FAQ
This page provides answers to some basic questions about the Reboot Reidsville project. This page will be modified as new questions arise over the course of the project. If you have a question that is not answered below, please pose your question in the textbox at the bottom of the page and include your email if you would like a City staff member to respond. If enough people ask the same or similar question it will be added to this list of FAQs.
01 WHAT IS THE REBOOT REIDSVILLE PROJECT?
The Reboot Reidsville project is an effort undertaken by the City of Reidsville, with assistance from CodeWright Planners, Angie Manning Consultants, and Bedrock Planning to prepare a new Unified Development Ordinance (“UDO”) to implement the City’s adopted policy guidance and to establish new development rules and procedures that can help foster economic development and improve quality of life. The new UDO is expected to raise the bar for development quality, increase the range of available housing types, and provide more opportunities for retail and employment uses. In addition to creating a new UDO the project will also create a series of new electronic development application forms.
02 WHY IS THE PROJECT CALLED “REBOOT REIDSVILLE”?
Reidsville has a proud history as a major manufacturing, tobacco, and textile center in the Piedmont Triad region, but has suffered with the departure of manufacturing jobs from North Carolina. The city has an impressive stock of industrial buildings and a mature central business district. Like many local governments across the State, new regional transportation routes built in the later part of the 20th Century in peripheral locations have drawn commercial development to the outskirts of the City, worsening the decline of downtown. In recent years, Reidsville has become more committed to downtown revitalization and encouraging new development and residential uses to return to downtown. The 2022 Land Development Plan lists downtown revitalization and employment growth as its first two goals. An important part of the City’s re-awakening and revitalization is ensuring that the City’s development rules protect community character and quality of life without obstructing economic process. Encouraging new jobs, commercial activity, and housing in the downtown and designated activity centers requires a careful balancing of flexibility and compatibility protection. This renewed commitment to the City’s renaissance is the reason for the project name – the new UDO is hoped help to “reboot” or restart the City’s employment opportunities, housing options, and civic pride.
03 WHAT IS A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE?
A Unified Development Ordinance (or the “UDO”) is an integrated set of laws governing the use of land within the corporate limits of the City and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The UDO establishes the kinds of land uses that may be permitted, where those uses may be permitted, the process used by the City to consider requests to establish allowable uses, how uses and land development activities may be operated, how sites and site features supporting land uses are to be configured, and how violations of the City’s land use rules are determined and addressed. In addition to the written rules, the UDO also includes the Official Zoning Map, or the graphic distribution of zoning districts (and thus allowable use types). Any changes to the Official Zoning Map from the new UDO are expected to be minimal, though some zoning district translations may be proposed. A digital version of the City’s current Zoning, Subdivision, and flood damage prevention ordinances are available under the DOCUMENTS tab.
04 WHAT IS THE CITY'S ADOPTED POLICY GUIDANCE?
The City’s adopted policy guidance is a set of adopted documents that identify the City’s shared vision and direction for the future. While adopted policy guidance like a land use plan is required by State law for local governments seeking to apply zoning controls, adopted policy guidance is advisory in nature. The primary piece of adopted policy guidance is the 2022 Land Development Plan. This document expresses the City’s vision for its future in terms of land use and outlines the goals and actions necessary to realize this vision. Also included in the adopted policy guidance is the Blueway and Greenway Plan (adopted in 2019). Together, these documents comprise the policy guidance for Reidsville that is implemented through regulations like the forthcoming UDO. Copies of the Land Development Plan and Blueway and Greenway Plan are available under the DOCUMENTS tab of this webpage.
05 WHY IS THE CITY DOING THIS PROJECT NOW?
The City’s adoption of its Land Development Plan, coupled with a wide variety of recent statutory changes at the State level, and significant growth taking place north of the State line, make it a perfect time to bring the City’s rules into alignment with its goals for future development, current legislation, and best practices in land development regulation. Demand for recreational activity across the State line may help bring additional investment to Reidsville, and the development regulations should be positioned to take advantage of any opportunities.
06 WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS?
Reboot Reidsville has 6 tasks in the process over a 17-month period starting in July of 2023. The table below identifies the tasks, or steps in the process and the purposes for each. This is a tentative schedule that may be revised as the project progresses.
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07 WILL MY PROPERTY BE AFFECTED?
Development in the City’s planning jurisdiction is subject to the rules in the current zoning and subdivision regulations. While many of the rules in these current documents will likely be revised or amended as part of the new UDO, lawfully established development that predates the UDO will instead be subject to the City’s prior rules. The new UDO will include a series of details about how development applications in process at the time of the adoption of the new UDO will be addressed. Generally speaking, most development applications in process at the time of adoption may choose to follow the new rules or the prior rules. Land that is vacant and not subject to a development application at the time the new UDO is adopted will be subject to the rules and requirements in the new UDO. Every effort will be made to ensure that lawfully-established existing development is not impacted in a negative manner by the adoption of the new UDO.
08 HOW CAN I GET MORE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS?
Reboot Reidsville includes a series of two public forums at key stages in the process (the Code Assessment and the Annotated Outline). There are also a series of Planning Board meetings about the project that are open to the public during the process as well. The adoption process includes at two public hearings where members of the public may provide input. Additional details on the ways to become more involved are available on the PARTICIPATE tab of this webpage.
