Land Use Survey for Hoke County Underway
Hoke County land use plan survey open for responses – share your thoughts on development by July 30
July 2, 2025
(news article from the Hoke County News-Journal)
The Hoke County Land Use Plan update survey is now accepting responses through July 30, asking questions that will help shape the future of the county’s growth for the next several decades.
The survey is being conducted by Benchmark Planning, a third party the county commissioners hired to help the county update its 20-year-old land use plan. The land use plan contains recommendations and that guide short- and long-term decision-making about things like rules for subdivision construction, infrastructure and
The survey is only online. To take the survey, use a smartphone camera to scan the QR code provided here in The News-Journal. The QR code will direct to the website planhokecounty.com which has the link to the survey, and more information about the process for updating the land use plan.
The survey is one part of getting feedback from residents, property owners, business owners and people who work in Hoke County on what they think of the current state of growth and development in the county – and what they want to see in the future.
The survey includes 18 questions and is anonymous. It includes demographic questions that ask for the respondent’s age range, if they live or work in Hoke County or own property or a business here. Other questions ask residents how long they have lived in Hoke County, which township of the county they live in and their zip code if they do not live in Hoke County.
Here are a few of the questions included in the survey:
•What are the three things that you like most about living in Hoke County? Rural Lifestyle, Housing Affordability, K-12 Education Opportunities, Employment Opportunities, Overall Cost of Living, Recreation Opportunities, Proximity to Fort Bragg, Sense of Community, Other (please specify)
•How do you feel about the pace of growth in Hoke County in recent years? Residential Development, Commercial Development, Industrial Development (Too Fast, Just Right, Too Slow, No Opinion)
•Please rank the following in terms of importance to you (1 being most important and 7 being the least important). Preserving Working Farms and Open Space, Maintaining a Rural Lifestyle, Expanding Employment Opportunities, Expanding the Supply of Housing, Expanding Parks and Recreation and Trail Opportunities, Improving Public Infrastructure (water, sewer, roads, etc.), Expanding Commercial and Entertainment Options
•Are there any types of new development that you’d like to see in the County? More Residential Development, More Commercial Development, More Industrial Development, Other (please specify)
•Where do you think new residential development should be encouraged in the future? (check all that apply) In and Around the City of Raeford, Along the US Highway 401 Corridor (East of Raeford), Along the US Highway 401 Corridor (West of Raeford), Along the Rockfish Road Corridor, Along the NC Highway 211 Corridor (North of Raeford), Along the NC Highway 211 Corridor (South of Raeford), Along the NC Highway 20 Corridor (South of Raeford), Only In Areas Where Public Water and Sewer Infrastructure Exists, Other (please specify)
There are several open-ended questions that allow respondents to write their own thoughts, including:
•Please describe your vision for the future of the County. What should change? What should stay the same?
•What concerns, if any, do you have about land use and growth in the unincorporated areas of the County?
The survey also allows respondents to add their email address if they want to be added to a mailing list to receive updates about the land use plan process.
The survey opened this week for responses and will close July 30. After the survey closes, Benchmark Planning will collect the responses and present the information to the Hoke County Board of Commissioners as part of the plan update.
Hoke’s land use plan was last updated in 2005, just before the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) led to an unprecedented amount of growth in the county.
Anyone who wants to take the survey but does not have access to a computer or the internet, is welcome to stop by The News-Journal office for assistance Monday-Thursday during business hours, or call (910) 875-2121. The office is located at 119 W Elwood Ave., Raeford, N.C. 28376.
