilary's presentation on Wednesday evening. Often, the Town is accused of being "difficult" when it comes to businesses. I suppose I hear that more often than most becuase of my job as the "Enforcement Officer", though. However, when the Town does attempt to open the channels of communication, it is discouraging to see such a meager turnout! I hope we can correct these issues in the future! Hilary's report on the "health" of our business community will be coming soon. I will make sure a digital copy is posted on our website. Stay tuned!
On Tuesday, our Town Council adopted the 2008-2009 budget, which begins on July 1. The Planning Dpeartment has outlined several goals that I would like to see completed in the upcoming fiscal year:
-- Complete a Deep River Paddle Trail/Greenway Plan
-- Complete the Development Ordinance Rewrite
-- Complete the Tree Preservation Ordinance
-- Complete a Pedestrian Master Plan
-- Complee a study of our Downtown areas with Greenberg Development Services
-- Acquire neighborhood park lands and re-apply for a PARTF grant (to develop)
-- Complete the expansion of our ETJ
-- Investigating the possibility of annexations
If you have specific questions about any of these tasks, I would encourage you to contact me at 336.454.1138 or mjohnson@jamestown-nc.gov.
Have a great weekend!
As the Jamestown News reported, the Town hired Hilary Greenberg of Greenberg Development Services to give us a rundown on the health of our business community. Originally, this was to be a collaborative effort between the Town and the Jamestown Bussiness Assocation (JBA). While we had a good turnout for the individual interviews (many thanks to Martha Wolfe for her help in getting that set up for us!!!!), I was a little disappointed that more folks did not show up for Hilary's presentation on Wednesday evening. Often, the Town is accused of being "difficult" when it comes to businesses. I suppose I hear that more often than most becuase of my job as the "Enforcement Officer", though. However, when the Town does attempt to open the channels of communication, it is discouraging to see such a meager turnout! I hope we can correct these issues in the future! Hilary's report on the "health" of our business community will be coming soon. I will make sure a digital copy is posted on our website. Stay tuned!
On Tuesday, our Town Council adopted the 2008-2009 budget, which begins on July 1. The Planning Dpeartment has outlined several goals that I would like to see completed in the upcoming fiscal year:
-- Complete a Deep River Paddle Trail/Greenway Plan
-- Complete the Development Ordinance Rewrite
-- Complete the Tree Preservation Ordinance
-- Complete a Pedestrian Master Plan
-- Complee a study of our Downtown areas with Greenberg Development Services
-- Acquire neighborhood park lands and re-apply for a PARTF grant (to develop)
-- Complete the expansion of our ETJ
-- Investigating the possibility of annexations
If you have specific questions about any of these tasks, I would encourage you to contact me at 336.454.1138 or mjohnson@jamestown-nc.gov.
Have a great weekend!
6.05.2008
Birthday "Surprise"
This is what your co-workers do to you when: 1)You are responsible for enforcing the Town's sign ordinance; 2)Election "season" just passed; 3)It's your birtday; 4)All of the above.
Yes...my office was plastered with old election signs as a "birthday surpise". So, as you can see, I had to pick these signs up TWICE! It was a thoughtful gesture, though, and I had a great laugh. Contrary to popular belief, I am NOT 42...but rather, 32 this year.
I suppose it just goes to show you that government employees CAN have a sense of humor, too!
Enjoy your day...
~Matthew
6.03.2008
Greg Niles Remembered
The planning community, as well as the citizens of Guilford County, lost a great guy this past Saturday. Greg Niles was one of the most sincere and genuine folks I have ever met. I had the pleasure of working with him on a number of projects, the most recent being the expansion of our ETJ, which required County approval. I had a lot of respect for Greg and enjoyed his keen sense of humor. He will certainly be missed by his family, his staff, and those who had the pleasure of working with him.
This is from the Greensboro News & Record:
Kenneth Greg Niles
GREENSBORO — Kenneth Greg Niles passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, May 31, 2008, in Greensboro, N.C.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church.
Greg was the planning and development director for Guilford County.
Greg was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 23, 1963, and grew up in Oneonta in Upstate New York. He attended school in Oneonta and graduated from Oneonta High School in 1981. During high school, Greg was a Rotary Exchange student and spent a year living and studying in Australia. Greg earned a bachelors degree from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va., in 1985. Shortly after graduating from Washington & Lee, Greg joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the Island of Cebu in the Republic of the Philippines. Greg specialized in community water projects.
While serving in the Philippines, Greg met fellow Peace Corps volunteer, Claire Conlan. They married on their return to the United States and Greg began his Masters studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Greg's career in municipal planning included positions with Otsego County in Cooperstown, New York, the city of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and the city of Marco Island, Florida before assuming the position in Guilford County in 2005.
Greg will be remembered by all who knew him as a loving husband, father, son, brother friend and neighbor. He was completely dedicated to his family and to public service. His warmth and sense of humor will never be forgotten.
Greg is survived by his wife, Claire; their three sons, Connor, Aidan and Liam; his mother, Isabelle Niles of Oneonta, New York and his brother, George Lee Niles of Edmond, Oklahoma. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by many brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
The family will receive visitors from 3 until 5 and from 7 until 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, at the Forbis & Dick Funeral Home, 5926 West Friendly Ave. in Greensboro, N.C.
The family requests no flowers. Contributions may be made to the Greg Niles Educational Fund at any Bank of America.
On-line condolences may be offered at www.forbisanddick.com
This is from the Greensboro News & Record:
Kenneth Greg Niles
GREENSBORO — Kenneth Greg Niles passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, May 31, 2008, in Greensboro, N.C.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church.
Greg was the planning and development director for Guilford County.
Greg was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 23, 1963, and grew up in Oneonta in Upstate New York. He attended school in Oneonta and graduated from Oneonta High School in 1981. During high school, Greg was a Rotary Exchange student and spent a year living and studying in Australia. Greg earned a bachelors degree from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va., in 1985. Shortly after graduating from Washington & Lee, Greg joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the Island of Cebu in the Republic of the Philippines. Greg specialized in community water projects.
While serving in the Philippines, Greg met fellow Peace Corps volunteer, Claire Conlan. They married on their return to the United States and Greg began his Masters studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Greg's career in municipal planning included positions with Otsego County in Cooperstown, New York, the city of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and the city of Marco Island, Florida before assuming the position in Guilford County in 2005.
Greg will be remembered by all who knew him as a loving husband, father, son, brother friend and neighbor. He was completely dedicated to his family and to public service. His warmth and sense of humor will never be forgotten.
Greg is survived by his wife, Claire; their three sons, Connor, Aidan and Liam; his mother, Isabelle Niles of Oneonta, New York and his brother, George Lee Niles of Edmond, Oklahoma. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by many brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
The family will receive visitors from 3 until 5 and from 7 until 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, at the Forbis & Dick Funeral Home, 5926 West Friendly Ave. in Greensboro, N.C.
The family requests no flowers. Contributions may be made to the Greg Niles Educational Fund at any Bank of America.
On-line condolences may be offered at www.forbisanddick.com
5.27.2008
Tree Ordinance Update & Pruning at Town Hall
"Before"
"After"
Good morning, folks. We are wrapping up our tree ordinance and will hopefully have it ready for a public hearing at the July Town Council meeting. If you'd like to see a copy of the draft document, please let me know and I can email you a PDF of it. I will be meeting with our consultant this afternoon to decide which graphics to insert and just where they will go. I believe most people would rather see decent graphics instead of reading the actual text...so we will try hard to get some images in there that are self-explanatory.
Speaking of images, I want to share a couple of pictures with you of the pruning job that Davey Tree performed on a couple of oak trees here at Town Hall. The work was completed on Friday, May 23rd. As you can see in the "Before" and "After" shots, there isn't a LOT of visible difference. However, if you were to actually walk up and inspect the tree, quite a bit of material was removed. This is how a pruning job SHOULD look. Your trees should NOT look like this:
Tree "Topping" is actually VERY harmful to the tree and is NOT the correct method of pruning! The Town of Jamestown highly recommends that you seek the services of an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified Arborist. If you have questions or would like more information, I urge you to contact me at 336.454.1138 or mjohnson@jamestown-nc.gov for more information. I would be happy to discuss your trees with you, as I am also a Certified Arborist. While the Town does not perform tree work or make diagnosis of trees, I would be happy to point you towards those companies which employ Certified Arborists.
Have a great afternoon!
~Matthew (ISA Certified Arborist #MA-3153A)
5.15.2008
Sailing Away...
I've been away from posting for a few days, but I hope to get back into the swing of things soon. Part of the reason is that I've been taking a sailing class after work, which leaves little time to post. But, that is over now...and I'm getting back on the right tack. Ha ha. The course is sponsored by the the City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation Dept and Lake Townsend Yacht Club (http://www.laketownsendyachtclub.com/Includes/homeport.asp). I would encourage anyone interested in sailing to check out the course. The instructors are great and I'd recommend it for persons of any age!
Well, we do have some news to report that relates to Planning! The Town recently learned that it was the recipient of a grant award from NCDOT's Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning Division for $24,000! This grant is an 80/20-style grant, where the Town will be responsible for matching the award with 20%...or $6,000 in this case. We will be using these funds to create a Pedestrian Master Plan, which will discuss the state of our current pedestrian facilities and make recommendations for new facilities. Our goal is to have a prioritized list of needs, and to then begin to tackle those needs in a logical fashion. We will coordinate efforts with our Development Ordinance Rewrite folks, our Downtown Study folks, and our citizens to ensure we come out with a plan that complements our other planning efforts! Stay tuned for more info, or feel free to call me at 336-454-1138!
Well, we do have some news to report that relates to Planning! The Town recently learned that it was the recipient of a grant award from NCDOT's Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning Division for $24,000! This grant is an 80/20-style grant, where the Town will be responsible for matching the award with 20%...or $6,000 in this case. We will be using these funds to create a Pedestrian Master Plan, which will discuss the state of our current pedestrian facilities and make recommendations for new facilities. Our goal is to have a prioritized list of needs, and to then begin to tackle those needs in a logical fashion. We will coordinate efforts with our Development Ordinance Rewrite folks, our Downtown Study folks, and our citizens to ensure we come out with a plan that complements our other planning efforts! Stay tuned for more info, or feel free to call me at 336-454-1138!
~Matthew
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