In 2001 it was Davidson, which decided to preserve its rural areas and encourage village-style development and passed a far-reaching -- and controversial -- new land planning ordinance. This time it's Huntersville.

Aiming to help its rural areas stay rural, the town board of that rapidly growing burg on Monday approved revising its zoning and subdivision ordinance. The impetus was a recognition that the 1996 zoning code -- an innovative effort at the time -- wasn't working out the way citizens wanted. It was allowing dense clumps of townhouses plopped in the middle of supposedly "rural" and "open space" areas. In addition, development was causing serious water quality problems in McDowell Creek, which runs through Huntersville's jurisdiction and feeds Mountain Island Lake just above the Charlotte-Mecklenburg water intake.

Huntersville's new rules set up two types of zones in the less-developed fringes: a transitional zone nearer town and, beyond, a rural zone. More density is allowed in the transitional zone, less in the rural zone. The more open space a developer leaves, the more houses are allowed.

In general, less development is allowed in the rural zone than under the old rules. That idea didn't please some folks who own large tracts and hope to develop them someday. But the town commissioners were willing to endure that property owner displeasure in order to meet the larger needs of the whole town.

Another important part of the new rules -- not as controversial -- involves new requirements for dealing with runoff water pollution. Drawn up with Mecklenburg County's Department of Environmental Protection, the techniques known as "low impact development" use devices such as rain gardens and grassy ditches known as swales, instead of curbs and gutters, to let rainwater soak in instead of being shunted directly into creeks.

Is everyone happy with Huntersville's new zoning rules? No. Are the rules perfect? We suspect not. Will they solve all water pollution problems? Unlikely. But Huntersville and its leaders deserve praise for noticing that their zoning rules weren't producing what they wanted, diving in to improve them, and not fearing innovation.