Description
Click here to access the Konveio website to view draft ordinances and make comments!
The Town of Beaufort is developing a new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which will enable the Town to combine its zoning, subdivision, flood protection, and minimum housing ordinances into a single document and to integrate policies set forth in the new Comprehensive and CAMA Land Use Plan. In addition, the UDO process will allow the Town to revise current regulations (including the Land Development Ordinance, LDO and Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, FDPO) to ensure they align with new legislation and current best practices in North Carolina as well as nationally. The UDO will guide development, redevelopment, and growth for our community for years to come, so public engagement is a critical part of this process. The project is broken up into two phases: Phase One, the Code Assessment, and Phase Two, the development of the UDO.
Phase One was to create the Code Assessment, a document that identifies the scope of work necessary to achieve the Town’s vision in the UDO and begins to prioritize our most important areas for potential change. The land use consulting firm White & Smith, LLC conducted an assessment of our current codes and met with Commissioners, staff, and other Town officials and stakeholders in 2024 to create the Code Assessment.
Phase Two, the creation of the Unified Development Ordinance, is structured into five modules and will take the next two or three years to complete. The UDO Vision, Principles, and Goals document will guide the drafting process throughout the project. Module 1 establishes the foundation and guidance of the creation of the UDO document as well as the Coastal Resilience Overlay District. Module One was mostly completed but paused given continued difficulty with regard to zoning/downzoning statutory concerns (more info here). The Board of Commissioners has directed staff and the consultant to proceed with Module 4 of the original schedule, specifically Article 5 Subdivision Regulations and Article 6 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, which are not subject to statutory downzoning restrictions.
For more information, contact Town Planner Michelle Eitner.