The Reboot Reidsville project is an initiative being undertaken by the City to prepare a new Unified Development Ordinance. A Unified Development Ordinance (or “UDO”) is the basic set of laws used by the City to foster redevelopment, support employment growth, ensure a wide range of housing options, and help ensure a prosperous future for City residents. It includes the zoning provisions, the subdivision requirements, development application review requirements, and the zoning enforcement standards.
The new Reidsville UDO will establish basic rules for how land may be used, what kinds of land uses may be permitted in what locations, the process for gaining approval of a proposed land use or development activity, and how the City will handle violations or complaints about potential violations of the development rules.
In March of 2022, the City issued a request for qualifications in search of a consulting firm to assist the City with a comprehensive update of the current development regulations and the establishment of a new UDO. The City’s request indicates the desire for a new modern UDO to implement the 2022 Land Development Plan and to guide development within the City’s planning jurisdiction. The request for proposals included the following guiding principles for the project:
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Ensure consistency between UDO and Reidsville Land Development Plan (LDP) stated outcomes and policies;
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Regulations shall incorporate and be consistent with the North Carolina General Statutes, as well as applicable federal statutes pertaining to zoning, land use, subdivision, environmental protection, permitting, administration, appeals/variances, conditional uses, and enforcement;
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Create user-friendly format with “plain language” text with “graphics”, where applicable;
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Minimize text redundancies and need to reference multiple sections of UDO. Provide cross references where multiple sections of ordinance must be accessed;
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Ensure text, terms, and procedural consistency within UDO;
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Update and add definitions to reflect current planning practice and usage;
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Update use tables to reflect both existing and future uses;
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Maximize use of diagrams and graphics to promote intuitive understating and use of UDO;
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Produce “static” as well as “interactive” (web-based) ordinance formats – with latter utilizing hyperlinks and searchable functions.
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The City’s request for qualifications is available under the DOCUMENTS tab of this website.
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The City’s new 2022 Land Development Plan is a policy document adopted by the City Council in July of 2022 that identifies the City’s shared vision for the future, the goals for growth and development, and a set of recommendations for the City to undertake in order to reach those goals. Page 33 of the Plan identifies six key goals for Reidsville. These include:
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A thriving downtown (with a greater variety of businesses and residential options);
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A strong local economy (with more industrial jobs and revitalized corridors);
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Expanded housing options (with more and better housing choices);
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Infrastructure for growth (ensure public facility capacity is adequate);
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Facilities, parks, and trails for active living (expand trails and greenways); and
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Preserve the history and sense of community (including preserving historic homes and features).
In addition to the goals mentioned above, page 37 of the Land Development Plan also includes a new future land use map) that identifies the boundaries and objectives for five separate growth areas.
The UDO is the primary means by which the City will achieve many of the goals and objectives identified in the 2022 Land Development Plan, including broadening the range of housing options, preserving historic areas, encouraging development of activity centers in designated locations, and protection rural character and environmentally-sensitive areas.
The new UDO prepared under the Reboot Reidsville project will utilize a new user-friendly page layout and numbering system, be highly illustrated, and include numerous navigational aids to make the document easier to use. In addition to structural improvements, the new UDO will focus on greater predictability through simple language, inclusion of more detail on purpose and intent, and clear descriptions of decision-making criteria. The new UDO will also promote a greater level of flexibility in pursuit of beneficial forms of development and redevelopment (in the Downtown and designated activity centers). There will be incentives for preferred development forms, menu-based approaches to development standards that allow applicants to choose from among a range of options for meeting some development requirements, and various methods of alternative compliance.
Finally, the new UDO will be consistent with applicable State law, federal law, recent court precedent, and national best practices in land use regulation as a means of reducing legal exposure and protecting private property rights.
FUTURE LAND USE MAP
ZONING MAP
