The Onslow County Comprehensive Plan (CAMA Core Land Use Plan) was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in October 2009 and certified by the Coastal Resources Commission in January 2010.  The Comprehensive Plan is an update to both the 1997 CAMA Land Use Plan and the 2003 Citizens’ Comprehensive Plan.  In essence, it is a comprehensive plan that satisfies the State of North Carolina’s CAMA requirements.

The Comprehensive Plan is a guide for desired future land use and development in Onslow County.  It is not an ordinance. The Plan contains two main sections: an analysis of existing and emerging conditions and a plan for the future. The analysis of existing and emerging conditions consists of Onslow County data. Issues such as population, housing, transportation, water and sewer, etc. are discussed in this section. The plan for the future discusses how Onslow County should ideally grow and develop over the next 20 years. Future demands, policy implementing actions, and land use management topics are among the items detailed here.

The Comprehensive Plan includes over 30 maps. A future land use map presents a picture of desired future growth and development. The other maps accompanying the text also capture such topics as water quality, zoning, prime farmland, transportation, and flood hazard areas among others.