What is the Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)?
The Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is a unified set of regulations that guide growth and development in Charlotte.
The UDO combines zoning regulations, along with other land development rules (such as subdivision, tree, and floodplain ordinances) into one comprehensive document.
When was the UDO adopted?
City Council adopted the UDO on August 22, 2022. The Adoption Draft which reflects the final draft with all adopted changes is available for review via the buttons below:
When will the UDO be effective?
The UDO is effective on June 1, 2023.
Does Charlotte UDO make updates or modify all of the land development ordinances included within?
Charlotte’s UDO combines eight land development ordinances into one. However, not all of the ordinances included in the UDO had major changes. While some underwent substantive updates, many only had slight modifications for consistency with the rest of the UDO.
Why is the Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance important?
The UDO is the primary tool to implement the Charlotte Future 2040 Plan and other adopted plans and policies through development regulations. The adopted UDO combines eight development ordinances, including the Zoning Ordinance, into one set of regulations. Charlotte’s development regulations were written at different times over the last three decades. The UDO updates and combines them all so they work better together and are clearer and easier to use.
What changes were made to the UDO second draft (also known as the Public Hearing Draft) from the first draft?
Several changes were made to the first draft UDO that was released in October 2021. These changes are summarized here. This is not a comprehensive list, but outlines the most impactful changes proposed in the second draft.
What changes were made to the UDO Public Hearing Draft and incorporated into the adoption draft that City Council adopted on August 22, 2022?
Recommended substantive changes to the Public Hearing Draft have been summarized in the matrix linked here. This summary does not include non-substantive changes such as grammatical corrections, spelling corrections, or scrivener’s errors, etc. The text of the Public Hearing Draft with recommended changes is available for review online at the CharlotteUDO.org website. Specific changes recommended for this draft are highlighted in green.
What were these recommended changes based on?
Numerous changes were made to the UDO between the release of the first draft in October 2021 and adoption in August 2022. Changes were based on feedback obtained from the community, City and County staff, the UDO Advisory Committee (OAC), Planning Commission, County Commission, and City Council. All the public comments submitted through the comment portal on both drafts were recorded and are available on the CharlotteUDO.org website. Staff worked to respond to and reconcile all comments and recommended changes based on the feedback received, where appropriate.
Staff worked with the community in three primary engagement periods:
- October 2021 to March 2022: The first draft engagement period
- June 3 to June 30, 2022: Second Draft UDO engagement period
- July 11, 2022: City Council UDO Public Hearing
Staff also prepared and presented recommended changes for the Planning Committee of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission on July 19, 2022.
What was the role of the Planning Committee in the UDO adoption process?
The Planning Committee of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission recommended the UDO to the City Council on July 19, 2022. The Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of the second draft UDO, with changes recommended by staff and a committee-initiated modification related to an additional requirement for new auto service stations and auto repair shops.
What is zoning?
Local governments use zoning as a regulatory tool for several purposes. Firstly, zoning controls the physical development of land and the way land may be used by setting land uses. In addition, it is a tool for shaping the size and location of buildings. Also, zoning regulations enact local land development policies expressed in adopted plans. For example, the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan serves as the adopted policy for the UDO.
Why update the Zoning Ordinance?
Charlotte’s original zoning ordinance (before the UDO) was not always in alignment with the community’s vision for how development should occur, nor did it always reflect best practices for zoning regulations. The original zoning ordinance was often difficult to navigate and confusing for the occasional user. The zoning regulations in the UDO are crafted to be more easily understood. The UDO relies less on written text, and more on graphics and illustrations, to convey the various development standards to the casual user.
How can I read/review the UDO?
You can read the adopted draft of the UDO at PublicInput.com/charlotteUDO. The period for public comment is closed but as future text amendments are made, please be sure to follow along and subscribe for project updates at publicinput.com/connect UDO
The UDO was developed by staff from the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, with feedback on concepts from the Ordinance Advisory Committee (OAC), community feedback, and consultant support from Camiros, Ltd.
What is the purpose and role of the Ordinance Advisory Committee?
The OAC is a small group with interests and experience in community organization, real estate and development, and advocacy in the Charlotte area with a balance of perspectives. To be effective, the committee’s membership is limited to no more than 40 members, all of whom are appointed by the Planning Director.
The role of the OAC is to provide advice to staff on the UDO. The committee members’ reactions and comments to ordinance concepts help staff make adjustments to the UDO. All OAC meetings are streamed live and also available for you to watch after the meeting, on our Charlotte Planning, Design & Development YouTube channel.
Who is on the OAC? Which communities are represented?
Generally speaking, we have included three key groups on the OAC.
- Neighborhood leaders/associations. Neighborhood representatives on the OAC come from each City Council district. These members share the thoughts of neighborhoods and residents from across Charlotte.
- The real estate and development community. Our community is growing quickly. As a result, essential residential and business activity is critical to meet the needs of residents. In this way, the real estate and development community provide critical insight for the UDO. This group includes architects, engineers, developers, and real estate attorneys.
- Advocacy groups. Advocacy groups play an important role as a voice for their members and their interests. Generally, this includes non-profit groups that represent issues like sustainability, business interests, mobility, etc.
How does the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) address Affordable Housing?
The vision and guiding principles of the UDO support affordable housing by encouraging a range of housing choices. In short, this includes housing that meet the needs of people with different incomes, ages, physical abilities and lifestyles. Research has shown that supporting a greater mix of housing types is key to providing more opportunities for affordable housing.
In addition, the UDO includes several other methods to achieve greater affordability including incentives, removing regulatory barriers, and providing higher density housing opportunities.
How is the Charlotte community involved?
Learn about ways to engage now at charlotteudo.org/get-involved/whats-new/.
How can I stay updated?
