160A-387. Planning board; zoning plan; certification to city council.

In order to initially exercise the powers conferred by this Part, a city council shall create or designate a planning board under the provisions of this Article or of a special act of the General Assembly. The planning board shall prepare or shall review and comment upon a proposed zoning ordinance, including both the full text of such ordinance and maps showing proposed district boundaries. The planning board may hold public hearings in the course of preparing the ordinance. Upon completion, the planning board shall make a written recommendation regarding adoption of the ordinance to the city council. The city council shall not hold its required public hearing or take action until it has received a recommendation regarding ordinance from the planning board. Following its required public hearing, the city council may refer the ordinance back to the planning board for any further recommendations that the board may wish to make prior to final action by the city council in adopting, modifying and adopting, or rejecting the ordinance.

Subsequent to initial adoption of a zoning ordinance, all proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance or zoning map shall be submitted to the planning board for review and comment. If no written report is received from the planning board within 30 days of referral of the amendment to that board, the governing board may proceed in its consideration of the amendment without the planning board report. The governing board is not bound by the recommendations, if any, of the planning board.