Details

Published: 26 November 2012

Unified Development Ordinance
Article 151.3, Section 3.4

The Conservation and Protection (CP) district is established to preserve and protect natural resources and areas of environmental concern (like the Great Dismal Swamp). The district is intended to protect swamps, wetlands, and riparian corridors from erosion and sedimentation; retain and protect environmentally sensitive areas; protect archeological resources from disturbance; and preserve and maintain the aesthetic qualities and appearance of the County. The district allows low-impact recreational facilities (trails, boardwalks, docks, boat launches), visitor or interpretive centers, access ways, utilities, erosion control features, and public parks, along with typical accessory uses such as restrooms, or off-street parking areas. The district does not permit residential or commercial development, marinas, or on-site wastewater treatment. Agricultural activities may be permitted as special uses.

Unified Development Ordinance
Article 151.3, Section 3.7

The Planned Development (PD) district is established and intended to encourage innovative land planning and site design concepts that support a high quality of life and achieve a high quality of development, environmental sensitivity, energy efficiency, and other County goals and objectives by:

• Reducing or diminishing inflexibility or uniform design that sometimes results from the strict application of zoning and development standards designed primarily for individual lots;
• Allowing greater freedom in selecting the means of providing access, open space, and design amenities;
• Allowing greater freedom in providing a well-integrated mix of residential and nonresidential land uses in the same development, including a mix of housing types, lot sizes, and densities;
• Providing for efficient use of land resulting in smaller networks of utilities and streets and thereby lowering development and housing costs; and
• Promoting quality design and environmentally sensitive development that respects surrounding established land use character and respects and takes advantage of a site’s natural and man-made features, such as trees, estuaries, shorelines, special flood hazard area, and historic features.

Unified Development Ordinance
Article 151.3, Section 3.8

Overlay zoning districts are superimposed over either all or a portion of one or more underlying general zoning districts with the intent of supplementing generally applicable development regulations with additional development regulations that address special area-specific conditions, features, or plans while maintaining the character and purposes of the underlying zoning district.

• Commercial Fishing Overlay
• Special Flood Hazard Area Overlay
• Local Historic District Overlay (Placeholder - No ordinance exists yet)
• Watershed Protection Overlay

Details

Published: 26 November 2012

Unified Development Ordinance 
Article 151.3, Section 3.5

(Click Here for Ordinance)

The residential zoning districts included in this section provide a comfortable, healthy, safe, and pleasant environment in which to live and recreate.  Development in a residential district is expected to remain compatible with residential uses and promote local community character.

Zoning Districts:

Click the link inside each districts description to go to the UDO section with more detail for each district.

• The Working Lands (WL) district is established to accommodate agriculture, agriculturally-related uses, and limited forms residential development at very low densities in rural portions of the County. The district is primarily intended to preserve and protect bona fide farms and resource lands for current or future agricultural use as well as to protect the rural character of the area. One of the primary tools for character protection is the requirement to configure residential subdivisions of more than five lots as conservation subdivisions. The conservation subdivision approach seeks to minimize the visibility of new residential development from adjacent roadways through proper placement and screening, and allows farmers to capture a portion of the land’s development potential while continuing to farm. Conservation subdivisions allow a portion of a tract or site to be developed with single-family detached homes while the balance of the site is left as conservation or agricultural land. The district also accommodates a wide range of agricultural and agricultural-related uses like “agri-tourism” as well as service and support uses to the rural community, including day care, educational uses, public safety facilities, parks, and utility features.
  
  
• The Rural Residential (RR) district is established to accommodate low density residential neighborhoods and supporting uses on lots near bona fide farms and agricultural areas in the rural portion of the County. The district is intended to accommodate residential development in ways that will not interfere with agricultural activity or negatively impact the rural character of the County. One of the primary tools for character protection is the requirement to configure residential subdivisions of more than five lots as conservation subdivisions. The conservation subdivision approach seeks to minimize the visibility of new residential development from adjacent roadways through proper placement and screening. The district accommodates several differing agricultural uses and single-family detached homes. It also allows supporting uses like educational facilities, parks, public safety facilities, and utilities. District regulations discourage uses that interfere with the development of residential dwellings or that are detrimental to the rural nature of the district.
  
  
• The Suburban Residential (SR) district is the County’s primary district for suburban residential neighborhoods located along primary roadways, shoreline areas, and in locations bordering rural areas. The district has a one-acre minimum lot area requirement, which is the basic threshold size for lots with onsite wastewater systems. Use of the conservation subdivision configuration is optional for residential subdivisions. While the district allows single-family detached homes, mobile homes on individual lots are prohibited. Nonconforming mobile homes may remain but may not be expanded or replaced with another mobile home. The district accommodates equestrian uses, utilities, as well as various neighborhood-supporting institutional uses such as parks, schools, and public safety facilities. District regulations discourage uses that interfere with the development of residential neighborhoods or that are detrimental to the suburban nature of the district.
  
  
• The Neighborhood Residential (NR) district serves as a transition district from the rural and suburban portions of the County to areas proximate to village centers and major commercial corridors. The district is intended to accommodate single-family detached homes in a neighborhood setting at moderate densities. Mobile and manufactured homes on individual lots, conservation subdivisions, and agricultural uses are limited in order to preserve the district’s neighborhood character. Manufactured homes are not allowed on lots within 5,280 linear feet of a village center boundary. The district’s 40,000- square-foot minimum lot area may be reduced when lots are within one mile of a designated village center boundary and served by public sewer. District regulations discourage uses that interfere with the development of residential neighborhoods or that are detrimental to the district’s single-family detached neighborhood character.
  
  
• The Village Residential (VR) district is established to accommodate a wide range of residential and institutional use types at modest densities on lots within and adjacent to designated village centers. The district allows duplexes, live/work units, single-family attached, and single-family detached dwellings, but does not allow mobile homes, manufactured homes, or conservation subdivisions. As a means of creating compact, functional neighborhoods, the district also allows a wide variety of institutional uses, including community centers, day care, schools, assisted living, religious institutions, parks, and utilities. Lots served by public sewer may have reduced minimum lot sizes and building height is measured from the base flood elevation. District regulations are intended to support the County’s investment in infrastructure by encouraging the development of compact, vibrant neighborhoods with a variety of house sizes and types that are located in close proximity to complementary institutional uses. Low density development comprised of uniform building types or styles is discouraged.

Details

Published: 26 November 2012

Unified Development Ordinance
Article 151.3, Section 3.6

(Click Here for Ordinance)

The commercial zoning districts are established for the general purpose of ensuring there are lands in the County that provide a wide range of office, retail, service, and related uses to meet household and business needs.

Zoning Districts

Click the link inside each districts description to go to the UDO section with more detail for each district.

• The Crossroads Commercial (CC) district is intended for low intensity, neighborhood-serving commercial development around significant roadway intersections in rural and suburban portions of the County. The district’s small scale and limited range of use types provides convenient access to basic goods and services to nearby residents in ways that protect the County’s scenic character and rural character. The district allows restaurants, offices, personal services, indoor recreation, retail, and visitor accommodation uses, as well as agricultural support uses, and institutional uses. As a means of providing additional housing options, the district allows live/work dwellings and upper story residential. Industrial development, single-family homes, and higher density residential uses are not permitted. The district is limited in size (up to four acres) and must be within 500 linear feet of a significant street intersection. New commercial development is built close to the street and subject to commercial design standards to raise the bar for development quality. District regulations discourage uses that are too intense or that draw the majority of their patrons from outside the immediate area.
  
  
• The Village Commercial (VC) district intended to foster high quality, compact, pedestrian-oriented development on lots within designated village centers. Development in the VC district is human-scaled and designed to promote visual interest for pedestrians. Ground-level retail and personal services that promote pedestrian activity along the street are highly encouraged and large, monolithic, automobile-oriented developments are prohibited. New development in the district is located close to the street, provides passers-by with clear views into the building’s ground floor, and fosters sidewalk dining, outdoor seating, and interaction among pedestrians. The district requires urban-style open space (greens, seating areas, plazas, pocket parks, roof gardens, etc.) to be included as a part of new development. In addition to commercial uses, the district allows a variety of moderate-density residential development. New commercial, mixed-use, and multi-family developments in the district are subject to the design standards in ARTICLE 151.5: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
  
  
• The Mixed Use (MX) district accommodates a diverse mix of uses on lands well served by public sewer and located within the core portions of the County’s designated village centers. The district is intended to foster functional neighborhoods where County residents and visitors can live, work, shop, and recreate without travelling large distances between differing uses. Buildings are built close to the sidewalk and one another and served by public gathering areas that create places for people to congregate and interact. Off-street parking and service areas are located to the sides and rears of buildings to help ensure a continuity of building facades along street edges and to avoid areas that are unsafe or undesirable for pedestrians. The district encourages a fine-grained network of streets and pedestrian ways that allow a wide freedom of movement and choices in transportation mode. Uses are located in close proximity to one another and rely on design techniques to maintain compatibility instead of large yards, deep setbacks, and suburban-style vegetative buffers. The district allows a wide variety of housing types to promote population density and to support nearby retail, dining, and entertainment establishments. The district discourages the establishment of single-use, monolithic, and automobile-oriented forms of development that require large areas of off-street parking, large floor-plates, or that fail to cater to pedestrians.
  
  
• The Highway Commercial (HC) district is applied to lots along the County’s major roadways (e.g., US 158, US 17, NC 34, and NC 343) and is intended for automobile-oriented commercial development as well as large floorplate commercial uses and uses that require or generate truck traffic. The district also accommodates agricultural and institutional uses as well as higher density residential uses with a special use permit. New development in the HC district is grouped and configured to ensure regular lateral vehicular and pedestrian access along major transportation routes as a means of establishing a well connected transportation system. New development is configured to maintain high visual quality along the major roadway, or is fully screened from view. Sufficient spacing and screening is included along lot lines shared with adjacent residential zoning districts to ensure compatibility. New commercial and multi-family developments in the district are subject to the design standards in ARTICLE 151.5: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
  
  
• The Maritime Commercial (MC) district accommodates commercial operations which depend on a waterfront location or that use the County’s waterways for operation. The district encourages the establishment and continuation of coastal-dependent and water related uses of a marine theme and character that provide physical and visual access to rivers, streams, and sounds. Uses allowed in the MC district are configured in ways to avoid negative impacts on County waters and adjacent low density residential uses. The district also allows institutional uses, recreational uses, and higher density residential uses with a special use permit. Uses are configured with sufficient spacing and screening along lot lines shared with adjacent residential zoning districts to ensure compatibility. New commercial and multi-family developments in the district are subject to the design standards in ARTICLE 151.5: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
  
  
• The Light Industrial (LI) district is established to accommodate agricultural and light manufacturing uses, including assembly, fabrication, processing, distribution, storage, and wholesales sale of finished or semi-finished products from previously prepared materials. The district also allows commercial activities intended to serve the primary businesses in the district and their employees. Uses allowed in the district do not require large amounts of land or large building areas for operation nor large yard areas for isolation or protection from adjoining premises or activities. Activities take place almost entirely indoors and result in minimal exterior movement of vehicles, materials, and goods in areas around the district. Buildings are situated so as to have minimal visual impacts, and are well-screened from adjacent lower intensity uses. Heavy industrial uses and uses with significant adverse impacts on adjoining lands are prohibited. Single-family detached homes and other low-intensity uses which could interfere with industrial operations are also prohibited.
  
  
• The Heavy Industrial (HI) district is established to accommodate agricultural processing, heavy manufacturing, and extractive industry (mining, quarrying, and oil and gas exploration, subject to use specific standards). The district accommodates largescale industrial uses including outdoor operations or storage with extensive movement of vehicles, materials, and goods, truck traffic and greater potential for adverse environmental and visual impacts on neighboring lands. The district allows limited forms of heavier commercial use types and residential development is prohibited (except for caretaker quarters as an accessory use). District standards are intended to prevent the establishment of any use types that would interrupt industrial operations. Extractive operations may only take place in accordance with State-issued permits and shall be returned to their pre-extraction state upon completion.

Details

Published: 21 November 2012

What is Zoning?

Webster's Dictionary defines Zoning as "to partition (a city, borough, or township [or county]) by ordinance into sections reserved for different purposes (as in residential or business uses)."

Zoning & Overlay Districts

• Residential Zoning Districts
• Commercial Zoning Districts
• Special Zoning & Overlay Districts

Principal Use Table (Click button below)