March 19. Dave Vieser. The March 18 special joint meeting between the Cornelius Town Board and the Cornelius Planning Board—the first such meeting since 2017—began a deeper dive into how to deal with the town’s land use plan and burgeoning growth.

Last updated in 2014, the plan has come under fire from residents and some town board members, both past and current, who say it needs a major update.

BILODEAU

“The timing is appropriate now that we’re looking to update the land use plan. The intent is to have good dialogue about the future of Cornelius,” said Mayor Pro Tem Denis Bilodeau.

There have been sharp differences of opinion over purview and growth when it comes to the size of infill developments.

What is a land use plan?

The Land Use Plan is a policy to guide growth and development of land in the town’s jurisdiction.

At the March 18 meeting, Deputy Town Manager Herron reviewed the various elements of the 2014 plan, and then revealed some initial recommendations from the town planning staff.

Next up: The Planning Board

There will be more discussion at the Planning Board meeting March 29.

Eventually the land use plan changes will be presented to the public for their review and comment.

The meeting was recorded; residents can view the two-hour session at www.cornelius.org and clicking on “watch meetings online.”