Moratoria and Interim Zoning Ordinances

Abstract

Moratoria and interim zoning (sometimes called "stop-gap" zoning) are techniques used by local governments to preserve the status quo or at least to limit the extent of change while the local government creates and adopts a new plan or zoning ordinance or while it addresses some other local policy issue, such as adding capacity to an overloaded sewage treatment plant. This commentary addresses the planning context and concept of these tools and the legal issues involved in adopting and implementing interim controls.