Public Safety Issues
Public Safety – including landslides and emergency response/access;
o Landslides are a legitimate concern in western North Carolina and they pose threats to human life and public safety. A damaging landslide occurs nearly every year in the region and major landslide events occur about every nine years somewhere in the region.
o Homeowners’ insurance in North Carolina does not cover structural damage due to landslides.  There is no current notification system that tells someone they are buying property, building or living in a landslide hazard zone.
o Geotechnical analysis should be required for proposed developments on slopes greater than 40 percent or in landslide hazard areas as a minimum standard.  When measuring slope for a parcel, the focus should be on the area that will be disturbed, rather than the average slope across the entire parcel. (PS-5)
o Advocate for appropriations from the Legislature for approximately $580,000 per year to accelerate the Landslide Hazard Mapping program and to complete mapping for all 24 WNC counties by 2016. (PS-6)
o Roads need to be designed for adequate emergency access. At least two points of access should be provided to all areas of a development and road widths should be carefully considered, weighing public safety issues with environmental issues. (PS-10, PS-13 and PS-14)
o Landslides are a legitimate concern in western North Carolina and they pose threats to human life and public safety. A damaging landslide occurs nearly every year in the region and major landslide events occur about every nine years somewhere in the region.
o Homeowners’ insurance in North Carolina does not cover structural damage due to landslides.  There is no current notification system that tells someone they are buying property, building or living in a landslide hazard zone.
o Geotechnical analysis should be required for proposed developments on slopes greater than 40 percent or in landslide hazard areas as a minimum standard.  When measuring slope for a parcel, the focus should be on the area that will be disturbed, rather than the average slope across the entire parcel. (PS-5)o Advocate for appropriations from the Legislature for approximately $580,000 per year to accelerate the Landslide Hazard Mapping program and to complete mapping for all 24 WNC counties by 2016. (PS-6)
o Roads need to be designed for adequate emergency access. At least two points of access should be provided to all areas of a development and road widths should be carefully considered, weighing public safety issues with environmental issues. (PS-10, PS-13 and PS-14)