July 2019 Development services Newsletter

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July 2019


Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Alignment Rezoning

The City intends to rezone more than 1,900 parcels along the length of the Blue Line light rail corridor to one of the four new Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning districts, to ensure that the parcel zoning aligns with the recommended future land use and other policies of the City Council-adopted station area plans.

The new TOD zoning will:

  1. Enhance design and development standards to support pedestrian-friendly development;
  2. Provide flexibility for property owners by creating broader use categories;
  3. Create more by-right development entitlements for property owners, with less process and greater predictability;
  4. Encourage the rehabilitation and reuse of structures that contribute to the identity and character of the neighborhood;
  5. Respect existing established residential neighborhoods by limiting the height and intensity of adjacent new development; and,
  6. Support a diversity of housing choices with access to daily services, employment, and transit.

An informational drop-in meeting will be held on July 18 for anyone wishing to learn more about this rezoning. The meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall on the first floor of the Pritchard Building, Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church, 1117 South Boulevard. Drop-in times are 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Presentations are scheduled for 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 6:15 p.m.

Additional information on the TOD Alignment Rezoning is available on the CharlotteUDO.org website.


Proposed Changes to the Charlotte Tree Ordinance and Sign Ordinance

As part of the City’s ongoing Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) project, the City is proposing changes to both the Charlotte Tree Ordinance and the Sign Ordinance. The proposed changes to the Tree Ordinance are limited in scope but the proposed changes to the Sign Ordinance are more comprehensive and far-reaching. So, what’s being proposed?

Tree Ordinance

While an effective tool, the application of the Tree Ordinance standards to urban development can be challenging. The proposed changes are intended to make the Tree Ordinance work better on these urban sites. Such sites are zoned, UMUD, MUDD, TOD, UR and NS, as well as any zoning district with a PED or TS overlay.

The proposed changes to the Tree Ordinance will:

  1. Codify flexibility – Greater transparency and predictability can be expected by formalizing the flexible administration of the Tree Ordinance that is currently already in use
  2. Better integrate trees into urban sites – Provide more/better options to integrate trees on urban sites where people can interact with them
  3. Result in NO NET LOSS OF ORDINANCE REQUIRED TREES – This is a guiding principle in these proposed changes

Sign Ordinance

The City’s sign regulations have remained largely unchanged since adopted in 1992. Rapid growth, coupled with changes in the sign/advertising industry and the legal landscape, have made it clear that now is the time to update the Sign Ordinance. Unlike the proposed changes to the Tree Ordinance, the proposed changes to the sign regulations will reach across all the City’s jurisdiction and impact all zoning districts.

The proposed changes to the Sign Ordinance will:

  1. Create content-neutral standards – New regulations will be based on sign type and physical characteristics
  2. Introduce new sign types – For example, A-frame, roof and skyline signs
  3. Provide consistency & uniformity – Regulations in & across districts will be more similar
  4. Make the standards easier to use & understand – More illustrative graphics will be included
  5. Eliminate the scattershot of sign regulations throughout the Zoning Ordinance – Bring all sign regulations into one location

NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES are currently being proposed for Outdoor Advertising (i.e. billboard) signs.

Want to learn more?

An informational drop-in meeting will be held on July 11 for anyone wishing to learn more about these proposed changes. The meeting will be held at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center in Room 267 (2nd Floor), 600 E. Fourth St. Drop-in times for Sign Ordinance changes are 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and for the Tree Ordinance from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Staff will be on hand to receive feedback, discuss the proposed changes and answer questions.

You may also visit the CharlotteUDO.org website for additional information.


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Erosion & Sedimentation Control Training Fall Seminar

A Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control overview seminar and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Certified Site Inspector (CMCSI) class will be held on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at SMS Catering Services, 1764 Norland Road, Charlotte, NC.    

Registration forms for the October 3rd Seminar can be downloaded from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Certified Site Inspector website. Please note, registrations will not be accepted after September 26th.

If you have any questions regarding the CMCSI Training Seminar, please contact Justin Klein at 704-609-4765.


Upcoming Stakeholder and Committee Meetings

All meetings are open to the public.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TECHNICAL ADVISORY (DSTAC) COMMITTEE: Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month on the 8th floor in Planning's Innovation Station, Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center (600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC) from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

STORM WATER ADVISORY COMMISSION (SWAC) MEETING: Meetings are typically held on the third Thursday of each month at 4:30 pm at the Mecklenburg County Offices at 2145 Suttle Avenue, Charlotte, NC.

TREE ADVISORY COMMISSION: Meetings are typically held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center (600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC) beginning at 5:00 pm.