Comprehensive Sustainability Plan

The entire plan and individual chapters are listed below:

What is sustainability?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides this definition of sustainability:

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations. 

What is a sustainable comprehensive plan? How is it different than a regular comprehensive plan?

This plan builds on the Hillsborough Comprehensive Plan and other town planning efforts. It will reevaluate each component through a lens of environmental sustainability and climate action. It also will:

• Guide future growth and development in the town.
• Guide zoning, annexation, land use and transportation decisions.
• Identify needs for regulations and ordinance amendments. 

What is climate action? 

Climate action includes strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, improving education and awareness, and avoiding unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions. We all need to take action to combat climate change.

What is clean, renewable energy?

Clean, renewable energy is carbon- and pollution-free energy that is sustainably collected from renewable sources, including wind, solar, and geothermal.

What are commercial and mixed-use areas?

Commercial land is an area used for commercial purposes and intended to generate a profit. They are non-residential areas where businesses are located.

Mixed-use land is an area that has commercial business and a residential component, such as live/work apartments or a building with commercial use on the first floor and residential units above.

Examples of commercial areas in Hillsborough include land on South Churton Street, downtown, Nash Street, the North Churton Street shopping area, and U.S. 70. Hillsborough does not currently have much mixed-use land. The land around the future train station in central Hillsborough is a possible location for mixed-use development. Part of the planning process for the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan is gauging what level of density would be acceptable as commercial areas redevelop.

What is the difference between greenways and trails?

Greenways are wide, stable-surface paths. Trails are smaller and have a natural surface, more like footpaths. 

Riverwalk is considered a greenway. Kings Highway Park has trails.

Anyone with questions about the plan may contact town Public Space and Sustainability Manager Stephanie Trueblood via the contact form on this website or by calling 919-296-9481.