Moore County commissioners adopt zoning and budget measures, OK school computer lease and fire vehicle purchase

The Moore County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 21 approved a package of land-use, budget and public-safety items and moved several public hearings to future meetings.

The board voted to adopt a consistency statement for the county’s land use plan and to approve amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that change “personal workshop” from an accessory use to a principal use in specified sections of Chapter 6 and Chapter 8. Commissioners also adopted a proposed schedule for the county’s fiscal 2025–26 budget process, approved the continued operation of the county’s combined Child Fatality Prevention Team and Community Child Protection Team as a single-county local team, authorized a county contribution not to exceed $54,000 toward a replacement utility vehicle for the 7 Lakes Fire Department (and approved a matching budget amendment), and approved a three-year lease-purchase for student computers for Moore County Schools that requires an appropriation to the Board of Education.

Why it matters: the UDO amendment clarifies how “personal workshop” uses are classified in the county code; the land-use consistency vote and the UDO change are steps in aligning the county’s zoning rules with its planning work. The budget schedule sets the calendar for required statutory hearings and adoption, and the purchases affect county capital and school technology planning.

Planning and zoning

The board approved an amendment to the UDO to list personal workshops as a principal use rather than only as an accessory use, following a unanimous planning board recommendation. Planning staff explained the change resolves confusion in the ordinance about whether certain standalone workshop buildings were permitted. Local resident Randolph “Randy” Craven spoke during the public hearing describing how UDO restrictions had affected his ability to build a small workshop for personal use; he urged the board to lift restrictions for property owners who want modest structures. The board voted to approve the amendments. (See “Votes at a glance.”)

Land-use consistency

Board members voted to find the county’s actions consistent with the Board of Commissioners’ adopted land use plan and authorized the chairman to execute…