• (9 members and 3 alternates) 
• Number appointed by Board of Commissioners: 12  
• Term: 4-year terms
• Categories: As of March 20, 2000, one member will be appointed who lives in each of the eight Small Area Plan Districts created in the Strategic Growth Plan, passed by the Board of Commissioners in September 1999.  Small area plan districts have been created for the following areas: Balls Creek, Catawba, Mountain View, Oxford, Plateau, Sherrills Ford, Saint Stephens, and Startown.  Members currently serving on the Planning Board will finish their terms, regardless of where they live, but would not be eligible for reappointment unless they live within one of the small area districts.
• Guides the growth and development of the County, makes recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on amendments to zoning regulations and the subdivision of land; oversees long range planning studies.