Northampton County has a new zoning ordinance, after three years of revisions and hearings, according to DelMarVaNow.com.

The new zoning ordinance will hopefully bring a good balance of land-use into the county and protect.

This has been an important issue for homeowners in Northampton, who want to perserve the quality of living, but need more economic development and jobs.

"Northampton County has adopted a new zoning ordinance that works to channel development toward existing population centers, protect U.S. Route 13 by limiting highway development and ensure a more harmonious mix of differing land uses, ending a three-year process of revisions and hearings.

The document incorporates many changes to a previous proposal detractors said was unduly restrictive on commercial and agricultural interests. Still, ordinance opponents during a public hearing Tuesday said it remained prohibitory.

'I think this new zoning is anti-business,' said Montagne Cree, a real-estate agent.

'We should be encouraging it, not throwing hardships and roadblocks in everybody’s way.'

'Our community needs ordinary jobs for ordinary people,' said Bill Parr, who owns a real-estate sales agency. 'Solving the problem starts at your table tonight.

Five members of the Board of Supervisors, however, felt the ordinance and accompanying map accommodated the county’s delicate balance of environmental, residential, commercial and agricultural interests better and more fairly than the previous ordinance, approved almost a decade ago."

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