Final CCCP 02.20.11

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2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Project Acknowledgements

NC Department of Commerce
Adopting Board of Commissioners
Community Development Division
Commissioner Herbert “Hub” Cheeks, Chairman Community Planning Program
Commissioner Harry Jarrett Western Regional Office
Commissioner Stephen “Doc” Sellers 31 College Place, Building B
Asheville, NC 28801
Clay County Board of Commissioners 828.251.6914
Commissioner Stephen Sellers, Chairman www.nccommerce.com/wro
Commissioner Dwight Penland Kristy Carter, Appalachian Regional Commission Community Planner
Commissioner Dan McGlamery Clay County Comprehensive Plan Project Coordinator
kcarter@nccommerce.com
Clay County Comprehensive Planning Committee Western Regional Office Planning Staff
Karen Smith, AICP, Chief Planner
Dr. Gail Criss, Chair Virginia Faust, AICP, Senior Planner
Town of Hayesville Mayor Harrell Moore Ron Hancock, AICP, Community Development Planner
Keith Nuckolls Glen Locascio, GIS Specialist
Frank Leatherwood Jan Pamfilis, Administrative Assistant
Ron Guggisberg
Elizabeth Rybicki
Sara Day Evans, Western Regional Coordinator
Ed Roach
North Carolina Department of Commerce
Tanya Long
Community Development Division
Dennis Myers
Western Regional Office
Joe Allen Davenport
31 College Place, Bldg. B
Commissioner Harry Jarrett, Ex Officio
Asheville, NC 28801
828.989.3799
Clay County Government sevans@nccommerce.com
Clay County, North Carolina www.nccommerce.com/21cc
Clay County Government

Paul Leek, County Manager Olivia Collier, ARC Program Manager
PO Box 118 4313 Mail Service Center
33 Main Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4313
Hayesville, NC 28904 919.571.4965, Ext. 222
828.389.0089 ocollier@ncommerce.com
manager@clayconc.gov www.nccommerce.com/arc Page
www.clayconc.gov I
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Table of Contents
Introduction and Overview

Purpose of the Plan 1
Plan Organization 1
Comprehensive Planning Committee 1
Planning Process 3
Summary of Community Input 3
Phase One: General Community Input 3
Community and Small Group Meetings 3
Community Opinion Survey 3
Community Input Report 3
Phase Two and Three: Responding to the Draft Plan and Formal Public Hearing 4
Phase Four: Commissioner Adoption 4
Themes of the Comprehensive Plan 4
Quality of Life Values 5
Clay County Snapshot 5
Review of Past Planning Efforts 5
History of Planning 5
Review of Existing Plans 6
Plan Study and Comparison Areas 6
Study Area 6
Comparison Area 8
Chapter 1: Demographic Overview
Population Trends 11
Historic Population Analysis: 1940-2000 11
Current Population Analysis: 2000-2010 12
Future Population Analysis: 2010-2030 12
Selected Population Forecast 13
Population Density 13
Town of Hayesville Population 14
Age Trends 14
Age Distribution 14
The Baby Boom Generation 15
Median Age 16
Race and Ethnicity 16
Demographic Key Planning Issues and Opportunities 17
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Table of Contents 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Chapter 2: Regional Opportunities

Regional Opportunities 19
Regional Opportunities Concept 19
Chapter 3: Agriculture and Natural Resources

Agriculture
Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan 23
Soil Suitability 25
Agriculture Challenges 25
Farmland Preservation Efforts 25
Opportunities and Solutions 25
Summary of Key Agricultural Issues and Opportunities 29
Agriculture Concept Plan
Natural Resources
Landscape and Topography 31
Water Quality 31
Groundwater 31
Surface Waters 33
Water Regulation Zones 33
Floodplains 36
Wetlands 38
Rare Species Occurrences 38
Nantahala National Forest 40
Wildland/Urban Interface 40
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation 42
Steep Slopes 42
Landslide Safety 45
Wildfire Safety 45
Fire and Emergency Response Safety 45
Slope Regulation in Other Communities 46
Summary of Natural Resources Issues and Opportunities 46
Natural Resources Concept Plan
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Chapter 4: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources

A Sample of Historic and Cultural Resources 49
National Register of Historic Places and Archeological Sites 49
The Clay County Historical Museum 50
Cherokee Winter House 50
Historic Clay County Courthouse 50
Peacock Playhouse, Licklog Players 50
Clay County Communities Revitalization Association 51
Historic Hayesville, Merchants Association 51
Community and Cultural Events 51
John C. Campbell Folk School 51
Moss Memorial Library 53
Connection to the Region 53
Parks and Recreation Facilities 53
Clay County Recreation Department Facilities 53
Lake Recreation 53
Other Recreation Facilities 56
Future Recreation Opportunities 56
Key Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources Issues Opportunities 56
Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources Concept Plan
Chapter 5: Land Stewardship

Existing Land Use 57
Existing Land Use Survey 57
Land Use Patterns 59
Residential Land Use Patterns 59
Land Subdivision 59
Suggested Subdivision Ordinance Improvements 59
Residential Market Trends 63
New Construction Building Permit Activity 63
Manufactured Housing Permit Activity 65
Single-Family Building Permit Activity Compared to the Region 65
Housing Characteristics 66
Seasonal Housing 66
Multi-Family Housing 66
Affordability 66
Clay County Property Values 67 Page
v
Clay County Property Values Compared to Other Counties 67

Commercial/Office Trends 68
Industrial Development Trends 68
Land Supply for Development 68
Clay County Future Land Use Map 69
Future Land Development Concept 69
Encourage Development in Developed Areas 69
Site Resource Assessment Program 73
Conservation Subdivisions 73
Conservation Easements and Land Trusts 73
Clay County Rural Pathways 74
Clay County Rural Crossroads 75
Key Land Stewardship Issues and Opportunities 75
Land Stewardship Concept Plan
Chapter 6: Transportation
Existing Transportation Network 77
Roadways 77
Future Road Projects 77
Public Transportation 82
Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities 82
Bridges 82
Review of State Transportation Plans 83
Scenic By-Ways 83
Future Transportation Map 84
Transportation Actions 84
Transportation Concept Plan
Chapter 7: Utilities and Community Facilities

Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment 87
Clay County Water and Sewer District Overview 87
Water Supply and Treatment 87
Wastewater Treatment Facilities 89
On-Site Wastewater Treatment and Private Wells 89
Solid Waste Disposal 90
Page Recycling 91
vi Technology Planning 91
High Speed Internet 91
Technology Based Education 93
Public Safety, Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services 94
Public Safety 94
Fire Protection 94
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 95
Clay County Schools 95
Higher Education 97
Health Care Facilities 97
Child Care Facilities 98
Key Utilities and Community Facilities Issues and Opportunities 98
Utilities and Community Facilities Concept Plan
Chapter 8: Economic Development

Existing Economic Development Framework 101
Workforce Flow 101
Labor Force Trends 101
Unemployment Trends 103
Employment Sectors and Trends 104
Non-Employer Income 106
Employment Projections 107
Educational Attainment 107
Income Data 108
Largest Employers 109
Economic Development Program 110
Maximize Existing Economic Development Resources 110
Workforce Development 112
Organizing for Economic Development 112
Role of the County Commission 113
Economic Building Blocks 114
Building Clay’s Economy Through Economic Infrastructure 114
Highway Accessibility 114
Labor Costs 114
Construction Costs and Occupancy 114
Availability of Skilled Labor 114
State and Local Incentives 114
Low Union Profile 115 Page
Available Land 115 vii
Availability of Buildings 115

Proximity to Major Markets 115
Building Clay’s Economy through Strengthening and Growing Existing Industry 115
Building Clay’s Economy through Regional Opportunities 115
Building Clay’s Economy through Emerging Industries 117
Building Clay’s Economy through Small Business and Entrepreneurship 117
Building Clay’s Economy through Quality of Life 118
Building Clay’s Economy through Downtown Revitalization 119
Building Clay’s Economy through Tourism Development and Outdoor Recreation 119
Key Economic Development Issues and Opportunities 120
Economic Development Concept Plan
Chapter 9: Implementation Policies

Implementation Overview 121
Introduction to the Concept Plans 121
Description of Concept Plan Columns 121
Determine Clay County Board of Commissioner Priorities 122
Align County Plans, Policies, and Programs With the Comprehensive Plan 122
Familiarize County Employees with the Comprehensive Plan 122
Annual Monitoring 122
Increase the Capacity to Implement the Plan 122
Communicate Plan Progress to Citizens 123
Use the Plan to Enhance Funding Opportunities 123
Implement a Plan Amendment and Update Process 123
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2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan List of Maps, Figures, Tables, and Charts
15
Charts 103
Chart 1.1: Historic Population Change By Decade 11
Chart 1.2: Clay County Recent Population 12
Chart 1.3: Youth, Working, and Aging Population Distribution 15
Chart 1.4: Median Age 16
Chart 1.5: Race Distribution 17
Chart 1.6: Clay County Schools Hispanic Enrollment 17
Chart 5.1: Single Family Residential Building Permit Activity 65
Chart 5.2: Clay County Manufactured Home Permits 65
Chart 5.3: Residential Building Permits Per 1,000 in Population 65
Chart 5.4: Clay County Property Tax Rate Compared to Other Counties 67
Chart 7.1: On-Site Wastewater Permits 90
Chart 7.2: On-Site Waste Water System Failure Rates 90
Chart 7.3: Clay County Crime Rates 94
Chart 7.4: Clay County Schools Average Daily Membership 96
Chart 7.5: Tri-County Enrollment 97
Chart 8.1: Labor Force Characteristics 103
Chart 8.2: Unemployment Trends 103
Chart 8.3: Non Employer Income 106
Chart 8.4: Educational Attainment 108
Chart 8.5: Income Characteristics 109
Figures
Figure I.1: Comprehensive Plan Blueprint 2
Figure 1.1: Clay County Age and Sex Distribution 15
Figure 3.1: HRWC Lake Chatuge Watershed Action Plan Water Quality / Quantity Strategies 32
Figure 3.2: Riverine Floodplain 36
Figure 3.2: Building Placement Based on Slope Suitability 43
Figure 5.1: Site Resource Assessment 73
Figure 5.2 : Conservation Subdivision Design 74
Figure 6.1: Boulevard Cross-Section With Bicycle and Pedestrian Integration 83
Figure 8.1: Clay County 2000 Workflow Patterns 102
Figure 8.1: Primary Employment Sectors 105
Figure 8.2: Clay County Industrial Park Potential Build Out 116 Page
ix
List of Maps, Figures, Tables, and Charts 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Maps
Map I.1: Clay County Regional Context 7
Map I.2: Primary Study Area 9
Map I.3: Comparison Area 10
Map 2.1: Regional Opportunities Concept Map 21
Map 3.1: Prime Farmland 24
Map 3.2: Present Use Value Taxation Properties 26
Map 3.3: DWQ Freshwater Classifications 34
Map 3.4: Water Regulation Boundaries 35
Map 3.5: Mapped 100 Year Flood Zones 37
Map 3.6: Wetlands and Natural Heritage Areas 39
Map 3.7: Wildland Urban Interface 41
Map 3.8: Slope Map and Protected Ridges 44
Map 4.1: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources 52
Map 4.2: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Near Hayesville, NC 54
Map 4.3: Lake Chatuge Public Recreation Resources 55
Map 5.1: Existing Land Use 60
Map 5.2a: Existing Land Use By Township 61
Map 5.2b: Existing Land Use by Township 62
Map 5.3: Recorded Subdivisions 64
Map 5.4: Future Land Use Map 71
Map 6.1: Functional Road Classifications 79
Map 6.2: Future Transportation Map 85
Map 7.1: Clay County Broadband Coverage as of 12/2009 92
Map 7.2: Clay County Community Facilities 99
Tables
Table I.1: Land Area of Comparison Counties 8
Table 1.1: Clay County Historic Population 11
Table 1.2: Clay County Future Population Growth Scenarios 13
Table 1.3: Population Density (Persons Per Square Mile) 14
Table 1.4: Town of Hayesville Population Trends 14
Table 2.1: Regional Opportunities 20
Page Table 3.1: Pre and Post Tobacco Buyout Highlights 23
x Table 3.2: Identified Agriculture Challenges 25
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan List of Maps, Figures, Tables, and Charts
Table 3.3: Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan Policies, Opportunities and Solutions 27
Table 3.4: Wetlands in Clay County 38
Table 3.5: Percent of Slope by Acreage 43
Table 3.6: WNC Local Government Regulations Related to Ridge Top/Steep Slope Development 47
Table 5.1: Clay County Public Land Ownership 57
Table 5.2: Existing Land Use 59
Table 5.2: Clay County Total Property Value 67
Table 5.4: Suggested Development Goals and Incentives 70
Table 6.1: Clay County Roads Functional Classification System 78
Table 6.2: Clay County RPO Priority Needs 80
Table 7.1: Clay County EMS Calls for Response 95
Table 7.2: Clay County Schools Projected Growth 96
Table 8.1: Commuting Patterns from 2000 Census Data—Part I 102
Table 8.2: Commuting Patterns from 2000 Census Data—Part II 102
Table 8.3: Southwestern Workforce Development Board Projections 107
Table 8.4: 2009 Clay County 25 Largest Employers 110
Table 8.5: Economic Development Resources 111
Table 8.6: Economic Development Organizations 113
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2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Plan Overview
Clay County Comprehensive Plan

Introduction and Overview
Purpose of the Plan Plan Organization
The intent of the Clay County Comprehensive Plan (CCCP, the The CCCP is sectioned into nine chapters and supporting docu-
Comprehensive Plan, or the Plan) is to help Clay County governments are available on the Comprehensive Plan website. Each
ment leaders and citizens guide short-range and long-range change, chapter presents a variety of data and documents existing condi-
growth, and development. The purposes of the Comprehensive tions, using tables, figures, images, and maps. At the end of each
Plan are to: chapter or section is the recommended action plan.
• Provide vision for future growth and development in Clay County; Comprehensive Planning Committee
• Identify areas appropriate for development and preservation over the The Clay County Comprehensive Planning Committee (the Com-
next ten years; mittee or CCCP Committee), comprised of ten Clay County resi-
dents and one ex-officio member, provided the guidance and di-
• Recommend appropriate types of land use for specific areas in and
rection for plan development. Committee members met monthly
around the county;
from March 2009 to July 2010 to analyze data, explore appropriate
• Preserve the natural resources and promote the conservation of agri- directions, incorporate community input, and develop the recom-
cultural resources around the county; mendations found in this plan.
The committee, chaired by Dr. Gail Criss, included Hayesville
• Identify needed transportation and community facilities to serve fu-
ture land uses;
Mayor Harrell Moore, Keith Nuckolls, Frank Leatherwood, Ron
Guggisberg, Elizabeth Rybicki, Ed Roach, Tanya Long, Dennis
• Foster the economic development base by capitalizing on the county’s Myers, and Joe Allen Davenport. Clay County Commissioner
unique opportunities and resources; Harry Jarrett served as an ex officio member of the committee.
• Serve as a vehicle for community awareness and education; and
• Provide detailed strategies to implement plan recommendations. Page

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Figure I.1: Comprehensive Plan Blueprint 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Data Collection and Analysis

1
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BLUEPRINT This step involved collecting data, developing support documents, updating maps and databases, and assembling the
information necessary to define existing conditions and trends as they relate to the physical, social, and environmental
conditions within the county. Individual chapters of the CCCP present much of this documentation, including informa-
tion.
Identify Issues and Opportunities

2
Based on the information collected and on the results of the first round of the community input meetings, the commit-
tee listed specific concerns and issues. Along with the identification of issues, or perceived problems needing action, the
committee also made an effort to identify opportunities, or areas where existing conditions or trends present a situation
favorable for future action.
Develop Land Stewardship Plan

3
Perhaps the most important elements of this plan are the Future Land Use Map and the Regional Context Map, which
serve as a basis for the future growth and development of the county. The Committee considered various alternatives to
guide future land use. The recommended alternative is a means to meet and implement the CCCP's goals and objectives.
Formulate Goals, Policies and Actions

4
Goals are statements defining a desired future in a general or philosophical manner, while policy actions are more con-
crete and measurable outcomes. The identification of issues and opportunities led into the formulation and refinement
of the plan‘s goals and policy actions that, in turn, will be used to guide implementation of the overall comprehensive
plan.
Plan Adoption and Implementation

5
The development of this plan would be meaningless without it being adopted and implemented. More important than
its official adoption, however, is the buy-in from the public and from public officials. The CCCP reflects a shared vision
of the future, and although it is difficult to create a shared vision which satisfies all parties, it is hoped that this Plan
and the planning process used, has created a roadmap which can be used as a basis for future growth and development
decisions.
Plan Review and Update

6
The final step in the planning process begins upon adoption – the monitoring and review of the plan and its recommen-
dations. As conditions change and unforeseen events occur, it will become necessary to update, amend, or re-initiate
the planning process. The Plan should be thoroughly reviewed at least once every three to five years to determine
whether or not changing circumstances demand amendments to the plan or if it is necessary to begin the entire plan-
Page
ning process anew.
2
Planning Process odist had sparse attendance. The third meeting at Tusquittee had
better attendance, but the meeting was held in conjunction with the
The development of the Clay County Comprehensive Plan involved Community Center’s regular monthly meeting and the community
several steps, with the goal being the adoption and implementa- input session was cut short. Additionally, Committee members
tion of a set of goals and policy actions to guide future community hosted small group gatherings with people in their social circles,
growth and development. The process used to develop this plan is and five focus groups were coordinated with representatives from
detailed in Figure I.1. the real estate/ development community, ministers, the Hispanic
community, school parents, and high school students. Combined,
Summary of Community Input 118 people participated in at least one type of community meeting.
The Clay County Comprehensive Planning Committee gathered
Community Opinion Survey
community input in three rounds—the first of which was to obtain
general thoughts, ideas, and The Clay County Community Opinion
concerns from which the Compre- Survey was available to residents of
hensive Planning Committee used Clay County in electronic and printed
to make plan recommendations. formats. The CCCP Committee posted
The second was a three-day open electronic survey links on a variety of
house where community members Clay County Comprehensive Plan pro-
were provided with the opportuni- motional materials and it was adver-
ty to view and respond to the draft tised on posters distributed through-
comprehensive plan. The third, out the county. The Committee also
and final round of community in- posted a link to the survey in the Clay
put was a commissioner led public County Progress, and links were avail-
hearing during which community able on the Clay County Government
members had the opportunity to and the Comprehensive Plan websites.
freely express their views on the All 8,816 Blue Ridge Mountain Electric
draft plan. Membership Corporation (BRMEMC)
customers who receive a paper power
Phase One: General Commu- bill received a copy of the survey in
nity Input their October 2009 bill. Five hundred
Community input for the first and sixty individuals completed the
phase of the Clay County Comprehensive Plan began in August Community Opinion Survey. Sixty-six
2009 with small group gatherings and focus groups, and ended in percent of the survey respondents completed the printed version
December 2009 with the close of the Community Opinion Survey. while 34% responded to the online survey. Survey respondents
were not required to answer each question. Of the sixty-six an-
Community and Small Group Meetings swerable items, there is a median of 538 answers per item—96% of
people answered each question.
To begin the Community Input Process, the CCCP Committee
hosted a series of community meetings and small group gatherings Community Input Report
to solicit information from a wide variety of citizens. The Commit-
tee held meetings at the Brasstown Community Center, Hayesville All of the information generated through the first phase of the com-
First United Methodist Church, and the Tusquittee Community munity input process is summarized in the Clay County Compre-
Center. The first two meetings at Brasstown and Hayesville Meth- hensive Plan Community Input Summary. The summary report is
available on the Clay County Comprehensive Plan website. Page
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Comprehensive Plan Overview 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Clay County Comprehensive Plan Website Themes of the Comprehensive Plan

A record of meetings and documents pertaining to the Clay County Throughout the planning process, the Comprehensive Planning
Comprehensive Plan is available on the Clay County Comprehen- Committee identified six reoccurring themes that intimately
sive Plan website. The site was another avenue for citizens to submit shaped the Plan’s goals and policy actions. The common these
feedback for the CCCP Committee. At the time of this writing, the are:
site is hosted at the following address: www.claycountycomp.word-
press.com. The meeting records, supporting documents, comments 1. Coordination and Communication: Better coordination
submitted via the website, and other electronic materials on the and communication from County department to County
department, from County leadership to citizens, from citizen
site are an important appendix to the Clay County Comprehensive
leadership to County leadership, and community group to
Plan.
community group will enhance Clay County’s overall use of
Phase Two and Three: Responding to the Draft Plan and resources and better unite those who have Clay County’s best
Formal Public Hearing interest in mind.
The Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Clay County Board of 2. Connection: Fragmentation, or disconnection, is common
Commissioners hosted two types of community input sessions on in Clay County--whether the topic is recreation, tourism,
the draft plan during the month of September 2010. The first was transportation planning, or land stewardship. The goals and
the three-day open house held between September 9 and 11. Eigh- policy actions in the CP attempt to connect fragmented ele-
teen people attended over the course of the three days. The second ments.
was the public hearing on September 23, at which 17 people spoke.
3. Intention: In the past, opportunities have come to Clay
Both meetings brought out people who expressed wholehearted County, and the county has not had to go outside to market
support for the Plan as well as those who had some very specific itself or look for opportunity. As times have changed, Clay
concerns. On the whole, most of the written and recorded com- County now competes with the region, the nation, and the
munity input leaned toward support for the overall Clay County world. In order meet its goals, particularly those tied to
Comprehensive Plan. The only consistent concerns named by those economic development, Clay County must intentionally seek
who attended the open house and those who spoke at the public out opportunities that will help the county meet the needs of
hearing had to do with the perception of zoning, the land steward- its citizens now and in the future.
ship recommendations, and the recommendation to study steep
slope development. Other issues of broader concern were how to 4. Education: During a Committee meeting, Mayor Harrell
pay for some of the recommendations and how future commission- Moore said, “I’ve lived here all my life, and I learn some-
ers will implement the Plan. thing new every time I come to one of these meetings.” Clay
County has many resources for its citizens. Unfortunately,
Phase Four: Commissioner Adoption most are not well known. If the Mayor of the Hayesville
who has lived here for well over 60 years isn’t aware of what’s
The CCCP went before the Clay County Board of Commissioners available, it is safe to assume that many others are as well.
on October 7, 2010. The three commissioners voted to unanimously The CP looks for ways to increase awareness and to make
adopt the 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan as presented, connections between County services in order to maximize
with one change; which was to change all recommendations calling County resources.
for a “board” be changed to “committee.”
5. Quality of Life: Overall, people are happy with the quality
of life in Clay County. The CP’s strategies work to maintain
what is good--such as the rural character; and improve what
Page is challenging--such as the lack of good jobs.
4
Quality of Life Values sits is broadly characterized as having a mild climate, a biologically
diverse ecosystem, a wide variety of natural heritage destinations
People involved in the community input process shared what makes and publicly owned land, the TVA system of lakes, the southern
Clay County such a great place to live and work. From that input, Appalachian Mountains, tourism and second home opportunities,
the following Clay County Quality of Life Values list was developed. agricultural production, Cherokee heritage, and Appalachian val-
These values are the qualities that form Clay County’s foundation. ues, among many other influences. The County’s physical setting
has and will continue to influence growth and development.
• Family and Faith Oriented: Clay County is a good place to raise a
Clay County is approximately 221 square miles in area, ranking as
family, with supportive activities through recreation programs, the
schools, and churches. the second smallest of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Only New
Hanover County in southeastern North Carolina is smaller. Ac-
• The People: The people of Clay County are vital to the quality of life in cording to North Carolina’s Office of Management and Budget’s
Clay County. People of Clay County: 2009 County Population Estimates, Clay County is the state’s sixth
smallest county in population. The County has about forty-seven
• Care for the community and have a sense of pride: People people per square mile.
in Clay County care for where they live and want to take care
of what they have. A large portion of Clay County’s land is open space that is publicly
owned and preserved. The United States Forest Service, the State
• Volunteer and get involved in the community: People in of North Carolina, or the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) owns
Clay County offer their time and resources to maintain a high about 73,000 acres, or 52% of the county. One of the most distin-
quality of life. guishing elements is Lake Chatuge, which lies in the middle of the
county’s southern border. Ask a Clay County resident, “Where is
• Sense of Safety: Clay County is a safe place to be and live. Clay County?,” and one is likely to get the answer, “Two hours from
everywhere.” Several metropolitan areas are within a 2-3 hour
• Education: Kids in the Clay County School System receive a high
driving distance from Hayesville, the county seat. Additionally,
quality education.
Clay County is closer in driving distance and miles to five state
• Small Town Feel, Quaintness: Clay County is a place where you know capitals than Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina. Clay County’s
your neighbors and someone is always willing to help you out. regional position is highlighted on Map I.1.
• Rural Feeling, Rural Character: When we honor the slow pace of life, Review of Past Planning Efforts
the farms and open land, and the history and culture of the people, the
Creation of the CCCP did not start from scratch. Over the years,
quality life in Clay County is enhanced.
the county has engaged in a number of short-term, long-range and
• Natural, Scenic, and Environmental Beauty: The beauty in Clay topic-specific planning activities. The CCCP cross–references many
County is abundant and is an irreplaceable resource for which the peo- of these plans, documents, and ordinances. Where relevant, CCCP
ple of Clay County are stewards. recommendations are reconciled with, support, or rely on recom-
mendations made through previous planning efforts.
Clay County Snapshot History of Planning
Situated in the western most end of North Carolina, Clay County Historically, Clay County leaders have regulated land use and
was formed in 1881 from Cherokee and Macon Counties. Named growth and development through state or federal mandates, such
after Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, the county is bordered by as minimum surface water buffers, septic and well regulations, and
two North Carolina counties, Cherokee County to the west and regulations pertaining to development in the floodplain. In most
Macon County to the east, and by three Georgia counties--Union, Page
cases, Clay County has opted to adopt the minimum requirements
Towns, and Rabun to the south. The region in which Clay County 5
necessary to meet appropriate laws and rules. Clay County has also Mitigation Plan for Clay County and the Municipality of Hayesville
adopted a small number of local ordinances to address growth and (2009), and the Community Transportation Improvement Plan
development, such as the Clay County Land Subdivision Ordinance, (2008). Additionally, Clay County has also dealt with a number of
the Clay County Building Height Ordinance, and the Clay County subjects over the years through regional planning projects. Many of
Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. Periodic comprehensive or these regional plans were coordinated through the South-
coordinated land use planning efforts in Clay County have been western Commission, the council of government
minimal. There is, however, evidence to suggest that previ- serving the seven western most counties in Western
ous County Commissioners were motivated North Carolina (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Hay-
to address land use and planning wood, Jackson, Macon, Swain). Some examples of
concerns in the recent past. regional plans affecting Clay County include the
In 1990, the Clay County Southwestern North Carolina Economic Develop-
Board of Commissioners ment District Comprehensive Economic Devel-
adopted An Ordinance to Es- opment Strategy (2008), the Southwestern Rural
tablish a Planning Board for Planning Organization’s Transportation Plan-
Clay County, North Carolina. ning Plans, and, most recently, the Mountain
While the then sitting Com- Landscapes Initiative (2009).
missioners adopted the ordi-
nance, the planning board was Plan Study and Comparison
never appointed. Additionally, Areas
there is at least one known writ-
ten land use plan, the 1993 Clay Almost two decades of changes—social,
County Land Use Plan, developed economic, demographic, infrastruc-
under North Carolina’s Year of the ture, land use, and cultural—have
Mountains initiative. According to transpired since the last time Clay
the document, “The 1993 Clay County County took an in-depth look at its
Land Use Plan is a guidance document plan for the future. The 2011-2021
based on analysis of the county’s exist- Clay County Comprehensive Plan is
ing physical resources, economic re- the culmination of much work and
sources, natural resources, and commu- processing of information from
nity input during the public participation historic and current plans as well
process.” It is not clear that this document as many federal, state, regional,
was adopted by the then sitting commis- and local sources. This docu-
sioners. Documentation of adoption is not ment brings these and hundreds
available and it is unknown to what extent, of other factors into focus to provide an
if any, county leaders used this plan. analysis of existing conditions that support recom-
mendations for Clay County’s future growth and development.
Review of Existing Plans The first step in this process is to define the CCCP’s study area and
While Clay County comprehensive or land use planning comparison area.
efforts have been minimal, the county has developed a number of Study Area
standalone plans and ordinances to address a variety of county
functions, not all of which relate to growth and development. A The Clay County Comprehensive Plan study area includes the un-
Page sampling of these plans include the Clay County Water and Sewer incorporated area of Clay County as well as the incorporated Town
6 Plan (2001), the 2008 Community Health Assessment, the Hazard of Hayesville, and it’s extra territorial jurisdiction (about .21% of
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map I.1: Clay County Regional Context

Regional Context
Charleston, WV
LEGEND
Louisville Frankfurt, KY
Lexington State Boundary
300 Miles
County Boundary
Town or City
200 Miles
State Capital
Hayesville
100 Miles Interstate

Nashville, TN
Knoxville
Statesville Raleigh, NC Distance Ring
Asheville
Chattanooga HAYESVILLE
Spartanburg
Greenville Distance and Drive Time
To Capital Cities
Capital City
Miles H.MM
Columbia, SC
Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA 124 2.30
Birmingham
Columbia, SC 215 4.11
Frankfort, KY 325 5.44
Charleston Montgomery, AL 289 4.51
Nashville, TN 238 4.21
Montgomery, AL
Raleigh, NC 347 6.02
North
0 30 60 120 180 240
Miles
Note: Distance Rings are as the crow flies, not driving distance.
Page
7
Clay County’s total land mass). The study area also includes pub- Table I.1: Land Area of Comparison Counties
licly owned lands and the North Carolina portion of Lake Chatuge.
However, sections of the Comprehensive Plan distinguish between Geographic Area Area In Square Miles
land that is publicly owned and land that is privately owned. This is
Total Area Water Area Land Area
discussed in detail at the beginning of Chapter 5.
Cherokee County 466.68 11.49 455.19
Comparison Area
Clay County 220.6 5.89 214.7
Clay County data, on its own, tells only part of the county’s story. Graham County 301.6 9.53 292.07
To make the story complete, a comparison area has been selected to
Haywood County 554.62 0.96 553.66
compare Clay County trends to those in the region and state. The
comparison area includes the counties in the Southwestern Com- Jackson County 494.5 3.79 490.71
mission’s planning and development area that, in addition to Clay Macon County 519.47 3.00 516.47
County, includes Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain County 540.64 12.54 528.1
and Swain Counties. Additionally, Towns County, GA, is included
in the comparison area when reliable comparison data is available. Towns County, GA 172.01 5.35 166.66
Comparisons with the state of North Carolina are made when the North Carolina 53,818.51 5,107.63 48,710.88
state trends are comparable to Clay County or the comparison area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau
When averages for the comparison area are reported, Clay County
data is included in the averaged number but North Carolina data is
not. Map I.2 illustrates Clay County and the selected comparison
area while Table I.1 details the size of the comparison locations.
Page
8
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map I.2: Primary Study Area
Page
9
Map I.3: Comparison Area 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
10
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 1: Demographic Overview

Demographic Overview
Population Trends
Ta ble 1 .1 : C la y Coun t y H i s t or ic Pop ula t ion
This section examines historic and current population trends 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
in Clay County and provides population projections. Although
most of the analysis included in this section focuses on population Population 6,405 6,006 5,526 5,180 6,619 7,155 8,817
growth in the recent past, an assessment of historical population Source: NC DCA, NC State Data Center, US Census Bureau
statistics is warranted.
Historic Population Analysis: 1940-2000
Chart 1.1: Historic Population Change By Decade
Clay County has an interesting historical population trend. Be- Historic Population Change by Decade
tween the 1940 and 1970 decennial censuses, Clay County’s popu-
30%
lation decreased by about 7% each decade; hitting its low point
in 1970 with a population of 5,180. Between 1940 and 1970, the
total population decreased by 20%. The trend drastically changed
between 1970 and 1980 when the population increased by 28% in 16%
ten years. Population increased another 8% between 1980 and 1990
and another 23% between 1990 and 2000, bringing the county’s
population to 8,775.
2% 14% 12% 4% 12% 28% 19% 16% 8% 8% 13% 23% 22% 21%
Compared to surrounding counties and the state for the same time- -2%
period, Clay’s rate of growth between 1940 and 1970 was below av-
-6% -8% -7% -6%
erage. However, between 1970 and 2000, Clay County’s population
growth rate exceeded or was equal to the average growth for the
-12%
comparison area. In the years between 1970 and 1980 and between 1940-1950 1950-1960 1960-1970 1970-1980 1980-1900 1990-2000
1990 and 2000, Clay County’s growth exceeded North Carolina’s
Clay Region NC
growth rate. Page
Source: NC DCA, NC State Data Center, US Census Bureau
11
Chapter 1: Demographic Overview 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Current Population Analysis: 2000-2010 Future Population Analysis: 2010-2030

As the last section illustrated, the population in Clay County began The exercise of predicting the rate of future population growth is
to grow between 1970 and 1980. This upward growth trend has challenging and somewhat inexact. The county’s actual future pop-
continued, with the exception of a -0.02% change between 2008 ulation depends on a number of factors, including economic condi-
and 2009. From 2000-2009, the population increased by 18%, an tions, attitudes toward growth, community performance, and a host
average rate of 2% per year. Compared to the region and the state, of other factors. The following table presents a range of population
Clay County’s rate of growth outpaced both. Clay County’s actual projections for the county from the present through 2030.
growth between 2000 and 2009 was 21%, whereas the region’s was
12% and the state’s was 16%. Of the comparison counties, Clay These projections were derived using a variety of methodologies:
County had the greatest amount of growth during this span of • NC State Data Center Projection. The North Carolina State Data Cen-
time, followed by Towns County (18%) and Jackson County (15%). ter forecasts an annual population growth rate of 1.6% over the period
Graham County had the least amount of growth at 3%. (2005-2030). Projection of this rate forward results in a population of
14,472 in 2030.
Chart 1.2: Clay County Recent Population
• 25-Year Straight Line Projection. This scenario was calculated by de-
Clay County Population: 2000 - 2009 termining the county’s average annual population change for the 25-
10,500 year period from 1980-2005 and projecting that forward for the next
25 years. The County’s 25-year average was an increase of 123 people
per year. Carrying this growth rate forward would result in a popula-
9,875 tion of 12,769 by 2030.
• 25-Year Rate Projection (Compounded). This scenario was calculat-

ed by determining the county’s average annual rate of growth for the
9,250 25-year period from 1980-2005, and projecting that rate forward for
the next 25 years. The average annual rate of increase was 1.5% per
year. Carrying this growth rate forward would result in a population
of 14,205 by 2030.
8,625
8,995 • 15-Year Straight Line Projection. This scenario was calculated by de-
10,212
10,247
10,372
10,370
termining the county’s average annual population change for the 25-
8,995
9,215
9,393
9,631
9,831
8,817
8,000 year period from 1990-2005 and projecting that forward for the next
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 25 years. The County’s 25-year average was an increase of 160 people
Population per year. Carrying this growth rate forward would result in a popula-
tion of 13,694 by 2030.
Source: NC State Data Center, US Census Bureau
• 15-Year Rate Projection (Compounded). This scenario was calculat-

ed by determining the county’s average annual rate of growth for the
15-year period from 1990-2005, and projecting that rate forward for
the next 25 years. The average annual rate of increase was 1.9% per
year. Carrying this growth rate forward would result in a population
of 15,672 by 2030.
Page
12
Table 1.2: Clay County Future Population Growth Scenarios

20001 20052 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
NC State Data Center Projection 8,817 9,831 10,732 11,667 12,602 13,537 14,472
25-Year Straight Line Projection 3 8,817 9,694 10,309 10,924 11,539 12,154 12,769
25-Year Projection, Compounded 4 8,817 9,694 10,464 11,295 12,192 13,160 14,205
15-Year Straight Line Projection 5 8,817 9,694 10,494 11,294 12,094 12,894 13,694
15-Year Projection, Compounded 6 8,817 9,694 10,672 11,748 12,932 14,236 15,672
1
US Census Bureau, 2000
2
US Census Bureau, 2005 population estimates; except NC State Data Center projection which was reported as 9,831
3
Extrapolated based on the average annual population change from 1980-2005 (2005 population-1980 population)/(25)
4
Extrapolated based on the average annual rate of population growth 1980-2005 (1.5%)
5
Extrapolated based on the average annual population change from 1990-2005 (2005 population-1990 population)/(15)
6
Extrapolated based on the average annual rate of population growth 1990-2005 (1.9%)
Selected Population Forecast • Selecting a projection at this level avoids the consequence of under-
projecting population. The alternative of selecting a population that
The county needs population projections to develop a basis for de- is exceeded by actual growth over the planning period would mean
velopment projections, housing demand, and future land use plan- that the county’s plans will not provide for a sufficient amount of de-
ning. Projections also support planning for future infrastructure velopable land and facilities to meet realized population growth. In
needs, parks and recreation facilities, schools, and other county ser- other words, the plan would become obsolete more quickly.
vices. The above scenarios present 2030 projections ranging from
15,672 as the highest projection to 12,769 as the lowest. Given all of • Within the range of projection scenarios, the recommended scenario
the population growth scenarios, the CCCP will use the NC State is actually a moderate approach--in affect an average of the lowest
Data Center projection, as it is the most reasonable. This projec- and highest projection in the table.
tion results in a population of 14,472 in the year 2030. This projec-
tion represents a balanced approach that accounts for a number of Population Density
growth accelerants and limiters. The below bullets illustrate some Population density is an indication of the intensity of develop-
of the reasons for selecting this projection scenario: ment within a geographical area. In 1990, Clay County had a
• Clay County is poised for growth, but it has some barriers to devel- population density of 33.3 persons per square mile. The 2000
opment from a terrain and infrastructure perspective—warranting a Census indicated the population density increased by 23% to 40.9
somewhat conservative population projection. persons per square mile, a growth rate slightly higher than the re-
gional average of 22%. For the same period, the population den-
• The county is in a position to capture a share of growth because of its sity of North Carolina increased by 21% to a population density of
proximity to several metropolitan areas. 165.2 persons per square mile in 2000 from 136.1 in 1990. When
compared to surrounding counties, the counties of Jackson and
• Clay County may be better positioned to capture new growth, in com- Haywood have the highest density and Graham and Swain have
parison to other communities in the region that are struggling to a the lowest. In terms of percentage increase, Towns and Macon
greater extent with poverty, unemployment, and other social problems. Counties lead, while Haywood, Graham, and Swain had the least.
The quality of community facilities such as the school system, recre-
ation opportunities, and Lake Chatuge will continue to attract new The NC State Data Center projections provide a density range Page
growth. rather than actual the actual number of persons per square mile. 13
In 2010 and 2020, the number of persons per square mile is project- Table 1.4: Town of Hayesville Population Trends
ed to be between 0-75 persons per square mile. Regionally (exclud-
ing Towns County, GA), Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Swain are 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
projected to remain below 75 persons per square mile. Haywood US Census
356 428 428 376 279 297 --
and Jackson are projected to remain between 75-150 persons per Bureau
square mile. Macon County is projected to grow from 0-75 persons NC State Data
per square mile in 2010 and 75-150 persons by 2020. -- -- -- -- -- 458 511
Center
Table 1.3: Population Density (Persons Per Square Mile) % Change -- 20% 0% -12% -26% 6% 12%
Source: US Census Bureau, NC State Data Center
%
County 1990 2000 2010 2020
Change
Cherokee 44.3 53.4 21% 0-75 0-75 Age Trends
Clay 33.3 40.9 23% 0-75 0-75
Age distribution is an important factor when considering future
Graham 24.6 27.4 11% 0-75 0-75 demand for County services, housing, schools, parks and recreation
Haywood 84.8 97.6 15% 75-150 75-150 facilities, and the provision of social services. The CCCP evaluates
Jackson 54.7 67.5 23% 75-150 75-150 the age distribution of Clay County residents from three angles: age
distribution, the baby boom effect, and median age.
Macon 45.5 57.7 27% 0-75 75-150
Swain 21.3 24.6 15% 0-75 0-75 Age Distribution
Towns 40.6 55.9 38% * * In this analysis, three age categories are examined to aid in plan-
Regional Ave. 43.6 53.1 22% ning for future services, the youth (ages 0-14), the working age (ages
15-64) and the aging (ages 65 and above). In general, Clay County
NC 136.1 165.2 21% * *
is getting older as time goes by. Chart 1.5 and the following narra-
Source: US Census Bureau, NC State Data Center tive discuss this age trend in detail.
Youth: The percentage of youth in the total population is slightly
Town of Hayesville Population on the decline in Clay County—a 1-2% decrease between the time-
periods evaluated. This trend is replicated in the region and in
The most recent population count for the Town of Hayesville is North Carolina. This decrease in youth population as a percentage
available from the NC State Data Center, which reports a 2008 of the total population may be attributed to the general aging of the
population of 511. According to historical Census data, Hayesville population and due to the fact that family size across the nation is
has had an up and down population trend. Between 1950 and 1960, shrinking—families today have fewer children. The trend seen here
there was a 20% population increase, followed by a decade of no contradicts the trend seen in the Clay County School system, which
change in population. Then, the over the next two decades, Hayes- has experienced an increase in the enrollment for students in this
ville lost 38% of its population, yet its rose by 6% between 1990 and age range.
2000. According to Data Center figures, Hayesville grew by 6% in
the years between 2000 and 2008. The NC State Data Center does Working: Like the youth, the working age population in Clay
not project populations for municipalities; therefore, only historic County is slightly on the decline; with changes between time-
data is presented. periods ranging from a 1% growth in population between 1990
and 2000 to a 5% decrease between 2009 and what is projected for
2020. This trend is generally true for counties in the region and
Page
North Carolina. Like Clay, most counties had a minor rise, about
14
1%, in the working population between 1990 and 2000, and a 1-3% The Baby Boom Generation
decrease between 2000 and 2009. Most counties as well as the state
will see and an additional 2-3% decline in the working age popula- According to the US Census Bureau, those born between 1946
tion between 2009 and 2020. Dynamics related to the baby boom and 1964 are part of the Baby Boom Generation. Communities
generation attribute to working age population changes. It is also across the country struggle with how to plan for and manage the
likely that the lack of employment opportunities in the county and aging population—Clay County is no different. For example,
the region attribute to the decrease in the working population. workforce dynamics change as more baby boomers retire and
Those that are of working age often leave the county in search of there are less workers to replace them. Additionally, communities
employment. can anticipate a greater strain on social services as these folks age.
Therefore, it is helpful to note what share of Clay’s population fall
Aging: The regional and state trend for the aging population is into this generation.
upward—this is true for Clay County more so than other counties.
Between 1990 and 2000, the aging population increased by 3%. It As noted in the chart above, the working age population is declin-
increased by 5% between 2000 and 2009, and is projected to in- ing over time while the aging population is growing. The eldest
crease by 6% by 2020. These increases are higher than the regional of boomers have already transitioned from the working popula-
and state increases. Like the working population, this increase can tion age group to the aging and there are many more to follow. In
be attributed to the baby boom generation, which will be discussed 1990, baby boomers were between the ages of 26 and 44, which
in the next section. The increase in the aging population may also was about 54% of the county’s population. In 2000, they were
be attributed to the high number of retirees that have moved to Clay between 36 and 54, about 30% of the county’s population, and
County in recent years. they were between 45 and 63 in 2009, about 31% of Clay County’s
population.
Chart 1.3: Youth, Working, and Aging Population Distribution Figure 1.1: Clay County Age and Sex Distribution
Age Distribution
1990
2000
Clay
2009
2020
1990
2000
Region
2009
2020
1990 Source: NC EDIS
2000
NC
2009
2020
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Youth Working Aging Page
Source: NC EDIS 15
Median Age present. A good contrast is the median age history of North Caro-
lina. The state’s median age is significantly lower because those at
The final age factor discussed is median age. During the CCCP the younger end of the age spectrum represent a greater portion of
planning process, many noted that the Clay County’s high percent- the overall age spectrum.
age of retirees in the county’s general population contributes to the
graying of the county. While this is not untrue, it is not the whole Race and Ethnicity
truth. As early as 1981, the county’s median age was above that
of the region and state, as it still is today and is projected to be in From the time early Western North Carolina settlers came into a
the future. In 1981, and even in 1990 and 2000, the concentration landscape formerly dominated by a Native American population,
of retirees was significantly lower than it is today. Additionally, Clay County and the surrounding counties have remained relatively
the inflow of retirees is not unique to Clay County; it is true for all non-diverse. This is particularly true for Clay County. Overall,
counties in the comparison area. Therefore, while the retirement there have only been minor incremental changes in the region’s
population has an age effect, it is not the sole factor. The factor that racial makeup. Chart 1.5 reports race as a percent of total popula-
may have more of an effect is the out-migration of young people— tion for 1990, 2000, and 2009. Because the white population of
either those who leave for college and don’t return or those who Clay County hovers around 98%, it is not likely that significant
leave in search of better employment opportunities. Communi- changes in the black, Native American, or other races will occur
ties that experience youth flight trend toward a higher median age over the next ten years. Therefore, this report will not provide nar-
simply because the younger end of the working population is not rative detail regarding these racial groups. The recent growth of the
Hispanic population is one change that warrants further discussion.
Hispanic Population. Beginning with the 1990 Census, people of
Chart 1.4: Median Age Hispanic and Latino descent are counted as members of an ethnic
Median Age group rather members of a race. People of Hispanic and Latino
55 descent can be any race and of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. It is
important to note that Hispanic and Latino people are historically
under counted in decennial censuses. An up-to-date count of the
46 Hispanic population is one area in which Clay County may see a
noticeable difference between the data that is available today and
the data that will be available from the 2010 Census.
37 In North Carolina, trends point to a rapidly expanding Hispanic

population. Clusters of Hispanic people tend to form in urban
areas, in rural areas where there is a strong labor need, such as
areas with large meat processing productions, and in areas with
28
large-scale agricultural operations. The Hispanic growth trend in
these areas is upward and pronounced. Just as the increase in the
Hispanic population correlates with the types of areas identified,
34.7
33.0
29.6
39.9
38.2
33.2
46.7
42.1
35.3
49.9
44.2
36.3
51.1
45.0
36.7
53.5
46.9
37.2
20 absence of these areas in southwestern North Carolina correlates to

1980 1990 2000 2007 2010 2020 a Hispanic growth rate that lags behind the state. This is not so say
Clay Region NC that the Hispanic population is not growing. According to the 2000
Census, Clay County’s Hispanic population was 1% of the total
Source: US Census Bureau, NC State Data Center, NC EDIS population. By 2008, the Hispanics accounted for 2% of the popu-
lation. While this may not seem significant, note that a 2% increase
Page is greater than any race change in Clay County.
16
Chart 1.5: Race Distribution Chart 1.6: Clay County Schools Hispanic Enrollment
Race Clay County Schools:
Hispanic Enrollment
1990 2.3%
2.5%
Clay
2000 2.0%
2009 1.5%
1.0% 0.6%
1990
Region
0.5%
2000 0.0%
2009
1990 Percent of Students

2000
NC
2009 Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, Annual Statistical Profiles, 2000-2001

through 2008-2009 School Years
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
White Black/African American
American Indian Other/Two or More Races Demographic Key Planning Issues and Opportu-
Source: NC EDIS, Pew Center, UNC Keenan Flagler School of Business nities
The following are some of the key issues and opportunities identi-
School enrollment data also documents the growth in the Hispanic fied in this chapter:
population, as seen in Chart 1.6. Additionally, anecdotal evidence
• The County should plan for a population of 13,537 in 2020 and
from health care and social service agencies supports the notion of
14,472 in 2030, based on the growth projections detailed in Table 1.2.
a growing Hispanic population.
It is likely that Clay County will continue to be attractive to His- • The age structure of the county is comprised of a large number of ag-
panics. When asked what brought him to the area, one Latino ing and senior citizens. The county should plan for services needed
focus group participant shared that he was drawn to Clay County to support the aging population. The county should also investigate
strategies that will entice young adults to remain in or return to the
for the same reasons as many others—for work, because it is small
county to balance the effect of an aging population.
and quiet, and it is a good place to raise a family. As is the case with
many communities in North Carolina, Clay County should expect • Results from the 2010 Census and the American Community Survey
to see the county’s population become more diverse during the will be released in 2011. The county should plan to evaluate new
planning period. This presents many opportunities (e.g. new busi- figures against those in this CCCP.
ness opportunities, general cultural diversity) and challenges (e.g.
language barriers in the schools). • It is likely that the Hispanic population will continue to increase over
the next ten years. If this trend proves to be true, implement mea-
sures that maximize opportunities and mitigate challenges.
Page
17
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 2: Regional Opportunities

Regional Opportunities
Regional Opportunities Regional Opportunities Concept
During the community input process, Clay County residents sent The regional opportunities concept underpins many of the Plan’s
a clear message—improving Clay County’s economy is the number policy recommendations. Most, in some way directly link to
one priority. The challenging question, however, is how does the the regional opportunity concept. For example, the number of
Clay County improve its economy without compromising what adults in Clay County with a bachelor’s degree or higher is lower
is valued—the small town feel and rural character, and the good than the state. In order to increase the number of adults with
quality of life so many residents enjoy? The CCCP’s answer to this bachelor’s degrees, residents need access to higher education.
question lies in the regional opportunities concept presented here. The CCCP suggests strategically linking with the many regional
higher education institutions to bring higher education to the
Clay County does not stand in isolation. Every day, regional forces county. The Table 2.1 summarizes some of the regional oppor-
shape the county’s physical, economic, and social makeup. While tunities discussed throughout the CCCP, while Map 2.1 provides
county leaders independently cannot change many of these regional the visual representation of the concept.
forces, they can remain aware of the forces in order to overcome the
challenges they bring while also capitalizing on the benefits.
The regional opportunities concept encourages strategic connec-
tions to the regional centers that encircle the county. The concept
provides Clay County with a plan to restore (e.g. agriculture) and
build a new (e.g. a warehousing hub) employment base that can
withstand dramatic economic shifts such as the recent real estate
bust, and also considers how to do this in a way that protects what
county residents value.
Page
19
Chapter 2: Regional Opportunities 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Table 2.1: Regional Opportunities

Regional Opportunity Benefits
Clay County is within driving distance from five metropolitan »» Employment opportunities
Metropolitan
Proximity to
areas: Knoxville, TN to the north, Asheville, NC to the east, »» Economic development opportunities building on the economic clus-
Areas Greenville/ Spartanburg, SC to the southeast, Atlanta, GA to the ters of the metropolitan areas
south, and Chattanooga, TN to the west. »» Further Clay County Transportation’s (CCT) goal of becoming a pub-
lic transportation provider
Clay County sits in the middle of a ring of Interstate Highways, »» Economic development marketing opportunity (market that Clay
Interstate Highways
with the closest access point being I-75 near Cleveland, TN. County is two hours from everywhere)
Proximity to
From Chattanooga, TN (2.50 hours), one can access I-75 and »» Opportunity to plan for greater metropolitan access in future trans-
I-24. From Knoxville, TN (2.50 hours), Interstates 75, 81 and 40 portation plans
are accessible. Asheville, NC (2.00 hours) provides access to I-26 »» Coordinated commuting opportunities
and I-40. I-85 and I-26 pass through the Greenville/Spartanburg,
SC area (2.25 hours). The main interstates coming into and head-
ing out of Atlanta, GA (2.25 hours), are I-85, I-20, and I-27.
A number of two- and four-year higher education institutions are »» Job retraining
Education
within a 20-minute to one-hour driving distance; many of which

Proximity
»» Youth/young adult retention

to Higher
have satellite centers. »» Increase the number of adults with bachelor’s degrees (an economic
development indicator)
»» Opportunity to create a regional learning center in Clay County
There are a number of small regional airports easily accessible »» Economic development
Proximity to
Airports
and close by. Larger airports are in each of the metropolitan »» Opportunity for CCT or a private business owner to run shuttles to
areas. nearby airports
While these are not detailed on the map, Clay County and the »» Tourism promotion in the metro areas
Regional Tourism
region have similar natural features outdoor recreation opportu- »» Economic development through natural resource and outdoor recre-
nities, a shared cultural heritage, and overlapping events. Many ation promotion
communities do not have enough activities to entice visitors to »» Promotion of the loop tourism concept (see page __)
stay for several days. Clay County can work with other commu-
nities to develop and market regional, or loop, tourism opportu-
nities.
Each metropolitan area has identified the economic development »» Clay County can intentionally reach out to business leaders in the
clusters they have or are trying to develop. metro area to share how Clay County can further their business
Development
Economic
growth plans
Clusters
»» Clay County can assist local small business owners develop their busi-
nesses by intentionally linking them to business opportunities in the
metro areas
Page
20
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 2.1: Regional Opportunities Concept Map
Clay County Regional Opportunities

Johnson City
Knoxville Clusters Scott Hawkins Asheville Clusters Johnson
Overton Fentress Campbell Union
Grainger Hamblen Washington Carter
- Advanced Manufacturing LEGEND
- Alternative Energy (Solar) Watauga
Putnam
- Automotive Greene Unicoi
- Communications, IT,
Morgan Anderson
- Corporate Offices/Shared Services
Knox 26 Professional ServicesAvery State Boundary
Jefferson Mitchell
- Distribution - Green Industry
Knoxville Newport Caldwell
Cumberland
- Food Processing - Weather and Climate
White Cocke
- Life Sciences and Natural Products County Boundary
- Marine Manufacturing Yancey
Roane Madison
Maryville Metropolitan Statistical
Sevier
2.00 h Burke Area (MSA)*
2.50 h Loudon 40
Van Buren McDowell
Blount Southwestern Regional
Bledsoe
Rhea Buncombe 40 Commission
Haywood Asheville
Meigs Waynesville
Swain Metropolitan City
Monroe
75 McMinn Bryson City
Sequatchie Graham Henderson
Sylva Rutherford
Robbinsville Hendersonville Cleveland Town or City
Jackson
Polk
Andrews 26
Transylvania
Hamilton Cleveland
Cherokee
Franklin Hayesville
Polk Macon
Chattanooga Bradley Murphy Clay Cherokee
Interstate
Hiawassee
Young Harris
Spartanburg
Spartanburg
Dade
Chattanooga Catoosa
Clusters Fannin Blairsville Towns
Rabun Pickens
Greenville
Route to Metro City
- Insurance Operations
Whitfield Murray Union Greenville
- Headquarters Dalton
Walker Oconee
- Back Office (Data Centers) Helen Union Higher Education
Gilmer
- Automotive White Habersham 285
Cleveland
- Food and Beverage Manufacturing Lumpkin International or Regional
Dahlonega Stephens Airport
- Medical Device, Pharmaceuticals
Gordon Anderson
Chattooga
- Plastics Manufacturing Pickens Greenville Clusters Laurens
75 Dawson
85 - Advanced Materials Local Airport
- Mobile Entrepreneurs Franklin
- Alternative Energy Manufacturing Ball Ground Hall
Banks Hart - Automotive
Gainsville
- Nano-Tech Manufacturing - Aviation Newberry
Floyd
Bartow Cherokee
985
Drive Time From
Forsyth
Alpharetta Commerce - Biopharma
Abbeville
Hayesville (Hours)
2.50 h 575 Jackson - Call Centers Greenwood
Atlanta Clusters Madison Elbert
- Computer & Software (IT)
- Transportation & Logistics - Headquarters, Corporate Offices
Polk Barrow Saluda
Gwinnett - Business Services Clarke - Metalworking
Cobb Athens
Paulding - Distribution Services - Warehousing & Distribution
285 Oglethorpe McCormick
- Financial Services Oconee
Haralson - Information Technology 2.25 h
Walton Wilkes Lincoln Edgefield
De Kalb
Atlanta - Education and Knowledge Creation
20
Douglas
Cleburne Fulton - Publishing and Printing
Rockdale North
Carroll - Heavy
85 Construction 2.25 h
Greene Aiken
Clayton Morgan Taliaferro
Henry Newton McDuffie Columbia
Warren
Randolph Coweta Fayette Jasper Richmond
0 12.5 25 50 75 100
Miles
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2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 3: Agriculture and Natural Resources

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Agriculture
For Clay County and other counties in the region, the river and
creek valleys and their accompanying floodplains as well as the Table 3.1: Pre and Post Tobacco Buyout Highlights
area’s rich forestry resources were the source of the natural wealth 1992 (Pre Tobacco 2007 (Post Tobacco
that early settlers used to establish themselves. In 1910, about fifty Buyout) Buyout)
years after the formation of the county, there were five farms for ev- Number of Farms 184 137
ery one person in the county and the total value of all farm property
was valued at $1,126,177 (about $25 million in today’s dollars). Clay Acres in Farmland 16,405 9,660
County would not have developed as it did without this agricultural Market Value of
$7.1 Million $1.2 Million
wealth. Agriculture was the basis for the county’s earliest indus- Farm Products
tries – including cattle and poultry farming, tobacco and other crop Source: CCCP Committee Agriculture Presentation, November 2009
farming, and timber harvesting.
In more recent times, tobacco was the county’s primary crop.
There were 39 tobacco farms in 1987. By 2007, there were only five Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan
tobacco farms. The decline is due to North Carolina’s 2004 Tobacco A recent report, the Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan,
Buyout Legislation that all but stopped tobacco farming in the state. made possible from a grant from the North Carolina Agricultural
Cattle farming and poultry were the primary livestock commodi- Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund and compiled
ties, but here too, significant changes have occurred. In 2007, there by Smithson Mills, Inc., provides an excellent overview of the state
were four poultry farms in operation compared to 128 in 1987. of agriculture in the county today. The Clay County Soil & Water
There were 128 cattle farms in 1987 and only 65 in 2007. Table 3.1 Conservation District administered the grant and coordinated a
highlights selected data to quantify these agricultural changes. series of farmer’s workshops to support plan development. Us-
ing data, mapping, personal data gathered through a survey, and
personal interviews, the Preservation Plan paints a somewhat bleak
outlook for the county’s agriculture community. The bulk of infor-
mation reported in this chapter was gleaned from the Preservation
Plan. Page
23
Map 3.1: Prime Farmland 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
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Soil Suitability ensure that the county’s prime farmland has an opportunity to be
preserved.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) groups soils
based on their capability to produce common cultivated crops and Agriculture Challenges
pasture plants without deteriorating over a long period-of-time.
These capability classifications are based on numerous criteria that Earlier paragraphs document that agriculture no longer has the
include, but are not limited to: the soil’s salinity, capacity to hold presence it one had. The farmers surveyed and interviewed for the
moisture, potential for erosion, depth, and texture and structure, Farmland Preservation Plan identified the following list of chal-
as well as local climatic limitations (e.g. temperature and rainfall). lenges that have and continue to contribute to agriculture’s decline.
Soils are separated into classes under this system. Generally, Class I These challenges, explored in detail in the Farmland Preservation
and Class II soils are the best suited for the cultivation of crops. Plan, include:
Class I soils have few limitations that restrict their use—they can Table 3.2: Identified Agriculture Challenges
sustain a wide variety of plants and are well suited for crops, pas- Increasing land values
tures, rangelands, and woodlands. Class II soils are similar to Class
I, but they have moderate limitations that restrict the types of plants Land constraints
that can be grown or they require conservation practices or soil Small properties
management techniques to prevent deterioration over time. Soils in Scarcity of good non-farm employment
Class III have limitations that, under natural circumstances, restrict
Scarcity of farm labor
the types of plants that can be grown, and/or alter the timing of
planting, tillage, and harvesting. However, with management and Marketing constraints
conservation practices, these soils may still be used for farming Source: Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan
activity.
Farmland Preservation Efforts
According to the Farmland Preservation Plan, “Clay County pos-
sesses ten soil types that are classified as prime farmland, along In spite of the dreary outlook for the county’s agriculture com-
with five types that are prime farmland if adequately protected munity, a variety of tools and initiatives are available to preserve
from flooding.” The report also notes, “there are eighteen soil types existing farmland, and to make farming more profitable for those
deemed of local importance, and nine types that are classified as who currently farm or for those who have interest in farming. The
of statewide importance.” Most of the prime farmland (as defined Farmland Preservation Plan outlines the following opportunities
by soils) is located in the mountain valleys along riverbanks and and solutions to strengthen the agriculture network.
tributaries of the county’s major waterways—most notably along Opportunities and Solutions
the Hiwassee River.
The Farmland Preservation Plan presents a list of policies and ac-
Map 3.1 shows prime farmland located in the southwestern sections that both protect agricultural land and improve the viability
tion of the county including Brasstown and near Brasstown Creek, of agriculture opportunities and solutions that, if implemented, will
in the area around Hayesville, in the Tusquittee Valley, and along assure the continuance of farming. A summary of the policies and
Shooting Creek and its tributaries. It is important to note that actions follow. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the Farm-
identification of a prime soil in a particular location does not mean land Preservation Plan in detail, as only the highlights have been
that the soil’s area is used for farmland or even that it could be used. provided. The policies, shared in Table 3.3, fall into six categories,
It is entirely possible that a large residential subdivision is sitting each containing a number of possible actions:
atop land containing prime soils. A detailed process that identifies
prime farmlands in areas that remain open to farming is beyond
the scope of the CCCP. Therefore, it is recommended that the Page
county to conduct such a study to identify undeveloped farmland to 25
Map 3.2: Present Use Value Taxation Properties 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
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Table 3.3: Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan Policies, Opportunities and Solutions
Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan Policies, Opportunities, and Solutions

1. Promote agriculture as an engine of economic growth on a local, regional, and national level. Use agriculture as a reason to stimu-
late economic invest in Clay County.
a. Incorporate some of the agriculture strategies used in Polk County, North Carolina; such as hiring an agriculture economic developer.
b. Raise the profile of agriculture, integrating agriculture into all aspects of community life
c. Outreach to owners and users of farm and forestland that is, or might be, managed for recreational or conservation as well as more
conventional agricultural use.
d. Celebrating Voluntary Agriculture Districts (VADs) and Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture Districts (EVADs)
e. Information campaign to promote the implications and value of these districts
f. Identify and inventory the general areas, historic buildings, and, where appropriate, specific parcels of lands that are most important
to keep open for its agricultural, forestry, aesthetic environmental, cultural or recreational importance.
g. A website that includes maps of agriculture districts, conservation focus areas, and related events, information, and contacts.
h. County staff time designated for advancing the Farmland Preservation Plan.
2. Promote and facilitate farmland protection through Voluntary Agriculture Districts, Present Use Value taxation, estate planning,
easements, development ordinances, and development planning.
a. Develop a county development plan. [The Clay County Comprehensive Plan serves this purpose.]
b. Encourage the Voluntary and Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture Districts (VAD and EVAD).
c. Encourage easements and designate a county employee to shepherd this process to make it accessible to a wide range of people.
d. Adopt development ordinances to induce or require developers to consider donating an easement on prime soils, important forest
environments, or other inventoried assets within their properties just as it can enforce specifications on roads and sewage disposal.
e. Consider and promote tax policies that encourage agriculture and landscape preservation; such as Present Use Value (PUV) or the
leasing of development rights. (See Map 3.2 for current PUV properties)
f. Encourage farmers to engage in estate planning by promoting the idea and facilitating access to basic information.
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Chapter 3: Agriculture and Natural Resources 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan Policies, Opportunities, and Solutions

3. Promote and facilitate the leases and other multiple use agreements to bring farmland owned by non-farmers into productive use.
a. Discourage the use of informal lease agreements
b. Engage in outreach, education, and technical support for the owners of unused land and potential operators to generate deeper
cooperation.
c. Encourage long-term leases based on the expectation of higher productivity and a wider range of benefits to the landowner to directly
subsidize farmers in return for the non-cash benefits of good land management.
d. Provide technical and social support for farmers and landowners to work through setbacks.
4. Develop marketing and processing resources to support a greater variety and increased profitability of agricultural enterprises.
a. Build local outlets and processing resources such as weekly farmers’ markets, direct sales to schools and institutions, and internet
marketing.
b. Look to other counties for examples, such as the county-supported washing and packing facility in Madison County that helps small
producers prepare food for direct sale to retailers, restaurants, and other bulk consumers.
c. Support regional processing endeavors such as the soon to open livestock auction in Haywood County.
5. Provide promotion, training, and support for grass farming and other production techniques to lower costs, minimize capital re-
quirements, increase margins, and meet the environmental and aesthetic requirements of a healthy rural landscape.
6. Develop and carry out the forestry plans required for PUV tax assessments.
Source: Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan, 2010
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Summary of Key Agricultural Issues and Opportu-

nities
The following are some of the key issues and opportunities identi-
fied in this chapter:
• Even though agriculture has been on the decline in the com-
munity, tools and incentives to protect existing and support
new farmers are becoming more prevalent.
• The Farmland Preservation Plan thoroughly outlines six cat-
egories of opportunities and actions. The Preservation Plan
provides more detail than what is addressed in the CCCP and
readers are strongly encouraged to refer to this document.
• A detailed analysis documenting undeveloped prime farmlands
is needed to preserve what is left of the county’s dwindling
farmland. The Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition and the
Land Trust for the Little Tennessee have a model used for this
purpose along the Hiwassee and Valley River corridors. Ad-
ditionally, the Clay County Soil & Water Conservation District
is legislated to hold conservation easements, and already holds
a conservation easement on approximately 48 acres of Clay
County Schools Property.
• Efforts to protect and grow agriculture can contribute to
growth in the economic growth.
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Agricultural Resources Concept Plan
A. Cooperate in local and regional efforts to preserve agriculture as a component of the regional landscape, economy, and lifestyle.
Priority Description Target Date Leader OP or DT Notes
1) Encourage agricultural land preservation and the long-term viability

of agriculture in Clay County where landowners have committed to
agriculture operations.
2) Advance the viability of agriculture through the promotion of

agriculture related economic development in the county.
3) Work with local and regional groups and organizations to preserve

farming and farmland in ways that are consistent with the CCCP.
4) Build and expand the food production and processing economy

through helping to more effectively link with potential markets for
products, such as that used for Foothills Connect.
a) Through research and relationship building, position Clay

County’s agriculture community to capture a portion of the
agriculture related economic clusters in the metropolitan
markets. (e.g. Food processing in Knoxville, food and beverage
manufacturing in Chattanooga, Bio-pharma in Greenville, and
Life Sciences/Natural Products in Asheville)
b) The local food movement has gained momentum locally,

regionally, and across the nation. Clay County’s agriculture
community can take advantage of this growing market. Support
the agriculture community to emerge into this market, such as
supplying local restaurants and restaurants in the metro areas
with farm products from Clay County.
5) Work with regional agriculture stakeholders to conduct training

sessions to educate property owners interested in small scale,
intensive farming.
Agricultural Resources Concept Plan 1
6) Implement recommendations from the Clay County Farmland
Preservation Plan.
B. Adopt policies that balance agriculture preservation with growth and development.
1) Through changes in the subdivision ordinance and incentives, allow

for and encourage compact or conservation development practices
to help minimize the use of prime farmland / significant agricultural
land.
2) Through planned infrastructure expansions, encourage a variety of

development (commercial, small-scale residential, infill,
redevelopment) along the urban corridors (Highways 64 and 69 and
Historic Hayesville) to prevent the rapid spread of development in
rural areas.
3) Identify undeveloped prime farmland throughout the county.

Encourage preservation and engage in a partnership with the Clay
County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Land Trust for
the Little Tennessee to educate property owners on land
conservation tools and strategies. If the land is developed,
encourage the use of compact or conservation subdivision
techniques to minimize soil disturbance.
2 Agricultural Resources Concept Plan

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Natural Resources
The quality and character of Clay County’s natural resources are County. The lowest point in Clay County is 1,579 feet, where Old
central to its quality of life. The county grew up around the rivers, Highway 64 crosses the Hiwassee River into Cherokee County,
streams, valleys, coves, and mountains, and today, these natural re- just north of Brasstown.
sources remain a geographic and recreational anchor for the county.
Understanding Clay County’s natural features sheds light on con- Water Quality
straints and opportunities for particular land uses. For instance,
The abundant water sources in the county meet a variety of needs.
while some areas of the county may be ideal for development, other
They provide residents with drinking water, they keep farm
areas are environmentally sensitive and therefore development is
operations running, and they provide a place to play. The next
not appropriate or desirable. Focusing development where it is most
sections speak to the importance and regulation of Clay County’s
appropriate will prevent developmental or environmental problems
water.
that may be difficult or costly to correct in the future. Maintenance
of natural features is also important for community appearance and Groundwater
the functions they perform for natural communities.
Groundwater is comprised of the portion of rainfall that does not
Landscape and Topography run off to streams or rivers and that does not evaporate or tran-
spire from plants. This water percolates down through the soil
Clay County is located at the southern end of the Appalachian until it reaches the saturated zone of an aquifer. Quality ground-
Mountains and is within the Blue Ridge Province. Spanning from water is a vital resource for Clay County residents and businesses.
the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to northern Georgia and eastern With the exclusion of a small number of residents connected to
Tennessee, the Blue Ridge Province contains some of the highest the Towns County Water and Sewer System, all residents and
peaks on the east coast, including Mount Mitchell at 6,648 feet. businesses receive water from ground water systems—either from
The primary mountains in Clay County, the Nantahala’s, range private wells or from the Clay County Water and Sewer District’s
from peaks of 5,800 feet in Jackson County to low point of 1,200 in (CCWSD) public water supply. CCWSD draws its water from
Cherokee County. Clay County’s topography mirrors that of the two wells located on Lake Chatuge’s shoreline. With the entire
larger Blue Ridge and Nantahala areas—high mountain peaks, slop- county reliant upon quality groundwater, measures that protect
ing mountainsides, and fertile creek and river valleys. The high- the county’s water supply are extremely important. The Hiwassee Page
est point in Clay County, reaching 5,499 feet, is Standing Indian River Watershed Coalition (HRWC) developed a comprehensive 31
Mountain along the Appalachian Trail on the border of Macon set of measures to protect water quality that are summarized in
Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1: HRWC Lake Chatuge Watershed Action Plan Water Quality / Quantity Strategies
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32
Surface Waters Growth and Development Implications: The NC-DWQ provides

this guidance to property owners (or potential property owners)
The Hiwassee River, Lake Chatuge, and a network of creeks and with a surface water body on their property: “Before one buys
streams traverse the county; each of which has received a Surface property, plans a new development project, constructs a new road
Water Classification from the North Carolina Division of Water or undertakes other land use activities, the property owner (or
Quality (NC-DWQ). The classifications, “define the best uses to potential property owner) should check with local, state and federal
be protected within these waters (for example swimming, fishing, agencies about the assigned surface water classification for the
drinking water supply) and carry with them an associated set of water body on the property.” Many of the classifications, especially
water quality standards to protect those uses.” Some classifications those designed to protect drinking water supplies and certain high
have protection rules that affect land use and others have more than quality waters, have protection rules that regulate activities, such as
one classification. development, to protect surface water quality. In addition, depend-
ing on the classification of an adjacent water body, some types of
activities may be restricted.
Lake Chatuge Water Regulation Zones
Lake Chatuge is one of Clay County’s most important There are three water regulation zones in the county summarized
natural resources and prominent features. The Hiwas- below and depicted on Map 3.4.
see River Watershed Coalition (HRWC) has amassed a
wealth of data on the lake itself, its condition, and strate- Water Supply Watershed IV: A water supply watershed (WSWS)
gies to improve and protect the lake’s water quality. The is an area that feeds a public water system. Located in Cherokee
most extensive document pertaining to Lake Chatuge and Clay County, NC and Towns County, GA, the Hiwassee River
is the Lake Chatuge Watershed Action Plan (March Watershed in North Carolina is classified as WS-IV by NC-DWQ.
2007). The CCCP does not go into detail about Lake The Watershed area comprises 54,633 acres of the west side of the
Chatuge because this information is readily available county, covering about 39% of the county.
through HRWC. The CCCP does encourage leaders to
Development Implications: Development in this area is subject to
review and implement recommendations from the Lake
Clay County’s Watershed Protection Ordinance, which takes effect
Chatuge Watershed Plan.
when a subdivision or development project requires a sedimenta-
tion and erosion control plan. The Ordinance has restrictions and
requirements related to density, buffers, erosion and sedimentation
controls, and others. A development requires a soil erosion and
sedimentation control plan when the development plans indicate
that an acre or more of land will be disturbed. This level of dis-
turbance also triggers the need for a watershed permit. To avoid
intense land use, there are density restrictions in the watershed; two
dwelling units per acre for single family residential or a maximum
of 24% built upon area for all other residential and non-residential
development. A maximum of three dwelling units per acre or 36%
built-upon area is allowed for projects without a curb and gutter
street system. The Ordinance also allows for cluster development
and requires buffer areas.
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Map 3.3: DWQ Freshwater Classifications 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
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34
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 3.4: Water Regulation Boundaries
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35
Local Watershed Plan: Peachtree-Martins Creek is the only Local HQW area should consult with NC-DWQ before land-disturbing
Watershed Plan in the county. A local watershed is not regulated activity begins.
like Water Supply Watersheds. The NC Ecosystem Enhancement
Program (EEP) designated the Peachtree-Martin’s Creek Local Wa- Floodplains
tershed to coordinate efforts to “(1) assess stream quality in the wa- The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) des-
tershed, identifying key sources of degradation and pollution, and ignates floodplain areas across the country. FEMA completed an
(2) develop a comprehensive strategy to address watershed needs.” exercise to re-map floodplains in the county in 2007 based on new
The Peachtree-Martins Creek Local Watershed Plan is available from topographical data. The NC Division of Emergency Management
HRWC’s website. The Peachtree-Martins Creek Local Watershed in partnership with FEMA maintains this data in the form of
Plan does not regulate development. However, it does offer man- Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). FIRMs identify flood-prone
agement strategies to protect and improve water quality in the Local areas and are used to
Watershed area. make flood insurance
Figure 3.2: Riverine Floodplain available to property
High Quality Waters
(HQW) and Outstanding owners in the flood-
Resource Waters (ORW): prone areas. FIRMs
These state classifications have a number of flood
are intended to protect zones, each of which has
waters which are rated a different impact on the
excellent based on biologi- property owner.
cal, physical, or chemical A floodplain is any
characteristics and are location that has a fairly
monitored by the NC- good chance of flooding.
DWQ. An ORW designa- While every water body
tion, a subset of HQW, is can flood, FEMA does
intended to protect unique not consider every water
and special waters having body to have a flooding
excellent water quality and potential that would risk
being of exceptional state life or property damage.
or national ecological or According to the Na-
recreational significance. tional Flood Insurance
To qualify, waters must be Program, “Some parts of
Source: NC NFIP 2008 Quick Guide
rated as Excellent by DWQ floodplains may experi-
and have at least one out- ence frequent flooding
standing resource values as defined by NC-DWQ. The Fires Creek while others are only affected by severe storms. However, areas
and Upper Nantahala areas have an ORW designation, while the directly outside of these high-risk areas may also find themselves
Tusquittee area has a HQW designation. at considerable risk.” Development within floodplains is strongly
Development Implications: These designations have restrictions discouraged to prevent life and property damage. Following is a
related to density, buffers, additional erosion and sedimentation summary of floodplain areas:
controls, and mandate the use of best management practices for • 100-Year Floodplain (Also known as Special Flood Hazard Area
agriculture, forestry, and transportation. Of the three areas, only or SFHA): The 100-year floodplain areas have at least a 1% annual
Page a portion of the Tusquittee Creek HQW area is outside the For- chance of flooding, which equates to a 26% chance of flooding over
36 est Service boundary. Property developers in the Tusquittee Creek the life of a 30-year mortgage. All homeowners in these areas with
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 3.5: Mapped 100 Year Flood Zones
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37
mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to ing table details the types of designated wetlands in the county.
buy flood insurance.
Development Implications: A wide variety of laws and regula-
• 500-Year Floodplain (Also known as moderate-to-low risk areas or tions govern development in areas on or near wetlands. Developers
Non-Special Flood Hazard Area or NSFHA): In moderate-to-low risk should consult with NC-DWQ if a wetland is on their property.
areas, the risk of being flooded is reduced, but not completely removed. NC-DWQ generally has regulatory jurisdiction over wetlands, al-
These areas are outside the 1% annual flood-risk floodplain areas, so though some wetlands fall under the US Army Corps of Engineers’
flood insurance isn’t required for federally regulated or insured lend- jurisdiction.
ers, but it is recommended for all property owners and renters.
Table 3.4: Wetlands in Clay County
Development Implications: Development within floodplains is
% of
strongly discouraged to prevent property damage. However, when Wetland Type Acres
County
building in a designated flood prone area, the builder must apply
for a Floodplain Development Permit from the county and will be Freshwater Emergent Wetland 47 0.03%
required to submit a FEMA Elevation Certificate. The Clay County Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland 131 0.09%
Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance regulates development in the
Freshwater Pond 73 0.05%
floodplains. The Hazard Mitigation Plan for Clay County, North
Carolina and the Municipality of Hayesville provides flood mitiga- Lake 7,207 5.10%
tion actions. It is important to note that the FIRM mapped flood Other 94 0.07%
zones are not the only places that can flood. All property owners
Riverine 315 0.22%
are advised to proceed with caution when developing near rivers,
creeks, and streams. Map 3.5 details the flood prone areas that have Total 7,867 5.57%
been mapped by FEMA and the NC Division of Emergency Man- Source: National Wetlands Inventory
agement.
Wetlands
Rare Species Occurrences
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, “Wetlands are areas
where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface North Carolina’s Natural Heritage Inventory program maintains
of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year.” data on the general location and status of vertebrate and inver-
Wetlands, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, “provide a tebrate animals, vascular and nonvascular plants, and natural
multitude of ecological, economic and social benefits. They provide communities that are threatened, endangered, or of special con-
habitat for fish, wildlife and a variety of plants…wetlands are also cern. Each species or natural community may have a state and/or
important landscape features because they hold and slowly release federal status designation. Species and communities on the Natural
flood water and snow melt, recharge groundwater, act as filters to Heritage Inventory receive a designation, such as endangered or
cleanse water of impurities, recycle nutrients, and provide recre- threatened, from either a state or federal agency, or in some cases
ation and wildlife viewing opportunities.” They play significant both. The North Carolina Endangered Species Act protects species
roles in maintaining the quality of groundwater and surface water or communities designated by the state as endangered, threatened,
and provide valuable habitats for fish, birds, and other wildlife. or of special concern. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
The US Fish and Wildlife Service maintains the Federal Wetlands amended through the 100th Congress, protects federally designated
Inventory, the spatial data from which can be downloaded from the endangered or threatened species. There are thirty-three identified
US Fish and Wildlife Service or North Carolina One Map. Ac- species in Clay County protected by the North Carolina Endan-
cording to that data, wetland habitats comprise about 5½% of the gered Species Act--eight are endangered, six are threatened, and
Page county’s total land area, 5% of which is Lake Chatuge. The follow- nineteen are of special concern. Only two species in Clay County
38 are protected by the Endangered Species Act--one that is endan-
gered and one that is threatened. Map 3.6 details Natural Heritage
Areas in the county.
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 3.6: Wetlands and Natural Heritage Areas
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Development Implications: Because of the widespread presence Wildland/Urban Interface

of protected species in Clay County, property developers should
consult with the Asheville US Fish and Wildlife office or the NC In general, there is little friction between everyday life in Clay
Wildlife Resources Commission if the presence of an endangered County and Forest management. However, as development
or protected species is suspected. As Clay County enhances its GIS, moves closer and closer to forested areas, the risk for life and
it can help property owners identify the location of their property property damage resulting from wildfires increases. The wild-
in relation to the general areas of rare species occurrences. The NC land/urban interface (WUI) is the area where human develop-
Bar Association has a guide for property owners who suspect they ment mixes with or is adjacent to natural areas. It is in these
have or do have a protected or endangered species on their property. areas where it is likely that a wildland fire will reach beyond natu-
ral fuels, such as trees and brush, to habitated areas and homes.
Nantahala National Forest According to the Tusquittee District Ranger, North Carolina has
more wildland/urban interface than any state in the south. Clay
Clay County’s natural resource inventory would be incomplete County, too, has an abundant wildland/urban interface area that
without addressing the presence of the Nantahala National For- has grown as more people move to areas near the Forest. Struc-
est. The United States Forest tures in approximately 30,000
Service’s Nantahala National acres (21% of the county) are
Forest (the Forest) covers ap- within the wildland/urban
proximately 66,000 acres, or interface. Map 3.7 shows Clay
47% of the county. The Forest County’s WUI and structures
spreads across southwestern that have a greater risk of prop-
North Carolina, encompass- erty damage due to wildfires.
ing portions of Clay, Graham,
Cherokee, Swain, Macon, According to the District Rang-
Jackson, and Transylvania er, there are two approaches to
Counties. Clay County’s protect structures in the WUI.
portion of the Forest is in the A community wildfire protec-
Tusquittee Ranger Distinct tion plan is the first approach.
and is primarily in the east- This type of plan educates citi-
ern and northern portions of zen on the dangers of wildfires
the county. There are smaller and incorporates techniques
sections along the eastern such as those developed by
shore of Lake Chatuge and the Firewise Program (www.
a section along the Hiwas- firewise.org). Firewise tech-
see River close to Cherokee niques instruct property owners
County. The Southern Nan- to mitigate fire risks through the
tahala National Wilderness use of Firewise landscaping,
Area and the Appalachian fire-resistant native vegetation,
Trail are within the south- Firewise construction materi-
eastern corner of the Forest. als, fire-free space surrounding
To the northwestern is the Fire Creek Wildlife Management Area. the structure, stone and/or other non-flammable building compo-
Some of the lands in the eastern and western portions of the For- nents for walkways and driveways, and thinned vegetation near
est are designated North Carolina Game Lands in the eastern and the home. Clay County annually receives around $20,000 from
Page northwestern portions of the county. the US Forest Service through the Secure Rural Schools Program
40 (i.e. Title III) generated through the sale of forest products and
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 3.7: Wildland Urban Interface
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41
other forest activities. Clay County could use a portion of the Title disturbing development activities. However, this prospect proved to
III funds to complete a community wildfire protection plan. be cost prohibitive. It is recommended that Clay County work with
surrounding counties to identify a cost-sharing model that would
Prescribed burning (i.e. the intention setting of a forest fire) is the permit the county to have a local program to protect and improve
second approach for greater home protection in the WUI. Pre- the county’s surface waters.
scribed burning reduces hazardous fuels on the drier southern
slopes and ridges where the threat of catastrophic wildfire is great- Steep Slopes
est. Fires are a natural part of a forest’s life cycle—they will even-
tually occur in a natural uncontrolled manner unless prescribed Across the mountainous region of North Carolina, there is very
burns are used. Prescribed fires provide Forest Service firefighters little mandatory regulation applicable to development on mountain
with greater control of the burning process because they can control slopes and ridges. The only universally applied regulation is the
the intensity of the fire, and set the fires under the right conditions Mountain Ridge Protection Act. In 1983, the North Carolina State
with appropriate techniques. Prescribed fires can be alarming if Legislature passed the Mountain Ridge Protection Act (NC § 113A-
citizens are not aware of their benefits or that they are taking place. 205) in response to a development built on top of the ridge of Little
The Forest Service needs to provide citizens with adequate informa- Sugar Top Mountain in Avery County. The Act protects ridges
tion and notice before commencing with prescribed burns. above 3,000 feet or which are 500 feet above the adjacent valley floor
from construction of tall buildings, as defined by the statute. Most
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation of the protected ridges in Clay County are in the Nantahala Na-
tional Forest. There are, however, a very small number of ridges in
Clay County has a wide variety of soils, some of which are well suit- the county’s jurisdiction. The small circles on Map 3.8 indicate the
ed for agriculture and some are well suited for development. There protected ridges in Clay County that are outside of the Nantahala
are also soil types that are poorly suited for development, such as National Forest.
the thin soils found on some mountainsides. Soil suitability is a key
factor in determining the safest and most cost-effective locations for The Mountain Ridge Protection Act does not address slope or steep-
new development. Problems that limit development on certain soils ness. There is not a universally accepted definition of a steep slope
include poor drainage, erosion, thin soils, and soils that fail perco- in North Carolina, nor is there a state law or local ordinance in
lation tests for septic systems. Of significant concern is the effect place to regulate steep slope development in Clay County. There-
development has on soil erosion and sedimentation. Uncontrolled fore, the CCCP uses guidance from a recent report, Mountain Ridge
or poorly executed land-disturbing activities, particularly on steep and Steep Slope Protection Strategies, published by the Land of Sky
slopes and/or near surface waters, are the primary causes of acceler- Regional Council, to analyze steep slopes in Clay County. The
ated erosion in Clay County. Poor development practices can lead following diagram from the report provides slope development
to excess sedimentation in Clay County’s waters; harming aquatic guidance.
life and overall water quality. Clay County manages soil erosion
from development activities through the state’s Soil Erosion and
Sedimentation Control program.
Development Implications: A Soil Erosion and Sedimentation
Control plan is required by the state when a planned development
will disturb an acre or more of land. Plans may address slope sta-
bilization, groundwater concerns, and stream buffer zones among
other topics. Agreed upon plans must be followed or the property
owner can be fined. Counties across North Carolina have the op-
tion to design and operate a local soil erosion and sedimentation
Page program. At one point, Clay County wanted to develop a sedimen-
42 tation control program to target smaller (less than one acre) land-
Figure 3.2: Building Placement Based on Slope Suitability
Source: Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies
Table 3.5: Percent of Slope by Acreage Thirty-three percent of Clay County’s steepest slopes, those
between 40% and 50%+, are within the Nantahala National
% Acres OUT of % Acres IN Forest. Only 10% of the slopes outside of the Forest are in that
Percent
Nantahala National Nantahala National Total slope range. In general, development begins to be problematic
Slope
Forest Forest on slopes between 30% and 40%. If Clay County were to regulate
0-10% 12% 1% 13% development on slopes from the most conservative stance, begin-
10-20% 12% 2% 14% ning with slopes of 30%, less than a quarter,18%, of the county
land outside of the Forest would fall under steep slope regula-
20-30% 9% 4% 14% tion. Regulations would only affect 11% of developable land if
30-40% 7% 7% 14% the county adopted a more moderate stance by regulating slopes
40-50% 5% 9% 14% greater than 40%.
50+% 6% 24% 31% While only a small fraction of the county falls into the category of
Total 52% 48% 100% what is generally considered steep, the safety trade-offs of doing
nothing to regulate slope development in these areas are too big Page
Source: NC DCA
to ignore. The Clay County Comprehensive Planning Committee 43
Map 3.8: Slope Map and Protected Ridges 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
44
recommends implementation of an appropriate set of slope develop-

Region-Wide Regulation on the Horizon? ment regulations aimed at minimizing safety hazards—specifically
actions that minimize the risk property damage due to landslides,
During the 2009 legislative session, the General Assembly and life and property damage related to wildfires, and poor emer-
established the Mountain Resources Commission (Session gency access. How and to what extent the county should regulate
Law 2009-485, Senate Bill 968) to “encourage quality growth slope development is beyond the scope of the Comprehensive Plan,
and development while preserving the natural resources, as this topic needs more research and technical assistance than
open spaces, and farmland of the mountain region of Western what was available during the planning process.
North Carolina.” At an initial planning meeting, Commis-
sion members, “noted the top resource concern is slope devel- Landslide Safety
opment and ridge top protection, with resulting water quality
Clay County is not immune to the geologic hazards that span West-
problems where regulations are poor or non-existent. Current
ern North Carolina. Even without development disturbance, this
regulations vary from country to county, and the group’s
part of the state is susceptible to landslides—a damaging landslide
consensus was that there needs to be some statewide controls
occurs nearly every year in the region and major landslide events
or perhaps a regional authority.”
occur about every nine years somewhere in the region. While not
It is widely anticipated that legislators will again introduce a an everyday occurrence, the cumulative effects of hillside develop-
bill to regulate steep slope development in the 2011 Legisla- ment have become more noticeable; including increased water flow
tive Session. There appears to be more support for regula- to downhill properties, risk of structure destabilization from water
tion when compared to previous efforts. This is most likely and debris flows; and development of gullies and channels that
a response to a recent series of landslides in WNC, the most alter natural patterns of rainfall events. These effects, and others,
current being the Ghost Town slide in Maggie Valley. Rec- increase the likelihood of landslides.
ommendations and guidance from the Mountain Resources
Commission will likely shape the General Assembly’s regu- Wildfire Safety
lation approach. County leaders should remain up to date The Mountain Ridge report details the interaction between weather,
on the work of the Commission—a record of their work is topography, and vegetation and wildfires on steep slopes. The
kept on the One NC Naturally web site. Leaders should also report states that, “a wildfire can spread twice as fast on moderately
engage the legislative delegation in conversation if, and when, steep slopes (40%) and four times as fast on very steep slopes (70%).”
a steep slope development bill is introduced. As more homes are built on steep slopes, the risk of life and prop-
http://www.onencnaturally.org/pages/CO_Mountain_Resources_Com-
erty damage increases. The previous section provides greater detail
mission.html; http://www.onencnaturally.org/PDFs/MRC_PLANNING_
pertaining to wildfires and safety.
SESSION_NOTES_May_14_2010.pdf Fire and Emergency Response Safety
Fire and EMS personnel who participated in the community
input process indicated that narrow roads and roads with steep
grades hinder emergency response. Emergency trucks that cannot
turn around or pass one another, limited access to water, and the
distance of some residences combined with the challenges of steep
winding roads are a few of the challenges emergency personnel face.
Suggestions to improve emergency vehicle access are found in the
Land Stewardship chapter.
Page
45
Slope Regulation in Other Communities Summary of Natural Resources Issues and Opportunities
In general, communities in Western North Carolina use a variety of • The natural resources in Clay County are vast and diverse. Protecting
steep slope regulation tools with differing slope regulation thresh- and enhancing these resources improves public health, public safety,
olds. Some communities have a standalone ordinance, while others and quality of life.
address slope development through their subdivision and/or soil
erosion and sedimentation control ordinances. The Table 3.6 pro- • Clay County can take steps to better protect its natural resources with-
vides a summary of some ordinances in place throughout Western out adding layers of new regulations. Increased coordination of ef-
forts, education, and monitoring can make a big difference.
North Carolina.
• Clay County is not unique—it can look to other communities for pro-
gram models, ideas, and cost sharing opportunities to efficiently pro-
tect and enhance natural resources.
• While steep slope regulation has many benefits, public safety is the
driving force behind the recommendation to regulate development on
steep slopes.
Page
46
Table 3.6 WNC Local Government Regulations Related to Ridge Top/Steep Slope Development
Local Ridge Protection or Slope Local Ridge Protection or Slope
Government Development Regulation Government Development Regulation
Ridges covered include all ridges that are at least 500 Applies to areas above 2,200’ in elevation and
City of Asheville
feet above the elevation of an adjacent valley floor, with an existing grade >=15% and designated
Transylvania
regardless of elevation. Project approval dependent ridges. Regulates amount of disturbance, road
County
upon adequate water supply, safe waste water disposal, design, building height, density, and vegetation
adequate fire protection and preservation of natural removal. Incentives for building on less steep/
beauty. (Mountain Ridge Protection Ordinance, Subdi- sensitive areas. (Unified Development Ordinance)
vision Ordinance)
Regulates amount of grading and density based on Subdivision and Land Disturbance and Slope
Town of Black
Waynesville
& Haywood
slope. Construction on mountain sides governed Protection ordinances regulate disturbance, road
Mountain
Town of
County
by Haywood County and state regulations. (Hillside design, vegetation, public safety and require low-
Protection Ordinance) impact design (LID) and conservation subdivi-
sion design in some cases. (Land Disturbance and
Slope Protection Ordinance)
Regulates all types of development and land-disturb- Regulations focus on minimizing land distur-
ing activity in the Mountain and Hillside Develop- bance and ensuring safe construction. Creative
Town of
Brevard
Jackson
County
ment District. Limits grading, height, density, and designs are encouraged and development po-
vegetation removal. Requires compliance with Best tential may be transferred from steep areas to
Management Practices in ordinance. (Mountain and less-steep areas of parcel. (Unified Development
Hillside Development Ordinance) Ordinance, Environmental Protection)
County follows state ridge law, but allows for con- Regulations focus on public safety and viewshed
Henderson
servation subdivisions, which encourage conserving protection. Land disturbance is limited in views-
Town of
County
Boone
steep slopes as open space through a density bonus. hed areas. Developers are encouraged to mini-
(Land Development Code) mize visual impact on ridges and steep slopes.
(Steep Slope Protection Ordinance; Viewshed)
Regulates amount of land disturbance, impervious Includes provisions for controlling development
surfaces, density, road design and building height for on mountainsides and ridgelines to protect them
Buncombe County
subdivisions and multifamily dwellings. Emphasis is Polk County from erosion and blight, to regulate moving or
on limiting disturbance and impervious surfaces on removing more than a determined amount of soil,
steep slopes; encourages clustering development in and to establish suitable development densities
less-steep areas of parcel in return for a density bonus. (taking into consideration slopes and soil types)
(Subdivision Regulations and Zoning Ordinance) that will sustain the supply of water and ensure
properly operating septic systems. (Mountainside
and Ridgeline Protection Ordinance)
Source: Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies
Page
47
Natural Resources Concept Plan
A. Protect the exceptional natural resources of Clay County through policies and programs. Preserve the natural features of the area –
including Lake Chatuge, the Hiwassee River, streams and creeks, floodplains, groundwater, woodlands, wildlife habitats, and other
natural features.
1) Explore and apply strategies that balance new development with the OP
protection of the natural features and systems important to the
county.
a) Provide resources that enable the Clay County building DT

department and developers to conduct a site analysis on
developments that also require a soil erosion and sedimentation
control plan. [projects that disturb more than an acre of land]
b) Minimize/discourage building in the floodplain; encourage use OP

of best management practices when building in the watershed
or sensitive water areas.
2) Maintain high quality surface and ground waters for drinking, OP

recreation, and natural habitats by collaborating with the State,
other local governments, and other organizations for the protection
of water quality in the county.
a) Clay County Government will formally endorse and puts into DT

practice recommendations from the Hiwassee River Watershed
Coalition’s Lake Chatuge Plan.
b) Building on the work of the Clay County Soil & Water OP

Conservation District and the Hiwassee River Watershed
Coalition, continue to identify and work with landowners to
mitigate non-point source pollution.
c) Encourage vegetative buffers between developed areas and OP/DT

water bodies.
Natural Resources Concept Plan 1
d) Ensure erosion control techniques are used for protection and OP
continued improvement of water quality.
i) Using existing resources and knowledge, offer incentives to OP

those contractors who incorporate best management
practices during the development process or take extra
measures to protect water quality.
ii) In the subdivision or soil erosion/sedimentation control DT

ordinance, increase stream buffer minimums around
sensitive surface waters and water sources such as High
Quality and Outstanding Water Resources, sensitive trout
streams, etc.
iii) Consider a local program supported through cost sharing DT

with other counties.
B. When development on a steep-slope occurs, ensure that it happens in a manner that protects health, safety, public welfare, and
property investment.
NOTE: The scope of the CCCP is too broad to recommend that one of the first tasks of the Clay County Planning Committee [to be appointed] should be to
research technical details of safe steep-slope development.
1) Direct the Clay County Planning Committee to evaluate and

identify appropriate safety related slope development regulations.
2) Use the Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies

publication as a guide
3) Anticipate the use of technical assistance (geologist, soil scientist,

planners from other communities, etc.)
4) Evaluate the merits of the trigger guidelines outlined in the

Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies publication.
2 Natural Resources Concept Plan
5) Determine the tool that steep slope regulation should be addressed
through (e.g. stand alone ordinance, subdivision ordinance, soil
erosion and sedimentation ordinance):
C. Develop a network of greenways and parks as a natural resource protection measure.

1) Develop a set of tools to designate parks and greenways as a tool for

natural resource protection as future County plans are prepared,
subdivision plats are proposed, or properties are designated for
conservation easements. Partner with developers, property owners,
community groups, etc., to ensure that parks and greenways are
integrated with their projects.
2) Prioritize the development of parks or portions of parks that focus

on natural resource preservation and passive, nature-based
recreation.
D. Increase the amount of private land reserved for conservation.

1) Cooperate with and financially support the Hiwassee River

Watershed Coalition to protect water quality in the Hiwassee River
Watershed, and actively work with the Land Trust for the Little
Tennessee as it identifies and begins to acquire property set aside for
conservation.
2) Work with landowners at the time development is proposed to

preserve wooded areas and other environmental features that serve
to protect natural resources.
Natural Resources Concept Plan 3
E. Damage to structures from wildfires in Clay County will be reduced.
1) Cooperate with volunteer fire departments, US Forest Service and

home owners to keep structures safe from wildfires.
a) Support the Forest Service’s effort to conduct controlled burns

(education, announcements, etc.)
2) Incorporate a Firewise education program in building department

materials, make Firewise education available on County website (A
Firewise program encourages proper construction, landscaping, and
land clearing in order to prevent structural damage from wildfires)
3) Incorporate wildfire knowledge and protection practices during the

steep-slope planning process
4 Natural Resources Concept Plan
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources

Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources
A Sample of Historic and Cultural Resources There are two buildings and one site in Clay County on the Na-
tional Register of Historic Places.
Residents can experience the history and culture of Clay County
through the Clay County Historical Museum, the Cherokee Winter • The Clay County Courthouse, added in 1975, on Main Street in
House, Historic Hayesville, and the soon to be completed Clay Hayesville.
County Historic Courthouse. One can also experience the history
• The John Covington Moore House, added in 1983, in Tusquittee.
of Clay County by traveling through the County to see the many
remaining structures that tell the story of the county’s past. Clay • The Spikebuck Mound and Village Site, added in 1982, east of Hayes-
County has been successful in preserving many of its historic and ville on the Hiwassee River.
cultural resources. This section of the plan provides a brief over-
view of the county’s historic and cultural resources. The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
and the North Carolina Office of State Archeology maintain data
National Register of Historic Places and Archeological on a historic properties and sites as well as archeologically signifi-
Sites cant sites throughout the State. The most recent architectural sur-
The 1966 National Historic Preservation Act created the National vey for Clay County occurred in 1979 when Clay County was part
Register of Historic Places, which recognizes properties of local, of a reconnaissance survey of the ten westernmost counties in the
state, and national significance. Properties are listed on the Na- state—a project co-sponsored by Western North Carolina Associ-
tional Register because of their associations with particular persons ated Communities and the State Historic Preservation Office.
or events, their architectural or engineering significance, or their The North Carolina Office of State Archeology has identified
importance to our history. Designation on the National Register numerous sites of archeological significance within Clay County.
confers certain benefits to private properties, including federal and All human burial sites, including cemeteries and Indian mounds,
state investment tax credits for historic preservation projects. Des- are protected under State and/or federal law. The National His-
ignation also provides limited protection from federally financed or toric Preservation Act of 1966 requires federal agencies to insure
licensed actions that may adversely affect such buildings. that their actions do not adversely affect archeological sites on
or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Page
Archeological sites can be protected during the course of state
49
Chapter 4: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
agency activities if the sites have been recorded with the Office of interior renova-
the State Archeologist. Due to the sensitive nature of these sites, tion of the HC. The
and the potential for vandalism or theft, the Archeology office does Preservation Plan
not disclose the individual locations. estimates the cost of
restoration/rehabili-
The Clay County Historical Museum tation at $1,387,854.
The Clay County Historical Museum is located in the Old Clay The Re-Use Plan
County Jail in Hayesville. Constructed in 1912, the building looked at court-
housed the Clay County Jail until 1972, when the sheriff’s depart- house projects in
ment moved to a new building and the Clay County Historical and other counties and
Arts Council took ownership of the building. The Museum dis- solicited community
plays a variety of artifacts to portray the life times of Clay County input to identify the
from early history to modern times. Exhibits highlight the area’s best future use and
Cherokee heritage (particularly the area’s connection to the impact management option.
of Cherokee removal/Trail of Tears), agriculture and rural culture, The Re-Use Plan
and the effect of modernization. concluded the best
use for the HC is to,
Cherokee Winter House “become a destina-
tion for community
The Cherokee Winter House is a new exhibit at the Nelson Heri- activities and events
tage Park next to the Clay County Historical Museum. The win- that broadly sup-
ter house is part of a larger outdoor exhibit designed to portray a port the active life
typical Cherokee homestead from the 1600s. The Nelson Heritage of the community in
Park opened to the public in the spring of 2010. Students from Clay County gener-
Clay County Schools and Western Carolina University assisted in ally and Hayesville
building the wattle-and-daub walls of the winter house. The winter in particular.” The Re-Use Plan recommends that, “CCCRA be
house is the first exhibit in what is hope to be an extensive set of charged with establishing a subsidiary LLC (Clay County Historic
interactive displays that draw attention to Clay County’s Native Courthouse, LLC) to lease the HC and its grounds from the coun-
American history. ty.” With this structure, Clay County Government would main-
Historic Clay County Courthouse tain ownership of the HC and its grounds. At the time of CCCP
writing, the county and CCCRA continue to research renovation/
Perhaps the most significant historical resource in Clay County rehabilitation funding sources and they are involved in the infancy
is the Clay County Historic Courthouse (HC), or rather, what the stages of a management agreement. Copies of the Preservation
Courthouse will become. Built in 1887-1889, the HC was the hub of Plan and Re-Use Plan are on the Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Clay County Government until the new Clay County Courthouse website.
opened in 2007. Shortly after the move took place, the HC’s interior
was gutted because it was in such poor shape. Additionally, a few Peacock Playhouse, Licklog Players
key exterior repairs were made to halt further structural damage Established in 1978, The Peacock Playhouse, home of the Licklog
while the HC awaits renovation. In March and May 2009, the His- Players, is a non-profit performance art space that hosts around
toric Clay County Courthouse Preservation Plan and Clay County six live performances a year. The Playhouse is a 250-seat, fully
Historic Courthouse Re-Use Plan, respectively, were published with equipped complex in just outside of Historic Hayesville. The Play-
funding assistance from the NC Rural Center’s Building Re-Use house has extensive renovation needs and is currently raising funds
Page Program. The Preservation Plan documents existing conditions
50 for this effort.
and makes recommendations for a full exterior rehabilitation and
Clay County Communities Revitalization Association economic impact on may shopkeepers’ businesses.”
The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CC- Community and Cultural Events
CRA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is, “to serve as
a catalyst to bring forth a cooperative, creative spirit within Clay There are many community and cultural events that contribute
County that enables us to reclaim and preserve our unique moun- to the vibrancy of Clay County; the spillover effects from which
tain heritage and natural resources, create new jobs and provide greatly benefit the community. In Clay County, one can ring in
opportunities, and to encourage economic growth and prosper- the New Year watching an opossum drop from a pole at Clay’s
ity.” CCCRA has been instrumental in the Historic Courthouse’s Corner Annual ‘Possum Drop. By November, one can see pump-
renovation plans and will manage the facility upon renovation kins soar across a field at the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual
completion. CCCRA has a close association with HandMade in Pumpkin Chunkin’ contest. Between the months, an extensive
America, an organization list of events take place.
that provides place-based The Clay County Farmer’s
economic development Market, Festival on the
support for small towns. Square, Concerts in the
Park, Car-B-Que, Trick
Historic Hayesville, or Treat on the Square,
Merchants Association business fairs, the Christ-
mas Parade, Veteran’s Day
Historic Hayesville cen- celebrations, the Tractor
ters on the Historic Clay Parade are just a few of the
County Courthouse and is volunteer powered events
Clay County’s traditional that bring community
commercial center. A residents together, enter-
variety of revitalization tain visitors, and raise
efforts and plans are un- money for community
derway to strengthen the organizations.
overall image and offer-
ings in Historic Hayesville.
Historic Hayesville is also
and economic generator
and employment cen- John C. Campbell Folk
ter—businesses within
School
a one-mile radius of the
Courthouse generate over Founded in 1925, the John
$4.5 million dollars in sales employs over 700 people. The Historic C. Campbell Folk School is an internationally know school for
Hayesville Merchants Association (HHMA), while not a histori- craft and folk art. Today, the school offers more than 800 week-
cal or cultural resource, per se, is an important player in the life of long and weekend classes in traditional and contemporary craft,
Historic Hayesville. HHMA is an unincorporated association of art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photogra-
merchants located near downtown Hayesville is mentioned here phy, and writing. Located just over the county line in Cherokee
because, according to the Clay County Courthouse Re-Use Plan, County, the Folk School brings in visitors who may otherwise
HHMA, “has a vested interest in seeing that the Historic Court- never come to Clay County.
house serves as a magnet for bringing more people to the downtown
Page
area. Special events and ongoing programs will have a measurable
51
Map 4.1: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
52
Moss Memorial Library Parks and Recreation Facilities

The Moss Memorial Library is located at 46 Anderson Street in While private recreation opportunities in the region abound, this
Hayesville. Moss Memorial, overseen by a local board and is one Plan addresses public recreation facilities owned or managed by the
of the four libraries in the Nantahala Regional Library System. The county or other public bodies such as TVA or the US Forest Service.
Friends of the Library raise money for the library from sales at their
used bookstore and other events to support library programs and Clay County Recreation Department Facilities
services. Moss Memorial Library, which has over 60,000 visits a Clay County’s recreation resources are a combination of facilities
year, is mentioned in this chapter, but it is also a key community fa- owned by the county and facilities leased from other agencies. The
cility and is a critical lint to community and economic development County’s recreation offerings include:
efforts. In addition to its traditional lending library role, Moss Me-
morial is a community center that provides free broadband internet • Clay County Recreation Center and VFW Ball Fields:
access and is a wi-fi hot spot, it has a community meeting space, This park includes six softball ball fields, a walking trail
and is an information center for tourists. that leads to Spikebuck Mound, and the Recreation Center
which is a community owned gym with workout equip-
The library also plays an important role in education. The library ment and space for sporting activities.
can be a location for GED classes, Tri-County Community Col-
lege classes, and after school activities for children and youth. As • Extensive and well-used youth sport programming.
county leaders move forward with decision making, the vital role
and the powerful potential of the Moss Memorial Library should • The Clay County Recreation Park at Lake Chatuge,
not be overlooked. which consists of the Clay County Recreation Camp-
ground, a playground, lake access for swimming, fishing,
Connection to the Region and boating, and a portion of a walking trail that begins
at the Chatuge Dam. This land is leased from TVA.
The county is part of a much larger region that offers a broad range
of recreation, historic, and cultural resources. Through identifying • Shallowford Bridge Park and River Access: This small
and advertising its unique resources such as those listed above, Clay park near Fires Creek has a small park and provides access
County carves out a niche that sets it apart from other communi- to the Hiwassee River. The land is owned by TVA and is
ties; while not trying to compete with those communities. Linking maintained by the county.
the county’s unique resources to the historical and cultural offer-
ings in nearby communities and developing complementary, rather Lake Recreation
than competitive, opportunities is a win-win situation for Clay A variety of private and public recreation facilities line Lake
County and its neighbors. Possible regional offerings link with and Chatuge’s shoreline—from boating and skiing to fishing and pad-
promote include: arts and crafts; heritage and cultural sites; out- dling. Following is an inventory of the publicly owned resources.
door recreation (human powered sports such as mountain biking,
hiking, canoeing); boating, skiing and fishing; and cultural events, • Chatuge Dam Reservoir: Amenities at the Chatuge Dam, owned
festivals, and fairs. and managed by TVA, include a walking trail and boat access. Just
up from the dam is Chatuge Tailwater Stream Access that included
picnic tables and stream access.
• Chatuge Shores Golf Course: The Clay County Rural Development

Authority, whose members are appointed by the Clay County Board
of Commissioners, owns and operates the golf course.
• Gibson Cove Recreation Area: Gibson Cove Recreation Area, con- Page
53
Map 4.2: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Near Hayesville, NC 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
54
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 4.3: Lake Chatuge Public Recreation Resources
Page
55
Chapter 4: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
tiguous with the Clay County Park, activities include camping, boat opportunity to study its fee schedule to balance affordability with
access, and lake swimming. operation costs. Additionally, a planning process can determine
how the county can build a greenway trail system that doubles as a
• Jackrabbit Recreation Area: The new Jackrabbit Mountain Bike
Trails have brought a lot of attention Clay County. The bike trails tool to protect environmentally sensitive ares.
are frequently used by hikers, also. The Jackrabbit Recreation Area
offers camping and boating access. Jackrabbit is owned and oper- Key Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources
ated by the US Forest Service, which has closely partnered with CC- Issues Opportunities
CRA to develop the bike trails.
• The Historic Clay County Courthouse is perhaps the county’s most
• Ledford Chapel Boat Access: The Ledford Chapel Boat Access, on valuable asset. As a downtown center point, its rehabilitation will in-
Ledford Chapel Road, only offers boat access. The North Carolina crease business activity in Historic Hayesville, bring community mem-
Wildlife Resources Commission owns and manages the ramp. bers together, and draw visitors.
• Highway 175 Designated Fishing Pier: The North Carolina Wildlife • Clay County has unique resources to differentiate itself from other
Resources Commission owns and manages this small fishing pier. communities, yet it also has enough similarities to connect to the
broader region.
Other Recreation Facilities
• Preserving and enhancing historic and cultural resources protects the
Other public recreation facilities in the county, including two that small town feel and rural character of the county.
are in early planning stages include:
• Cultural and community events are an avenue for volunteerism and
• A planned Hiwassee River boat launch just north of Hayesville. community building.
• A planned fishing access point for Tusquittee Creek (location to be • Clay County has a wide variety of public recreation resources, yet the
determined). has the need for additional facilities to meet the needs of a growing
population. It is recommended that the county conduct a parks and
• Designated trout fishing waters recreation master plan to determine its future recreation needs and ca-
pacity.
• US Forest Service trails, camping, and recreation activities
• Certain recreation offerings, such as trails and greenways, double as a
• The Appalachian Trail, which runs through the southeastern corner
land stewardship tool to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
of the county.
Future Recreation Opportunities

The recreation resources in Clay County are well used, and many
citizens would like to see more options. The challenge for the
county is identifying and securing resources to build and maintain
new recreation facilities. For example, many citizens would like
the county to build a pool, yet the cost of maintaining this type of
resource would be burden given the size of the county’s current
budget. To maintain the existing recreation resources and to plan
for future recreation opportunities, it is recommended that Clay
County conduct parks and recreation master planning process.
Page A plan such as this allows the county to determine its recreation
56 needs, its capacity to provide recreation programming, and it is an
Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources Concept Plan
A. Celebrate and preserve the culture and history of Clay County to advance the county’s quality of life, rural character, and potential as
a heritage tourism destination.
1) Preserve and promote existing historical resources.
a) Work with the State Historic Preservation Office to conduct a

thorough study of the county’s historic homes, structures, and
areas that contribute to the cultural heritage of Clay County.
b) Explore initiatives to spotlight the history and culture of the

county, while enhancing quality of life and the county’s
potential as a destination.
2) Integrate historic and cultural activities with travel and tourism and
economic development efforts.
a) Develop a historic and cultural branding campaign to market

the history and culture of Clay County and to build the area’s
potential as a unique and attractive destination.
b) Cooperate with neighboring communities to spotlight the

attractions of the region to market to and capture loop tourists.
c) Encourage all who are promoting tourism, events, and

recreation opportunities to co-market the county as a
destination through the internet, brochures, events, and other
strategies. (Chamber, TDA, CCCRA, HHMA, Peacock
Playhouse, etc.)
d) Continue to collaborate with entities and organizations working

to promote events and attractions in Clay County, and work to
raise awareness of these events.
Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources Concept Plan 1
e) Consider building some type of event grounds near the existing
recreation center (land would need to be acquired).
f) Explore opportunities to attract tourists from the interstate ring

that circles Clay County. Advertise Clay County as an ideal
place for a day trip.
g) Coordinate marketing activities with broader regional events

and activities.
B. Promote the revitalization of Historic Hayesville as the historic and cultural center of the community.
1) Establish a system of community pathways (driving, biking, walking,

etc.) and an accompanying wayfinding system that directs people
through Historic Hayesville.
2) Encourage [and support if it does] the Town of Hayesville to

complete a current Land Use Plan that complements the goals of the
CCCP.
3) Complete the Historic Courthouse renovation to be re-used in

accordance with the Clay County Historic Courthouse Re-Use Plan.
4) Support the CCCRA and the Historic Hayesville Merchants

Association’s efforts to implement recommendations made in the
Historic Hayesville Market Analysis.
2 Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources Concept Plan
C. Ensure that all residents and groups are well served with park, recreation, and open space facilities that meet a variety of county
goals, including: health improvement, better quality of life, a tool to attract/retain young people, a tool to attract economic
development opportunities, and environmental protection.
1) Develop a recreation master plan that addresses the following goals:
a) Increase the variety of public recreation opportunities (e.g.

swimming pool, playgrounds, an event facility); include age
appropriate activities (kids, families, young adults seniors)
b) Identify a funding structure that balances affordability with

operation costs.
c) Develop a greenway plan that links recreation areas in the county

with one another
d) Identify land acquisition opportunities
e) Identify entrepreneurial opportunities (e.g. regional baseball

tournaments, private events at a facility)
2) Partner with non-profits and community organizations to leverage

dollars for community recreation and cultural projects.
Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources Concept Plan 3
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 5: Land Stewardship

Land Stewardship
Existing Land Use Table 5.1: Clay County Public Land Ownership
Before delving in to Clay County’s existing land use patterns, it is County 141,329 221 100%
first necessary to look at public land ownership in Clay County that
cannot be used for typical land uses, such as commercial or resi-
dential development. When Clay County’s governing body creates Federal Owned Land 66,000 103 47%
an ordinance, such as the Clay County Subdivision Ordinance, that State Owned Land 57 <1 <1%
ordinance applies only to land areas that are not publicly owned. Lake Chatuge (owned by 3,516 5.5 3%
The example, the Subdivision Ordinance does not apply to land TVA)
owned by the Nantahala National Forest. Of the 141,329 acres in
Clay County, 73,120 (53%) lie beyond the county’s ability to enforce Roads 2,711 4.2 2%
ordinances. This land cannot be developed or used for typical land TVA (Land) 836 1.3 <1%
use purposes. Subtracting the publicly owned land and from the Total Public Land 73,120 114 52%
county’s total acreage, approximately 68,209 acres, or 48% of the
Total Private Land 68,208 107 48%
county, remain open for traditional land uses. Table 5.1 provides
Source: NC DCA
more detail.
While the Town of Hayesville technically separate from the county,
this report does not make a separation for two reasons. First, the Existing Land Use Survey
Town and the county have a number of arrangements whereby the Data for the existing land use analysis and map is derived from
county provides services to Town residents. Second, the land in a countywide land use windshield survey and data from Clay
the Town of Hayesville represents less than 1% of the entire county. County’s geographic information system (GIS). Other supple-
Subtracting Hayesville’s land area from each calculation has no real mental land use sources consulted include data from the Hiwas-
effect on overall trends. see River Watershed Coalition (HRWC), the Land Trust for the
Little Tennessee (LTLT), North Carolina One Map, and the North
Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT). Page
57
Chapter 5: Land Stewardship 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
fice, such as a bank or a doctor’s office. Additionally, single-family

Clay County Tax Records and Geographic residences that obviously doubled as a home-based business received
a commercial code. An obvious home-based business is one that had
Information System (GIS) noticeable signage or business activity.
When developing comprehensive plans, planners typically
rely on data generated through a community’s electronic • Social/Cultural: Social and cultural parcels are those that contain
property records (tax data) and spatial data from the com- church, education, government, health care (such as nursing homes),
munity’s GIS. These two systems are typically integrated, or social service establishments.
however, this is not yet the case for Clay County. Clay’s • Production: The Production code applies to parcels with land uses
electronic tax system is older and does not have the abil- such as manufacturing, warehousing, equipment sales, construction,
ity to export the entire database for analysis purposes. or quarries.
Therefore, planners involved with the CCCP had to rely on
available GIS data as the initial basis for the existing land • Open Land: Parcels with an Open Land code include parks, recre-
use mapping process. The GIS data presented its own set ational facilities, golf courses, protected areas, agriculture, horticul-
of challenges—there were records without data and records ture, and forestland.
with only partial information.
• Transportation: Transportation parcels include roads and rights-of-
Planners conducted an extensive, countywide windshield way as well as parcels with utilities, such as cell towers or power sub-
survey to determine existing land use. Data from the stations.
windshield survey, Clay County’s GIS data, and data from
supplemental sources were collated in order to identify • Undeveloped: Land with no obvious activity, that was under construc-
existing land uses and patterns. While the data presented tion, or that is unclassifiable received an undeveloped code.
here accurately depicts land use trends, there is a margin
of error in the data. Therefore, the CCCP presents most • Unknown: Parcels with an unknown code have no obtainable informa-
figures as percentages rather than total numbers. tion or require further information to determine use.
The CCCP recommends that Clay County work to mod- Table 5.2 lists the nine major categories of land use and the portion
ernize the tax record system and the GIS to have better of the land in the corresponding category of use. Map 5.1 details
information for analyzing land use changes over time. the existing land use in Clay County as of June 2009. Maps 5.2a
and 5.2b break the county down by township to provide a better
view of the land use in each section of the county. Please note that
the townships are not to scale.
Existing land use is a description of how the land is currently used.

For example, if you were to walk down the street and see a house, a
church, and a convenience store, the land uses noted in the in the
database would be residential (house), social/cultural (church), and
commercial (convenience store). Each parcel of land in the Clay
County GIS database received one of the following land use codes:
• Residential: Parcels with a single-family, multi-family, or manufac-
tured housing structure received a residential land use code.
Page • Commercial: Commercial parcels are those that had some type of
58 general business, such as a retail establishment or a restaurant; or of-
Table 5.2: Existing Land Use pattern. Most of the recent subdivisions, those designed in the last
ten to fifteen years, are on land that was once open space or used for
% of Land farming. A second more recent development pattern is mountain-
% of Entire
in County side and ridge-top development.
County
Jurisdiction
Total Private Land 48% -- Land Subdivision
Total Public Land 52% -- The Clay County Subdivision Ordinance (CCSO) is the main tool
Land Use Categories used to regulate land development. The CCSO sets forth adminis-
trative procedures and requirements applicable to land subdivision
Residential 18% 38% and it is where flood, soil, safety, environmental, and other land
Commercial <1% <1% development regulations and concerns come together. The CCSO
Social/Cultural <1% <1% also sets standards for roads, minimum lot sizes, utilities, and other
requirements. The Clay County Board of Commissioners is the
Production <1% 1%
authority for final subdivision plat approval.
Open Land (Private) 11% 24%
Map 5.2 highlights parcels mapped as subdivisions by the Clay
Undeveloped 17% 35%
County GIS department. According to Clay County’s GIS Coor-
Unknown <1% <1% dinator, the GIS Department digitizes (i.e. electronically maps)
Open Land (State and Federal) 47% -- subdivision plats upon request of the person responsible for divid-
Transportation <1% -- ing the land. The GIS department does not generally map family
subdivisions. While it helpful to see the location of major subdivi-
Lake and TVA 4% -- sions, the available subdivision data has analysis limitations. These
Source: Clay County GIS, CCCP Land Use Windshield Survey, HRWC limitations prohibit identification of important land subdivision
trends such and the rate of parcelization (the pace at which land is
divided), the number of parcels created, and the number of parcels
Land Use Patterns that are built upon versus those that are not.
The next sections contain summary details pertaining to a variety
of topics pertaining to existing land use.
Suggested Subdivision Ordinance Improvements
While the Subdivision Ordinance works fairly well, suggestions for
Residential Land Use Patterns improvement come from two sources. First is the county’s hazard
Residential is the most prevalent type of developed land use in the mitigation plan, which presents a set of recommendations that
county. It comprises 18% of the entire County or 38% of private would lessen the effect of hazardous events on residential develop-
land. The typical historical residential land use pattern mimics ments. The second set of suggestions, pertaining to road standards,
that found in other rural counties in WNC. Denser development was gleaned from the community input process during which some
is around the Town of Hayesville and key crossroads or established of the county’s volunteer firefighters indicated a need for greater
communities, such as Brasstown, Warne, Fires Creek, Tusquittee, and safer road access for emergency vehicles. The Comprehensive
and Shooting Creek. Outside of Hayesville and the rural cross- Planning Committee supports these improvements based on the
roads, large lots, homesteads and farms, and clusters of homes data it received throughout the comprehensive planning process.
typically established by members of the same extended family
The Hazard Mitigation Plan has a specific set of recommendations
characterize the historic development pattern. Today’s road names
for the Subdivision Ordinance that, if enacted, would lessen the ef-
provide evidence to support this pattern--Carter Cove, Jarrett Road,
fect of hazardous events on residential developments. Below is a list
and Roach Cove Road are just a few of the examples. Traditional Page
of recommended changes:
subdivisions predominantly define today’s residential development 59
Map 5.1: Existing Land Use 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
60
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 5.2a: Existing Land Use By Township
Maps are not to scale. Please refer to Map 5.3 for the land use key.
Sweetwater
Hayesville
Brasstown
Page
61
Map 5.2b: Existing Land Use by Township 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Maps are not to scale. Please refer to Map 5.3 for the land use key. Maps are not to scale.
Tusquittee
Hiawassee
Shooting Creek
Page
62
• The County’s subdivision ordinance is vague in that it calls for “neces- • Alternative road width strategies include:
sary measures to minimize flood damage.” The Mitigation Plan calls
for criteria that are more specific. a. The use of one-way loops, as long as they are not too long
• Other suggestions to strengthen the Subdivision Ordinance include: b. Adequate pullouts and turn-around areas are provided
o Limits on impervious surfaces c. Adequate water supplies are available (e.g., public water sys-
tem, 20,000 gallon storage tank, residential sprinkler systems)
o Setback requirements in hazard zones
Residential Market Trends
o Identified buildable zones on buildable lots in hazard areas
Economic forces at play prior to and after the 2007 housing market
o Standards to ensure that infrastructure improvements or ad- downturn guide this residential market trend discussion. From
ditions are compatible with hazard risks 2001 to late 2006, residential market trends in Clay County, as well
as the region, reflected the high demand for new residential devel-
o Developments in a hazard areas are developed in a resilient opment. In Clay County, increasing land values, conversion of open
manner land to subdivision development, larger homes, and costly develop-
ments in remote or steep areas all point to the nationwide residen-
o Provisions to protect natural areas in hazardous areas
tial housing boom in progress prior to 2007. In late 2006-early
The recommendations for improved subdivision road standards 2007, thriving housing markets across the nation, Clay County
were general, such as two emergency vehicles should have room to included, went bust. The next set of tables and charts illustrate
pass one another. Therefore, the CCCP recommends the road stan- these trends.
dard options found in the Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protec- New Construction Building Permit Activity
tion Strategies report. After careful study, the Clay County Plan-
ning Committee can incorporate some, or all, of these standards Chart 5.1 summarizes new single-family residential development
to improve emergency vehicle access in the Subdivision Ordinance. activity in Clay County from 1996 to 2009. These figures do not
Safe road recommendations include: include manufactured homes. Building activity in Clay County in-
creased, or was at least steady, between 1996 and 2000. The number
• Use interconnected and loop roads
of building permits issued increased by 10% per year during that
• Keep roads open during construction time, which was a time of economic expansion across the United
States. Building activity dropped by 15% between 2000 and 2001,
• Carefully consider access during the initial development process; de- coinciding with a countrywide recession in 2001. Activity imme-
velopments should provide at least two points of access to all areas diately picked up in 2002 and began grow steadily until building
activity peaked in 2006. During the four years between 2002 and
• Gated communities should be required to have Siren Operated Sensors 2006, the number of building permits was almost double the num-
(or use a system approved by the county) ber of permits issued in the previous four years—an average 17%
increase each year. Since late 2006/early 2007, permit activity in
• Access to private driveways should be configured so emergency ve- Clay County has been dismal. Coinciding with the national hous-
hicles can safely turn into the drive without additional backing ma- ing bust and recession, building permit activity decreased by 53%
neuvers
between 2006 and 2007. The numbers have continued to decline
• Road grades should not exceed 15% since that time—the county only issued 44 permits in 2009. This
drop in activity has had a severe impact on the Clay County Gov-
• Two-way roads should be a minimum of 20-feet wide to allow for safe ernment and Clay County residents, particularly those employed by Page
passage of fire trucks, or an alternate strategy is used the real estate and construction industries. 63
Map 5.3: Recorded Subdivisions 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
64
Chart 5.1: Single Family Residential Building Permit Activity Chart 5.2: Clay County Manufactured Home Permits
New Single Family Construction Permits, 1996-2009

Manufactured Home Permits, 2006-2010
300 50
276
41 41
224
225
192
173
148 149 151 155
150 127 129 130
26
103
86 25
75 19
44
11
0
‘96‘ 97 ‘98‘ 99 ‘00‘ 01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04‘ 05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08‘ 09
Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits, Clay County Building Department

0
‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10
Manufactured Housing Permit Activity Source: Clay County Building Department; * 2010 Permits through June 2010
An exact count is of manufactured homes in Clay County is not

available. According the existing land use survey, less than 1% of Single-Family Building Permit Activity Compared to the
the county’s housing stock is comprised of manufactured homes.
Region
This number seems incredibly low given manufactured home trends
across Western North Carolina and the state. Conversely, the Haz- The residential market’s boom and bust cycles are not unique to
ard Mitigation Plan, estimates that 18% of the county’s residential Clay County. Clay County’s rise and fall of building activity is mir-
structures are manufactured homes. The permitting process for rored across the region and state. Clay County, however, is unique
manufactured homes differs from stick built or modular homes. in that the county’s rate of activity is greater than that of the region
The following chart details the number of manufactured housing or the state. Chart 5.3 looks at the number of single-family residen-
permits issued from 2006-June 2010. While the numbers of permit- tial permits issued per 1,000 people in county population. This does
ted manufactured homes has declined, the decline has not been as not include manufactured homes. For example, in 2000, 17 build-
dramatic as with stick built homes. There was a 37% decrease in ing permits were issued for every 1,000 county residents; whereas
permits between 2007 and 2008 and a 27% decrease between 2008 only 11 were issued for every 1,000 people in the region, and 10 for
and 2009. every 1,000 people in the state. Even in the economic downturn,
Clay County’s development activity continues to exceed the region
and the state rate, although not by much.
Page
65
Chart 5.3: Residential Building Permits Per 1,000 in Population Seasonal Housing
New Single Family Construction Permits per 1,000 in Population The amount of seasonal housing in Clay County is significant, but
an exact count is difficult to obtain. Of the approximately 6,300
30
residential structures identified in the land use study, 85% have an
in-county mailing address and 15% had an out-of-county address.
However, this information is gleaned from GIS parcel data rather
than tax record data which would be more accurate. Anecdotal evi-
20
dence from Clay County staff and realtors indicate that that second
homes comprise well over 15% of the housing stock. This is one
area that needs to be investigated further when American Com-
munity Survey data is available. If a substantial number of seasonal
10
units are converted to year-round dwellings, the impact on Clay
County’s fiscal and natural resources would be substantial.
17 11 10 14 10 10 17 13 10 18 12 9 20 13 11 23 14 11 27 15 11 13 10 9 8 6 6 4 4 4
Multi-Family Housing
0
‘00‘ 01 ‘02‘ 03 ‘04‘ 05 ‘06‘ 07 ‘08‘ 09 The county’s housing is composed primarily of traditional single-
Clay Region NC family housing units. In a pattern similar to most rural communi-
Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits
ties in Western North Carolina, there are few multi-family housing
units. The land use study identified 84 multi-family units (less than
1% of the total housing stock), which include duplexes, small and
large apartment complexes and two subsidized housing complexes.
Housing Characteristics Clay County should work with developers to increase the amount of
Housing costs are the single largest expenditure for most people, quality multi-family housing in the community. This will increase
likewise, homes represent their most valuable asset and largest in importance as the elderly population increases. As discussed
investment. Homes are not just an asset to the people who live later in the Economic Development chapter, the availability of
in them, but housing plays a critical role in state and local econo- quality multi-family housing is also important for attracting young
mies. Companies are reluctant to locate to areas where wages people to a community.
are incompatible with the cost of housing. Additionally, in Clay
County and other communities in Western North Carolina, the Affordability
construction and real estate industries and the other occupations Clay County is not without housing affordability problems. As will
that support the housing industry have constituted a major portion be discussed in the Economic Development chapter, Clay County’s
of the economy. Housing is also a major source of revenue for local wages tend to be lower than the state, and are about even with the
communities in the form of property taxes. Beyond the financial region. In 2000, the median household income, adjusted to reflect
aspects of housing, there are also social effects that are not so easily 2009 dollars was $38,855 and $38,952 in 2009, an increase of less
measured. People develop a sense of pride in their homes, which than 1%. While wages are only incrementally increasing, the medi-
in turn creates a sense of community. It is for these reasons that an value of homes in Clay County is increasing rapidly. The median
it is important for the county to ensure that it has housing options home value in 2000 (adjusted to reflect 2009 dollars) was $113,502.
that are affordable, well-maintained, and that there are a variety of The median home value in 2009 was $139,590, an increase of 23%.
housing options that range from small apartments to large single
family homes. When housing costs outpace income, residents in the community
can experience housing problems such as foreclosure, eviction, the
Page inability to maintain the home, or homelessness,. All of these hous-
66 ing problems have a negative effect on the family and the communi-
ty. Therefore, county leaders should be attentive to the rising costs Clay County Property Values Compared to Other Counties
of housing and work local and regional non-profits and developers
to ensure that quality and affordable options are available to Clay Chart 5.4 compares Clay County’s FY 2009 property tax rate with
County’s families. that of other counties in the comparison area. Clay County’s FY
2009 tax rate is one penny above the regional average. It is im-
Clay County Property Values portant to note that comparing tax rates from one community to
another is a bit difficult in that it does not speak to the type and va-
Clay County completed a property valuation process in 2010. riety of services county residents receive, nor does it speak to vary-
According to the Clay County Manager, the market value of a ing conditions that may account for large differences. For example,
single-family residence in Clay County increased by an average of Highlands in Macon County and Cashiers in Jackson County each
60%. Around Lake Chatuge, the value of properties increased by have a very high tax base. Because areas such as these generate a
100%. Homes constructed in the last three to four years saw a 30% large amount of tax revenue, the county may adopt a lower millage
increase. Table 5.2 compares the real property value that was taxed rate to maintain a revenue neutral budget. Also, some of the larger
during Clay County’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 (July 1, 2009-June 30, counties, such as Jackson, Macon, and Haywood, have higher con-
2010) with FY 2010 (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011). FY 2009’s assessed centrations of commercial property compared to counties like Clay
values are based on the previous valuation that occurred in 2004. and Graham. The presence of commercial property lowers the tax
burden placed on residential property owners.
Table 5.3: Clay County Total Property Value

FY 2009 FY 2010 Percent Chart 5.4: Clay County Property Tax Rate Compared to Other Counties
Change FY 2009 - 2010 Property Tax Rates per $1,000 Value
$0.60
Real Property $1,336,719,396 $1,989,907,606 49%
Assessment $0.45
Millage Rate .43% .3250% -- $0.30

Millage rate is a way to express property taxation. It equals the tax per $1,000 of assessed
value. For example, a property valued at $300,000 and a millage rate of .0325 will have a $0.15
tax bill of $975 (300,000 x .003250 = 975). The county decreased the millage rate between $0.39 $0.43 $0.58 $0.51 $0.28 $0.33 $0.56 $0.42
$0.26
FY09 and FY10 to maintain a revenue neural budget. $0
.
ee
n
am
s
ain
ve
Source: Clay County Manager
Cla
wn
oo
co
so
ok
A
ah
Sw
Ma
To
ck
yw
g.
er
Gr
Ja
Re
Ha
Ch
Source: NC EDIS
Page
67
Commercial/Office Trends Land Supply for Development

Clay County has limited commercial and office development. Only Despite the phenomenal building boom throughout much of the
1% of the land in the county is in commercial use. What com- 2000s, a large supply of land remains available for development.
mercial land is available is concentrated in Historic Hayesville and Some of the undeveloped land is approved for development but is
along the Highway 64 and Highway 69 commercial corridors. One not yet built-out. Some land is vacant and is without development
can find minor concentrations of commercial land use scattered plans; and some may be appropriate for redevelopment. Because of
throughout the county, such as the business in Brasstown and the GIS limitations noted earlier, an exact analysis of land supply
Warne. The existing land use windshield survey revealed a number is difficult to complete. However, the existing land use methodol-
of home-based businesses. Although businesses in these structures ogy indicates that at least 35% of the private land in Clay County is
are single-family homes, they are classified as commercial on exist- undeveloped (see Chart 5.2). This is a very conservative estimate, as
ing land use maps (see Maps 5.1 and 5.2 a and b). it does not incorporate large residential lots currently classified as
residential that could easily be subdivided for further use.
Commercial development growth is limited due to the narrow
reach of public water and wastewater lines. Clay County’s building A number of factors determine the actual supply of land avail-
department began recording the number of commercial building able for development. Sensitive environmental corridors, such as
permits issued each month in June 2007. Between June 2007 and floodplains, the watershed, and rare species combined with build-
March 2010, on average, the building department issued one to two ing limitations such as slope, soils, and hydrology all influence how
new construction and two to three renovation or addition commer- much undeveloped land is appropriate for development. When a
cial permits each month. specific development proposal is considered, the developer and the
county should carefully consider and plan for development limita-
Industrial Development Trends tions.
Industrial development in Clay County is extremely limited. There Technically, because Clay County does not regulate land through
are two large active manufacturing facilities—Coleman Cable and zoning, any land available for residential development is also avail-
Advanced Digital Cable--and a small number of manufacturing able for commercial or industrial development. This does not mean
operations, such as Smoky Mountain Manufactured Stone Products that all vacant land is appropriate for or can support commercial
on Qualla Road. Other types if industrial development include or industrial development. In addition to the development con-
quarries and concrete plants. Map 5.3 highlights larger industrial straints noted above, the infrastructure needs of commercial and
developments. industrial uses differ from residential. Thriving commercial and
industrial developments need adequate road access, public water
Clay County owns an industrial park on McDonald Road off High-
and wastewater, utilities, and broadband access. For example, Clay
way 69 along the Towns County, GA line. In 2003, leaders from
County’s Environmental Health Supervisor reports that many busi-
Clay and Towns counties created the 80-acre Clay-Towns Industrial
ness owners would like to expand or even locate their businesses to
Park. The county governments involved formed the Clay Towns
the Highway 69/Highway 64 corridors, but the limitations of onsite
Development Authority (CTDA), a cross-state legal entity, to own
wastewater capacity prevents them from doing so. In other words,
the Industrial Park’s real property. Clay County dissolved their role
infrastructure limitations stunt business activity. Therefore, future
with the CTDA in 2008. The Clay County Municipal Corporation
planning efforts should direct commercial and industrial develop-
now owns the 40-acres of prepared land that is suitable for five to
ment to areas along existing and planned infrastructure pathways.
seven light-industry businesses. Clay County is currently working
Likewise, infrastructure planning should focus on areas that are
through the final details and funding to fully extended water and
suitable for commercial and industrial development. The Future
wastewater services to the site. The industrial park is one of Clay
Land Use Map notes the most appropriate locations for commercial
County’s strongest economic development assets and is discussed in
and industrial development.
Page more detail in Chapter 8.
68
Clay County Future Land Use Map Future Land Development Concept
The Future Land Use Map (FLUM), Map 5.4, suggests how to ac- Building on the assumptions stated in the previous section, the
commodate future land use demand within the confines of land CCCP recommends that Clay County adopt an incentive based
that is potentially available for development. The proposed FLUM development program that balances one’s property rights with
was developed in a manner that respects property rights yet sill the growth and development needs of the county. The concept is
aims to protect what people value—rural character, natural beauty, based on a clearly defined set of county development goals. When
and environmental protection. To maintain this balance, the CCCP a developer comes forward with a project, building department
Committee makes its land use recommendations based on the fol- staff work with the developer to determine if and how the coun-
lowing assumptions: ty’s development goals can be incorporated into the development
project. In exchange, the county, which also has a well-defined
A. Clay County is primarily a residential community. Therefore, set of development incentives, can assist the developer through
it is assumed that most land in Clay County will be used for their incentives. The following paragraphs outline programs and
residential development. policies that, when implemented, direct development in a manner
B. Public water and wastewater expansions are expensive. While that is consistent with the FLUM.
the Clay County Water and Sewer District is continually ex-
Encourage Development in Developed Areas
panding its service area, years will pass before many areas of
the county are within reach of these services. Therefore, Clay The most suitable solution to balancing the objectives of promot-
County should prioritize infrastructure expansion plans to ing economic growth in Clay County while preserving agricultur-
match business and industry needs with infrastructure capacity. al land and open space is to encourage growth in urban areas and
the in the areas identified as rural crossroads. Without zoning to
C. The natural environment and scenic beauty are important to push development to these areas through regulation, the incen-
Clay County residents; as is a diverse public recreation system.
tives and encouragement practices adopted by the county need to
Therefore, Clay County can protect sensitive environmental ar-
be enticing to developers. Adequate infrastructure and policies
eas and meet future recreation goals though a system of green-
ways and natural parks.
that make linkage to public infrastructure more profitable than
wells and on-site waste water systems should be considered. Fail-
D. Strict land use controls such a zoning, excluding new safety ure to accommodate growth in the urban corridors will have the
regulations pertaining to roads and steep slopes, are not rec- net effect of consuming more open space by pushing development
ommended. Therefore, future development goals should be ad- to the non-developed areas, placing an additional strain on the
vanced through a system of goals and incentives and education infrastructure and natural resources.
programs; including efforts that encourage well planned devel-
opment.
E. It is desirable that some of the more rural areas of the county

remain rural. Therefore, a system of rural pathways and rural
crossroads is proposed.
F. Clay County’s transportation system is fragmented and geared

only to vehicle travelers. Therefore, the proposed system of
rural pathways encourages connections between communities
and paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Page
69
Table 5.4: Suggested Development Goals and Incentives
Suggested Development Goals Suggested Incentives
• Prevent urban-style development in rural areas by developing commer- • Fast track or priority permitting.
cial use in established commercial areas, reusing or rehabilitating existing
buildings and in-filling. Urbanized areas include the 64/69 Corridors, • Reduced fees.
the Town of Hayesville, and the rural crossroads.
• Certified “Catchy Name” Development or recognition program when
• Preserve open space through compact or conservation subdivision de- development best practices are used, publicize developments that incor-
velopment. porate best practices.
• Protect mountain views by using good mountainside development de- • Water and wastewater connection rebates; subdivision fee reductions,
sign (e.g. earth tone colors, avoid mirrored windows). [County would subdivision fast track reviews.
need to develop education materials.]
• Develop the capacity of those who work in the building department to
• Complete a Clay County Site Assessment to identify context sensitive assist with conservation subdivision development and site resource as-
building placement. sessments—offer their knowledge to developers.
• Reduce the overall amount of land disturbance and vegetation removal;

establish vegetative buffers that exceed minimum standards.
• Incorporate soil erosion/sedimentation control and/or water quality best

management practices. [Connect back to Lake Chatuge Action Plan rec-
ommendations.]
• Incorporate energy efficiency or green building techniques. [Would need

to define the standards.]
• When building along rural pathways, design the face (what is visible from
the road) of the development to fit in with the rural character of the area.
Page
70
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 5.4: Future Land Use Map
LEGEND
Town and Community Rural Pathways Clay County Comprehensive Plan

Community / Rural Crossroad Scenic Paths (Proposed) Future Land Use Map
Hayesville NC Scenic Byway (Designated)
Civic Facilities Land
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Site Resource Assessment Program Conservation Subdivisions

A site resource assessment is a property specific assessment that Conservation subdivisions, also known as cluster or open space
thoroughly evaluates a tract of land that is being prepared for devel- subdivisions, are designed in a manner that is attentive to the
opment. The Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) in Hay- natural features of a site. Conservation subdivisions, according the
wood County has a good model and a similar model is proposed Mountain Landscapes Initiative Region A Toolbox, “favor the natu-
in the Mountain Landscapes Initiative’s Region A Toolbox. With ral habitat over the human habitat and typically involve the per-
either model, those conducting the SRA provide the property owner manent protection of a large majority of the site (more than 50%).
with an assessment that pinpoints the places that are most suitable The area selected for protection will generally have valuable envi-
for development. While Clay County may not have the capacity to ronmental or ecological resources.” The land that is undeveloped is
develop an extensive SRA program; it can implement a program generally under some type of permanent protection, such as a deed
that uses some of the basic SRA concepts, such as using GIS data, restriction, or in come cases, the open space may be preserved by a
including, slope, soil, geology, natural resource, and other types land trust or similar organization.
of data that are free are easily accessible during the initial subdivi-
sion platting process. The first step to this process is improving the Ideally, a conservation design identifies the unique, scenic, envi-
county’s GIS. Other considerations to develop a program such as ronmentally sensitive, or significant natural features of a site that
this include: work with other counties to develop a more extensive should be preserved in large contiguous blocks. Developable lots
SRA program, educate developers on the benefits of the program, for homes and the accompanying infrastructure are then laid out
identify professional technical assistance providers who can assist to maximize access to the open space. Homes are clustered together
with the process, and identify incentives that encourage developers on smaller lots, usually in a few areas of the site to maximize each
to participate in the SRA program. resident’s access to the open space. The combined effect of the
protected open space and the clustered homes results in an overall
density that is equal to the density achieved using a conventional
Figure 5.1: Site Resource Assessment
subdivision design. A more detailed description of conservation
subdivisions can be found in the Mountain Landscapes Initiative
Region A Toolbox. Figure 5.1 provides a visual example of conser-
vation subdivision compared to a conventional subdivision.
Conservation Easements and Land Trusts

A conservation easement (or agreement) is a legal tool that enables
landowners to preserve and maintain ownership of their land while
realizing significant tax and/or other financial benefits. Conserva-
tion easements are written agreements between landowners and
a qualified conservation or public agency in which the landowner
(grantor or donor) promises to keep the land in its natural condi-
tion without extensive disturbance, and the conservation organiza-
tion or public agency (grantee) is granted the right to enforce the
covenants of the agreement and to monitor the property. Accord-
ing to the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, conservation
easements are “intended to preserve property in its natural, unde-
veloped condition providing a benefit to the public by conserving
An SRA showing basic analysis of existing conditions (aerial photography), streams, open lands, forests, farmland, stream banks, and significant natural
drainage ways, poor soils and an important ridgeline using information from a brief resources.” Page
field visit and commonly available GIS data. Source: Mountain Landscapes Initia- 73
tive Region A Toolbox
Figure 5.2 : Conservation Subdivision Design
Source: NC DCA
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) is the largest local LTLT were only able to complete this work for the area along the
land trust organization serving Clay County. The Clay County Soil Hiwassee River. If funding were available to the organization, they
and Water Conservation District has some ability to work with land could complete the work for the county’s remaining land.
trusts, also. LTLT works in the Upper Little Tennessee and Hiwas-
see River Valleys to conserve waters, forests, farms, and heritage. In Clay County Rural Pathways
Clay County, there 122 acres in conservation easement or owned by As a way to preserve the rural character of the county, the future
the LTLT. In addition to the properties already under conservation land use map highlights a network of rural pathways. These path-
easement, LTLT, along with the Hiwassee River Watershed Coali- ways serve a number of purposes. First, they identify priority areas
tion, recently completed a report titled, A Plan to Conserve Prime that should maintain a rural feel in terms of transportation and
Farmland and Protect Clean Water in the Hiwassee & Valley River development. These pathways are the most visual representation
Corridors in North Carolina. Using a detailed methodology, the of “rural character” and offer some of the county’s most stunning
writers of the report identified properties along the Hiwassee River scenery. With targeted resources and planning in addition to time
that are priorities for conservation. With the properties identified, spent working with property owners and NC DOT, the network
LTLT has begun to work with the identified property owners with of rural pathways can be developed in a manner that protects the
the ultimate goal of an increased number of properties under a rural character of the community, allows for development, and adds
conservation easement. The specific properties identified as prime to what the county has to offer visitors. The rural pathways can be
Page
conservation properties are not public. In Clay County, HRWC and marked with wayfinding signs that highlight historical places or
74
events, farm overlooks, recreation areas, rural crossroads, or arts Key Land Stewardship Issues and Opportunities
and crafts locations. The pathways could also include road bump-
outs/pullouts for scenic viewing and for picture taking, or picnic The following are some of the key issues and opportunities for the
areas. Developers along these pathways would also be eligible for county identified in this Chapter and through public input in the
incentives if they visually develop in a way that fits in with the rural planning process:
character. The process by which NC’s Scenic Byway program could • Clay County citizens want to maintain the county’s rural
serve as a model for this process. Greenways and bike paths can character. To do this, land use patterns need to reflect the
also be developed along the rural pathway network. rural nature of the county.
A developed network of rural pathways can greatly enhance what • A set of goals and incentives are needed to direct develop-
Clay County has to offer visitors and presents an opportunity for ment in a way that will maintain the rural character.
local business owners to capture business from these visitors. Dur-
ing the community input process, local business owners reported • The county’s GIS needs to be enhanced in order to improve
that visitors want to know what they can do and where they can go. the county’s ability to make land use decisions.
With coordinated resources, such as mapping and wayfinding, visi-
tors can be directed to the pathways to take advantage of the beauty • Commercial and industrial development activity should be
and the business. matched with public infrastructure resources and public in-
frastructure projects should be prioritized to meet the needs
Clay County Rural Crossroads of the areas that are appropriate for commercial and indus-
trial use.
The areas identified as the rural crossroads are communities that
have long been identified as distinct areas of the county. Of the
five identified rural crossroads, Brasstown and Warne are perhaps
the most distinct because they both have small developed commer-
cial areas where the remaining areas, Tusquittee, Fires Creek, and
Shooting Creek, do not. Like the rural pathways, the rural cross-
roads concept is a way to protect the rural character of the county
and as it develops, and it is a way to increase what the county has
to offer visitors. Using incentives, developers in the crossroad
areas should be encouraged to develop property in a manner that
continues to highlight and enhance the area’s character. Things to
encourage include conservation subdivisions, public open space,
public neighborhood parks and trails, and small-scale commercial
activity (see the Rural Neighborhood/Hamlet section of the Moun-
tain Landscapes Initiative Region A Toolbox for more information).
These areas should also be clearly marked as with signage and
gateway features that highlight the uniqueness of each area. For
example, Fires Creek is a gateway to the Nantahala National Forest
This is a road sign marking sites of interest in rural Morgan County,
and Tusquittee is a gateway for excellent trout fishing. The commu-
Georgia. Signs such as this can be used in Clay County to mark sites
nity centers in these areas could be excellent partners in identifying along the Rural Pathways. Source: Taken by the author during a sunny
what is unique in each area and how to highlight that uniqueness. day bike ride.
Additionally, while each community is distinct, there should be a
cohesive feel for all of the communities.
Page
75
Land Stewardship Concept Plan
A. Future growth and development in Clay County will be guided by policies, programs and incentives that encourage development
while balancing the county’s infrastructure, environmental and rural character preservation needs.
1) Adopt an official slate of development goals, that when one or more

is met by a developer, enables to developer to access a County
incentive(s). Suggested development goals are listed on page __ of
the CCCP.
2) Adopt an official slate of incentives that are available to developers

when one or more of the developments goal are incorporated into
the development process. Suggested development incentives are
listed in the the CCCP.
3) Create a development goal/incentives matrix to match the level of

incentive to the goals.
4) Evaluate the county’s building related fee schedule.
5) Work with the Town of Hayesville to align their zoning ordinance

and potential Land Use Plan (if it completes one) with County
development goals.
Land Stewardship Concept Plan 1
B. Improve the county’s capacity to incorporate technology and into land stewardship decision making.
1) Provide the Building Department, Tax Department, Environmental

Health, the CCWSD, and others with the technology training and
tools needed to incorporate technology into their programs and
recordkeeping systems.
2) Convert to an web-based GIS and tax record system that is available

to the public
C. Expand the County’s Planning and Development Capacity.

1) Establish and train a Clay County Planning Committee.
2) Identify resources to hire a County Planner [or explore options for a

contract planner through a private planning firm].
2 Land Stewardship Concept Plan
D. Update the Clay County Land Subdivision Ordinance
1) Incorporate new hazard mitigation and road standard safety

measures as defined on page __ of the CCCP.
2) Review the Ordinance for technical corrections, clarifications,

typographical errors, etc.
3) Align the Ordinance with the CCCP.
E. Encourage continued investment, improvement, and maintenance in existing residential areas within the county.
F. Encourage thoughtful neighborhood design principles and standards to ensure that new neighborhoods reflect the rural character of
the county.
(1) Offer guidelines to help developers determine

appropriate locations for neighborhoods incorporating
conservation design or traditional neighborhood design
principles.
(2) Encourage walkable housing development near

Hayesville and in rural crossroads.
G. Encourage new housing development, or housing rehabilitation, that accommodates the existing and emerging needs of the county
(3) Encourage use of age-in-place housing opportunities to
accommodate the region’s aging population.
(4) Encourage a developer to construct senior multi-family

housing project to accommodate the needs of the aging
population.
Land Stewardship Concept Plan 3
(5) Encourage housing for potential target groups such as
young professionals and the 55+ age cohorts.
2. Engage local, regional, State and Federal sources of assistance to

maintain and improve residential structures.
(1) Continue to make available programs to provide

assistance with housing maintenance and rehabilitation
for targeted areas and groups through Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) and non-profit
programs.
(2) Consider a study to identify concentrated areas in need

of rehabilitation.
(3) Engage and support organizations working to strategies

to promote home-ownership.
H. Land Stewardship Miscellaneous Items:

1) Use a technical review team/group for developments:

environmental health, building, fire, CCWSD, DOT, etc.
2) Determine whether the planning committee should have or

technical approval or final approval of subdivision plats
3) Develop a comprehensive development checklist that incorporates

development goals
4) Digitize all development related ordinances; make them available in

one place on the Clay County website
4 Land Stewardship Concept Plan
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 6: Transportation

Transportation
Existing Transportation Network are examples of appropriate land uses along these types of roads.
Table 6.1 and Map 6.1 provide an overview of the types of roads
A balanced transportation network provides a safe and efficient that comprise Clay’s existing roadway infrastructure.
means of travel for both people and goods. In addition, transporta-
tion systems, particularly roadways, contribute significantly to the Future Road Projects
patterns of development in any community, be it a city or town,
county, or a region. This section of the Comprehensive Plan exam- Planning for and the funding of transportation projects can be a
ines existing transportation systems in Clay County. The county bit confusing. Road projects in North Carolina happen through
has relatively good connections to the region through the existing one of two processes—through Division Plans or through the
roadway network although there is room for some improvement. North Carolina’s State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP)
process coordinated by the Southwestern Regional Planning
Roadways Organization (RPO).
Clay County’s existing roadway network connects the county to the Clay County and the Town of Hayesville are members of the
region fairly well. Throughout North Carolina, all local, county, Southwestern Rural Planning Organization along with county
state and federal transportation routes are classified in categories and municipal leaders from Cherokee, Graham, Jackson, Swain,
under the Roadway Functional Classification System. As identified and Macon counties. The RPO has two functions—to assist
by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT), with local transportation planning and to help with public input
the functional classification system classifies roads and highways between the county and NC DOT. The three representatives in-
according to the character of service they offer, ranging from rapid volved with the RPO from Clay County include one member from
through access to local land access. The purpose of functional clas- the Clay County Board of Commissioners, one representative
sification is to enhance overall travel efficiency and accommodate from the Town of Haysville, and the Clay County Manager. Plans
traffic patterns and land uses by designing streets to the standards for large transportation projects must go through the RPO.
suggested by their functional class. For example, the development
patterns on major arterials should have limited driveway or park- The RPO annually produces a prioritized list of transportation
ing lot access points to support traffic that moves at a fast speed, projects. There are twenty-five projects in the RPO’s 2009 Priority
whereas on minor collectors, one should expect slower speeds due Needs List, four of which are Clay County projects. Page
to the larger number of driveways and subdivision entrances that 77
Chapter 6: Transportation 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Table 6.1: Clay County Roads Functional Classification System

Roadway
Description Roads in Clay County, or Nearest Access
Classification
Freeway (Interstate) A divided highway that has full access control with intersec- A classified freeway or Interstate does not run through Clay
tions that are separated by grade. The primary uses are for County. However, there is access to several major interstates
interstate and intrastate travel. in a 2-3 hour distance in almost any direction from Hayes-
ville (see Map 2.1).
Major Arterial and The primary function is to carry local and regional traffic, Likewise, there are no Principal Arterial roadways in Clay
Other Principal connect communities, and to allow travel between major des- County, nor are their plans for the development of a principal
Arterials tinations. This classification of road is used for long distance arterial roadway.
travel and signals are used in areas of development. In many
instances, it is necessary to control access (curb cuts) for
safety and to allow for continual flow.
Minor Arterial The role of a minor arterial is similar to that of a major one US Highway 64 running from the east to west from Macon
except that travel distances are shorter and the amount of County to Cherokee County.
traffic volume is smaller.
NC Highway 69, running south from the intersection at
Highway 64 near Hayesville to Towns County, Georgia.
Major Collector Provide access to and travel between arterials. They provide Old Highway 64/Phillips Road, also known as Business 64
travel to specific destinations and allow traffic flow between runs north of US Highway 64 into Hayesville.
neighborhoods as well as countywide mobility.
NC Highway 175, running south from US Highway 64 on the
east side of Lake Chatuge into Georgia.
A small portion of NC Highway 69, north of US Highway
64 to the intersection of Business 64 and Sanderson Street is
designed as a Major Collector.
Minor Collector Minor collectors take traffic from local streets for short dis- There are five minor collectors in Clay County:
tances and then distribute the traffic to major collectors and
arterials. State Road (S.R.) 1330: Cold Branch Road; S.R. 1307: Woods
Road, Tusquittee Road, Tusquittee Street; S.R. 1300: Mission
Dam Road, Fires Creek Road; S.R. 1140: Sanderson Street,
Myers Chapel Road; S.R. 1302: Lower Sweetwater Road,
Fires Creek Road
Local Streets and Local streets allow access to individual lots. Private roads are The remaining roads in the county are classified as local
Private Roads owned and maintained by property owners. streets or private roads.
Source: NC Department of Transportation
Page
78
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 6.1: Functional Road Classifications
Page
79
Table 6.2: Clay County RPO Priority Needs

Rank
Descrip-
(out of County STIP # Route Project
25)
tion Interstate 3
5 Clay A-0011 NC 69 GA State- Widen to Interstate 3 (I-3) was initially proposed by Representative Char-
BA line to US 4 lanes - lie Norwood of Augusta, GA in 2005. I-3 is a proposed route
64 4.5 miles to link Savannah, GA to Knoxville, TN. The SAFETEA-LU
Transportation Department Funding Act of 2005 authorized
11 Clay N/A SR Tusquittee Safety
funds for an I-3 feasibility study. The I-3 study funds remained
1307 Rd Improve-
authorized but unreleased until recently. In a press release
ments
dated July 22, 2010, WaysSouth reports that a contract for the
18 Clay N/A SR Settawig Safety feasibility study was awarded to a Virginia based company.
1135 Rd Improve- According to WaysSouth, “The study process will run ap-
ments proximately 13 months and will identify the steps to be taken
23 Clay N/A SR Qualla Rd Safety in developing the proposed road, an estimate of the cost and
1305 Improve- a suggested routing. There will be provisions for public com-
ments ment and input. The Federal Highway Administration may also
Source: Southwestern RPO look further into environmental issues, historical and cultural
impacts and the overall need for this multi billion-dollar proj-
Once a project is included in the RPO Priority Needs List, it can ect, but anything beyond the general scope of the study must
then move to the STIP planning process. Projects from the RPO be requested by the states involved, who must also put up 20%
are ranked with other projects across the state with the result being of the cost. To date, both North Carolina and Tennessee have
inclusion as a project in the STIP. Projects are selected for funding declined to participate.”
on a statewide level based on a prescribed methodology; one of the
metrics being whether the project has been named in a comprehen- Even though the feasibility study will soon begin, the future of
sive plan. Involving the public in transportation is becoming more the project is uncertain. Representative Norwood passed away
important. For example, a community must have some type of and there is no longer a project champion on the federal level.
adopted plan that provides a vision or direction for growth/develop- There is also opposition from many of the counties along the
ment before NC DOT will complete a comprehensive transporta- proposed route. Clay County, along with eight other county
tion plan (CPT) in a community. governments in western North Carolina and north Georgia,
passed resolutions opposing I-3. While there is not a specific
The Clay County projects included in the most recent STIP include: action being taken at the time of the writing of this report, I-3
should remain on the county’s radar screen.
• NC 69, Georgia state line to US 64. Widen to four lanes divided. US
64, NC 69 to east of NC 175. Upgrade roadway with some widening to
five lanes. (4.5 miles)
Sources: http://www.wayssouth.org/pressreleases/july2010.php; http://www.interstate-
guide.com/i-003.html;
• Chunky Gal Gap westward for two miles. Construct truck climbing
lane. (2 miles)
• Guardrail installation and safety improvements.

Page
• Chatuge Lake. Replace Bridge No. 11
80
• Brasstown Creek. Replace Bridge No. 4 Small Construction: These funds are available for any road
system in the county. There is less than $500,000 available for the
• Brasstown Creek. Replace Bridge No. 3 Division in this category. Funds may be used to address safety
concerns or in urbanizing or growth areas. Examples of past
• Tusquittee Creek. Replace Bridge No. 9
projects include the Myers Chapel gutter system and the curb and
• Nantahala National Forest at Tuni Creek. Replace Bridge No. 81. gutters on Hickory Street.
Public Access: Funds for construction and improvements for
• Phillips Road at Trout Cove Creek. Replace Bridge No. 100.
access to public facilities and uses, such as a fire department or
• Ecosystem enhancement program for Division 14 Project Mitigation. school driveway. A recent example is a secondary access road
at Tri-County Community College that ties to a driveway for
In addition to the projects that are planned for, there are some proj- improved mobility.
ects listed as in progress or under construction. These include:
Economic Development: Funds for projects that result in job
• Blue Ridge National Heritage sites. Interpretative and gateway mark- creation. The first project in the Division to receive these funds
ers. was the Clay-Towns Industrial Park (now named the Clay County
Industrial Park).
• Town square, construct sidewalks on the south side of Herbert Street,
north side of Church Street, west side of Main Street and east side of Secondary Construction Funds: Money that is allocated to a
Sanderson Street. county based on an equation/formula. Dollars are used to widen,
improve, and pave unpaved roads. This work has mostly been
• Georgia state line to US 64. Install paved shoulders and realign curve. completed in the county. There are only 18-19 miles of unpaved
(4 miles) roads in Clay County.
• Provide operating assistance to counties and community transporta- Secondary Resurfacing: Money to repave roads. This pot of
tion systems to meet Work First and employment transportation needs. funding gets smaller each year even though it is the biggest need.
The price of asphalt has risen, therefore only allowing for comple-
• Provide operating assistance for additional transportation services to tion of one or two projects a year.
the elderly and disabled.
• Provide maintenance assistance for community transportation sys-

tems to serve the rural general public.
Projects not addressed through the RPO or STIP may be completed

under the Division Management Program. Clay County is in the
NC DOT Division 14, which includes 10 westernmost NC counties.
Each division receives funding to complete projects in five areas.
Division Managed Projects differ from RPO projects in that they
are smaller in scale. Clay County is in District 4 of Division 14,
along with Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon counties. Addi-
tionally, each county has a maintenance crew and work yard. The
Division gets about $15 million dollars a year.
The types of funding available for Division Managed Projects
include: Page
81
Public Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities

Clay County Transportation (CCT) provides public transportation Facilities available to pedestrians and cyclists are very limited
to Clay County residents. CCT has two recent planning documents although pedestrian travel around Hayesville is improving. The
to guide future program development. The first of these is the Com- walking and biking paths that do exist are heavily used and are an
munity Transportation Improvement Plan (CTIP) for Clay County asset to the county. However, these paths are mostly used for recre-
North Carolina, completed in February 2008. The second the ation rather than transportation. Some in Hayesville, mainly CC-
Southwestern Rural Planning Organization’s Coordinated Public CRA and the Town of Hayesville, are working to make Hayesville
Transportation and Human Service Transportation Plan, published more pedestrian friendly. The existing and proposed in-town trail
in March 2009. Both documents include action items and strategic network is discussed in the recently published Historic Hayesville
directions for CCT. Therefore, this Plan will not make recommen- Market Analysis. The Town of Hayesville is strongly encouraged to
dations regarding the operation of the system. apply for a NC DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant, which
are only available to municipalities. Clay County will have the op-
The text box following this paragraph provides a brief overview of
portunity to address countywide bicycle and pedestrian planning
CCT’s services. The biggest misconception about CCT’s services
through the NC DOT Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
is that the belief that the services are only available to those who
are elderly or disabled. In fact, the service is open to any resident, Bridges
including those who may need transportation to and from employ-
ment. When the Director of CCT spoke to the CCCP Committee, There are forty-nine state-maintained bridges in Clay County, for
she shared that the only way CCT can expand is to grow its public which NC DOT maintains condition reports. A bridge’s condi-
transportation service. Public transportation funds are more read- tion is rated based on a number of factors, including a sufficiency
ily available, whereas human service funds are decreasing. CCT’s rating. Bridges with a sufficiency rating of less than fifty are eligible
vision is to become more of a public transportation system for the for federal bridge replacement funding. Nineteen of the bridges in
county and not one that is based on need. the county meet these criteria. Seventeen of these are structurally
deficient and eight of these are functionally obsolete. The Future
Transportation Map 5.2 highlights Clay County bridges scheduled
for replacement.
Clay County Transportation

Clay County Transportation’s (CCT) mission is to provide safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to all citizens of Clay County. It is a
consolidated public transportation system funded by state, federal and local governments as well as revenues and contributions collected by
the system. It became a community transportation system in 1998. Prior to that time, limited human service transportation was provided
out of the Clay County Senior Center.
CCT provides transportation for human services agencies, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the general public of Clay County. The
fare for general public transportation is 10% of the cost of the trip. They provide daily trips to Asheville on a service called the Ridge Run-
ner. Operating hours are Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM (except for holidays). CCT also provides out of county medical and airport trips to
Atlanta (Monday-Thursday), Gainesville, and Chattanooga.
CCT has a number of vans equipped with wheelchair lifts to transport passengers with disabilities. It’s entire fleet consists of two light tran-
sit vehicles (LTV), each with a lift and two wheelchair stations; one twenty foot LTV with lift and two wheelchair stations; five lift vans, each
with two wheelchair stations; two fourteen passenger vans and four minivans with no lifts.
Page Sources: Southwestern Rural Planning Organization (2009). Coordinated Public Transportation and Human Service Transportation Plan. Sylva: Southwestern Commission; Clay County
82 Transportation
Review of State Transportation Plans Scenic By-Ways

As discussed above, most of the transportation planning that affects North Carolina’s Department of Transportation has designated
Clay County happens at the regional level through the RPO. There fifty-four Scenic Byways across the state to highlight the state’s
is, however, one state level plan that affects Clay County’s transpor- history, geography, and culture. Beginning in Transylvania
tation decision making. Because NC DOT’s needs are greater than County, the Waterfalls Scenic Byway follows Highway 64 from
funding is or ever will be, NC DOT developed a statewide Strate- Rosman to Franklin, then on to Clay County at Winding Stair
gic Corridor Plan to prioritize transportation corridors across the Gap. The Clay County portion of the route continues to follow
state. According to the NC DOT Strategic Corridor website, “The Highway 64 until Settewig Road, where the route shoots south-
Strategic Highway Corridors initiative seeks to identify, protect, west toward Brasstown. From Brasstown, the route heads into
and maximize the use of highway corridors that play a critical role Cherokee County where it ends in Murphy. The state’s model and
in regional or statewide mobility in an ongoing effort to enhance for Scenic Byway designation is one Clay County should study in
transportation, economic development, and environmental stew- more detail, as the byway program matches well with the goals of
ardship throughout North Carolina.” The section of Highway 64 the Rural Pathways proposed in the Plan.
through Clay County is an identified Strategic Highway corridor.
According to the map of NC’s Strategic Corridor, the future road
structure for the Clay County portion of Highway 64 is a boulevard.
NC DOT’s plan for a boulevard is an opportunity for Clay County,
as boulevards mesh well with bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Additionally, a well-designed boulevard serves as a welcoming gate-
way to those traveling through Clay County.
Figure 6.1: Boulevard Cross-Section With Bicycle and Pedestrian Integration
Source: http://www.mikeontraffic.com/2009/02/designing-for-all-modes-of-travel.html Page

83
Future Transportation Map The Rural Pathways, as discussed in the Land Stewardship chap-
ter, are a tool to maintain the rural appearance of portions of Clay
The Future Transportation Map brings together the planned proj- County. The CCCP encourages the following considerations for
ects with those projects the community would like to see. future transportation planning:
Transportation Actions • Establish reasonable speed limits that permit the driver to experience
the pathway;
As the primary route through the county, Highway 64 serves a
variety of purposes. It should provide for the safe and efficient • Allow for bump-outs and pull-offs for scenic views or interpretative
movement of people and goods, and should also remain attractive; sites;
as it is the first and sometimes only impression many will have of
Clay County. In accordance with the NC Strategic Highway Plan, • Identify and improve unsafe areas, particularly those areas that may be
Highway 64 can best meet travel and community needs if it is dangerous to unfamiliar travelers;
reconfigured as a boulevard that incorporates bicycle and pedes-
trian amenities. The priority section to convert to a boulevard is • Identify safe bicycle and pedestrian paths that follow the rural path-
the intersection with Highway 175 to the east to Qualla Road to the ways; and
west, at least, but ideally to Settawig Road.
• Consider scenic byway designation for some of the rural pathways.
Highway 69 from Georgia to its intersection with Highway 64, as
one of the primary commercial corridors, should be four-laned and The future transportation map identifies three industrial areas for
designed to accommodate heavy commercial activity. Additionally, which maintaining adequate access is a priority. These sites include
Highway 69, as the primary access road to the Clay County Indus- Coleman Cable north of Hayesville, Advanced Digital Cable in
trial Park should also accommodate light industrial traffic. Shooting Creek, and the Clay County Industrial Park near the NC/
GA line. Currently, these sites have decent access. It is important
Highway 175 is an identified Rural Pathway because of the number to prioritize access as transportation patterns change over time. It
of private and public recreation resources along the corridor. It is also recommended that the coordinators of NC DOT’s Compre-
is also a primary travel route for those on the eastern side of the hensive Transportation Plan host a focus group comprised of busi-
county who are traveling south toward Atlanta. This corridor will ness leaders familiar with the needs of these industries and indus-
likely experience increased development as water and wastewater trial areas in order to identify their unique transportation needs.
services expand. Transportation considerations along this corridor
include signage and bicycle pedestrian amenities that connect the
Jackrabbit Trail to Hayesville.
The Rural Crossroads are the five identified communities (Brass-
town, Warne, Fires Creek, Tusquittee, and Shooting Creek) that
have a higher concentration of development or other identifying
characteristics that set them apart from other areas in the county.
Almost all are along an identified rural pathway. Transportation
improvements in these areas should further delineate the areas
as community crossroads with signage, sidewalks, and gateway
features. Future bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts should de-
velop the rural crossroads as nodes of a master bicycle and pedestri-
an plan. For example, a person can get on a pathway in Brasstown
and travel to a second node, or rural crossroad, in Warne. Finally,
Page transportation planning in these areas should eventually support
84 small-scale commercial and business activities.
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 6.2: Future Transportation Map
LEGEND
Map Symbols Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Future Transportation Map
Bridge Replacements (STIP Project) Industrial Site
Highway 64 Climbing Lane (STIP Project)
Industrial Access Areas
Highway 64 Boulevard, Four Lane (STIP Project, NC Strategic Highway)
Highway 69 Four Lane (STIP Project) Town and Community
NC Scenic Byway (Designated) Community / Rural Crossroad
Areas for Safety Improvements (RPO Priority List)
Scenic Paths (Proposed), Conservation Paths (Future Land Use Pattern) Hayesville
US Highway 64 Land and Water
NC Highway 69 Br
an
ch
ng
Major or Minor Collectors

Lo
Public Land
C
old
uittee
sp
rin
u sq
T
g
Br
Local Streets
an
ch
County Land
Big Tuni Creek
River
hala
ek
Ga p
e
Cr
Nanta
i
es
Tun
Rivers, Streams, Creeks
Fir
tle
Lit
Lakes
ek
Cre
uni
eT
ll
Littl
Mu
k
ee
k
Cr
es life
Cree
0 0.450.9 1.8 2.7 3.6
FirWild
ek
B uc k
Cre uitt ee
es Tusq
Fir
Ashlan
Miles
Fire
sC
ree
k Fires Creek
Per r y Gap
Tusquittee
Buc
Creek
Johnso
es reek
Chairma
Fir
l
k
eC
Rebe
eek
Cr
To Franklin
uite
on
Tusq
n
Anders
Tusqu
ittee Creek elds
l Fi
Dow
ker Bran
Bristol
Ange
nin
k en
el Hav
Mission
Da m
gs
ree Julia ttee Laur
sC qu i
Cr e
To Murphy
64
e Buc
Fir kne Tus
ek
ne
ch
Pi
d y r
Mission Dam Asphalt Ben
Cold
r
ater
ive
etw
eR
Co v
e Swe
Prin
64 Arrowhead
Branc
sse
ce
Lan
ce
wa
Hia
h
64
Slave
Summit
Coleman Cable
Pe
yer 64
Cold Branch
cke
64
M
rwo
Jarret
ek
t
od
ov Qualla
rook
ig
e
aw rC
Cre
tt Dye ith ek
64
Se
Hillb
e Sm Cre De
wrenc
ard
e ing ep Gap
Cov ountain wn
La
Dro
ey
en
Gre
Sor
Town M
Vin
k lls
re
C ree ll
64
k
ree la ings
Be
Town Cr Jar r
64
r C Qual own
Old
eek ett Bu
Brasstown ate D ck
Avery Scroggs
eetw Cr
Stoney Brook
Sw ee
64
Old
h
Truett
64
Branc
ry
n Co
ve
Chatuge
ame
Gree ek 64
Maso Cr e
hair
sy
Cr e
r ea
Deerbrook
n
G v e Hin Smart Creek

ter Co to Muskrat
ng C
Ca r Ivy nd
Waldroup nla
nC
Kno 64
b Pe
ent
Rocki
69
or Bob
Vineya
Hiwassee Rive Man
er
NC
17
rd
5
Cha
tuge
Nicely
e
Cov
D am
r
da
Ce
ut
64 Lickl 64
Tro
rd
og 64
a
Old
ey
Che Old
Vin
rry 64 Lois
y
Cher r
Kil
Chilson
Deitz Ca 64
Ash
mo
ble tte
Shooting Creek ek
ore
Wa
Old 64
r Shooting Creek Cre
Log
Ro Penland ing
s
Swaims mp
175
ss s Indian
Thu
Pine
Inga
Eag
Hot House
Payne
ove
lls l e For k
Brass
Pay
We
hC
Gie
ve
ke
ne
sky
c
Cre
n Co
Advanced Digital Cable
Bea
Holly Hill
e ns Ford Bar nar
d Cre pin
town
Ow Wik um
e
Rand ek
Hidd
Cale
all le Th
NC 69
or t Clays
Creek
Low
64 np
ch
Old ave
Jack
r
Rabbit
Hothouse Bran
k
Cale
He
Ea
Par
Gap
Clay Rec
g
gle
ge Fo
Lo
ns o
Miller rk
Pi
ne
Shiloh Rid
APAC Quarry
n
Pine
pel
Myers Cha
Coffey
Log
Sally Gap
175
Gum
rc Shepherd
Hall
ty
n
Old 64
Pine Log Chu Gnat
h
r so
Log
Rv
Hal
Kala
e
H ot H
Patt
l Co
Wil
Lo
er
ga Warne
h
ve
son
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Riv
Mcc
ou s
Pis CC Industrial Park
Beck
g lur r
Gum Log e nte
e
Hu
lah
NC 69
Bethab
t ara
Wes
u
175
na
r
ld
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Mcdo
Tull
rd
et
dfo
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Le
Low G
Gifford
n
Page
so
a
Hen
Justus
17 5
To Hiawassee To Hiawassee
85
Transportation Concept Plan
A. Develop and maintain an efficient transportation system that includes all modes of transportation and provides the safe and effective
movement of people and goods.
1) Clay County’s long-range transportation planning decisions will be

made in accordance with the comprehensive plan and future land
use map. (Open access to metropolitan areas, preservation of rural
routes, alternative transportation options, etc.)
2) Design future streets and highway improvements to be compatible

with existing land uses and complement future land uses as
illustrated on the future land use map (i.e. roads in commercial areas
support high volume of traffic, roads in rural area have a slower
speed)
3) Support state efforts to redesign Highway 64 into a boulevard and

encourage the incorporation of bike and pedestrian pathways at least
from Highways 175 to Qualla Road.
4) Ensure that the 64/69 corridors provide for the effective movement
of people and goods to and from the metropolitan areas (access
management, planning for traffic flow).
Transportation Concept Plan 1
B. Clay County residents will have access to bicycle, pedestrian, and alternative modes of mobility.
1) Design future streets and highway improvements to incorporate

bikeway and pedestrian pathways
2) Develop a Parks, Recreation and Greenways Master Plan to identify

a complete pedestrian, bike, and greenway network / Use the
Comprehensive Transportation Planning Process to create a
Bike/Pedestrian Plan
3) Use the resources of Clay County Transportation to increase

ridership of the general public
a) Encourage the use of public transportation (Help CCT reach

their goal of increased public transportation ridership)
b) Provide support (through advertising, grant assistance, capital

planning) to the Clay County Transportation system as they
increase their efforts to broaden public transportation efforts
c) Use the CCT as a resource to better connect citizens to the

economic opportunities in the broader region.
d) Work toward providing commuter service between Clay County

and the metropolitan areas.
4) Encourage Town of Hayesville to apply for a Pedestrian and Bike

Planning Grant from NC DOT. (Grant only available to
municipalities).
2 Transportation Concept Plan
C. When appropriate, coordinate with neighboring units of government to ensure coordination of transportation planning efforts
(primarily Town of Hayesville, Towns County, GA and Cherokee County, NC)
D. Integrate energy efficiency and transportation planning.

1) Make transportation planning decisions with energy conservation

and energy efficiency in mind.
2) Increase the use and design of transit, pedestrian, and bikeway with
the goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMTs).
3) Enhance road efficiency and function to minimize pollution (i.e.

identify and reduce congestion in problem areas)
Transportation Concept Plan 3
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 7: Utilities and Community Facilities

Utilities and Community Facilities
Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment extensions. The District collected around $200,000 in impact fees
between 2006 and 2009 that funded a third water storage tank
Virtually all water consumed in Clay County comes from ground- and replacement of a sewage pump station.
water through the Clay County Water and Sewer district or from
private well systems. Only a small number of residents along High- Water Supply and Treatment
way 175 near the Towns County, GA border receive water from the
CCWSD does not have a surface water source to supply the sys-
Towns County Water and Sewer System. The next sections provide
tem—it draws its public water supply from wells located on leased
detail related to Clay County’s public water and wastewater systems
TVA property near the dam at Lake Chatuge. The water supply
and private wells and onsite wastewater systems.
system is made up of three wells, three storage tanks (two store
Clay County Water and Sewer District Overview 200,000 gallons each and one store 250,000 gallons), a 400,000
gallon per day (gpd) filter plant, and 25 miles of mains. CCWSD
The Clay County Water and Sewer District (CCWSD) supplies pub- customers consume about half of the system’s supply each day,
lic water and wastewater services to approximately 790 residential approximately 175,000-200,000 gpds.
and businesses customers. There were approximately 100 dormant
accounts when the CCWSD director provided data for this report. Water Source. The current wells are high yield and shallow. They
To supplement income from users for larger capital projects, the pump about 500 gallons per minute (gpm) and are approximately
District seeks out grant funding and the county sometimes pro- 150 feet deep. Water in the area were the wells are located is high
vides funding for upfront costs for capital projects with the un- in iron, which is problematic for the water system. During the fil-
derstanding that the CCWSD will reimburse the county. CCWSD tration process, the iron leaves deposits on the filter pumps, which
rates are higher than the state average; however, according to the resultantly decreases pump life, i.e. as iron builds up, the pumps
CCWSD director, rates for water and sewer districts are generally have diminished pumping capacity. The CCWSD estimates a 25%
higher than systems that operate as enterprise funds. The District loss of total water yield due to decreased filter pump life. Ad-
has a $400,000 operating budget, about half of which is allocated to ditionally, the system uses 20,000 gpd to flush the sand filters in
labor costs for the District’s the 4.5 employees. The District has a place to prevent iron build-up. The CCWSD needs an additional
Water and Sewer Main Line Extension Policy that requires develop- well to meet near term needs. Unfortunately, there is not room on
ers to pay an impact fee to cover the cost of the extension. In the the existing property for an additional well. Therefore, the Dis- Page
past three years, the system has grown by 10% due to developer trict would like to identify a well site that can support a well that 87
Chapter 7: Utilities and Community Facilities 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
pumps at least 200 gpm. However, any well with a 200-gpm flow is New Expansion / Interconnection Agreement: The CCWSD re-
most likely to be in an area with high iron and therefore needs to be cently (September 2010) installed a 12-inch water line along High-
located near the current filtration plant to filter iron from the water. way 69 that runs for 3.7 miles from South Cherry Road to McDon-
ald Road and along McDonald Road to connect with the Towns
System Risks. There is danger in having the entire public water County system. The CCWSD has secured approximately 40 new
supply come from wells located in a single area. For example, a haz- customers with this new extension. Most importantly, this exten-
ardous spill near the well site could contaminate the entire public sion brought water to the Clay County Industrial Park. The District
water supply. There is no back up supply source other than buying also installed a 200,000-gallon storage tank and a booster pump off
water from Towns County (see Interconnection). Another risk is Highway 69 on Cherry Mountain, bringing the District’s total stor-
the lack of telemetry on the wells. Telemetry is a data system that age capacity to 650,000 gallons. Another element to this project is
measures, monitors, and records well and supply tank data. The an interconnection and water purchase agreement between CC-
data is sent to whomever monitors the system. Without telemetry, WSD and Towns County Water and Sewer District. The agreement
a well with a problem may go unnoticed longer than a well with will allows CCWSD to purchase water from the Towns County
telemetry. The new storage tank on Cherry Mountain is fequipped District (and visa versa) in the event of a water supply emergency or
with telemetry equipment. system failure such as contamination or extreme drought condi-
Surface Water Source: The CCWSD wants to develop a surface tions. The Interconnection Agreement states a five year agreed
water source for its water supply. All of the possible options do upon water purchase rate.
develop such a source are complicated. The original plan was Water Supply for a Large Fire: The CCWSD reports that there is
construct a water intake in Lake Chatuge, however, there are layers adequate water supply to combat a large fire. The water filtration
of bureaucracy to coordinate for this project to come to fruition- plant can process 500 gpm and the water storage tanks are usually
-two states and their many regulating bodies and TVA all have to ¾ full and never below a ¼ full. The storage capacity combined
come to agreement. The North Carolina Division of Water Qual- with the pumping ability allows the system to quickly refill the stor-
ity requires Georgia to comply with some of NC Division of Water age tanks in the event of a large fire.
Quality’s (NC-DWQ) water quality standards before it is willing
to grant a permit. Additionally, before the NC-DWQ will issue a Master Planning: McGill Engineering and the CCWSD completed
permit, CCWSD needs site control for a filtration plant. TVA is water and wastewater master plan in 2001. The CCCP recommends
no longer willing to lease land, which means the District needs to the CCWSD complete an updated master plan for two reasons.
purchase lake front property to construct a filtration plant. Assum- First, the 2001 master plan predicted a customer base of 693 cus-
ing an appropriate lot could be located, which is unlikely given the tomers by 2020, however, as reported above, there are currently
limited availability of undeveloped lake front land, the cost of lake around 750 customers. The CCWSD reached its 2020 customer
front property will most likely be prohibitive. The many agencies projection ten years ahead of schedule. A second reason for updat-
and regulations involved in the permitting process make the per- ing the plan follows a second recommendation detailed later in this
mitting process extremely difficult. An alternative, while not the document—Clay County and the CCWSD should begin a formal
best option, is to identify a location for an intake in the Hiwassee capital planning process that is integrated with the annual budget-
River. Due to the distance from existing infrastructure, this option ing cycle. An updated master plan allows the county to better plan
could be more costly in the end. The CCWSD has also researched for future public water and wastewater capital projects.
the possibility of building a lake for water supply. This option also
creates a conflict similar to that of an intake on Lake Chatuge—a The CCCP also recommends that the CCWSD, through the mas-
supply lake also interfaces with Georgia’s regulations, which are less ter planning process, closely evaluate the county’s water supplies
restrictive than North Carolina’s regulations. The Georgia portion sources, the groundwater aquifers, to determine the impact that
of the watershed would need to comply with the North Carolina’s the county and other neighboring groundwater users are having
regulations. on these supplies. This element of the study will ensure that an
Page adequate supply of raw water is available to meet future needs.
88
Wastewater Treatment Facilities On-site Wastewater Treatment and Private Wells
The CCWSD wastewater system includes six pump stations, a Clay County businesses and households that do not receive
300,000 gpd treatment plant, and 28 miles of sewer mains. The public water and wastewater from the CCWSD obtain water and
District’s wastewater treatment system has the capacity to process wastewater treatment from private wells and on-site wastewater
300,000-450,000 gpds, however, the system only processes about systems (i.e. septic systems). The high level of dependence on well
half of the total capacity on a daily basis. At the time of this report, and on-site wastewater systems is rare in North Carolina. While
CCWSD had allocated all of the system’s processing capacity to this structure seems to work for Clay County, it is not without
existing and planned developments—many of which will likely problems and concerns.
remain undeveloped due to the housing bust. Even though the
system operates at about half of its processing capability and the New regulations regarding well construction, implemented
planned developments that will likely remain undeveloped will not in January 2008, require environmental health inspectors to
use the wastewater system as planned, the NC-DWQ considers the visit each well site on four separate occasions. There is a visit
CCWSD’s wastewater treatment system to be at maximum capacity. to inspect the site before issuance of a construction permit, a
Therefore, the NC-DWQ placed a moratorium on new sewer lines visit at grouting, and a visit at completion, just before the well
until the CCWSD expands treatment capacity at the wastewater owner receives a Certificate of Completion. Finally, inspectors
treatment plant. The moratorium does allow new customers to are required to test water from the new well after 30 days of use.
connect to existing lines. The CCWSD has the plans and permits The area’s well drillers are concerned about the new inspection
to expand the wastewater treatment plant to process an additional process, as are the environmental health inspectors. One inspec-
175,000 gpds. The District has received $500,000 from the NC tor shared that if business picks up even to a 1/3 of what it was
Rural Center, and it is seeking grant funds to secure the remaining during the most recent building boom, environmental health staff
$1.2 million needed to complete the project. The CCWSD should will not be able to keep up with the demand. Additionally, since
know by early 2011 if they will receive funding from the US Depart- the building bust, fees from Clay County’s Well Program do not
ment of Agriculture/Rural Development. cover the program’s operating budget. The Clay County Board of
Health makes rules and sets fees for the well program. In order to
In general, the CCWSD’s wastewater system is safe and efficient. account for the new level of inspection demand and to ensure that
The District has not had a Notice of Violation (NOV) in the last fees cover the actual cost of the inspection, the Board of Health
five years. Systems receive NOVs when they violate a rule or there raised some of its inspection fees in July 2010. Chart 7.1 details
is a problem with the system. However, wastewater overflows are the number of on-site wastewater applications applied for between
a possibility because the older pump stations do not have back-up fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2010.
generators to power the stations in the event of a power failure. The
newest station at The Ridges subdivision is the only one with a back-
up power source. The CCWSD has one portable generator and Blue
Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation has a hotline
the CCWSD can call to get power restored quickly. Ideally, two of
the stations would be up-fitted with generators--the Riverside pump
station, which supplies about 90% of CCWSD customers, and the
Ingles pump station, which supplies the business district.
CCWSD has two unfunded collection system needs. The first
project is to extend a gravity sewer line down Highway 69 to the
Clay County Industrial Park. The most recent cost estimate for
this project is $2.4 million. The second project will rehabilitate old
sewer lines in Hayesville, at an estimated cost of $1 million. Page
89
Chart 7.1: On-Site Wastewater Permits Chart 7.2: On-Site Waste Water System Failure Rates
On-Site Waste Water Applications 2007-2009 On-Site Waste Water System Failures
1000 3.75
Failures per 1,000 in Population

952
3.39
Number of Applications
750 804
713 2.50
500
503
415 1.61
1.25
250 1.28 1.17
270 1.07
0.81
131
0.36
0 0
02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10* Cherokee Clay Graham Haywood Jackson Macon Swain
Source: Clay County Environmental Health Supervisor, * 09-10 is through May 2010. Source: Kay Arrington, Program Improvement Team, On-site Wastewater Protection Sec-
Note: The numbers presented in this chart represent the number of permits applied for. tion, Department of Environmental Health, NC Department of Environment and Natural
The numbers do no not reflect the number of on-site wastewater systems installed during Resources
the year.
Around 90% of the residences in Clay County have on-site wastewa- Solid Waste Disposal
ter treatment systems and about half of the systems in Clay County Clay County residents that live outside of the Town of Hayesville
are twenty years or older. On average, the lifespan of an on-site must transport their solid waste to the Clay County Convenience
wastewater treatment system is 20-30 years; but it is important to Center on Hinton Center Road or pay a private solid waste hauler to
note that a number of factors determine the life of a system. The pick up and transport their waste. All waste collected in the county
potential for system failure is a concern given that half of Clay’s is transported to the Pine Bluff Landfill in Ball Ground, Georgia
systems are 20 years or older. Fortunately, many residences in (see Map 2.1). The Town of Hayesville provides weekly garbage col-
Clay County are part-time homes, therefore prolonging the life of lection services for single-family and multi-family homes with four
the septic systems and keeping the county’s overall rate of on-site or fewer units and private haulers collect waste at larger housing
wastewater system failures low. Chart 7.2 details Clay County’s developments and non-residential properties.
septic system failure rate compared to other counties in the region.
Solid waste management and recycling were two topics important
to a large portion of those who participated in the initial communi-
ty input process. The County Commissioners adopted a three-year
update to the county’s Ten Year Solid Waste Management Plan in
June 2009. This plan outlines the state of solid waste in the county
as well as the county’s waste reduction goals and strategies. Since
the Solid Waste Plan is up-to-date and was adopted by the County
Commissioners, the CCCP does no make additional solid waste
recommendations.
Page
90
Recycling position to attract and retain talent, which in turn facilitates eco-
nomic development and quality of life.
Recycling, or lack of, was a hot button issue during the initial
community input process. Those wanting to recycle goods must High Speed Internet
transfer their waste to the convenience center. Curbside pickup is
In Clay County, the subscribers per-mile are so dispersed that
not available from the Town of Hayesville, nor do any of the private
broadband backbone providers have difficulty with conventional
waste haulers provide this service. The county’s primary recycling
deployment of state-of-the art bandwidth, redundancy, and reli-
strategy is to increase awareness and education; primarily because
ability at a reasonable cost. Many residential and commercial
a comprehensive recycling program for a county the size of Clay is
customers do not have access to connectivity for high-speed
challenging.
technology for home or business use.
The Solid Waste Master Plan Update, a large obstacle to waste
In general, counties in North Carolina do not directly provide
reduction continues to be that the county does not have any direct
broadband services. Instead, they work with local, regional or
control over the non-residential waste. The plan states, “since
national providers to build the broadband backbone. In Clay
non-residential waste continues to account for 12.0% of the waste
County, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC is the primary provider of
stream, this makes it more difficult for the county to find methods
fiber based broadband service. Frontier Communications is the
for reducing waste. The county is also rural, which makes addition-
county’s primary DSL provider. Cable internet access is available
al recycling programs such as curbside collection cost prohibitive.”
only to a minor number of residents. Other providers, such as
In response to the challenges, the county is pursuing new recycling
the Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN) have a dial-
efforts to increase recycling efforts. Efforts to increase recycling
up presence in the community. Between BRMEC’s fiber based
include identifying recycling and reuse markets for the industrial,
broadband service and Frontier’s DSL service, approximately 70%
commercial, and construction and demolition waste produced
of Clay County are reported to have access to broadband--this
in the county, and continuing to promote residential recycling
does not mean that 70% take advantage of that access.
through education.
There exist a large number of gaps in broadband service through-
The Master Plan sets forth goals and objectives to increase the
out the county. In the case of DSL, the signals fail to reach certain
amount of recycled materials generated by county citizens by 33%,
areas. The gaps of service in the fiber network result from chal-
from 261 tons recycled in 2010-1011 to 347 tons recycled in 2018-
lenges in what is known as the last mile—the lines that run from
1019. This is an aggressive goal for a county of Clay’s size. Clay
the main fiber backbone to individual residences. Clay County’s
County is working with partners such as Greening Clay County
terrain combined with the remote locations of some homes and
to accomplish this and other goals. With an aggressive plan and
subdivisions as well as the dispersed settlement pattern makes
partners in place to reach the goals, recycling efforts in Clay County
the extensions from the main fiber backbone to the remote areas
are on the right path.
costly.
Technology Planning The broadband gaps have been a hot topic of discussion in the
To increase Clay County’s economic competitiveness, the county county. A citizen group, the Clay County Citizens Action Com-
needs a strong technology-based infrastructure to meet 21st Century mittee, formed to close these gaps. This group began meeting
demands. Technology-based infrastructure means that the county when it learned that Clay County’s broadband network was not
is wired to provide high-speed telecommunications. It also means included in BRMEC’s expansion plans funded by a 2009 Ameri-
that the county is equipped to educate young people and adults for can Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. The best role for
careers of the 21st Century. Virtual business opportunities, which Clay County as it relates to building the area’s technology infra-
afford employees and employers with flexibility, is a critical com- structure is one of facilitator and cooperator, particularly when it
ponent to strengthening Clay County’s economy. With a modern comes to seeking funding opportunities. Some local governments Page
and reliable technology infrastructure, Clay County puts itself in have attempted to aggregate demand and offer non-traditional 91
Map 7.1: Clay County Broadband Coverage as of 12/2009 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Page
92
financing alternatives to either the providers or the end users to
facilitate the linkage of the clients’ needs to the provider services.
Technology Based Education
Adequate physical infrastructure is just one component of a com-
plete technology-infrastructure. The Clay County School System
does an excellent job of equipping students with the skills needed
to compete in a technology-based economy. Unfortunately, many
of the skilled students do not return to the county after college due
to the lack of employment opportunities. The CCCP addresses this
challenge later in this document. An area of improvement in which
the county can play a role through its economic development efforts
is to ensure that Clay County’s workforce has strong technology
skills. Examples of what the county can do include:
• Support technology-based education, using Tri-County Community
College and the surrounding higher education institutions.
• Many higher education institutions are expanding their reach through

satellite and/or online programs. Clay County should explore the po-
tential of a local higher education center, similar to Western Piedmont
Community College’s Foothills Continuing Education Center in Mor-
ganton, NC. The Foothills Center offers a number of degree programs
that primarily focus on allied health professions. A Clay County Cen-
ter could be a location from which the nearby institutions teach classes,
either in person or remotely. Programs offered should complement,
not compete with, Tri-County Community College.
Page
93
Public Safety, Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Fire Protection

Services Residents of Clay County receive fire protection from one of the
seven fire stations across the county. The fire stations, shown on
Public Safety Map 7.2 include the Brasstown, Shooting Creek, Warne, and Fires
The Clay County Sheriff’s office, located in the new Courthouse, is Creek Volunteer Fire Departments, and Clay Central’s Hayesville,
staffed by an elected sheriff and approximately twelve deputies. The Tusquittee, and Elf Stations. According to the county’s Hazard
Sheriff’s Department also provides police protection for the Town Mitigation Plan, each station is equipped with pumper and taker
of Hayesville. Clay County is a safe place to live when compared to trucks and Brasstown, Shooting Creek, Clay Central (Hayesville),
other counties in the region. From 2000 to 2008, Clay County aver- and Warne are equipped with brush trucks. The County also
aged one violent crime (murder, rape, assault) per 1,000 people in has a dive team and a rescue boat, the capability to conduct swift
population per year compared to two for the region. For the same water rescues, and high angle technical rescues. The Shooting
time-period, Clay County had an average of 14 property crimes Creek and Warne stations are certified for wildland fire suppres-
(burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft) per 1,000 people year where sion. The Hazard Mitigation plan also reports that the county
the region had 17. Additionally, Clay County had the lowest violent has between 120 and 125 volunteer firefighters, all of which have
crime rate in the region for 5 out of the 8 years evaluated and it had self-contained breathing apparatus and are trained at Firefighter
the lowest property crime rate for 4 out of 8 of the years. Charts 7.3 Levels 1 or 2.
illustrates crime rates over time.
Chart 7.3: Clay County Crime Rates
Clay County Crime Rates

Property Crimes Violent Crimes
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Average
20 15 10 5 0 01 .252 .50
Number of Crimes per 1,000 People
Clay Region
Page Source: http://sbi2.jus.state.nc.us/crp/public/Default.htm
94
The fire stations are funded through four fire tax districts, and Clay County Schools
receive three cents for every dollar of tax value for real property.
During the community input process, community members indi- The high-performing Clay County School System serves most pre-
cated a need for greater fire protection. Others noted the difficulties and school-aged children in Clay County. The System is comprised
of staffing volunteer fire departments and noted that staffing the of a pre-kindergarten program, and an elementary school, a middle
stations with paid staff would is not possible. Clay County also has school, and a high school. A defining characteristic of Clay County
interlocal agreements with Towns and Rabun counties in GA, as schools is that all school facilities, excluding the alternative school
there are some places in Clay County that are not reachable from program, are on a central campus. According to the Clay County
Clay County’s transportation network. One of the biggest concerns Schools website, the system is, “a small, rural school system of ap-
related to fire safety is access to properties on subdivision roads that proximately 1,250 students. There are three schools in the county
are steep, do not have turnarounds, or cannot support two trucks located on a single campus. Hayesville Elementary is a K-4 school
of approximately 450 students. Hayesville Middle School is a 5-8
passing each other. school with approximately 400 students and Hayesville High School
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a 9-12 school with approximately 400 students. All schools are
accredited by the North Carolina State Board of Education and
Clay County EMS provides Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Hayesville High School is accredited by the Southern Association of
to county residents. The Hazard Mitigation plan reports that the Colleges and Schools.” Many of those who participated in the com-
county has three medical vehicles and the service staffed with eight munity input process praised the quality of Clay County’s School
two-person Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) teams. In most System.
medical emergencies, patients are transported to Murphy Medical
Center in Murphy or Chatuge Regional in Hiwassee, GA. Table Like the county, the school system has experienced steady growth
7.1 provides a record of EMS responses by quarter. Overall, Clay over the last ten years. Since the 2000-2001 school year, the Aver-
County EMS is responding to more calls each year. As the county’s age Daily Membership of the System has increased approximately
population continues to increase, EMS and fire needs should ex- 1% each year. By the 2009-2010 school year, there was a cumulative
pand accordingly. increase of 11% from the 2000-2001 school year. From one year to
the next, these increases are not overtly noticeable. However, over
Table 7.1 Clay County EMS Calls for Response a ten-year period, the growth is not only noticeable, but the toll of
the growth has stretched thin the System’s resources. In addition
Second Qtr: Third Qtr:
First Qtr: Fourth Qtr: to an increase in the number of bodies walking through the doors,
October, January,
Year July, August, April, May, state mandates pertaining to class size and mandated programs
November, February,
September June contribute to overcrowding and diminishing resources. Chart 7.4
December March
highlights school growth. It is important to note that the numbers
2000 222 334 338 311 reported in Chart 7.5 do not account for children enrolled on in
2001 261 318 345 341 the Systems’ Pre-K program, which at the time data was provided
2002 293 281 335 329 had 84 children enrolled. Table 7.2 illustrates that the System will
continue to grow at a rapid pace. The NC Prototype School De-
2003 267 331 338 289 sign Clearinghouse projects the Clay County School System as the
2004 253 316 335 316 eighth fastest growing school system in the state.
2005 315 351 392 326
2006 350 366 378 296
2007 399 336 424 435
2008 379 381 490 485 Page
Source: Clay County EMS, Qtr = Quarter 95
Chart 7.4: Clay County Schools Average Daily Membership The enrollment growth has strained school resources, especially
that of the System’s space. The Clay County Board of education
Clay County Schools Average Daily Membership has explored many options to house the current and future school
Percent Change Between Years population. Based on the School Board’s analysis, the best option
is construction of an elementary school, for which land has been
-1.4% 0.8% 1.0% 1.2% 3.8% 3.0% 0.2% 2.7% purchased, that will house the Pre-K program as well as grades
1,400
K-2. The new school will accommodate the next 20-30 years of
school system growth. While some oppose the expansion, many
Clay County residents recognized the need for a new school. The
1,050 sticking point for many is how the Board of Education should
fund the project. The estimated project cost is $8-10 million, and
the schools only receive about $95,000 in lottery funds earmarked
700 for school construction each year. Toward the end of 2010, the
School Board identified a loan program with desirable terms to
construct the new school. Since it is a loan, the system will have
350 to repay the money--a point of heated discussion at the time this
report was written. Whether the school project moves forward
or not and a repayment plan will likely be decided upon in early
0 2011.
3
9
1
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
-0
Besides school overcrowding, the system’s challenges include

03
04
05
06
07
08
00
01
02
Source: NC Department of Public Instruction budget constraints, both ongoing and those brought about by the
recent economic downturn. The System is continually having to
re-think how they can continue to provide a high quality educa-
tion with ever decreasing resources. Another challenge identified
Table 7.2: Clay County Schools Projected Growth by school leaders is keeping up with technological changes.
2007-2017 % NC
School District # Growth
Growth Rank
Camden County 1,623 81.97% 1
Union County 23,385 63.81% 2
Wake County 69,426 51.53% 3
Cabarrus County 13,491 49.82% 4
Mooresville City 2,682 48.18% 5
Hoke County 3,412 45.69% 6
Charlotte Mecklenberg 53,410 39.85% 7
Clay County 527 36.98% 8
Dare County 1,774 36.52% 9
Elizab. City/Pasquotank 2,276 36.07% 10
Source: NC Prototype School Design Clearinghouse
Page
96
Higher Education Health Care Facilities

Yet another location advantage of Clay County is access to two and Access to health care in Clay County is a much-discussed topic.
four year higher education opportunities. Tri-County Community When asked about physical and mental health services, 66%
College (TCCC), headquartered in Murphy, serves Clay, Cherokee, of survey respondents indicated that it was very important or
and Graham counties. Tri-County offers programs in twenty-three important to increase mental health services and 73% indicated
courses of study in addition to career and community education that it was important to increase physical health services. Com-
courses and basic skills classes. Tri-County also provides workforce ments received during the community input process indicate
development services for the area. This is discussed in more detail that there is need for medical specialists and additional medical
in the Economic Development chapter. On average, 17% of Tri- services tailored to the aging population. On the other hand, the
County’s curriculum students are from Clay County. Clay County Partnership for Healthy Carolinians, in their 2008
Community Health Assessment, report, “Clay Contains are pretty
Chart 7.5: Tri-County Enrollment healthy and pretty happy with their access to essential health
TCCC Enrollment by County services. Even though there is no hospital and few doctors in
the county, residents find health care services at the Clay County
100%
% of Total Curriculum Enrollment
Health Department, Hayesville doctors, and Murphy Medical

Center to be adequate most of the time.” While health care access
and healthy lifestyles are important topics, the Comprehensive
66% Planning Committee made the decision not to include health
care/health access actions in this plan. The Community Health
Assessment has a comprehensive and well thought out set of rec-
ommendations that adequately address this topic. A copy of this
17% 16% 16% plan is available on the Comprehensive Plan website.
33% 16% 17% 19%
0%
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Cherokee Clay Graham Other
Source: Tri-County Community College, Fact Book, http://www.tricountycc.edu/
uploads/Curriculum%20students%20Characteristics%20updated%20May%202010.pdf
In addition to TCCC, numerous higher education opportunities

are within a ninety-minute driving radius (see Map 2.1). In addi-
tion to the main campuses of these institutions, many have satellite
locations and/or online courses that make higher education read-
ily available to Clay County residents. A sample of the institutions
include: North Georgia Technical College, Young Harris College,
Piedmont College, Toccoa Falls College in Georgia and Western
Carolina University and Southwestern Community College in
North Carolina.
Page
97
Child Care Facilities

Other Community Services
Access to quality and affordable childcare improves the area’s
quality of life and it contributes to a healthy economic develop- The Comprehensive Planning Committee decided not to ad-
ment environment. For many families in Clay County, access to dress each type of human provided by the county, such as
quality child care isn’t a problem, but affording that care is difficult those provided by the Health Department or the Department
for many. According to a report prepared for the Comprehensive of Social Services. The Committee only included topics that
Planning Committee, Clay County Early Care & Education Report: were identified as very important during the Community Input
September 2009, a community has adequate childcare capacity process and it omitted service areas that have current guiding
when the number of available childcare slots is equal to or greater plans.
than 50% of the population under five years of age. Clay County’s However, it is important to acknowledge the strains growth
2008 five and under population was 517, meaning adequate capacity and change has placed on the county’s human service provid-
is 259 childcare slots. The five licensed childcare facilities in Clay ers, strains that will continue as the county’s populations ages
County have the licensed capacity to care for 339 children—a ratio and expands. It is worth noting that human services are an
that exceeds 50% of the five and under population. Additionally, important community need and these essential programs need
Clay County, like most other counties, has a shortage of infant slots. thoughtful planning. Some of the overall recommendations
Even though Clay County appears to have enough childcare, the made in this Plan can address how the county can prioritize
affordability of those slots is a challenge to many families. The cost and plan for expanding social service needs.
of childcare in the county ranged from $368 to $900 a month. Ap-
proximately 50% of children enrolled in childcare at the time of the
study received a childcare subsidy in the form of a voucher, More
at Four, Headstart, or free childcare through Clay County School’s Key Utilities and Community Resources Issues
pre-k program. Even though 50% of enrolled children received
some form of subsidy, there are many families waiting to receive and Opportunities:
subsidy. • The recent growth has changed how and the level at which the
The Clay County Early Care & Education Report includes a com- county provides services. The CCCP positions Clay County to
prehensive set of recommendations to address childcare access and better address its utilities and community facilities needs over
affordability. These recommendations are available on the Compre- the coming years.
hensive Plan website. • A new CCWSD Master Plan is needed in order to increase in-
frastructure opportunities which in turn will enhance econom-
ic development and improve services to existing customers.
• An extensive broadband network should be a priority for the
county, without it, economic growth is stunted.
• There is ample potential to connect county citizens with con-
tinuing or higher education opportunities.
• The Clay County School system needs expanded resources to
maintain its position as one of the top school systems in the
state.
Page
98
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Map 7.2: Clay County Community Facilities
Page
99
Utilities and Community Facilities Strategy Plan
A. Strive to provide high-quality, modern infrastructure to support economic development and an exceptional quality of life for the
county
1) The Clay County Water and Sewer District (CCWSD) will have the
capacity to serve customers in urbanized areas, as defined by the Future
Land Use Map.
a) Complete a new water and sewer master plan that is based on the
Comprehensive Plan’s future land use map and address the
following objectives:
i) Capital Improvement Planning: Incorporate CCWSD mid and

long term needs with the county’s Capital Improvement
Planning process and annual budget process.
ii) Digitize CCWSD data and digitally record new data to

incorporate into the county’s GIS for long-term decision-
making.
b) Increase the number of customers who may currently be added to

the CCWSD public water and wastewater systems.
i) Where feasible, recruit those on the more expensive Towns

County system to the CCWSD systems. Advertise service
availability in newspaper, and direct mailings to property
owners who are eligible.
ii) Identify incentives to encourage connections to the CCWSD.
c) Maximize existing CCWSD resources
Utilities and Community Facilities Concept Plan 1
i) Implement water conservation measures
ii) Ensure that CCWSD policies are in compliance with the

“Drought Bill” (S.L. 2008-143)
iii) Incorporate water conservation education materials with bills.
2) Develop a surface water source by dedicating resources to work through

regulatory/land constraints related to constructing an intake on Lake
Chatuge.
3) Complete projects that are in-progress and attend to immediate

CCWSD needs:
a) Extend sewer line from Hayesville down Highway 69 to state line.
b) Expand wastewater treatment plant
c) Identify resources for back-up generators at all wastewater pumps

(giving priority to the Riverside and Ingles stations)
d) Prioritize the rehabilitation of older lines
2 Utilities and Community Facilities Concept Plan
B. Septic systems and wells in Clay County will be installed and maintained in a manner that protects public and environmental health.
1) Incorporate septic system and well planning into land suitability

analysis (see Land Stewardship)
2) Digitize Clay County’s septic system and well data to aid in long-term
decision making. Incorporate into GIS; use GPS technology to digitally
map septic systems and wells, failures, problematic areas, etc. (GPS =
Global Positioning System—a way to digitally record a geographic point
or place by latitude and longitude)
3) Address septic system and well planning in accordance with steep slope
considerations
C. Clay County will operate a cost effective solid waste program.
1) Implement the Clay County Solid Waste Action Plan
2) Educate community members on the costs associated with solid waste

and recycling disposal (use website)
3) Develop a report to the community to provide update on solid waste

disposal goal progress.
D. Clay County will have a modern and responsive technology backbone.

1) The Clay County Government will support the building of a broadband

network by serving as a facilitator between private and public
broadband stakeholders.
a) Assist private and public stakeholders with prioritizing areas with

broadband gaps and with planning to fill those gaps.
b) Assist with grant writing and resource identification for private and
public stakeholders.
c) Assist with mapping (or build capacity to assist)
2) Develop a wireless communications tower ordinance similar to the

cellular tower ordinance. (Recommend using outside assistance)
3) Ensure that adults in the county have access to technology training
a) Incorporate access to technology training with workforce

development planning
b) Encourage use of and support Clay County Transportation in
carrying out transportation to technology training (e.g. Tri-County
Community College, regional higher education centers)
c) Work with regional higher education centers to bring technology

training to the county
E. Work in partnership with regional education institutions to enhance access to quality education and post-secondary education for
County residents, and ensure that training is well aligned with workforce demands.
1) Construct the new elementary school
2) Increase the number of Clay County residents attending Tri-County

Community College and other higher education institutions
a) Explore funding opportunities with Clay County Transportation to

secure resources to support a school or economic development
related transportation program. Focus on evening transportation
needs.
b) Assertively build relationships with regional higher education

institutions to bring higher education to the county.
i) Explore funding opportunities to support a local higher

education center
ii) Identify and secure a location for a training/teaching facility

(e.g. computer lab, video conferencing, teaching space)
F. Clay County Government integrates planning with County decision making. (General Statements)
1) Coordinate the provision of public services and facilities with other

aspects of planning in the county, in particular coordinate the provision
of these with planning for future land use.
2) Conduct detailed and ongoing studies to support the most efficient and
cost effective provision of utilities and community facilities in the
county—including wastewater treatment, public water, solid waste,
transportation, and public safety.
3) Work closely with the Sherriff’s office, fire departments, and EMS as the
county grows and service needs expand. (Annual goal setting and
reporting)
4) Plan for capital improvements and needs through a Capital

Improvement Planning process that is integrated with the county’s
annual budgeting process. Things to consider include:
a) Ensuring that the county’s services, including fire/EMS, sheriff’s

office, library, parks and recreation, CCWSD, etc., have adequate
staffing, facilities, and equipment capacity to accommodate
projected future growth, and that the county has the ability to
capture the value associated with such growth to pay for required
County services.
b) Determining long-range facilities, equipment, training, and

personnel needs for the sheriff’s office, fire and EMS, and parks and
recreation facilities.
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter 8: Economic Development

Existing Economic Development Framework Labor Force Trends
This section details labor force trends, educational attainment, em- The labor force is the number of people eligible and able to work,
ployment forecasts, income data and other economic characteristics whether employed, unemployed, or actively seeking employ-
of the county. ment. According to 2009 NC Employment Security Commission
figures, 46% of Clay County residents participate in the labor
Workforce Flow force. The unemployment rate is the portion of the labor force’s
The most recent workforce flow, or commuting, data is available unemployed workers. Chart 8.1 provides a snapshot of labor force
from the 2000 Census. While the data is dated, it does provide trends since 2000, which follow the economic cycles documented
insight into where and from Clay County workers commute. In in the Land Stewardship chapter. There was a 2% drop in the
2000, when the data was gathered, more Clay County residents number of people in the labor force during the 2001 recession, fol-
worked in the county than those who left the county for employ- lowed by a steady increase each year until the number of people in
ment. For those who commuted out of the county, 20% traveled to the labor force peaked in 2007. Between 2002 and 2007, the labor
Region A counties or to counties in the Georgia mountains. Fewer force grew by 4% annually, with a peak jump between 2006 and
Clay County workers commuted out of the county when compared 2007. After 2007, the trends again follow the broader economy.
to 1990 and more people commuted into the county in 2000 than The labor force dropped by 8% between 2007 and 2008. Since
1990. The charts and figure on the following page detail this data. 2008, there has been a slight 3% increase in the labor force.
Workflow results from the Community Input Summary document Compared to other counties in the comparison area, Clay Coun-
patterns similar to those in the 2000 Census. More workers are em- ty’s labor force tied with Macon County as the county with the
ployed in Clay County than in other places, 49% work only in Clay third highest cumulative labor force growth—18% between 2000
County and 21% work in Clay County and at least one other county. and 2009. Of the comparison counties, only Jackson County, NC
Cherokee County, NC, and Towns and Union Counties, GA, are the and Towns County, GA had a greater growth in labor force.
top areas to which Clay County workers commute.
Economic Development leaders should review American Commu-
nity Survey data as soon as it is released to determine if shifts have
occurred in the county’s workflow patterns. Page
101
Chapter 8: Economic Development 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Figure 8.1: Clay County 2000 Workflow Patterns
Table 8.1: Commuting Patterns from 2000 Census Data—Part I

2000 1990
# of % of # of % of
Workers Workers Workers Workers
Work in
Clay 1,907 44.30% 1,303 39.10%
Commute
Out of Clay 1,789 41.60% 1,567 47.10%
Commute
to Clay 607 14.10% 460 13.80%
TOTAL
WORKERS 4,303 100.00% 3,330 100.00%
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000, 1990
Table 8.2: Commuting Patterns from 2000 Census Data—Part II

2000 Commute Out of Clay to: 2000 Commute To Clay From: 1990 Commute Out of Clay to: 1990 Commute To Clay From:
# of Workers % of Workers # of Workers % of Workers # of Workers % of Workers # of Workers % of Workers
Region A 846 19.70% 297 6.90% 933 28.00% 196 5.90%
Western NC 37 0.90% 0 -- 8 0.20% -- --
Beyond WNC 36 0.80% 0 -- 3 0.10% 5 0.20%
Georgia 808 19% 293 7% 561 16.80% 259 7.80%
Other States 62 1.40% 17 0.40% 62 1.90% -- --
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000, 1990
Page
102
Chart 8.1: Labor Force Characteristics Unemployment Trends

Labor Force Characteristics Prior to 2007, Clay County’s unemployment rate was relatively.
In fact, the rate was so low that it may be an indicator of under-
11,250 employment. In general, a healthy unemployment rate is around
10,656
5%. From 2000 through 2007, unemployment ranged from a low
of 3.9% in 2006 and 2007 to a high of 5.8% in 2002. The 2007 eco-
8,817
nomic downturn did not present itself in unemployment figures
7,500 until 2008, when Clay’s annual unemployment rate jumped to
Population
9.1%, a rate that was higher than the state and the region. The rate
4,860 continued to climb to 10.5% in 2009, and was at 11.4% for the first
3,750 4,032 six months of 2010. The largest areas of job loss during this time
were those that in some way connected to the housing industry, as
will be shown in the next section.
4.1% 10.5%
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Chart 8.2: Unemployment Trends
Polulation Workforce Unemployed
Source: NC Employment Security Commission Clay County Unemployment Trends
(Annual Average Percent Unemployment)
11.25%
10.5%
7.50% 9.1%
3.75% 5.8%
5.0% 4.9%
4.1% 4.1% 4.2% 3.9% 3.9%
0%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Clay Region NC
Source: NC Employment Security Commission
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103
ployment data in this plan at the 2-Digit Classification level. Data

Low Unemployment? is suppressed, or hidden, when it has the potential to identify an
According to Sara Nienow, an Economic Development Policy individual employer. For example, if there were only one contrac-
Specialist with the NC Department of Commerce, a normal tor in the county, that company’s information would be suppressed
unemployment rate is around 5%. Ms. Nienow explained that because one may easily connect the data to the individual company.
unemployment is a natural occurrence and two types of unem- Unfortunately, small counties like Clay County are unable to get
ployment occur in economies. When companies hire the wrong complete data for all employment sectors due to suppression.
people or people accept positions and then aren’t happy, the The next set of data investigates Clay County’s employment sectors
resulting unemployment is frictional unemployment. Frictional and trends within those sectors. Three factors complicate providing
unemployment is normal and healthy because it allows employ- a complete overview of Clay County’s employment sectors.
ers to better align people with the right positions for their skills.
There is also structural unemployment, which happens as indus- First, as will be detailed in a later section, the county has a high
tries phase out of existence. Manufacturing is a good example. number of people who either earn or supplement their primary
In the end, structural changes are also good for the economy as income from non-employer business activity. Many involved with
resources find their use with the highest return, but in the short development, such as contractors and real estate agents, report their
term, these structural changes can be devastating at a local level. business activity as non-employer income. For example, according
to the NC Employment Security Commission, the Real Estate, Rent-
While a low unemployment rate seems to be a good thing, it can al, and Leasing occupational group employed only seven people in
have drawbacks. Clay County had an unusually low unemploy- 1990. At the peak of the housing boom, the sector employed thirty-
ment rate from 2000 to 2007. There are implications for com- eight people. Many readers will likely raise an eyebrow at these
muting patterns; workers overall may not have much of a prob- numbers. County residents know that there are many more that
lem finding ‘any’ job but may have to travel out of the county to 38 people employed by the real estate industry, even after the 2007
find a really good fit for their skills. A tight labor market harms economic downturn. Most real estate agents report their income as
businesses because they have to take whatever labor they can non-employer income and therefore their jobs are not accounted for
get, regardless of quality, unless the jobs are so good that they in labor force statistics. Unfortunately, it is not possible to collate
can attract workers from outside the county. NC Employment Security Commission data with non-employer
income data.
The second challenge results from the small size of some of Clay
County’s employment sectors. For example, in 2000, the infor-
Employment Sectors and Trends mation sector employed 28 people. By 2009, there were only 12
information employees, a 57% decrease between those years and a
Employment data is collected and categorized under the North difference of 16 people. While a 57% decrease seems extreme, the
American Industry Classification System (NAICS). NAICS catego- information sector represents only 1% of total employment. It’s
rizes job areas from broad categories, known as a 2-Digit Clas- not accurate it say that a 57% decrease is a dramatic shift in Clay
sification to very specific categories, known as a 6-Digit Classifica- County’s overall economy when a sector is so small relative to total
tion. For example, Construction is a 2-Digit Category. Under the employment. Eight of Clay County’s employment sectors represent
Construction heading is 23611, Residential Building Constructions. 2% or less of total employment: Administrative and Waste, Infor-
Under this category is the 6-Digit Classification of 236118, Resi- mation, Other Services, Professional and Technical, Real Estate
dential Remodelers. While the detailed data is ideal for a thorough Rental and Leasing, Finance and Insurance, Transportation and
analysis, most categories below the 2-Digit Classification in Clay Warehousing, and Unclassified. This leaves the county with seven
County are suppressed and unusable. Therefore, presented em- employment sectors for which trends can be accurately identified.
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104
Figure 8.2: Primary Employment Sectors
Source: NC Employment Security Commission Page

105
Clay’s primary employment sectors are Accommodation and Food about businesses without paid employees that are subject to federal
Services, Construction, Educational Services, Health Care and So- income tax. Most non-employers are self-employed individuals
cial Assistance, Manufacturing, Public Administration, and Retail operating very small unincorporated businesses, which may or may
Trade. not be the owner’s principal source of income.”
The third and final complicating factor results from the 2007 Chart 8.3 illustrates that more non-employer income is generated
economic downturn. Dramatic shifts since 2007 in Clay’s primary in Clay County, per 1,000 in population, than the comparison
employment sectors skew the overall trends. For example, the area and the state. Only Towns County, GA consistently generates
cumulative employment growth for the Accommodation and Food more non-employer income per 1,000 in population. In the early
Service sector between 2000 and 2007 is 49%; yet between 2008 and 2000s, Macon County generated more revenue from non-employer
2009, employment in this sector decreased by 22%. income, however, Clay County began outpacing Macon County in
2005. This is an important item to note, as it indicates a need for
Taking these factors into account, Figure 5.1 and the bulleted list programs and activities that support those who run their own busi-
below provide a snapshot of Clay County’s current employment nesses.
landscape.
• Of the seven primary employment sectors, only two, Accommodation Chart 8.3: Non Employer Income
and Food Services and Public Administration, have overall employ- Non-Employer Income Per 1,000 in Population
ment and wage growth. The reaming five sectors have an overall de-
cline in wages, employment, or both. 6,000
• The two sectors with negative employment growth, Construction and

Manufacturing, both had a positive growth trend prior to the econom-
ic downturn.
4,500
• All sectors, excluding Health Care and Social Assistance, had a positive
growth trend from 2000-2007. 3,000
• Overall, the growth in annual average wages is relatively steady from
2000 to 2009, with the exception of Accommodation and Food Servic-
es and Public Administration, which had positive growth and Manu- 1,500
2,834
3,182
3,495
3,880
2,699
3,581
3,182
3,954
4,003
facturing and Retail Trade, which had negative growth.
5,186
2,975
3,041
2,542
2,727
5,066
3,189
2,259
3,452
2,028
3,222
3,623
2,542
4,011
2,898
4,731
4,088
2,833
• Overall, annual wages in Clay County are lower than wages in other
areas. 0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Non-employer Income Clay Region State
Source: Internal Revenue Service, US Census Bureau
There are many in Clay County who are self-employed on a full-
time basis or who supplement their primary income with secondary
self-employment income. Clay County residents may be forced to
create their own employment opportunities, whether full-time or
part-time, due to a relatively small employment base. Non-employ-
er income data, compiled by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is
available through the US Census Bureau. According to the Census
Page
Bureau, “Non-employer Statistics is an annual series of information
106
Employment Projections Educational Attainment
The NC Employment Security Commission compiles projection A skilled workforce is one that is well-educated and one that has ac-
data by workforce development boards rather than by county. cess to higher education for job training or retraining. Educational
Chart 8.3 shares employment projections for the Southwestern attainment is reported for the portion of the population that is
Workforce Development Board, which includes Clay County and twenty-five years and above. Clay County’s educational attainment
the other far western counties in North Carolina. Like any other profile is similar to that of the region. In 2000, 76% of the popula-
projection, it is difficult to predict with certainty the future employ- tion had at least a high school diploma, which is close to the 75%
ment prospects for the county. Perhaps even more than considering regional average. The number of adults with a high school diploma
past trends and regional projections, employment prospects have to or higher is projected to increase slightly in 2009 to 80% for Clay
do with the overall economic climate – both regionally and nation- County and 79% for the region. In 2000, 78% of North Carolina’s
ally, as well as local decision-making and initiatives that help create, population held at least a high school diploma. By 2009, 82% of
grow, and attract businesses. North Carolinians are projected to have at least a high school
diploma. When companies look for areas to locate, they pay close
attention to the level of higher education attainment, particularly
bachelor’s degrees or higher. In 2000, only 15% of Clay County’s
population above age 25 had a bachelors or higher degree, which
Table 8.3: Southwestern Workforce Development Board Projections

Annualized
Major Industry Group Total Employment 2006 Total Employment 2016
Growth Rate
Natural Resources and Mining 740 620 -1.80
Manufacturing 6,060 5,850 -0.40
Goods-Producing 12,250 13,420 0.90
Information 600 660 1.00
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities 11,660 13,200 1.20
Financial Activities 2,130 2,470 1.50
Education and Health Services 15,180 18,070 1.80
Government 8,060 9,620 1.80
Other Services (Except Government) 2,670 3,180 1.80
Services-Providing 53,420 64,390 1.90
Leisure and Hospitality 8,840 11,170 2.40
Construction 5,450 6,950 2.50
Professional and Business Services 4,280 6,020 3.50
Source: NC Employment Security Commission
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107
was on par for the region (16%) and the state (15%). The gap be- Income Data
tween the Clay County and the region’s level of attainment and the
state’s attainment rate widens with the 2009 projections, where Clay Chart 8.5 presents income characteristics for Clay County and the
County’s and the region’s portion of the population with bachelors comparison area, excluding Towns County, in three ways—me-
or higher degree is 17%. This is below the state’s level of attainment dian family income, per capita income, and median household
of 25%. The relatively low number of adults with a bachelor’s degree income. Median Family Income (MFI) and Median Household
or higher does not mean that young people in Clay County aren’t Income (MHI) are annual income figures. Unlike per capita
going to college. As noted earlier, many of Clay County’s working income, which is an average, the median divides income distribu-
age population leave the county for other opportunities. tion into two equal parts: one-half below the median income and
one-half above. MFI and MHI are based on the distribution of
The lower number of college educated people in the county is a the total number of families or households, including those with
catch-22. To attract businesses to the county, the county must be no income. The Census Bureau defines the difference between
able to document the presence of a skilled workforce. In order to MHI and MFI. Median household income considers all house-
retain and attract people with professional degrees, there must be holds, including households of one or households of two unre-
quality employment opportunities. Until the employment base is lated, unmarried persons, while family income only takes house-
broadened, the solution for Clay County may lie in a targeted effort holds with two or more persons related through blood, marriage,
that links those without an associates or bachelors degree with one or adoption into account. The Bureau of Economic Analysis
of the many higher education opportunities available in the region. (BEA) calculates per capita income (PCI) by dividing the personal
income of the residents by the population of that area as of July 1
Chart 8.4: Educational Attainment for the reference year—this data is available through EDIS.
2009 Educational Attainment
For Polulation 25 Years and Older In 1990, Clay County lagged behind the region in MFI, PCI, and
Cherokee 37% 20% 8% 12% MHI. This trend reversed in 2000 and 2009 and projections
indicate that this trend will continue in 2014. While Clay County
Clay 19% 8% 17%
36%
fares comparatively well to counties in the region, both the in-
Graham 39% 16% 6% 12% comes in the county and the region lag behind North Carolina.
Haywood 34% 19% 11% 17%
In 2009, North Carolina’s MFI, PCI, and MHI were $60,434,
$25,989, and $51,418, respectively. Gains in income and personal
Jackson 27% 19% 8% 28% wealth will only be realized when Clay County’s annual average
Macon 34% 21% 8% 18% wages are increased across the board. To close this gap, economic
development goals should aim to align each employment sector’s
Swain 32% 19% 8% 15%
annual average wage to a level that is comparable to North Caro-
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% lina’s annual average wages for those same sectors.
HS Diploma Some College, Associates Bachelor Degree
Only No Degree Degree or Higher
Source: NC EDIS
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108
Chart 8.5: Income Characteristics

Income Characteristics
$60,000
$45,000
$30,000
$15,000 $37,343
$15,522
$30,419
38,228
47,338
45,848
47,273
46,058
51,226
48,878
16,318
22,701
20,948
22,350
20,710
23,306
21,619
31,753
38,855
37,847
38,952
37,802
40,927
39,222
$0
1990 2000 2009 2014 1990 2000 2009 2014 1990 2000 2009 2014
MFI MFI MFI MFI PCI PCI PCI PCI MHI MHI MHI MHI
Clay Region
Source: US Census Bureau, 1990, 2000, NC EDIS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1990 and 2000 amounts are adjusted to reflect the 2009 dollar value. MFI –
Median Family Income; P – Projected; PCI – Per Capita Income; MHI – Median Household Income
Largest Employers
The North Carolina Employment Security Commission maintains largest employers employ less than fifty people. This is one more in-
a record of each county’s twenty-five largest employers, the industry dicator that services for small business operators are greatly needed
they represent, and the range of employees in each business. Table to ensure a successful economic development program.
8.4 lists Clay County’s 2009 major employers.
Clay County is similar to other counties in western North Caro-
lina in which the county government and the schools systems are
the largest employers. Another similarity between Clay and other
counties, particularly the smaller counties like as Graham and
Swain, is the lack of large employers. In Clay County, only one
private employer is in the 100-249 employment range. Most of the
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109
Table 8.4: 2009 Clay County 25 Largest Employers Economic Development Program
Employ- In recent decades, North Carolina and Clay County’s traditional
# Company Name Industry ment industries--manufacturing and agriculture--have dramatically
Range declined. In more recent years (from 2000 forward), the void
1 Clay County Board of Education Education & Health 100-249 left by the exit of the traditional employers was filled with em-
2 County Of Clay Public Administration 100-249
ployment opportunities centered on the real estate development
industry, which includes the person who clears the land on up to
3 Ingles Markets Trade, Tport, & Utilities 100-249 the person who sells the new couch for the living room. When
4 Coleman Cable Manufacturing 50-99 Clay County’s economy took a turn for the worse in 2007, very
5 Clay County Healthcare Education & Health 50-99 few employment sectors went unscathed. Nobody knows when or
if the real estate development industry will pick up to its previous
6 Advanced Digital Cable Inc Manufacturing 50-99
level. The important lesson gleaned from this recent downturn
7 Henson Building Materials Trade, Tport, & Utilities 50-99 is that the county’s economy must diversify in order to withstand
8 Roaring Line LLC Leisure & Hospitality < 50 economic storms. Herein lies the economic development chal-
9 Phoenix Supported Living Education & Health < 50 lenge for Clay County—how does the county build its economic
base and assist its residents with employment opportunities with-
10 Cottage Salad Station Deli Leisure & Hospitality < 50 out being dependent upon one or two industries. The following
11 Phoenix Home Health Care Education & Health < 50 sections outline the building blocks of an economic development
12 Cox & Son Roofing Inc Construction < 50 program that, if carried out, will assist Clay County in meeting
13 Jacky Jones Ford Trade, Tport, & Utilities < 50
this challenge.
16 US Postal Service Trade, Tport, & Utilities < 50 Maximize Existing Economic Development Resources
16 N C Department Of Tport Public Administration < 50 A wide variety of economic development programs and resources
16 Gevity Hr V LP T/A Trinet Professional & Business < 50 are available to enhance the county’s economic development
20 Colwell Construction Company Construction < 50 efforts. While Table 8.5 is not exhaustive, it covers the most
common and effective resources. These programs and resources
20 Jacky Jones Chrysler Plymouth Trade, Tport, & Utilities < 50
stimulate economic development in the county, region, or state.
20 Kerr Drug Trade, Tport, & Utilities < 50
20 Bridging the Gap Aides Education & Health < 50
21 Clay County Rural Develop. Public Administration < 50
24 Hayesville Well Drilling Construction < 50
24 Smith Power Equipment Trade, Tport, & Utilities < 50
24 Mountain Home Nursing Education & Health < 50
25 United Community Bank Financial Activities < 50
Source: NC Employment Security Commission; Note: Tport = Transportation
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110
Table 8.5: Economic Development Resources
Program Name Description or Mission
21st Century Program Clay County is a designated 21st Century Community. This program, administered by the NC Department of Commerce, pro-
vides technical assistance to communities to support the expansion economic development plans and initiatives.
AdvantageWest AdvantageWest Economic Development Group is WNC’s regional economic development commission. Its primary focus is
marketing the mountain region to corporations seeking to relocate or open a new facility, expand an existing business within
the region, and those who might otherwise improve the quality of life for citizens within the region through activities such as
filmmaking, entrepreneurship and tourism.
Blue Ridge BRMEMC provides assistance to businesses and industries through responsible development of existing industries, recruitment
Mountain EMC of new industries, and in working with the various agency partners at the local level within our service area.
(BRMEMC)
Clay County Commu- CCCRA’s mission is to serve as a catalyst to bring forth a cooperative, creative spirit within Clay County that enables us to
nities Revitalization reclaim and preserve our unique mountain heritage and natural resources, create new jobs and provide opportunities, and to
Association (CCCRA) encourage economic growth and prosperity - today and tomorrow.
Clay County Cham- The mission of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce is to sustain and further develop a thriving economy and to enhance
ber of Commerce our community’s quality of life. To achieve this, the Chamber divides its work among special events, business after hours, and
community involvement while keeping an eye toward economic expansion and a better quality of life in Clay County, NC.
Clay County Rural The Clay County Rural Development Authority was created to conduct rural development activities throughout the County.
Development Authority To date, their primary activity has been the construction and operation of the Chatuge Shores Golf Club. Their charter enables
would enable them to engage in economic development activities if they should choose to do so.
General Economic A variety of private commercial interests and other local government interests are involved in the economic development pro-
Development Allies cess. All should come to the table to collaborate on some level with the economic development efforts described in this chapter.
Examples include: banks and financial institutions, Clay County Schools, colleges and universities in the region, professional
firms (lawyers, architects, engineers), the real estate and development industry, and telecommunication companies
Historic Hayesville HHMA is an association of merchants and business owners with a vested interest in the Historic Hayesville. This group works
Merchants Association to promote Historic Hayesville’s businesses and is a partner in Historic Hayesville’s revitalization efforts.
(HHMA)
NC Department of The NC Department of Commerce had a plethora of programs and resources to assist all types of business. Services are
Commerce grouped and targeted toward business start-ups, existing business support, business location, and business development.
NC Rural Economic The Rural Center’s mission is to develop, promote and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of
Development Center rural North Carolinians…with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited
resources.
Southwestern The Southwestern Commission supports local governments in North Carolina’s seven westernmost counties. Support is
Commission provided in the program areas of community and economic development, transportation planning, workforce development,
and human services and aging, among others. The Commission also coordinates activities that strengthen the entire region’s
economic position.
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111
Workforce Development This network of workforce development resources more than meets
the needs of the county. What is lacking is individual awareness,
Workforce development services are delivered through Tri-County and possibly even business and local government awareness, of
Community College and the Southwestern Workforce Develop- these activities. Therefore, the county’s strategy should be to maxi-
ment Board, which operates out of the Southwestern Commission mize, support, and advertise the resources available to individuals
in Sylva, NC. and businesses.
According to the Tri-County Workforce Development and Con- Organizing for Economic Development
tinuing Education Division, the college, “assists industries by
customizing educational programs and training courses for their In recent times, the county has not had a formal group appointed
employees. Our staff is available to assess, design, and implement to shape the county’s economic development efforts. The county’s
appropriate courses to meet the needs of industry.” Tri-County past and current economic development activities, such as found-
operates several workforce programs, the details of which can be ing the industrial park and the recently created business support
found on their website. Their programs include: resource guide, have been and continue to be guided by an infor-
mal group of stakeholders. These stakeholders include the county
• JobsNow Program
Manager, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC’s Economic Developer, staff
• In-Plant Training Skills Programs
from the Small Business Technology and Development Center at
• Focused Industrial Training: Focused Industrial Training’s (FIT)
• New and Expanding Industry Training Western Carolina University, the Chamber of Commerce, and those
• Human Resources Development involved in workforce development at Tri-County Community Col-
• Management Training lege, among others. Additionally, Clay County is addressing some
• Customized Training of its economic development needs through the North Carolina
Department of Commerce’s 21st Century Communities Program,
which has involved a variety of people from the private sector in
The Southwestern Workforce Development Board (the Board) addition to the stakeholders named above. In a less traditional role,
brings a wealth of workforce resources to Clay County and the the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CC-
region. In addition to serving as the region’s labor force data center CRA), in partnership with HandMade in America, and the Historic
and regional workforce coordinator, the Board’s services are listed Hayesville Merchants Association carry out economic development
below and can be reviewed in detail in the 2008 Southwestern activities that are less traditional, such as downtown development,
Workforce Development Board Annual Report: heritage tourism promotion, and community events.
• Provide Business Services that include programs for incumbent work- While the informal stakeholders have had some success, today’s
ers, a rapid response program, job profiling, and resources, reports and economic conditions indicate a need for a formal economic devel-
studies to support area businesses. opment program that has decision making authority and funding.
Just as Clay County needs a formal program to operate its water
• Assist JobLink Career Centers by publishing the JobLink Directory,
and sewer resources, or its emergency management program, Clay
conducting JobLink Re-Chartering, and compiling the JobLink Activ-
County needs an economic development program establish and to
ity Report.
advance its economic development goals. The following table points
• Administer Workforce Investment Act Programs that include Case out the three most common economic development structures used
Managers Recognition, Youth Program Recognition, and Career Read- by local governments in North Carolina.
iness Certificates.
The 21st Century Economic Development Planning group weighed
• Coordinate Special Projects and Regional Endeavors, examples of the pros and cons of each economic development organizational
which include, the WNC Livestock Market, the WNC EdNet Project, structure. Based on their research and discussion, the 21st Century
Page and the Mountain Landscapes Initiative. group recommends the Clay County Board of Commissioner create
112 and financially support an Economic Development Commission
(EDC) that receives support from county staff. They also recom- Table 8.6: Economic Development Organizations
mend that the EDC’s membership incorporate the broad base of
organizations and leaders currently involved in county economic Structure Characteristics
activities. Finally, there was discussion related to the advantages of County Staff • Person reports to the county Manager, High
a non-profit economic development entity—mainly the advantage Department amount of local government control
of grant opportunities only available to non-profits. The group • May not be able to respond as quickly
concluded that the non-profit benefits could be obtained though • Limited private sector involvement
alternative methods, such as partnering with an exiting non-profit • Must operate under public sector laws and reg-
or eventually forming a non-profit under the EDC’s umbrella. ulations
Economic • Members are appointed by County Commis-
Regardless of the structure selected, the aims of the organization Development sioners
are the same: to attract or create private investment that expands Commission • Acts with some independence from the county
the county’s tax base; to increase employment opportunities, wages, (EDC) Government
and personal incomes; and to increase overall wealth in the county. • Allows for business leaders to be involved
Honing in on these aims is, in large part, going to require a new • Commissions can cross boundaries (e.g. Hayes-
mindset that reframes how Clay County approaches economic ville, Cherokee County)
development. For example, the county has some excellent selling • Cannot own property and therefore can’t take
points that, when properly developed and marketed, will present advantage of some incentives
Clay County as an attractive business destination. Clay County can Economic • Limits role of County Government to that of
also assist in reframing how people approach work. For example, Development providing financial support and appointing
until Clay County is able to build a diverse employment base, the Non-Profit some (or all) board members.
Clay County Transportation can assist people with transportation • Permits the involvement of the business com-
to regional employment centers. munity
• Permits the cooperation with other jurisdic-
Role of the County Commission tions
The North Carolina Economic Development Association’s Economic • Allows for property ownership, can act as a de-
Development Handbook provides an overview of the role of elected veloper
officials play in the economic development process. The overview is • Can raise and spend private sector funds out-
side of regulations that govern public sector
summarized below:
funds
• Financially support professional economic development organizations Source: Morgan, J. Q., & Lawrence, D. M. (2007). Economic Development. In U. S.
to support ED. A sample of costs incurred may include administra- Government, County and Municipal Government in North Carolina (Article 26).
tion, staff, travel, technology, client recruitment, research, advertising/ Chapel Hill: UNC School of Government.
marketing, and office space.
• Invest in infrastructure—water, sewer, electricity, telecommunications

(especially broadband and digital wireless networks), the industrial • Build a competitive business environment in the of incentives and
park, and transportation networks. infrastructure, but also in the form of an attractive community that
promotes workforce development, quality education, reasonable tax
• Provide incentives. and utility rates, and effective planning and permitting process that
is not burdensome to comply with regulations.
• Help existing industries create new jobs and to expand (retention and
expansion). Establish a formal program of activities for existing in- • Protect the public’s investment by ensuring that public funds are
dustries (e.g. existing business visitation, resource identification, infra- spent prudently and the investment in economic development pro- Page
structure improvements). vides a net benefit to the county. 113
Economic Building Blocks Labor Costs

Once the economic development organization is established, they Labor costs in Clay County are similar to those in the region, but
will need to strategically begin strengthening Clay County’s econ- are lower than wages across the state. While this may be inter-
omy. The next sections detail the strategic economic development preted as a competitive advantage, it is important to remember that
building blocks that will assist the economic development organiza- one overall economic development goal it to increase individual
tion accomplish the county’s overall economic development goals. economic wealth. Clay County should not use its low wages as a
The building blocks include diverse economic development efforts selling point. It should, at the very least, attempt to increase its
that aim to strengthen and grow existing industry, take advantage wages so that they are on par with the state’s average wages. Site
of regional opportunities and emerging industries, support small selectors across the county have identified North Carolina’s wages
business and entrepreneurship, maintain and enhance the county’s as competitive.
quality of life, revitalize Historic Hayesville, and enhance the
county’s tourism development efforts. Together, the building blocks Construction Costs and Occupancy
strengthen and grow Clay County’s employment base. When working with companies and site selectors, the NC Depart-
Building Clay’s Economy Through Economic Infrastructure ment of Commerce uses the RSMeans Construction Index to evalu-
ate construction costs of one metropolitan area to another. Accord-
Economic infrastructure describes the components that support the ing to the 2010 RSMeans Construction Cost Index, the national
county’s business climate. These are the factors often evaluated by average is 100.
business and site selectors. The NC Economic Development Hand-
book lists the top twelve features site selection companies evaluate The Index scores for the metropolitan areas surrounding Clay
during their selection process. Below is a listing of each factor and a County are: Asheville, 75.3; Chattanooga, 84.6; Knoxville, 80.2;
brief note highlighting Clay County’s strengths or areas of improve- Greenville, 76.2; and Atlanta, 88.8. Murphy had an index score of
ment. Overall, Clay County has strengths to market to industry 68.5. While an individual score is not available for Clay County, it
selection firms and businesses. Some assets, such as the industrial is likely that Clay County has competitive construction costs that
park and the newly adopted business incentive plan are in place, are below the national average, and most likely close to Murphy’s
and others, such as availability of buildings and competitive wages score of 68.5.
need significant investment before marketing as an asset. Data from the Historic Hayesville Market Analysis indicate that
the sales to rent ratio in the Historic Hayesville area is low when
Highway Accessibility compared to other small towns similar to Hayesville. Whether this
At first glance, it appears as if Clay County does not have good trend is replicated beyond Historic Hayesville can only be deter-
highway access. A closer look reveals that the county is within mined with further research that is beyond the scope of the CCCP.
a 2 to 3 hour driving distance of eight major interstates, includ-
ing Interstates 75, 24, and 59 accessed through Chattanooga, TN; Availability of Skilled Labor
Interstate 81 accessed through Knoxville, TN, Interstates 85 and 20, See educational attainment and workforce development sections.
accessed through Atlanta, GA or Greenville, SC, and Interstates 40
and 26, accessed through Asheville. Clay County is literally in the State and Local Incentives
center of this ring of Interstates. Map 2.1, the regional context map,
illustrates this ring of interstates. Future transportation planning Counties in NC have a variety of state incentives available to them,
should focus on freely flowing access to this interstate network and many of which have special provisions for Tier 1 counties such as
Clay County. The statewide incentives include, tax credits, discre-
should.
tionary programs, cost-saving programs, sales and use tax dis-
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114
counts, exemptions and refunds, and recovery zone bonds. A full complete infrastructure structure. Figure 8.2 illustrates a poten-
description of incentives can be found on the NC Department of tial build out of the Industrial Park.
Commerce’s website. One-on-one assistance from a NC Commerce
economic development professional with detailed knowledge of the Availability of Buildings
benefits and resources is available through Commerce’s Business While the Clay County government does not own buildings suit-
and Industry Division. National surveys and publications com- able for economic development purposes, privately owned vacant
mend NC’s business climate for its competitive business incentives, buildings can be found along the county’s commercial corridors.
its policies and programs, and its overall friendly business climate. Some of these buildings may be appropriate for rehabilitation
The Clay County Board of Commissioners recently adopted a or unfitting. Clay County should consider conducting avail-
local business incentive policy to promote “diversified economic able building inventory to supplement its economic development
development, encourage growth in the property tax base, improve marketing activity.
recruitment of business and industry and to enhance job creation.”
Businesses must create new capital investment and create jobs to
Proximity to Major Markets
be considered for the incentive program. A number of parameters This is one of Clay County’s most marketable assets. As illus-
are considered before a company is eligible. The incentive is in the trated on the Regional Context Map, the county is within a 2 to
form of a grant from the county and depends upon the amount of 3 hour drive from five major markets--Chattanooga, Knoxville,
investment. Companies receiving the incentive sign a compliance Asheville, Greenville/Spartanburg, and Atlanta.
document that details agreed upon performance criteria.
Building Clay’s Economy through Strengthening and
Corporate Tax Rate Growing Existing Industry
Corporations in Clay County are subject to North Carolina’s corpo- Strengthening and growing a diverse economy requires a combi-
rate tax rate. North Carolina’s corporate tax rate of 6.9% is slightly nation of building on the industry assets that exist in the com-
higher than rates in surrounding states. The corporate tax rates in munity as well as growing new industry sectors. Creating and
surrounding states are 6% in Georgia, 6.5% in Tennessee, and 5% in Entrepreneurial Environment for Clay County is a report compiled
South Carolina. It is important to note that the corporate tax rate by the county’s economic development leaders. The report identi-
is just one taxing factor that companies consider when selecting a fies strategies targeted at strengthening and growing businesses is
location. The NC Department of Commerce has a wide variety of Clay County. The report states, “it is imperative that exiting busi-
taxing information available on its website. nesses receive adequate support and counseling from the com-
munity to ensure their viability, competitiveness, and continued
Low Union Profile operational success.” The report’s action plan suggests a number
The major industries in Clay County are not unionized, and the of strategies to strengthen and grow existing industry.” The CP’s
presence of unions in Western North Carolina is minimal. Economic Development Action Plan incorporates action items
from the report.
Available Land
Building Clay’s Economy through Regional Opportuni-
As documented in the Land Stewardship Chapter of this report, ties
Clay County has plenty of land available for business and industrial
use, however, not all of that land has adequate infrastructure. For- In a time where competition for economic development is global
tunately, the Clay County Industrial Park will be able to support the rather than local or regional, communities are realizing that eco-
county’s next 10 years of industrial growth once it is serviced with a nomic success comes from regional efforts, rather than competing
for growth and development with their neighbors. The Regional
Context Map (Map 2.1) details the economic development clusters Page
115
Figure 8.3: Clay County Industrial Park Potential Build Out
Page Source: Adapted from http://www.tva.gov/ed_news/clay.pdf

116
that the five nearby metro areas have developed or are developing. • Encourage business to capitalize on the emerging clusters of bio-
Due to its position, Clay County has the opportunity to capture related industries in the metro areas. For example, Asheville has an
some of this business activity. Capturing a portion of the region’s emerging natural products industry and Greenville has an emerging
economic activity is not possible unless there are intentional efforts bio-pharma industry.
to stay abreast on business activities in the metro areas and to build
relationships with leaders in these areas. It will also require that • Explore and pursue business enterprises and production that relate to
economic development leaders travel to the metro areas to market renewable energy, including wind and solar.
Clay County as an ideal location for existing businesses to further • Work to maintain and enhance the link between agricultural opera-
their business growth plans. Examples of opportunities include: tions and the green economy.
available land for expansion opportunities; location as a mid-point
between metro areas-- ideal for transportation and warehousing Building Clay’s Economy through Small Business and
activities; a supply source for food related industries--restaurants, Entrepreneurship
institutions, food processors. Clay County can also market its
regional location to business that are not in the metro areas, for As demonstrated in Chart 8.3, over four-million dollars flowed
example, access to the regional markets may attract new businesses. through Clay County’s economy from those who are self-employed.
Economic development leaders can work with existing business in Additionally, only seven employers in Clay County employ more
order to increase their access to the regional markets. than fifty people. Small businesses, and even micro-businesses
(those with five or fewer employees), are the lifeblood of Clay
Building Clay’s Economy through Emerging Industries County’s economy. Whether the small business owner is a general
The green economy, green collar jobs, and green industry are contractor, a retail merchant, or an artist, each small business own-
terms that describe business activities, practices, and jobs that are er and entrepreneur adds strength to Clay County’s economy—and
not harmful to the environment. This rapidly expanding market any comprehensive economic development strategy must reach out
presents a variety of opportunities for Clay County. Clay County to and support these business owners—both those who are start-
can position itself as a leader by developing initiatives around this ing out and those who have been in business for a number of years.
market. The 21st Century working group has identified a number of Economic development leaders should engage in activities that
green economy opportunities and projects that can enhance Clay strengthen the capacity of small business so that they can grow in a
County’s economic development efforts. These include: sustainable way and continue to generate employment for County
residents. Many of the actions outlined in the Creating and Entre-
• Identify and take advantage of green funding opportunities that are preneurial Environment for Clay County and the Historic Hayesville
becoming more readily available. Market Analysis are designed to specifically help small businesses
and entrepreneurs. Other avenues to explore not covered in these
• Link current business owners to funding opportunities (e.g. North reports include:
Carolina’s Green Business Fund) or encouraging green business own-
ers outside of Clay County to locate in Clay County. • Establish or connect with an existing micro-enterprise assistance pro-
gram that includes business training, technical assistance, and low-
• Establish links between existing businesses and opportunities to pro- interest financing.
duce and/or develop green commercial products.
• Actively working to close the gaps in the county’s broadband infra-
• Work with regional higher education institutions to promote op- structure.
portunities for technical based training that contributes to the green
economy (weatherization, energy audits, solar panel instillation, etc.). • Become a Certified Entrepreneurial Community through Advan-
For example, Tri-County Community College recently received a grant tageWest’s program.
from the Appalachian Regional Commission, through the Southwest-
ern Commission, to purchase equipment for a program that trains Page
automotive technology students to employ environmentally friendly 117
practices.
Building Clay’s Economy through Maintaining and

Enhancing the County’s Quality of Life Attracting Young Professionals
One of the most often mentioned concerns during the commu-
Quality of life is one of the greatest assets Clay County can offer to nity input process was the lack of opportunity for young peo-
new businesses. Quality of life in the county influences the county’s ple/young professionals to live in Clay County. Clay County is
ability to attract and retain a talented workforce, and thereby the not unique in this struggle. Small, rural, communities across
county’s ability to retain and attract employment and basic indus- the country want more young people—generally those who are
tries. What constitutes quality of life is extremely broad, yet en- in their 20s, 30s, and 40s—to live in their community. People
hancing quality of life is one of the overall goals of the CCCP. Clay in this age rage bring balance to a community, yet these folks
County has many attributes that residents and newcomers seek in a gravitate toward communities with greater employment op-
community, including a reasonable cost of living, excellent schools, portunities as well as areas that offer a variety of arts, culture,
low taxes, recreation opportunities, access to metro markets, and entertainment, and recreation opportunities.
that small-town character. However, the addition or enhancement
of some quality of life amenities will make Clay County more at- In recent years, a number of state and community initia-
tractive to potential employers and young professionals, the group tives have emerged around the country to identify the factors
that Clay County has the most difficulty attracting and retaining. needed to attract and retain young people. One such effort is
These amenities include: Michigan’s “Cool Cities Program.” The Cool Cities Program
researched communities that have successfully recruited
young talent. Researchers found that successful communi-
• Promoting a strong community identity that emphasizes the unique
features of the community.
ties were those that were strategic and focused on the unique
strengths they have as a community. Some of the common
• Promotion of a variety of housing options to accommodate a range of strengths between communities that successfully recruited
groups, from executives to young professionals; and plan for an ad- young people include:
equate supply of workforce housing. • An tolerant attitude and diversity
• Walkable communities
• Creating a strong open space and trails/greenway network that in-
• Housing choice (affordable, mixed use, wide range of sizes and
cludes bicycles paths.
prices)
• Enhancing overall recreation programming. • Restaurants, entertainment, shopping, and nightlife options
• Wide ranging recreation offerings
• Offering art, cultural, and entertainment amenities that appeal to a • Access to quality education (for children and access to higher
range of residents. education)
• Viable downtowns
• Supporting efforts among local organizations to reach out to and in- • Pedestrian and bike amenities
clude young people. • High-tech focused
• Volunteer opportunities
• Convenient locations
• Strong arts communities
• Beautiful locations
Source: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/initial2_88765_7.pdf
Page
118
Building Clay’s Economy through Downtown Revitaliza- • Overnight visitors to the Mountain Region spent an average
tion of 3.2 nights in the region.
Historic Hayesville is a social, cultural, and economic asset to the • Fifty-five percent of Mountain Region visitors lodged in a ho-
community. Revitalization of Historic Hayesville, particularly the tel/motel while 35% percent stayed at a private home. Seven
restoration of the Historic Clay County Courthouse has enormous percent stayed in an RV park/campground.
economic development potential. Collectively, businesses within a
• The average travel party size for all Mountain Region visitors
one-mile radius of the Courthouse employ over 700 people and gen-
was 2.6 people. Twenty-nine percent of travel parties to the
erate over $4.5 million in sales. The economic impact and potential
region included children in the party.
of Historic Hayesville area is thoroughly explored in the Historic
Hayesville Market Analysis, the result of a side-project of the overall • Eighty-eight percent of all travelers to the Mountain Region
comprehensive planning process. The Market Analysis provides drove (includes personal automobile, rental vehicle, RV/
detailed economic data about the Hayesville area and it offers a set camper), while 7% traveled by air.
of strategies leaders can implement to revitalize the area. • In 2009, the average trip expenditure in the Mountain Region
Building Clay’s Economy through Tourism Development was $472. The average trip expenditure for overnight visi-
tors to the Mountain Region was $617. Daytrip parties to the
and Outdoor Recreation
Mountain Region spent approximately $142 per visit.
The CCCP provides a plethora of data to help community leaders
• The top states of origin of overnight visitors to the Mountain
understand the local population. It is also important to understand
Region were North Carolina (30.5%), South Carolina (13.1%),
the nature and overall impact of area visitors. The following data
Tennessee (8.5%), Florida (8.4%), and Georgia (7.9%).
came from 2009 North Carolina Regional Travel Summary, pub-
lished by the North Carolina Department of Commerce; Division • Fifty-nine percent of the households that traveled to North
of Tourism, Film and Sports Development; Tourism Division (NC Carolina’s Mountain Region in 2009 had a household income
Tourism Division). over $50,000.
Clay County is in the Mountain Region, as designated by NC Tour- • In 2009, Greenville/Spartanburg, SC/Asheville, NC (11.4%),
ism Division, which consists of the twenty-three western-most was the top advertising markets of origin for overnight
counties of North Carolina. In 2008, this region captured 20% of travelers to the Mountain Region, followed by Charlotte, NC
the total visitors to North Carolina. Below are some statistics and (9.5%), Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, NC (8.1%), and Greens-
general information about those travelers. boro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC (6.7%) and Atlanta, GA
(6.6%).
• Eighty-four percent of domestic visitors came to the Moun-
tain Region for pleasure purposes, while 12% of visitors came Clay County has long been an attractive place for tourists to visit.
to conduct business (includes meeting/convention). The The county has something to offer almost any type of tourist—the
remaining 4% reported personal business or “other” purpose outdoor enthusiast, the art and craft connoisseur, the scenic view
of visit; seeker, and the lake lover. Yet, despite the county’s many offerings,
it is difficult for the potential tourist to find a well-coordinated and
• Travel to the Mountain Region of North Carolina was heavi-
comprehensive source of information about Clay County’s tourist
est in the summer and fall. The fall (September -November)
destinations. A successful tourism strategy for Clay County is one
had the highest proportion of visitors, with 31% percent of all
that has an internal and external focus.
2009 Mountain Region visitors. Summer followed with 28%
percent of visitors (June ¬August), followed by spring (March The first component of a strong Clay County tourism strategy is to
-May) with 23% percent and winter (December ¬February) identify, brand, and market the county’s internal tourism assets. A Page
with 18% percent. September was the single largest month for simple internet search with the keywords “Clay County”, “NC”, and 119
mountain travel with 12% percent.
“Tourism” reveals very little for the potential tourist looking to plan Key Economic Development Issues and Opportu-
a visit. The development of a comprehensive listing and well-mar-
keted access point where all types of potential tourists are directed
nities
is the suggested starting point for this endeavor. This listing should • Clay County’s regional position is one of its most vital and over-
include activities, special events, lodging, driving tours/site-seeing, looked assets.
lake recreation, fishing access points, and the many other opportu-
nities. An internal focus as a first step sets the stage for the second • An organizational structure to conduct economic development ac-
component of a strong tourism strategy—connecting with the tivities is critical to success.
broader region.
• The data in this report can be used to benchmark future economic
Clay County sits in the middle of a tourism rich area. One can find development activities.
tourist amenities similar to those in Clay County throughout the
region. There is great potential for Clay County and its neighbors • The building blocks for improving Clay County’s economy, as out-
to approach tourism from a regional point-of-view. An emerging lined in this chapter pave the way for a diverse economy.
tourism concept is that of loop tourism, where a connected region
• Small businesses are the heart of Clay County’s economy. Every
becomes the destination rather than one individual place. A good effort should be made to support existing and new small business
example is the Irish Loop (www.theirishloop.com) in Newfound- owners.
land, Canada. About eighteen towns along a driving loop have
marketed and banded their services based on their common Irish
ancestry. Collectively, they advertise the region’s services, lodging,
and activities found along the loop. Clay County and the region
have a number of loops they could develop, including outdoor
recreation (human powered sports); cultural events and cultural
heritage; art, craft and music; and Cherokee heritage.
Page
120
Economic Development Concept Plan
A. As the lead economic development organization, the Clay County Economic Development Commission (EDC) will enhance Clay
County’s capacity to engage in economic development activities.
1) Define, form, and appoint members to the new Clay County EDC (EDC
Charter).
2) Designate financial and other resources to support the work of the EDC
a) Designate funding for a paid economic development position within the

county to support the work of the Economic Development
Commission. Encourage the Town of Hayesville to assist with funding.
b) Designate resources for this staff person and a two to three volunteer
team to obtain economic development training.
c) Develop a dedicated revenue stream for economic development efforts
3) Adopt and implement an aggressive “go out and find it” business
development and recruitment program. (Don’t wait for opportunities to
come to knocking; go out and start knocking on doors—both locally and
regionally).
a) Actively participate in and benefit from regional economic development

initiatives, forums, conferences, etc.
b) Actively pursue and develop businesses that provide high-quality, high-

paying employment opportunities and strong tax base.
Economic Development Concept Plan 1
B. Clay County strengthens its economy by branding and marketing itself as the region’s hub of economic activity.
1) Develop a Clay County economic development image that promotes Clay

County’s economic development strengths.
a) Develop a high quality economic development marketing package.
b) Develop a high quality economic development web presence.
c) Designate resources for travel, trade shows, conferences, etc.
2) Improve business related information and data
a) Implement a business licensing program, with a nominal fee, to

document and benchmark businesses growth.
b) Integrate economic development data with the Clay County GIS.
c) Identify and track metrics or benchmarks to measure success of

economic development efforts.
d) Ensure that the latest community data is available (use the CCCP as a
benchmarking tool).
e) Add the information to the economic development web presence.
2 Economic Development Concept Plan
C. Clay County’s strengthens its capacity to engage in economic development activities by maximizing existing economic development
resources.
1) Engage economic development resource providers in County economic

developers and generate economic development vision buy-in.
a) Reserve slots on the EDC for key economic development resource

providers.
b) Link to economic development resources providers from the economic

development web presence to promote to potential and existing
business, and to citizens.
2) Support other organizations engaged in economic or community

development efforts.
a) Consider direct funding (grants) or an annual contract process where

economic development partners contract to assist the county in certain
economic development or public purpose activities.
3) Engage with existing workforce development partners to accomplish County

economic development goals.
a) Use workforce development resources to inventory and profile the skills

of area workers to use business recruitment tool.
b) Engage with the Southwest Workforce Development Board to identify,

learn, and market opportunities that benefit Clay County’s workforce.
c) Work with local educational institutions and schools to promote

opportunities for technical based training that contributes to regional
employment opportunities.
4) Assertively to work and collaborate on efforts to bring higher education
opportunities to Clay County
a) Research the potential of higher education learning center, similar to

that in Morganton, NC.
b) Maintain and active and facilitative role with public groups and private
interests that are working to close broadband gaps.
D. Clay County’s strengthens its economy through implementation of economic development building block strategies.
1) Build Clay’s Economy through Economic Infrastructure
a) Inventory, develop, and market the county economic development

physical assets (buildings, transportation assets, infrastructure, etc.).
i) Develop marketing materials for the Clay County Industrial Park;

add the Park to the county’s economic development web presence.
ii) Inventory vacant buildings appropriate for economic development

activities. (Commercial, Office, Industrial, etc.)
(1) Identify those buildings that may be eligible for the Rural
Center’s Building Reuse Funds.
(2) Market availability of buildings; consider a vacant building

program where owners can register their building with the
county’s Economic Development Commission.
(3) Link home-based or expanding business to vacant buildings

and/or encourage space sharing to reduce business overhead.
b) Ensure the provision of adequate infrastructure to accommodate
economic expansion (as designated on FLUM).
(1) Identify business needs and barriers involving infrastructure

improvements; support policies and actions to improve
infrastructure.
(2) Plan for accessible and efficient transportation options for the
movement of people and goods.
2) Build Clay’s Economy through Strengthening and Growing Existing

Industry
a) Increase the availability and accessibility of business development

services.
(1) Coordinate with economic development stakeholders to

develop a “no wrong door for economic development”; make
sure all business support provides have the knowledge to
provide a basic level of assistance.
(2) Annually update the “Resource Guide to Starting a Business”

and ensure its continuous distribution in paper and electronic
formats.
b) Increase availability of and access to capital.
(1) Work with local banks, Clay County Government, and other
stakeholders to create a small business loan pool or a revolving
loan fund.
(2) Target businesses on the verge of growing and link them to

capital (bank loan pool, Rural Center’s Capital Access
program, SBA Loans, etc.)
c) Prepare for potential economic shifts by maintaining strong

communication with the county’s major employers to assess their
current and projected future needs including utility, infrastructure,
land, and labor force needs.
(1) Continue to expand upon development and implementation of

systematic methods for contacting businesses to identify their
needs and direct them to resource providers.
(2) Promote retention and growth of existing businesses within the

county.
3) Build Clay’s Economy through Regional Opportunities
a) Leverage the county’s connection to metropolitan areas to bolster

economic opportunities in Clay County
(1) Intentionally reach out to business leaders in the metro areas to

remain abreast of economic trends in the metro areas
(2) Encourage the expansion of commercial and industrial

opportunities within the county to enhance the county’s role as
a regional economic center.
b) Establish links between local employers (new and existing) and regional
opportunities
(1) Development of a skilled workforce that can accommodate

local and regional employers
c) Intentionally reach out to regional health care facilities to increase their

presence in Clay County, both as a service to Clay County residents and
as an employment base.
4) Build Clay’s Economy through Emerging Industries
a) Explore and pursue business enterprises and production processes that

relate to renewable energy and solar
b) Build the county’s economy around place paced assets that provide
competitive advantaged to the county and the region—for instance
food, bio-based products, outdoor recreation, etc.
c) Explore and recruit business that manufacture outdoor recreation

products (a growing industry in Western North Carolina)
5) Build Clay’s Economy through Small Business and Entrepreneurship
a) Promote entrepreneurship to grow the economy from within the

community—this will complement business attraction.
(1) Promote and strongly support entrepreneurship education
(2) Identify and promote successful business accomplishments

and/or growth to foster an environment of entrepreneurship
and innovation
b) Encourage entrepreneurs and businesses to use existing business service

providers to obtain financing, business plan creation, market research
and planning, human resource polices and procedures, operations
management, understanding financial cash flow and reports, develop
new products, and government procurement
c) Intentionally link small business owners and entrepreneurs to regional

opportunities.
d) Incorporate small business owners and entrepreneurs with the EDC and
its activities.
e) Establish a (or build a partnership with and existing) micro-enterprise

assistance program that includes business training, technical assistance,
and low-interest financing
f) Become a Certified Entrepreneurial Community through

AdvantageWest’s program.
6) Build Clay’s Economy through Maintaining and Enhancing the county’s Quality of Life
a) Undertake initiatives to grow, retain, expand, and attract business to the

county that maintain and enhance the quality of life in Clay County
b) Promote a strong and inviting image of the county (Attractive

communities, cultural activities, restaurants, parks and recreation, etc.)
(1) Enhance and add amenities to attract a talented workforce,

including: a variety of housing options; open space, trails,
recreation and entertainment; a strong technology backbone; a
diverse community that welcomes outsiders; provide
opportunities for young professionals to be involved in the
community
(2) Provide a community that is attractive to a wide range of

individual’s critical to the county’s economic health—including
young professionals, workforce, and executives
7) Build Clay’s Economy through Downtown and Community Revitalization
a) Where appropriate, assist downtown stakeholders with their efforts to

implement recommendations from the Historic Hayesville Market
Analysis
b) Endorse Hayesville’s NC Small Town Main Street application in 2011.
c) Pursue community development efforts that promotes employment

growth through community revitalization (e.g. Historic Clay County
Courthouse Rehabilitation)
d) Ensure that community development and revitalization organizations

are incorporates with EDC activities.
8) Build Clay’s Economy through Tourism Development and Outdoor Recreation
a) Coordinate and collectivity brand and market Clay County tourism

resources
(1) Thoroughly inventory the county’s tourism resources

(activities, events, services, lodging, etc.)
(2) Develop a strong travel and tourism marketing plan
(a) Target tourism materials to specific types of visitors and

destination seekers, e.g. cyclists, anglers, art and craft
collectors, etc.
(b) Identify a single tourism web portal of activities and events
(c) Connect to regional tourism activities.
b) Implement a regional tourism strategy that highlights heritage, outdoor

activities, arts, agriculture, events, etc. – investigate Loop Tourism
models from other communities;
(1) Assertively market tourism resources using the Blue Ridge

National Heritage Area.
c) Coordinate with tourism resource providers to record local travel and

tourism data
d) Support the TDA in efforts to Collect taxes on private rentals
(1) Support the TDAs efforts to educate property owners on the

collective benefit of increased TDA funds.
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter Nine: Implementation Policies

Implementation Policies
Implementation Overview in learning how to use the Plan and it will guide them through a
process to identify Plan priorities. Therefore, the first implemen-
The Clay County Comprehensive Plan does not end with the last tation recommendation is that the County Manager, with direc-
page of this document. In fact, the last page of the Plan is the tion from the Commissioners, coordinate this workshop with the
beginning of a continual planning process. While it is hoped that Western Regional Planning Program. The Concept Plans will be
a variety of stakeholders will use and help implement the Plan, the updated and placed on the Comprehensive Plan website after the
Clay County Board of Commissioners and the Clay County Man- workshop is complete.
ager have primary responsibility for implementation. This chapter
of the Comprehensive Plan outlines how the Clay County Board of Description of Concept Plan Columns
Commissioners, the Clay County Manager, county employees, and
The following bullets detail what each column will contain when
citizens can transform the Plan from a static document to a dynam-
the Concept Plans are complete.
ic vehicle for community action.
• Priority: Commissioners will rank recommendations in
Introduction to the Concept Plans order of priority using a prescribed ranking system.
After each chapter, excluding the Introduction and Overview Chap- • Description: This column is a description of the actions
ter and Chapters 1-2, is a Concept Plan. The Concept Plans, the needed to achieve the overall goal.
heart of the overall Plan, state the broad goals and specific actions
needed to obtain the goals. Readers will notice that the columns in • Target Date: Commissioners will identify immediate, 2-4
the Concept Plans are incomplete at the time of printing. The Plan year, and 5+ timeframes for each action.
was adopted in October 2010, just before a new Board of Commis- • Leader: Commissioners will determine the board, com-
sioners was elected in November 2010, taking over county leader- mittee, commission, or county department responsible for
ship in December 2010. Anticipating the new board makeup, the implementing the action item.
Comprehensive Planning Committee decided it was best to let the
new leadership identify how to prioritize the Plan’s recommenda- • OP or DT: Each action will be labeled as a distinct task or
tions for their four years in office. Attached to that decision was an ongoing program.
offer from the planner in charge of this project to conduct an orien- Page
tation and planning workshop that assists the sitting commissioners • Notes: This column will contain additional information. 121
Chapter 9: Implementation Policies 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Determine Clay County Board of Commissioner Annual Monitoring

Priorities This section identifies two strategies to annually monitor Plan
As a first step, the current Clay County Board of Commissioners progress. The first strategy Commissioners can employ is to ad-
should become oriented with the Plan and identify recommenda- dress Plan priorities through the county’s annual budget process.
tions of highest priority. The planner in charge of this project Each year, commissioners can identify which Plan implementation
has offered to conduct an orientation and planning workshop that priorities will receive funding for implementation. A second way to
assists the sitting commissioners in learning how to use the Plan annually monitor the Plan, which is also a way to increase com-
and it will guide them through a process to identify Plan priori- munication with citizens, is to create and publish an annual report
ties. This process will assist Commissioners in their efforts to make to the community. An annual report could include what goals and
a distinction the low hanging fruit (i.e. the actions that are easily objectives that were accomplished, identify work in progress, and
accomplished) and the more costly multi-year projects. Completing share plans for the coming year. The annual report, which would be
this step will identify the first 2 – 3 year action plan/work program compiled by the County Manager and key county employees, is also
needed to implement the Comprehensive Plan. a tool to highlight the good work county departments do each year.
While not necessarily an annual monitoring strategy, a Capital
Align County Plans, Policies, and Programs With Improvement Plan process, as recommended in the Plan, is another
the Comprehensive Plan tool to monitor progress. Some items in the plan are very expen-
sive and the costs may need to be spread over years, or funds may
Working with the County Manager and through county depart- need to be set aside annually to save for a large expense or project.
ments, the Commissioners should identify existing plans, policies, Many communities complete five to ten year Capital Improvement
and programs that are inconsistent with the Plan. To every extent Plans that are referenced each year during the budgeting process.
possible, inconsistent plans, policies, and procedures should be It is strongly recommended that the Clay County Commissioners
aligned with the Plan. Likewise, new plans, policies, and programs complete a Capital Improvement Plan with input from the County
should also be consistent with the Plan. Not every plan, policy, or Manager and key county employees.
program will be consistent with the Plan, however, when there is an
inconsistency, a justification for the inconsistency should be noted, Increase the Capacity to Implement the Plan
as this is one way to assess the accuracy and relevancy of the Plan.
A good way for Commissioners and other county decision makers Clay County is one of the two remaining counties in North Caro-
to practice this is to consult the Plan when a plan, policy, or signifi- lina with a three member Board of Commissioners, neighboring
cant program decision is made. This process is dependent upon a Cherokee County being the other. Most other counties in North
county employee base that is familiar with the Plan. Carolina have five to seven members. All three commissioners are
elected at one time and serve for four years. With only three com-
Familiarize County Employees with the Compre- missioners leading a growing county, and with county employees
hensive Plan working hard with limited resources, the idea of adding the duties
of Plan implementation to already full plates may seem overwhelm-
The County Manager is encouraged to conduct a department head ing. The CCCP implementation phase is a good time for the Com-
meeting to orient department directors and other key county em- missioners to evaluate the county’s leadership structure and capac-
ployees to the Comprehensive Plan. Topics covered should include ity. The Comprehensive Planning Committee recommends that the
an overview of the Plan, how employees can use the Plan, and how Clay County Board of Commissioners increase in size from three
to begin aligning their department’s plans, policies, and programs members to five. This strategy spreads the workload, and allows
with the Comprehensive Plan. This is also an opportunity for for staggered terms to protect institutional memory at each election
employees to identify areas in which additional training may be cycle. North Carolina General Statute 153-A 60 provides guidance
Page needed to fully integrate the Plan into their departments. for this process.
122
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Chapter Nine: Implementation Policies
A second way to increase implementation capacity is the use of Use the Plan to Enhance Funding Opportunities
citizen committees. For example, the Plan recommends that the
Commissioners appoint a Planning Committee to assist with the In recent times, agencies that support local governments through
recommendations found in the Land Stewardship Concept Plan. grants or non-conventional financing tools award extra points
The Western Regional Community Planning Program can assist for having a community plan, such as the NC Rural Center, or in
with Planning Committee formation and training. The Commis- some cases require communities to have a plan before services are
sioners are encouraged to identify other implementation areas for offered, such as the NC Department of Transportation. Commis-
which citizen committees may be of assistance. sioners and key county employees are encouraged to consult and
reference the plan when seeking grant and other funding oppor-
Communicate Plan Progress to Citizens tunities. When appropriate, Commissioners should also encour-
age community organizations to consult the Plan.
Many citizens involved in the community input process expressed
a need for increased communication between citizens and county Implement a Plan Amendment and Update Pro-
government. County leaders can increase communication about
the comprehensive plan and other topics through the annual report
cess
(detailed above), a website that is frequently updated, and e-newslet- As conditions in the county change, so, too, should the Compre-
ters. By using these types of communication tools, Commissioners hensive Plan. In addition to the annual monitoring steps detailed
have the opportunity to share Plan priorities and the citizenry has above, Commissioners should plan for a bi-annual workshop to
the opportunity to express their thoughts and views. Addition- identify changing or emerging community trends and make ac-
ally, communication tools such as these provide information to aid cording Plan amendments. The Plan should be thoroughly updat-
in regular Comprehensive Plan updates. County leaders should ed every ten years, follow the availability of updated Census data.
identify county employees with the skills (or desire to be trained) to
manage an electronic communications strategy.
Other strategies to increase communication include:
• Educate developers, realtors, business owners, and other key
stakeholders on the importance of the Plan.
• Make the Plan and accompanying materials available in
accessible electronic and paper formats. Consider posting
materials at various locations, including online, at the Moss
Memorial Library, the Clay County Administrative Offices,
the Clay County Courthouse, and other key public loca-
tions. Be sure to keep local newspaper reporters abreast of
Plan developments.
• When possible, speak to community organizations and
citizens about the Plan.
Page
123
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Selected References
Clay County Comprehensive Plan Website ~ www.claycountycomp.wordpress.com
Clay County Community Input Summary ~claycountycomp.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/final-ci-summary-03-04-
10-reduced-size.pdf
Reports and Documents

Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District, Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan (2010)~ http://clay-
countycomp.wordpress.com/plan-related-documents
Conservation Trust for North Carolina. (2006). Voluntary Conservation Agreements: An Introduction for North Caro-
lina Land Owners. Raleigh: Conservation Trust for North Carolina.
Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition, Lake Chatuge Action Plan ~ www.hrwc.net/lakechatuge.htm
Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition, Peachtree Martins Creek Local Plan ~ www.hrwc.net/peachtreemartinslwplan.
htm
Keenan-Flagler Report School of Business, The Economic Impact of the of the Hispanic Population, , UNC Chapel Hill
~ www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/assets/documents/2006_KenanInstitute_HispanicStudy.pdf
Land of Sky Regional Council, Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Report ~ www.landofsky.org/planning/p_
mountain_ridge_steep_slope.htm
Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) & Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition (HRWC). (2009). A Plan to Con-
serve Prime Farmland and Protect Clean Water in the Hiwassee and Valley River Corridors in North Carolina: Execu-
tive Summary. LTLT and HRWC.
Morgan, J. Q., & Lawrence, D. M. (2007). Economic Development. In U. S. Government, County and Municipal Gov-
ernment in North Carolina (Article 26). Chapel Hill: UNC School of Government.
NC Bar Association, Endangered Species Act Guidance for Private Landowners ~ http://environmentenergyandnatur-
alresourceslaw.ncbar.org/media/3743401/endangeredSpecies.pdf
NC Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, 2009 North Carolina Regional Travel Summary ~ www.nccom-
merce.com/NR/rdonlyres/5D9A0D5F-942C-4F22-A0B3-CBF516BA0CD2/0/2009NorthCarolinaRegionalTravel-
Summary.pdf
NC Floodplain Management Program, 2008 Quick Guide ~ www.ncfloodmaps.com/pubdocs/nc_quick_guide_2008.
pdf
Southwestern Commission, Mountain Landscapes Initiative Region A Toolbox ~ www.regiona.org/MLI%20Toolbox.
pdf
Southwestern Economic Development District, 2008 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy ~ www.regiona. Page
org/PDF%20Files/2008%20CEDS%20post.pdf 125
Selected References 2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan
Southwestern Workforce Development Board, 2008 Annual Report ~ www.regiona.org/PDF%20Files/WDB%20

2008%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Tennessee Valley Authority, Mountain Reservoir Land Management Plan ~ www.tva.gov/environment/reports/mt-
nres, Chapter 3
Tri-County Community College, Fact Book ~ www.tricountycc.edu/aboutTCCC.php?cat=41
Organizations and Online Data Sources

1910 Census of Agriculture ~ www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/Historical_Publications/1910/Reports_by_state_
Nebraska_Wyoming/41033898v7ch3.pdf
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC ~ www.brmemc.com
Bureau of Labor Statistics ~ www.bls.gov
Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition ~ www.hrwc.net
Pew Hispanic Center ~ http://pewhispanic.org/states/?countyid=37043
National Wetlands Inventory ~ www.fws.gov/wetlands/
Michigan Cool Cities Program ~ www.michigan.gov/documents/initial2_88765.pdf
MikeonTraffic.com ~ www.mikeontraffic.com/2009/02/designing-for-all-modes-of-travel.html
NC Department of Commerce ~ www.nccommerce.com
NC Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance, Western Regional Office ~ www.nccommerce.
com/wro
NC Department of Commerce, Economic Development Intelligence System (NC EDIS) ~ https://edis.commerce.
state.nc.us/EDIS/page1.html
NC Department of Justice Crime Statistics ~ www.ncdoj.gov/Crime/View-Crime-Statistics.aspx
NC Department of Public Instruction Statistical Profiles ~ www.ncpublicschools.org/fbs/resources/data/
NC Employment Security Commission ~ www.ncesc1.com/lmi/default.asp
NC Department of Transportation ~ www.ncdot.org
NC One Map ~ www.nconemap.com
NC Prototype School Design Clearinghouse ~ www.schoolclearinghouse.org
NC State Data Center ~ www.osbm.state.nc.us/ncosbm/facts_and_figures/state_data_center.shtm
Page
One NC Naturally ~ www.onencnaturally.org/index.html
126
2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Selected References
On-Site Waste Water Systems Legislation ~ www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2005-
2006/SL2006-202.html ~ www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/osww_new/new1/images/wells/Well_Rules_031108.pdf
Southwestern Commission ~ www.regiona.org
Southwestern Rural Planning Organization ~ www.regiona.org/rpo.htm
Tennessee Valley Authority, Lake Recreation ~ www.tva.gov/river/recreation/pdf/chatuge_rec_matrix.pdf
Tennessee Valley Authority, Clay / Towns Industrial Park ~ www.tva.gov/ed_news/clay.pdf
Tobacco Buyout Information Website ~ www.cals.ncsu.edu/advancement/tobaccobuyout/index.htm
US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder ~ factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
US Census Bureau, Glossary ~ www.census.gov/dmd/www/glossary.html
US Forest Service, Nantahala National Forest, Tusquittee District
Ways South ~ www.wayssouth.org
Data from Clay County Departments

Clay County Administrative Offices
Clay County Building Department
Clay County Department of Environmental Health
Clay County Department of Social Services
Clay County EMS
Clay County GIS Department
Clay County Health Department
Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District
Clay County Tax Office
Clay County Water and Sewer District
Page
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2011-2021 Clay County Comprehensive Plan Project Acknowledgements

Clay County Government

Introduction and Overview

Chapter 2: Regional Opportunities

Chapter 3: Agriculture and Natural Resources

Chapter 4: Historic, Cultural, and Recreation Resources

Chapter 5: Land Stewardship

Clay County Property Values Compared to Other Counties 67

Chapter 7: Utilities and Community Facilities

Chapter 8: Economic Development

Availability of Buildings 115

Chapter 9: Implementation Policies

Clay County Comprehensive Plan

• Serve as a vehicle for community awareness and education; and

• Provide detailed strategies to implement plan recommendations. Page

Data Collection and Analysis

Identify Issues and Opportunities

Develop Land Stewardship Plan

Formulate Goals, Policies and Actions

Plan Adoption and Implementation

Plan Review and Update

Clay County Comprehensive Plan Website Themes of the Comprehensive Plan

Clay County Comprehensive Plan

100 Miles Interstate

Clay County Comprehensive Plan

Current Population Analysis: 2000-2010 Future Population Analysis: 2010-2030

• 25-Year Rate Projection (Compounded). This scenario was calculat-

• 15-Year Rate Projection (Compounded). This scenario was calculat-

Table 1.2: Clay County Future Population Growth Scenarios

1990 Source: NC EDIS

37 In North Carolina, trends point to a rapidly expanding Hispanic

20 absence of these areas in southwestern North Carolina correlates to

1990 Percent of Students

2009 Source: NC Department of Public Instruction, Annual Statistical Profiles, 2000-2001

Clay County Comprehensive Plan

Table 2.1: Regional Opportunities

within a 20-minute to one-hour driving distance; many of which

»» Youth/young adult retention

Clay County Regional Opportunities

Clay County Comprehensive Plan

Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan Policies, Opportunities, and Solutions

Clay County Farmland Preservation Plan Policies, Opportunities, and Solutions

Summary of Key Agricultural Issues and Opportu-

Priority Description Target Date Leader OP or DT Notes

1) Encourage agricultural land preservation and the long-term viability

2) Advance the viability of agriculture through the promotion of

3) Work with local and regional groups and organizations to preserve

4) Build and expand the food production and processing economy

a) Through research and relationship building, position Clay

b) The local food movement has gained momentum locally,

5) Work with regional agriculture stakeholders to conduct training

1) Through changes in the subdivision ordinance and incentives, allow

2) Through planned infrastructure expansions, encourage a variety of

3) Identify undeveloped prime farmland throughout the county.

Clay County Comprehensive Plan

Surface Waters Growth and Development Implications: The NC-DWQ provides

Development Implications: Because of the widespread presence Wildland/Urban Interface

Figure 3.2: Building Placement Based on Slope Suitability

Source: Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection Strategies

recommends implementation of an appropriate set of slope develop-

a) Provide resources that enable the Clay County building DT

b) Minimize/discourage building in the floodplain; encourage use OP

2) Maintain high quality surface and ground waters for drinking, OP

Clay County Property Values Compared to Other Counties 67

Availability of Buildings 115