A pre-application conference is an informal preliminary discussion held between the Planning and Development Department staff and an applicant who has a construction project or new development he will be seeking an approval for in the near future. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the processes, including application submittal requirements, and the approvals that will be required.

Also, it allows the staff to become familiar with the proposal and provide initial feedback and advice. And it allows staff to identify any potential “red flag” issues that might stand in the way of a successful project and discuss how to avoid or mitigate them. Staff from other City departments may be asked to participate in the meeting when their input is needed.

Pre-Application Conference Required

• A pre-application conference is required prior to the submittal of the following applications:
  • Zoning map amendments, including conditional zoning and planned developments
  • Special use
• Generally, a pre-application conference must take place within 3 months of submittal of an application.

Requesting a Conference

• A pre-application conference is strongly encouraged for other applications such as annexations, COAs, street abandonments, text amendments, land use plan amendments and variances, as well as large or complex commercial or residential construction projects seeking a permit, site plan, subdivision or group development approval.
• Whenever a project is facing a time constrained deadline, a pre-application conference will assist in moving an application to approval in a timely manner.

Scheduling a Conference
Contact the Planning and Development Department at 336-883-3328 and reference the type of project you are planning or the type of application you intend to file. State that you desire a pre-application conference and you will be assigned to an appropriate staff member.