Lake Lure Holds First Virtual Public Input Session on Comprehensive Plan

Roughly half of the 15 attendees were steering committee members as residents weighed in on housing, infrastructure, and zoning priorities

Lake Lure held its first-ever virtual public input session on October 28, advancing the town’s development of a new Comprehensive Plan to guide growth and zoning over the next decade.

The online meeting, hosted on Microsoft Teams, was led by Foothills Regional Commission senior planner Preston Janko, program manager Benjamin Bordeaux, and regional fellow Sophie Schaefer. About half of the participants were members of the town’s Comprehensive Plan steering committee, including Town Manager Olivia Stewman, Mayor Carol Pritchett, and Commissioner Jim Proctor. The rest were residents providing input on the town’s future.

“A comprehensive plan is a roadmap for how a community wants to grow,” Janko said. “It’s not just about land use—it covers housing, recreation, economic goals, and infrastructure.”

Zoning history and priorities

During the session, residents were asked to select their top two priorities from a list of 16 options, including workforce housing, infrastructure (dam, sewer, and water), public safety, tourism, and sustainable growth. Commissioner Proctor, a longtime resident and former mayor, noted that zoning was first adopted in Lake Lure in 1979 for formal land-use regulation.

Participants also reviewed potential housing types—single-family homes, multi-family units, and modular or tiny houses—but some questioned their feasibility on Lake Lure’s steep terrain. Others criticized the survey’s limit of two selections, noting that priorities like infrastructure and scenic preservation cannot be weighed equally.

Next steps

The town encourages residents to complete the Comprehensive Plan Survey by December 1, 2025, or submit comments via email at planning@frcnc.gov. The next in-person session is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5, at 4:00 p.m. at the Temporary Town Hall at the Landings, 920 Buffalo Creek Road.

The Comprehensive Plan process will continue into early 2026. After reviewing public input, the Foothills Regional Commission and town officials will draft the updated plan for formal adoption by the Zoning and Planning Board and Town Council. 

A recording of the meeting is available here.