The term Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, is about to become part of New Hanover County’s lexicon. That’s because yesterday and last night, county officials began work on this large document.
The county’s Unified Development Ordinance will be a massive, comprehensive document that revises land development regulations, integrating ordinances that are currently separate, stand-alone documents such as the zoning, subdivision, flood damage prevention, stormwater ordinances, and more.
In a crowded county office, commissioners and planners gathered to hear what consulting firm LSL Planning had come up with so far. Their so-called blueprint. .
"Well putting this in perspective our last development ordinance was adopted in 1969, 47 years ago. This community has changed a lot since then.”
That’s New Hanover County Commissioner Woody White. He and his colleagues agree that it is time for the new ordinance … and that it will take time. County Commissioner Patricia Kusek.
"Similar communities our size that have embarked on a project this massive, it is a living document, and it took three years for it all to be finalized. I think we’ll have a good handle on it by the end of the year.”
The goal of the UDO is to improve zoning, create standards-based regulatory practices, improve landscaping and preservation requirements, and overhaul mixed-use zoning, for starters. The blueprint document that county officials are working off of, is on the county website.
More Information:
New Hanover County – Plan NHC
Wilmington Blueprint Report
New Hanover County Unified Development Ordinance Draft