NEWS

How would you balance the tension between development and open space?

Rusty Knox - unopposed candidate for Mayor

Davidson currently has roughly 65% of our 37,000+/- acres undeveloped. The larger owners of this land are Davidson College, the Town of Davidson, and Mecklenburg County. The remaining undeveloped land is privately held. Our ordinance requires roughly 50% open space in all development. As we move towards future development, working in concert with developers on how new neighborhoods will be designed will be most important. One idea is to incentivize what our requirements are with what the developers want. Getting AH units on the ground could be accomplished by adding density. Keeping large portions of developments open and accessible can be a win for the Town, developers, and for residents. Understanding that with such a small footprint, you get one chance to get it right should always be the focus.

Ryan Fay - candidate for Town Commissioner

North Carolina is a Dillion’s Rule state, so our ability to prevent development is somewhat limited by the state legislature. However, our staff and elected officials spent a lot of time working on our Utility Services and Annexation Criteria (USAC). In my opinion, this is a fair and equitable process to determine development on the periphery of our town. In essence, this policy allows the town to limit water and sewer service extensions and annexation requests to property located within our town limits or extra-territorial jurisdiction based on a series of predetermined criteria that the town has established for growing thoughtfully and intentionally. As stated in our 2020 Comprehensive Plan, new growth will enhance the Town’s livability and occur using a tiered and incremental approach to meet the needs of a growing community. Through the USAC, we are able to provide a consistent tool to developers and our planning staff to evaluate proposed developments. If developers adhere to at least 65% or better of our USCA framework, including strict design standards, sustainability standards and community benefit, then their project can continue on the simpler administrative pathway. Should the project score less than 65%, the developer has an opportunity to revise the plan to meet the minimum threshold or may choose a legislative pathway which will include going through the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners for consideration. This tool allows our town to ensure that development adheres to the requirements of our DPO and current adopted plans.

Steve Justus - candidate for Town Commissioner

It is difficult if not impossible to recover open space once lost. For that reason, preservation of open space takes precedence. However, not all undeveloped, open spaces are equal. Woodlands, wetlands, prime agricultural soil and wildlife corridors are all valuable characteristics which should be taken into account when identifying tracts of land for preservation. It is imperative for the town to work with the Davidson Lands Conservancy, other nonprofits and the county to understand where these tracts of land are in our jurisdiction and collaborate to preserve them. Other tracts of land with proximity to major thoroughfares, services and amenities may be better suited for development. Our DPO is currently configured to incorporate open space preservation within developments and working with developers to achieve a mutually satisfactory solution is required.

David Lusk - candidate for Town Commissioner

Because our town ordinance requires new developments to preserve roughly 50% open space, increasing density, including through vertical construction, is often the most practical way to balance growth with preservation. This approach can protect open land while helping address affordability. The reality, however, is that denser, taller buildings must be located somewhere and this means certain neighborhoods will inevitably experience

Compact development also carries benefits beyond housing. By allowing more people to live within walkable, mixed-use areas, it encourages car-free living that reduces congestion, lowers emissions, and supports healthier lifestyles. Done well, these projects can enhance both affordability and quality of life.

Equally important is how the Town partners with developers. Efforts such as the collaboration with Summit Farms General Partners show that when the Town holds firm to its priorities while still working constructively, it is possible to achieve solutions that serve both community needs and long-term goals. Maintaining a principled yet pragmatic balance will be critical as we shape the future of Davidson.

Tracy Mattison Brandon - candidate for Town Commissioner

While development brings housing, jobs, and infrastructure that our community relies on and open space preserves ecosystems, community well-being, and long-term resilience, I believe that smart growth, mixed-use zoning, land trusts and conservation easements and green infrastructure must be considered in preserving our town’s character. It is important to focus on development that enables people to live, shop, and work without needing cars. Mixed-use zoning allows for multiple purposes such as housing above shops, play areas and open gathering spaces to be woven in with the possibility to revitalize spaces. Land trusts and conservation easements are needed to protect key open spaces while channeling growth. Incorporating natural systems such as tree canopies and rain gardens into developed areas benefits our overall health and wellbeing.

Autumn Rierson Michael

While I have always considered the tension between development and open space an unnecessary binary choice, I certainly see the relationship between the two, as development pressures from Charlotte continue to affect us here in the Lake Norman region. Davidson has proudly tried to maintain that balancing act between community identity and preservation, economic growth, and long-term sustainability, with the hope that we can do all these things in an intentional way that meets the needs of Davidsonians. We have to continue to do our work together–sometimes with surgical precision–with community visioning, available conservation tools, and growth management techniques, and always with our local and regional nonprofit and government partners.

Connie Wessner

We have an advantage in Davidson because our planning philosophy has centered on finding a balance between open space and development for decades. We’ve made tree canopy a priority. We’ve insisted that development plans preserve open spaces. We owe that framework to the foresight and resolve of past Town Boards. They knew that the closer our Town moved to build-out, the more pressure we’d face from competing claims on land use.

We’re extremely fortunate that engaged, forward-thinking citizens stepped up back then to launch the Davidson Lands Conservancy (DLC). They created an independent voice for open space and claimed a seat at the table on its behalf. Decades later, the expertise DLC offers our Town is invaluable for protecting the balance our ordinances try to strike between development and open space.

Just as importantly, DLC is helping Davidson raise a new generation of citizens who understand the broader value of open, natural spaces and the contribution green space makes to the quality of life we enjoy. DLC events, summer camps, and volunteer opportunities help land conservation come alive as a relevant issue.

My DLC Board service helped shape my understanding of the issue and informed the choices I made later as a planning board member and as Town Commissioner. Finding balance between the built environment and green space is a task that changes with the possibilities and constraints in every plan seeking approval. What doesn’t change is that the land needs a voice at the development table.