Durham UDO Rewrite Meeting on Thursday

With the recent adoption of the city and county’s new comprehensive plan, the Durham Planning Department is shifting its focus to implementing the goals and actions outlined in the plan. One key aspect of this implementation involves recommending changes to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The UDO is a legally binding set of rules that regulate how physical development of land occurs in both the city and county.

A team of consultants led by Code Studio will assist in this work. The UDO rewrite process will take about a year and a half before public hearings and the adoption process begin. During this time, a separate community consultant will work alongside staff and Code Studio to focus on equitable engagement, particularly involving historically underrepresented communities.

Over the past two months, following the project kickoff open houses in February, Durham planners received more than 200 community responses from an initial survey on the new UDO project. This project aims to align regulations with the community’s vision as outlined in the 2023 Durham comprehensive plan. The survey sought specific input from residents on how they want to see this vision enacted through regulations.

Residents of South Durham, your voice is crucial! Join Durham planners for Code Connect #2: UDO Code Audit on Thursday, May 30, from 6 to 7 p.m. online via Zoom: https://rb.gy/qpbfsh. Since the last Code Connect, planners have distilled feedback and evaluated the current code. Tune in as they share the findings from the code audit and let them know if they’re heading in the right direction. For more information, visit ENGAGEDurham.com/NewUDO.

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