Boards & Committees
The Planning Department supports and facilitates the Brunswick County Planning Board, the Brunswick County Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Brunswick County Technical Review Committee (TRC). Each Board/Committee has different duties, functions, and meeting schedules.
The Brunswick County Planning Board reviews and makes recommendations on ordinance text amendments and land use policies/plans as well as hears and makes final decisions on rezoning cases, major subdivisions, planned developments, major site plans, zoning vested rights determinations, and variances from subdivision requirements.
The Planning Board typically meets on the second Monday of each month at 4 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers on the first floor of the David R. Sandifer Administration Building. The public is welcome to attend Planning Board meetings. Most projects allow public comment. If you wish to speak or make a presentation, contact the Planning Department for more information.
Public Comment
Each Regular Meeting has a public comment period, during which anyone can address the Planning Board with questions or concerns. We ask that you sign in before you speak (there will be a sheet next to the agendas, near the entrance to the meeting room) so the Clerk can make sure she has the correct spelling of your name and a list of who will speak. You can view the Planning Board Public Comment Policy online before the meeting.
Additionally, public comment is for items not on the agenda for a public hearing. Public hearings are held for most cases including rezonings, planned developments, and major subdivisions. If you wish to to speak on one of those cases, wait for the public hearing to open for that case. If you wish to provide a handout, please bring at least 8 copies, so we can share them with the Planning Board and County staff.
Learn more on the Planning Board webpage.
View Planning Board Agenda Packets & Meeting Minutes
View Archived Planning Board Agendas and Minutes (January 2015 – June 2025)
The Brunswick County Zoning Board of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial board appointed by the Brunswick County Commissioners. A quasi-judicial hearing is similar to a court hearing in that witnesses are sworn in and decisions are based on evidence and factual testimony rather than opinions. The Board’s responsibilities include granting variances, granting Special Use Permits (SUP), zoning vested rights, hearing of administrative decisions, interpretation of zoning boundary lines and hearing administrative decisions, and hearing appeals of decisions/interpretations made by zoning administrators.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment typically meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Brunswick County Commissioners’ Chambers on the first floor of the David R. Sandifer Administration Building.
Learn more on the Zoning Board of Adjustment webpage.
The Brunswick County Technical Review Committee (TRC) is a committee that provides a comprehensive review of elements related to the development process. The TRC reviews and makes recommendations on subdivision preliminary plats, site plans for major and multi-family developments, planned developments (PDs), and any other review requested by the approving authority. The TRC is comprised of County departments as well as agencies, such as the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), that have an interest in the development process.
*This is not a County-appointed board or committee.
The Brunswick Shoreline Protection Consortium serves as a platform for coastal towns to discuss shared challenges and explore possible solutions related to beach protection, inlets, and coastal waterways. Topics of discussion typically include the dredging of the Lockwood Folly Inlet, beach renourishment, and potential funding sources for such projects.
The meetings typically involve informal discussions without any actionable items; therefore, they do not qualify as public hearings and public comment is not available. A virtual meeting link is available upon request for members of the public who would like to observe. For additional information, please email the Brunswick County Planning Department or call 910-253-2056.