The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners seeks qualified community members to serve on the Cumberland County Board of Adjustment and the Joint Planning Board. The two boards are made up of individuals appointed by elected bodies to assist in zoning, planning and permits.

The Board of Adjustment is a “quasi-judicial” administrative body that conducts public hearings and/or reviews under duties specified by the County Zoning Ordinance. The Board of Adjustment is made up of 10 members serving three-year terms. Five are regular members and five are alternate members who fill in for regular members as necessary. The Board of Adjustment works primarily with the Cumberland County Planning and Inspections Department to conduct reviews and make decisions regarding zoning and permits. Duties include:

• Conduct administrative reviews and decide appeals where it is alleged by the appellant that there is an error in any order, requirement, permit, decision, determination, refusal made by the Planning and Inspections Director or other administrative officials in the carrying out or enforcement of any provisions of the zoning ordinance.
• Hear, deny or approve applications for variances and special use permits from the terms of the zoning ordinance.
• Interpret the official zoning maps.
• Rule on matters concerning nonconforming uses.
• Interpret the official zoning maps.
• Rule on matters concerning nonconforming uses.
• Hear and approve or deny applications for High Density Development and variances from the provisions of the County Water Supply Watershed Management and Protection Ordinance.
• Hear and rule on appeals and variance requests from the County’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

The Board of Adjustment meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse, located at 130 Gillespie Street in Fayetteville. Each member spends approximately three hours per month in service to the board.

The Joint Planning Board is responsible for the development of a continuing comprehensive planning program for the entire county and each municipality by working from the existing plans of each city and town in the county to improve and develop a comprehensive plan. The Joint Planning Board studies priorities and requests for special study efforts provided by the participating governmental units. Duties include:

• Final approval of plat waiver requests in the county.
• Reviews, holds hearings for, and approves or makes recommendations on area studies, future land use plans, transportation improvement projects, zoning matters and most land use issues throughout the county.

The Joint Planning Board meets the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. and is made up of 10 members. Four members are appointed by the County Board of Commissioners. The towns of Eastover, Hope Mills, Linden, Spring Lake and Stedman each appoint a member and the towns of Godwin and Falcon together appoint a member.

Joint Planning Board members also serve on sub-committees (Comprehensive Planning, Codes and Nominating). Meetings are held in the Historic Courthouse, located at 130 Gillespie Street in Fayetteville

For more information about the boards:

Joint Planning Board: https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/planning-group/planning-and-inspections/boards/planning-board

Board of Adjustment: https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/planning-group/planning-and-inspections/boards/board-of-adjustment

To apply for the Joint Planning Board or the Board of Adjustment, or any other appointed board or commission, visit the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners webpage at: cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/commissioners-group/commissioners/appointed-boards.