Hillsborough Extends Timeline for Development Ordinance Rewrite, Offers Monthly Work Sessions

WHAT: Monthly work sessions to rewrite development ordinances. The public is invited to help.

WHEN: 5 to 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month, June-August. May's session will be May 11. Sessions on topics of broad interest will be 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tentative schedule is below.

WHERE: Town Barn, located on the Town Hall campus, 101 E. Orange St.

The Town of Hillsborough has extended the timeline for rewriting development ordinances to October.

The extension — which will not exceed the project’s original budget — will give the public more opportunities to ask questions and review draft language. Through monthly “open house” meetings, the public and town will be able to work together to write additional revisions.

The timeline was extended after the town received a second draft of the unified development ordinance in March, which the Hillsborough Planning Board and Hillsborough Planning Department are developing in the rewrite of the town’s zoning and subdivision ordinances. Town officials realized then that significant work still is needed to achieve the project’s goals and to address the wide variety of “wish list” topics that have been created.

The list of significant, new text desired in the ordinance includes tree preservation, design review for non-residential development, protection of archaeology and integration of “green” building standards into developments. Other work includes careful rewriting of
existing sections, like the table of permitted uses in all zoning districts; signage; and stormwater management.

“The extra time to study each of these topics more in depth will help avoid unintended consequences and loopholes in the new ordinance,” Planning Director Margaret Hauth said.

Town staff will host a series of open houses on the first Tuesday of each month, which will allow the public, staff, Planning Board and town attorney to write additional revisions for the unified development ordinance. To avoid a conflict with primary elections, the first open house will be May 11. The first Tuesday-of-the-month schedule will begin June 1.

Each open house will focus on small sections of the ordinance. Sessions with topics of broad interest will begin at 7 p.m. The tentative schedule is available below and on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite page, which is part of the Planning Department pages in the Town Government section of Hillsborough’s Web site.

A unified development ordinance — which is popular in many jurisdictions — consolidates all development ordinances into one easy-to-read document that includes graphics, tables and charts to clarify ordinances further. Hillsborough’s zoning ordinance was adopted in 1986 and can be difficult and confusing to work within despite multiple amendments over the years.

Clarion Associates, a Chapel Hill-based consulting firm, has been contracted to help the town diagnose issues within the current ordinances, guide public input sessions and prepare the unified ordinance. Hillsborough’s attorney, the Brough Law Firm, is helping draft the new ordinance’s language.

The Zoning Ordinance Rewrite page provides information about important dates, meeting results, feedback opportunities and draft documents. It should be checked periodically for updated information. For further questions or comments, contact the planning director by e-mail or by phone at 732-1270 Ext. 86.

Tentative Open House Schedule

Unless otherwise specified, all meetings will take place in the Town Barn, located on the Town Hall campus at 101 E. Orange St. Parking is accessed through East Corbin Street.

May 11 — 5 to 6:30 p.m.
New Zoning Districts, Permitted Use Table

June 1 — 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Parking, Tree Preservation

July 6 — 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Signs, Temporary Uses, Events

July 27 — 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Density

Aug. 3 — 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Process Changes, Design Review

Aug. 31 — 7 to 8:30 p.m.
General, Pre-hearing Check-in on Entire Document