HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) -- The City of High Point is taking a closer look at its zoning rules that determine what can be built in specific areas in the city. City leaders said the update is much needed to accommodate anticipated growth. The goal of the update is to align the city’s zoning regulations with the 2045 Comprehensive Plan. The city’s planning and development department will have a contract with a planning firm to lead the project that will update the city's development ordinance. “Our development ordinance was originally established back in 2017,” City of High Point Interim Development Administrator Sam Hinnant said. The City of High Point wants its development ordinance to match its 2045 Comprehensive Plan, which has the city’s vision and growth strategies through the year 2045. The current zoning rules were written based on the last land-use plan from 2000. “High Point is very emblematic of North Carolina. It's had a pretty high growth rate, and we're anticipating that continuing along with surrounding municipalities,” Hinnant said. The development ordinance regulates what can be built where. The city will have an 18-month-long contract with the planning firm Inspire Placemaking Collective to lead the project to update the city’s zoning rules. “That would also look at the densities ... Would look at the development patterns and the development standards that would all need to be in place in order to align with the 2045 comprehensive plan,” Hinnant said. Hinnant said there have been some big changes in the updated comprehensive plan, leading to much-needed changes to the city’s zoning regulations. “One of the big changes from our previous land use plan to the 2045 Comprehensive Plan is the addition of ... mixed-use activity centers as well as town centers,” Hinnant said. The planning firm is expected to officially be under contract with the City of High Point by January. According to their timeline for the six-phase project, the planning firm plans to draft the development ordinance document and zoning map in their 5th month. The updated development ordinance is expected to be complete by early 2027.