The intent of this subchapter is to preserve the scenic beauty and natural environment of the town’s hillside areas vital to preservation of a high quality of life, preservation of the natural heritage and continued development that is critical to the economic future of the citizens of the town.
(A) All land development and construction clearly visible from section of N.C. Highways 184 and or 194 within a viewshed area. This section shall apply to all development within the viewshed area taking place after the adoption of this amendment, including single-family residences.
(B) The Zoning Administrator or his or her designee shall make an on-site inspection to determine if the development, as proposed, can be seen during any season of the year from major traffic corridors. The Zoning Administrator’s determination may be appealed to the Board of Adjustments in accordance with § 152.270 of this chapter.
(C) Person developing property in the viewshed shall strive to preserve foliage and trees on the property with a goal of minimizing the visual impact of the development from the major corridors. Clearing cutting is prohibited; however, considerations shall be given toward ensuring the safety of the structure to be constructed.
(D) All development in the viewshed shall include a plan for landscape buffering, in the line of sight of the major corridor, to reduce the extent, reasonably possible, of the visual impact of the development from the major corridors. Such plans, in the case of the construction of a single-family home, need not be “formal” or prepared by a landscape profession, but must be in writing sufficiently detailed to allow the Administrator to know what is planned.
(E) All development along ridgelines must be designed in an effort to reasonably minimizes the visual impact of such development as seen from the major traffic corridors. To this end, the Zoning Administrator may suggest a redesign of a site development plan or may require specific landscape buffering, such as trees and other plant material, to be installed. In spirit with this section, no structure shall make a silhouette or stand out against the sky on the ridges, as visible from the major traffic corridors.
(Ord. passed 3-14-2005; Ord. passed 10-10-2016; Ord. passed 3-14-2019, § 504)