PENDER COUNTY, N.C. – County leaders continue to ask for your input about how to deal with the area’s growing pains.

Pender County officials held a meeting in Hampstead Wednesday to get input on traffic congestion as more people move to the area. They are working to update the 30 year land use plan and said last year they issued more than 400 single family permits.

"Large developments are coming, large communities are coming. You can't stop it, it's just going to happen. We just need to be able to control it, contribute and be a part of it,” said resident Joseph Cina.

Planning department leaders said right now 60,000 people live in Pender County, but that number is expected to increase to 75,000 by the year 2030.