(A) Before an amendment to this chapter may be adopted, it must be presented or referred to the County Planning Board for the Planning Board's recommendation. The Planning Board shall be given at least 30 days in which to make a recommendation. Whenever territory is added to an existing designated zoning area, it shall be treated as an amendment to this chapter for that area.
(B) When conducting a review of proposed zoning text or map amendments, the Planning Board shall advise and comment on whether the proposed action is consistent with any comprehensive plan that has been adopted and any other officially adopted plan that is applicable. The Planning Board shall provide a written recommendation to the governing board that addresses plan consistency and other matters as deemed appropriate by the Planning Board, but a comment by the Planning Board that a proposed amendment is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan shall not preclude consideration or approval of the proposed amendment by the Board of Commissioners. If a zoning map amendment qualifies as a "large-scale rezoning" under G.S. Chapter 160D, the Planning Board statement describing plan consistency may address the overall rezoning and describe how the analysis and policies in the relevant adopted plans were considered in the recommendation made.
(Ord. passed 6-21-2021)