The town of Canton, North Carolina, is restricting where new truck terminals and parking lots can be set up as it rebuilds from the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.

What’s new: Local officials voted to only allow future truck terminals on land zoned as “heavy industrial,” instead of most business and industrial sites like before.

• This means fewer spots will be open to trucking businesses looking to park rigs or build small warehouses in town.
• Lots already being used for trucks and trailers can stay as they are, but can’t expand.

The reason: Town leaders said they want open lots to be used for new homes or stores, not more truck parking. “The primary concern for lots of folks is not just appearance, but also the fact that you’re taking up potentially developable land to be developed as commercial retail and perhaps most importantly, housing stock,” Canton Planning Director Byron Hickox told officials, according to The Mountaineer.

What’s next: The new zoning rules are already in effect after a unanimous board vote. Existing terminals are “grandfathered in,” but no new truck parking lots (outside the heavy industrial zone) will be approved.