Planning and Community Development

Responsibilites

The Town of Wallace’s Planning, Zoning and Community Development Department is committed to organizing development through helpful planning and zoning practices that are designed to enhance the quality of life in residential neighborhoods, create a vibrant downtown and enrich our business districts. Our goals include protecting the environment and promoting relationships in which commerce can prosper

The Department

The Department advises the Town Manager, Town Council, Planning Board, Board of Adjustment and various boards and commissions on matters of land use and development.
The Department also maintains and updates the Town’s Zoning Map and Zoning Ordinance. Planning Department Staff works to provide professional guidance and coordination of all land planning and development activities, and to fairly and consistently implement the Town’s regulations and policies.

Rod Fritz

Planning Director

Contact

Send An Email
P: 910.285.4136 | F: 910.285.5135

Hours

Monday – Friday
8:00am – 5:00pm

Public Notice Hearing

GIS & Zoning

What is GIS?

Geographic Information System brings geographic data from surveys, plats, spreadsheets, GPS units and paper files together within a computer network that is available to employees, officials and citizens for the generation of visual maps and reports; for tracking permits, fees and licenses; and for modeling, projecting and analyzing geographic data trends.

Why GIS?

Citizens are increasingly demanding better information showing that public policy decisions will result in greater efficiency, equity, community viability and environmental health. At least 70 to 80 percent of the average local government’s work involves land or geographically related issues or tasks. Geographically related items that local governments deal with regularly:

Land Use Zones
Tax Parcel Information
Street Addresses/Ownership

Bill Board Overlay
City Limits
City ETJ

Historic District

Local government is responsible for the long-term health, safety and welfare of its citizens, and many issues cannot be boiled down to a simple calculation of short- term costs and benefits. GIS enhances the ability of local governments to look at the long-term effects of possible decisions. Visual GIS displays allow more people to understand issues and the large amounts of information associated with them.

Zoning

People often use the terms “planning” and “zoning” interchangeably. However, zoning is merely one tool that the planning profession utilizes. Perhaps this confusion is due to the immediate impact that a zoning ordinance regulations have on people’s everyday lives. With the use of zoning, the Town of Wallace works to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the community. The Planning and Community Development Department handles all zoning related issues.

Code Enforcement

Addressing Neighborhood Concerns

Code Enforcement officers work to address neighborhood concerns from both an advocacy and enforcement point of view. Staff members work on a variety of neighborhood concerns such as: minimum housing code violations, non-residential maintenance standards, weeded lots, abandoned and junk vehicles and other public nuisances within the Town.

Ordinances enforced by Code Enforcement

Junk & Abandoned vehicles
Minimum Housing Code

Non-Residential Maintenance Standards
Public Nuisances (weeded lots, trash, debris in yards)

Complaint Process

While many people think that problems can be immediately resolved by a visit from one of our officers, there is often an extensive due process that must take place to achieve compliance.

Problem identified (through citizen complaint or officer detection)
Certified letter sent to property owner detailing Town ordinance violation
Up to 30 days are given to the property owner to respond to the letter
After that time has elapsed, a second inspection is conducted on the property
If the property is not brought into compliance, the Town may:
- issue civil penalties with each day being a separate offense or
- complete the work and bill the property owner as per the fee schedule.

A similar process is involved for structures that are abandoned or structurally unsound. However, those require action by Town Council before the structure can be demolished.