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Halifax County Comprehensive Land Use and Recreation Plan
About
Comprehensive Land Use and Recreation Master Plan Update
Halifax County is currently in the process of updating its Comprehensive Development Plan and its Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This process will include research, analysis, and opportunities for citizens of Halifax County to provide direction on future priorities through a community survey, stakeholder interviews, and public meetings.
What is a Comprehensive Land Use Plan?
A Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP or Comprehensive Plan) is a tool used for guiding the land use policy, funding, resource decisions, and infrastructure investment in Halifax County for the next ten (10) to fifteen (15) years. The plan will serve as the official statement by Halifax County of its vision, intentions, goals, objectives, and priority strategies to address current and future needs.
The Comprehensive Plan will replace the 2001 Halifax County Comprehensive Development Plan and the 2014 Halifax County Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Comprehensive Land Use and Recreation Plan addresses land use, housing, infrastructure, transportation, economic development, agriculture, parks & recreation, and natural resources. The current and future state of these areas are analyzed both through research and public engagement. Public engagement, meetings with local and regional organizations, and conversations with a steering committee selected for this project will all be used to define the issues, assets, and priorities. This Halifax County Comprehensive Land Use and Parks & Recreation Plan will address these topics, or planning elements, specifically:
- Land Use
- Transportation
- Public Utilities
- Economic Development
- Parks & Recreation
- Natural Resources
- Growth Capacity
- Housing
The Parks & Recreation element of the Comprehensive Plan is intended to shape the direction, development, and delivery of the County’s parks and recreation facilities, programs, and services. It will serve as a roadmap for improving the parks and recreation system to best serve the community.
The plan in its entirety will serve as both a physical plan and policy guide; it will be used by elected officials and appointed boards, staff, community members, and other decision makers who are charged with shaping how Halifax County will grow in the future. Recommendations could call for changes to county ordinances to implement specific decisions as suggested, but it does not have regulatory power on its own. Comprehensive Plans have no legal binding effect on property owners or residents. Rather, it establishes a vision, goals, and priorities through many conversations and community engagement, which are then used in combination with analysis and research to guide future growth and development.
In short, a Comprehensive Plan:
- Documents a community conversation: “Where are we at? Where would we like to be?”
- Provides a basis for decision-making, problem-solving and policy development by government officials.
- Establishes priorities for government projects, staff, and services.
The planning process will take place over a 10-month time-period beginning in Summer of 2025 and wrapping up in the Spring of 2026. The evolving project schedule is shown below and outlines the three overlapping phases: project initiation & analysis, visioning & plan development, and implementation & adoption. A draft plan is expected for review in early Spring 2026. The Plan will be developed by county staff working in conjunction with consultants and a steering committee. Stakeholders in the public and private sector will be interviewed during the process and there will be multiple opportunities for citizens to participate in the process and provide feedback. See the Get Involved section for more information on upcoming meetings and surveys.
Anticipated Project Schedule
Get Involved
Extensive public participation is a key component of any planning process, and we want to hear from you throughout the development of the Halifax County Comprehensive Land Use and Recreation Plan. Your thoughts, ideas, and participation are vital for the success of this effort. Over the course of the project, we will host a community survey and several public meetings where we will ask for your input and feedback on the Plan as it is developed. Details on how and when you can get involved will be posted here and results from these events will be shared on the Resources page.
Project Survey
A link to the project survey will be posted here in the near future.
Public Meetings
Three public visioning workshops will be held in December to hear from residents and community members. These workshops will be held on December 2, 2025, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Halifax County Visitor’s Center, December 3, 2025, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Scotland Neck Municipal Complex, and December 9, 2025, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Hollister Elementary School.
Meeting details will be posted as they are scheduled. Any prepared materials or results will be posted following the event.
Resources
This section will be regularly updated to include materials produced and feedback received during the planning process. Check back after meetings for presentations and other meeting materials.
Public Meetings
Meeting details will be posted as they are scheduled. Any prepared materials or results will be posted following the event.
Steering Committee Meetings
Meeting details will be posted as they are held. Any prepared materials or results will be posted following the event.