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Morganton has embarked on one of the most important municipal projects it will undertake this decade, and city leaders deserve credit for recognizing that writing the rules for the city’s future should not happen behind closed doors.

The city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) project is far more than a rewrite of zoning regulations. It is an opportunity to examine how Morganton grows, where homes are built, how businesses develop, how neighborhoods evolve, and how the community preserves the qualities that make it unique.

Those decisions deserve public input.

The first two public engagement opportunities held last week represent an encouraging start.

Residents visited City Hall Thursday evening to move through interactive exhibits, discuss ideas with city staff and consultants, and share opinions about topics ranging from housing and landscaping to parking, building design, and future development patterns.

A second “pop-up” session reached another audience Friday evening during the TGIF concert on Courthouse Square.

Just as encouraging is the broader strategy.

Rather than relying solely on legally required public hearings near the end of the process, Morganton appears committed to gathering input throughout the project.

Community meetings, stakeholder discussions, advisory committee meetings, pop-up events, an interactive project website, online participation opportunities, and future public hearings all provide residents multiple opportunities to shape the final ordinance.

That mirrors many of the strongest public engagement efforts seen elsewhere.

Communities across North Carolina and the nation increasingly recognize that development ordinances are too important to leave to planners and elected officials alone.

Durham intentionally sought out residents who rarely attend government meetings. Wake Forest combined stakeholder interviews, open houses, and online questionnaires before presenting a final draft. Hillsborough has published a detailed engagement schedule stretching throughout its ordinance rewrite.

The common thread is simple. The best communities don’t ask for public opinion once. They ask repeatedly, in different places, using different methods, while the document is still taking shape.

Morganton appears to be embracing that philosophy.

That is good news because a Unified Development Ordinance is unlike an annual budget or a routine ordinance amendment. Once adopted, it often guides development decisions for many years.

It establishes the rules governing everything from subdivision design and housing density to parking requirements, landscaping, signage, setbacks, and commercial development.

Long after today’s elected officials have left office, these regulations will continue shaping Morganton’s appearance, economy, and quality of life.

In short, the UDO is the city’s rulebook for growth.

Yet even the best public engagement strategy succeeds only if people participate.

Development regulations are not exciting reading. Most residents understandably pay little attention until a nearby project directly affects them. By then, many of the fundamental policy decisions have already been made.

That is why participation now matters.

Residents should attend meetings. Visit the project’s website. Complete surveys. Stop by pop-up events. Ask questions. Offer suggestions. Share concerns. The ordinance will be stronger if it reflects the experiences of homeowners, renters, business owners, developers, neighborhood advocates, and residents from every corner of Morganton.

City leaders, meanwhile, should continue casting as wide a net as possible.

Every communication tool should be considered. Social media is valuable, but it reaches only part of the community. Newspaper coverage, radio interviews, banners, civic organizations, neighborhood associations, churches, schools, business groups, and community events all offer opportunities to reach people who may never think to visit City Hall or search for a planning website.

The more voices the city hears, the greater confidence residents will have that the final ordinance reflects the community rather than a handful of participants.

This editorial is not a criticism of the process. Quite the opposite.

Morganton deserves recognition for investing in a thoughtful public engagement effort at the beginning of a project that will influence the city’s future for years to come.

The city’s willingness to take the conversation beyond the council chamber and into the community demonstrates an understanding that good planning is built on public trust.

Now comes the community’s responsibility.

The invitation has been extended. The opportunity is real. The future rulebook for Morganton is being written.

Residents should help write it.