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Planning & Zoning
TOWN OF PRINCETON PLANNING AND ZONING
Zoning permits may be obtained at the Princeton Town Hall. Please call Brad Thompson for the current permitting fee schedule. There are various other permits available, such as variances, billboards, etc. Building permits will be required in certain situations.
Planning and Zoning - Brad Thompson b.thompson@myprincetonnc.com
CODE ENFORCEMENT
Code enforcement investigates violations of the Town of Princeton's ordinances within city limits and the municipal's Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). When a complaint is received, the Planning Department/Code Enforcement Officer will visit the site to verify the status of the violation. Generally, it can take 30 days or more to rectify any violations. We do our best to work with citizens and business owners to gain compliance through notification and education. Concerns can be made either through the form (Click HERE) or over the phone (919) 936-8171.
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS (As of 7/1/2025) 9 Members (1 vacant seat)
Chairman, David Holt, Co-Chair Michael Thompson, Eddie Haddock, Ross Sipple, Brenda Williams, Jimmy Tart, Vacant (In Town), Robert Creech (ETJ), Billy Radford (Out of Town)
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEMBERS (As of 2/1/2025) 7 Members
David Holt - Chairman, Mark Johnson, Ross Sippel, Kayla Holmes, Charles Moore, Mike Thompson, Jimmy Tart
David Holt - Chairman, Mark Johnson, Ross Sippel, Kayla Holmes, Charles Moore, Mike Thompson, Jimmy Tart
Upcoming Board Meetings
PERMITTING NEEDS
There are electronic permits available at the links listed below. Be aware that by completing an online permit application, this does not guarantee the approval of an application. No permit can be reviewed until associated fees have been paid. Printable versions are listed below.
Princeton Zoning Ordinance
North Carolina General Statutes ยง 160A-381(a) grants power to any city to adopt zoning and development regulation ordinances for the purpose of promoting health, safety, morals, or the general welfare of the community. These ordinances may be adopted as part of a unified development ordinance or as a separate ordinance. A zoning ordinance may regulate and restrict the height, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of lots that may be occupied, the size of yards, courts and other open spaces, the density of population, the location and use of buildings, structures and land. The ordinance shall provide density credits or severable development rights for dedicated rights-of-way pursuant to G.S. 136-66.10 or G.S. 136-66.11.
The Town of Princeton has adopted a separate ordinance for zoning and development regulations.
Please see the updated zoning ordinance revised as of 12/12/2025.
TOWN OF PRINCETON LAND USE PLAN
The purpose of this plan is to provide a vision for the future growth and development of the Town of Princeton, and to help execute that vision through adopted goals and policies. The Town’s previous land use plan, the Princeton 20/20 Vision Plan, was adopted almost twenty years ago and required an extensive update. This 2019 Town of Princeton Land Use Plan is designed to assist public officials, citizens, and staff with evaluating the appropriateness of land development requests and to manage change in the built environment. As a guide, the plan is designed to provide direction while allowing for flexibility as the need arises. It is not a rigid ordinance and should be reviewed on a regular basis to remain true to the desires of the Town and its citizens.
The Princeton Planning Board drafted this document with technical assistance from Town staff and the Triangle J Council of Governments. The Planning Board met between late 2017 and early 2019 to discuss the development of the plan. An initial public workshop was also held in April 2018 to gather initial ideas for the plan from the community (see appendix).
A draft version of the plan was presented for public review in Spring 2019, with a public input solicited at the Community Day event in June 2019. A public hearing was held on August 5, 2019. The Princeton Planning Board recommended adoption of the draft plan on October 8, 2019. The final draft was presented to the Princeton Town Board on December 2, 2019 and adopted on January 6, 2020.