News

We need your input on Wilson's Unified Development Ordinance

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Document will streamline future planning and ensure best practices

The City of Wilson Planning and Development Services Department is pleased to announce the availability of the first Chapters of the proposed Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). This provides an opportunity to review and comment on the work that has been completed thus far by the City Council appointed Unified Development Ordinance Steering Committee.

This is the first comprehensive rewrite of Wilson’s development regulations since the original Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 1961. The UDO implements the recently adopted 2030 Comprehensive Plan that was adopted in April 2010. The UDO clarifies and simplifies the City’s regulations. It also streamlines the development approval process. The UDO will be readable, functional and be useable by citizens and developers alike.

Over the past eighteen months, meetings were held with citizens and stakeholder groups. A balanced Steering Committee met every two weeks to debate policy
contained within each of the Chapters available in this released document. In this new phase, citizens are encouraged to craft specific comments to respond to this product.

The Unified Development Ordinance will be the City’s official document regulating all growth and development in the City. This single document combines all existing development regulations guiding land use in the City. This combination includes zoning, subdivision, site plan approvals, and environmental regulations including floodplains and stormwater. Examples of the included topics are land use and zoning; landscaping; placement and massing of commercial and multiple family dwellings; construction in floodplains; parking and water quality protection.

All interested citizens are welcome to comment on this important document. Choose to help craft a community that instills pride in its citizenry by forwarding your comments to the Planning and Development Services Department. For more information on the development review processes or design and development standards, feel free to review it here.

Contact Ellen Hoj, Senior Planner, at 252-206-5289 if you have remarks or need clarification or more information. The website provides for easy commenting or you can forward input to Ms. Hoj at ehoj@wilsonnc.org. We are excited to be moving forward to this next stage in the process and are grateful for your participation.