AGENDA ITEM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ITEM TITLE
title
Omnibus Text Amendment to the Chapel Hill Land Use Management Ordinance and Town Code
presenter
RESPONSIBLE STAFF, TITLE, DEPARTMENT*
Tas Lagoo, Long-Range Planning Manager, Planning Department
STAFF RECOMMENDATION*
Open the hearing, receive public comment, provide feedback on the text amendment, and continue the hearing to November 19, 2025.
body
LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT*
The Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO), Town Code Appendix A Section 8.1 requires Town Council, in its legislative capacity, to consider proposed amendments to the LUMO. NCGS 160A-174 provides for the creation of Ordinances through enactment by the Council.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT*
Members of the Town Council have expressed an interest in considering amendments to the Land Use Management Ordinance prior to completion of the comprehensive LUMO rewrite. Proposed revisions to be considered include:
• Increasing the allowed size of duplexes, ADU’s, and cottages;
• Making existing manufactured home communities permitted uses in their respective zoning districts;
• Decreasing minimum lot sizes;
• Allowing flag lots and “zero-frontage lots”;
• Updating certain infrastructure requirements for subdivisions to only apply when new roads are constructed or when subdivided lots front on higher capacity streets;
• Removing mandatory parking minimums;
• Removing Concept Plan Reviews;
• Removing administrative Site Plan Reviews for most projects;
• Removing “Community Design Commission Final Plans Reviews;”
• Giving staff authority over all subdivision applications;
• Streamlining the conditional zoning process;
• Allowing projects with existing Special Use Permits to add new uses that are already designated as permitted uses within the relevant zoning district without additional Council approval; and
• Miscellaneous technical corrections
COMPLETE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
The proposed amendments are intended to support incremental in-fill development in Chapel Hill, streamline review processes, and help to move the Town away from project-by-project decision making.
ATTACHMENTS
Ordinance and Resolution
• LUMO_Draft Resolution A - Consistency and Reasonableness
• LUMO_Draft Ordinance A - Approving the Text Amendments
Staff and Advisory Board Materials
• LUMO_Staff Report
• LUMO_Staff’s Draft Presentation
• LUMO_Planning Commission Recommendation
end