Show All Answers

1. What do I do if I have a question or information request?

The first thing you should do is check our online resources for the answer to your question. Our interactive mapping service ConnectGIS, the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and the Code of Ordinances can help answer many questions related to zoning and regulations.

If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact the Planning Department at 910-692-4003 and speak with our staff before submitting a formal information request.

2. How do I stay up-to-date regarding planning happenings within the City?

In addition to the information we provide here on the site, the Town maintains an e-mail list that we call our ‘Sunshine List’. The list receives notifications about upcoming hearings and decisions. If you would like to be added to the Sunshine List, please sign up for the website notification and click the Notification Center checkbox.

3. How can I find agendas and minutes from Board meetings and public hearings?

Agendas and minutes from Planning Board and Board of Zoning Adjustment are posted regularly. Agendas and Minutes

4. Are there are entities that can impact a decision on zoning for my site?

In addition to the Town of Southern Pines and Moore County, the following entities may have input and/or be able to assist with your request:

TARPO (Triangle Area Rural Plannning Organizations) is primarily involved when a potential site’s transportation needs impact the region, along with the NCDOT.

RLUAC (Regional Land Use Advisory Commission) monitors and has input on sites that may impact Fort Bragg

US Fish & Wildlife manages the regional habitat for a number of endangered species that make their home in the Sandhills.
US Fish and Wildlife

5. How can I find more information on regulations affecting the Historic District?

Construction, demolition, and renovation buildings in this area must be approved by the Historic District Commission. View a map of the Historic District.

6. What is the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)?

The Unified Development Ordinance is a section of the Town’s Code of Ordinances that governs the town's zoning structure, building codes, and development. It is designed to implement and be consistent with the goals, objectives, policies, and strategies of the Comprehensive Long-Range Plan which was adopted in 2010 as a 20-year guide to Town development. The Plan and UDO give special emphasis on development of the downtown historic district and the West Southern Pines neighborhood.
View more information on the UDO.

7. What is the difference between the UDO and the Code of Ordinances?

The UDO applies not only to the area within the Town limits but also the Town's Extra-territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Other than the UDO section, the Code of Ordinances applies only within the Town’s incorporated boundaries, not in the ETJ. For a map of Town limits and the ETJ, please use our interactive mapping service, ConnectGIS. Unified Development Ordinance

8. How can I find out more information about the UDO?

Please visit the website the Town has set up specifically for updates, maps, and further information on the UDO. Unified Development Ordinance

9. How can I find out about zoning?

You can find a complete zoning map for the new UDO below, while referring to the explanations of zoning codes in this section of the UDO. We also encourage you to use our interactive mapping service, ConnectGIS, to explore zoning in the Town and its Extra-territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Zoning Map

10. What are the rules about signage?

View up-to-date signage ordinance information. Signage ordinance

11. How do I find out if my land is affected by endangered species or conservation regulations?

Please use our interactive mapping service, ConnectGIS, to locate active and inactive partitions for the red-cockaded woodpecker, rare species habitats, and other protected areas that may impact building permits, construction plans, etc. You can also check with US Fish & Wildlife to view land use requirements for areas with endangered species. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Planning Department. US Fish and Wildlife

12. When are public hearings and how can I participate?

Public hearings are announced with signage at impacted sites. They are also are announced in the local newspaper, on the website, and via our Sunshine List. Sunshine List

13. What does public hearing sign look like and what does it do?

The ‘big Z’ signs you see help alert the public that something may be changing about the assigned site that does not fall within the existing allowed uses. If you see a sign like this, you can get some very important information from it: What property is affected, what zoning change is happening, and when the public hearing is taking place. The public hearing gives you and your neighbors a voice in the decision-making process, whether for or against. If, after reading the sign, you are still unsure what is happening, please feel free to call our staff.

14. What does the Planning & Adjustments Board do and how I can participate?

The Planning Board is a volunteer board supported by Planning Department staff that advises the Southern Pines Town Council on planning matters. It conducts studies related to the Town's growth, development, and redevelopment, and makes recommendations to the Town Council based on its findings and on the experience of its members. It also interprets the standards of the zoning ordinances and hears individual cases by citizens such as appeals, requests and variance petitions (requests to deviate from typical zoning or regulation standards). The Board is made up of seven members, five of whom are residents of the Town proper and two of whom live in the Extra-territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).

You can get involved by applying to be a member of the Board and/or by attending the monthly Board meeting, where you can find out what's currently happening in the Town's development and have the chance to voice your opinions. The Board meets the second to last Thursday of every month at 7 pm in the Douglass Community Center at 1185 W Pennsylvania Ave. When a seat on the Board opens, Town Council will consider all applications and notify you if you have been selected to join the Board.
Board Application Form

15. What is the Technical Review Committee?

The Technical Review Committee is made up of Town staff. Previously the Town followed a traditional method of review where each department would review an application and sign-off. If it got rejected or changes were requested, the whole cycle had to start again. This resulted in long approval times. In order to process your application and get you a decision more quickly, the Town brings together all entities involved with the approval process, including Public Works, Fire, Inspections, Utilities, and TRC Meetings. This change has resulted in significantly faster approval times as the applicant no longer has to travel between departments to resolve potentially conflicting instructions. The TRC meets at least twice monthly on the first and third Mondays to review all applications and provide consolidated feedback. You must supply your application at least two weeks prior to the meeting so that each department has time to review the application individually prior to the meeting.