This item is carried over from the Village Council's 1/12/21 work session and includes an updated staff memo and updated moratorium ordinance based on work session discussion.

FROM:
Natalie Hawkins & Darryn Burich

CC:
Jeff Sanborn

DATE OF MEMO:
1/7/2021

MEMO DETAILS:

During the Village Council's annual strategic planning retreat in December, the Council indicated it would like to consider a moratorium on development in two of the Focus Areas identified in 2019 Comprehensive Plan while Small Area Plans are being prepared. These areas include the NC Highway 5 Commercial Area (Focus Area 2) and the Village Place/Rattlesnake Trail Corridor (Focus Area 4). Design Collective, the firm engaged by the Council to complete the Small Area Plans for both of these Focus Areas, is scheduled to have the plans and design standards completed later this calendar year.

 

NC General Statutes (NCGS) authorize municipalities to implement a moratorium on development and the statutory requirements for a moratorium are described in Section 160D-107.

 

Because existing zoning and design standards in these two Focus Areas is inconsistent with the stated vision of these areas in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, this moratorium could prevent future development or re-development from occurring that is incompatible with this vision until such time as new development regulations and standards are enacted later this year.

 

Staff have attached the following documents to this agenda item:

 

1. Staff memo - This provides additional information about the proposed moratorium and explains several exceptions to the moratorium that are being proposed by staff, with a few in addition to what was discussed by Council on January 12th.
2. Draft moratorium ordinance - This represents suggested language for an ordinance to adopt a temporary (9-month) moratorium
3. Exhibits A & B - These indicate the boundary areas of the proposed moratorium
4. NCGS 160D-107 - These are the statutes that provide local governments with the authority to implement a moratorium. While these statutes became effective January 1, 2021, municipalities have long held the authority to implement a moratorium (previously under NCGS 160A-381).

 

Council and the public can access Geographic Information Systems (GIS) maps of the two Focus Areas using this link to an online interactive map.