Commissioners approve UDO clarification and conditional rezoning to let Sandhills Teen Challenge seek state licensure

The Moore County Board of Commissioners voted to amend the Unified Development Ordinance and to conditionally rezone a 30.9-acre parcel at 444 Farm Life School Road so Sandhills Adult and Teen Challenge can obtain state licensure.

The planning director said the text amendment to Chapter 8 removes inconsistent language so group care facilities are regulated “in accordance with the table of uses” rather than by an always-required special-use permit. Ruth Peterson, Moore County planning director, told the board the Planning Board recommended approval, 6-0, and the change makes the specific use standards consistent with the principal use table in Chapter 6.

The change came before a separate conditional rezoning application from Sandhills Adult and Teen Challenge, which has operated at 444 Farm Life School Road since 1987. Peterson said the organization seeks state licensure to access additional funding and must be a conforming use under local zoning to qualify. She described a “group care facility” as an inpatient facility providing supervision, medical or rehabilitation services for persons with substance use or other needs, and said the property is currently zoned RA (Rural Agricultural) and is a nonconforming use without conditional zoning.

The Planning Board reviewed both items on July 10, 2025, and recommended approval of the text amendment and the conditional rezoning, each by unanimous votes. Peterson said the conditional rezoning would not change the site or program; it would allow the facility to align with local regulations and state licensing requirements.

Commissioners discussed the long presence of Teen Challenge in Moore County and the organization’s work. One commissioner noted personal experience helping construct buildings at the site and urged caution in broader zoning updates while the county completes its land-use plan and infrastructure mapping. Another commissioner described the program’s expansion to serve women as well as men and said the facility is “a tremendous asset to Moore County.”

The board adopted the required land-use consistency statement under North Carolina General Statute 160D-605 and approved the conditional rezoning of the parcel to Rural Agricultural Conditional Zoning (RACZ) for a group care facility owned by Adult and Teen Challenge of Sandhills (deed book 6010, page 492). The motion to approve passed; the board did not record a roll-call vote in the minutes provided.

The text amendment and the rezoning now bring the facility into conformity with the Unified Development Ordinance and allow the applicant to pursue state licensure that the facility had indicated it needs to access certain funds.

Peterson and the Planning Board materials noted the parcel is largely wooded, within a watershed overlay, and that no site changes were proposed as part of the rezoning. The county said any future site changes would be reviewed under applicable UDO standards, conservation subdivision rules, and, if needed, quasi‑judicial processes.

The board packet included the Planning Board’s consistency findings and the applicant’s documentation. Commissioners stressed the board would continue careful review of zoning changes as the county’s broader land-use plan and water/sewer availability are completed.