At the April 8 Haywood County Community Forum, attendees underlined some of the same concerns as other county participants. Among the things on their “Tool Box” wish list: An array of new planning approaches and alternatives for protecting water quality.

One of the questions the Haywood group brought to Forum discussions was this: Is there way to mix tax incentives with well-thought-out regulations to encourage the kind of development that communities want?

Expect to hear more about those kinds of policy approaches at the May charrette.

Also: Watch this space for more about a model project in Haywood County. Thanks to work already in progress by the Haywood Waterways Association, an interested developer is offering his steep-sloped parcel as a case study in environmental site analysis.

Here’s a sampling of Haywood County Forum views from April 8:

Haywood, home to Waynesville, is the largest of the seven counties in Region A. According to the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, the year-round population is 56,447.

The non-profit Haywood Waterways Association is a regional leader in environmental site analysis and will partner with the Mountain Landscapes Initiative “Tool Box” pilot to offer a model project with a private developer.

Watch this page for more county-oriented updates and reports.