Moore County planning board recommends 2025 land use plan, asks commissioners to reconsider “low density” language

The Moore County Planning Board voted to recommend that the Moore County Board of Commissioners adopt the 2025 Moore County Land Use Plan, with a formal request that commissioners consider removing the plan's definition of "low density" and review proposed rewording of the "Our Future" section. The board made the recommendation after a public hearing and extended discussion that included steering‑committee leaders, planning staff, farmers and developers.

Planning staff and the plan's process leaders presented the draft and described a multi‑month steering‑committee effort to update Moore County's guidance on growth. "I want you to think of it in the context of its content," process leader Robert Hyder said, adding that the plan should be seen as “an economic development document” if implemented. Larry Best, a co‑process leader, described the draft small‑town overlay as voluntary and focused on creating compact, walkable places rather than mandating specific lot sizes. "It's not about density, it's about design," Best said while outlining the 10‑minute walking scale and the proposed mix of parks, greenways and downtown cores.

Public commenters pushed back on several points. Nicholas LaSalla, a member of Moore Family Farms and a steering‑committee participant, said the plan's stated goal to "preserve and protect the…