A Zoning Odyssey: The Quest for Initial Zoning in Pitt County

For most planners, zoning is a given. They arrive on the scene to administer a set of accepted regulations. In Pitt County, North Carolina, there are no such regulations. This article will describe a trailblazing effort to develop and adopt Pitt County's first zoning ordinance. While it was a frustrating undertaking, and the Board of County Commissioners eventually chose not to adopt zoning, this five-year effort was not without value. Planning staff produced a unique county-wide zoning ordinance proposal, which will serve as a foundation for future zoning discussion, and along the way staff learned several important planning lessons. Hopefully, our experience will serve to guide other planners who face the challenge of similar ground-breaking initiatives