Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendments

At a glance

What: Council is amending the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on several fronts.
Where it stands: Special-event days (Art. 4.4) were raised from 14 to 30 per year (Ord. 2026-55) and multifamily and downtown design standards were amended (Ord. 2026-57), both approved on September 22. On October 20 Council approved a text amendment reducing the multifamily setback from main roadways in the commercial districts from 350 to 300 feet. Also, a street-trees amendment is listed for November 17.
Next: Hearings on November 17.

Ord. 2026-55: special-event days from 14 to 30 per year; the Planning Advisory Board recommended approval on August 10.
Ord. 2026-57: multifamily and downtown design standards; the rest of this item's text was only skimmed.
Street trees amendment touches Articles 5, 6 and 9 (public notice).
On October 20, a citizen-requested amendment defined "main roadway" and cut the multifamily setback from 350 to 300 feet, moving the standards into the use-specific standards.

The board recommended approval, with no opposition, of the multifamily text amendment: the special use permit idea was dropped, townhouses removed under state law, "major roadway" defined, and the distance from a main roadway reduced from 350 to 300 feet.

Ord. 2026-55 and Ord. 2026-57 approved after public hearings.
The special-event amendment (14 to 30 days) drew a question about security; staff said permitted events are vetted with city departments. The second amendment removed single-family and townhouse design standards that conflict with state law and loosened multifamily standards (screened front parking, glazing on the street-facing side only, larger footprint and length limits, rewritten materials rules). Both were approved by voice vote.

Staff reported Council's September 22 actions on temporary-use standards and on single-family and multifamily design standards (worked out with local builders, developers and architects). The board unanimously recommended approval of the street-trees text amendment as consistent with the land use plan. See Street Tree Requirements Amendment.

Public hearing on a citizen-requested text amendment (TWC Camp Lejeune LLC) defining "main roadway" and reducing the multifamily setback in the commercial districts from 350 to 300 feet; no one spoke, and Council approved it by voice vote. The Planning Board had recommended approval.