The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a series of changes to the Unified Development Code in their Regular Commission Meeting last week.
Highlights of the changes include:
- A New Administrative variance process [Chapters 6, 8, 18; this is a newly instituted, staff process];
- Variance expiration period [Chapter 8; variances now remain in perpetuity except for specified situations as noted];
- Permit expiration periods [Chapter 7; doubled periods for specified permits]
- Building separation [Chapter 10; 18″ encroachments allowed as we currently permit in setbacks
- Residential district performance standards [Chapter 11; Table 11.2 (b) for Res 3 and Res 4]
- Left RES2 unchanged;
- Changed RES3 to 10,000 SF lots with a density of 2.5 units per acre with 2000 SF heated floor space for a major subdivision and in addition to the changes to RES3 to add in RES4 that the minimum lot size be changed to 8000 SF, the density to 3.5 units per acre and the house size to 1250 SF heated floor space for a major subdivision.
The Council has been active in the process over the last year, working with members, county staff and commissioners in order to change the current Residential District Zoning Standards.
We would like to commend Commissioner Cindy Mills, Commissioner Todd Levent and Planning Director Tom Brown, as well as the members of the Board of Commissioners for working with the Council to address members concerns. Additionally, thank you to Council Member Ethan Underwood of Lipscomb, Johnson, Sleister, Dailey & Smith, LLP for his work on these changes.
To read the background on the changes and Council work click HERE