Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
26 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> PLANNING BOARD <br /> ORDINANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: July 9, 2025 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 3 <br /> SUBJECT: Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Text Amendment — Subdivision <br /> Administration <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Proposed Amendments (37 pages) Cy Stober, Planning Director <br /> (919) 245-2592 <br /> Taylor Perschau, Current Planning and Zoning <br /> Manager (919)245-2597 <br /> PURPOSE: To review and comment upon a proposed government-initiated Unified <br /> Development Ordinance (UDO) text amendment to the administrative requirements and review <br /> processes for subdivisions. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Orange County Planning Department has initiated an amendment to UDO <br /> Sections 2.1, 2.9, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, and 7.1 — 7.6. The proposed amendments are multi-faceted <br /> in purpose and serve two primary purposes: 1) clarify the subdivision classifications of the UDO <br /> and the review processes associated with each; and 2) in response to direction from the Board <br /> of County Commissioners, make all by-right subdivision reviews administrative in nature, rather <br /> than requiring actions by the Planning Board and BOCC. <br /> Presently, the UDO language for Exempt, Minor Expedited, Minor Regulated, and Major <br /> Subdivisions is inconsistent — though compatible — with NC General Statutes. The language <br /> defining these classifications of subdivision also needs clarification and currently contains what <br /> are effectively regulatory penalties for property owners of parcels 2.01 — 4.99 acres in area. <br /> Associated administrative requirements (e.g. Performance Guarantees) also would benefit from <br /> clarification and focus on the elements of subdivision strictly within Orange County's regulatory <br /> purview. <br /> Further, the current Major Subdivision administrative process requires applicants to present a <br /> Concept Plan, Preliminary Plat, and Final Plat to the Planning Board for review, and both plats <br /> to the BOCC for approval. The purpose of this process is unclear, as State laws require the <br /> county to approve submitted plats that meet all UDO criteria. It is an apparent deterrent to major <br /> subdivisions in Orange County and thereby in conflict with multiple elements of both the adopted <br /> Strategic Plan and the 2030 Comprehensive Plan as they relate to Housing and Economic <br /> Development. The Minor Subdivision administrative process is similarly cumbersome for no <br /> apparent purpose. Clarity on the roles of staff, the applicant, and the public is also needed for all <br /> subdivision processes. <br /> Other amendments to reconcile internal impacts — namely internal cross-references to amended <br /> sections — have yet to be made. In compliance with the Orange County-Chapel Hill-Carrboro <br />