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Planning department outlines Forward 2045 follow‑ups: ADUs, view corridors and annexation policy
Summary
Forsyth County planning staff reported on Forward 2045 implementation, upcoming area plans starting January 2026, and policy items including accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules, potential view‑corridor expansions for billboards, and annexation policy concerns.
Chris Murphy, joint planning and zoning director, briefed the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 23 about implementation steps following adoption of Forward 2045 and several policy items the department recommends the board consider.
Murphy said the county will begin Area Plan 4 in January 2026, starting with a Northeast Suburban Area Plan that covers a large portion of the Beltway. The department plans shorter, graphic‑focused area plans with parcel‑specific land‑use recommendations; area plan 4 is intended to close gaps where prior plans had deferred decisions to smaller municipalities and to provide clearer land use guidance on city‑county edges.
Accessory dwelling units and housing options
Murphy said housing workshops and Forward 2045 feedback led staff to recommend examining changes to zoning and the unified development ordinance (UDO) to increase housing choices, including allowing attached housing forms in planned residential developments, considering duplexes/twin homes in single‑family zones, and reexamining ADU rules. Under current standards, Murphy said the county cap for an ADU is 1,000 square feet. Staff asked the board whether to consider: raising size limits, treating manufactured‑home ADUs differently from site‑built, allowing more than one ADU on large parcels, and increasing setbacks in rural areas.
View corridors and billboard policy
Murphy also briefed commissioners on a possible expansion of view corridors to restrict off‑premise signs (billboards). He showed a map of the National Highway System corridors eligible for billboards and outlined five candidate expansion corridors where only one parcel currently carries a commercial zoning classification that would allow a billboard. Staff asked whether commissioners want staff to prepare a text amendment to expand view corridors for consideration.
Annexation and city‑county interface
Murphy described recurring problems at the city‑county boundary — split lots, pockets of city parcels surrounded by county parcels, and inconsistent street maintenance and service delivery — and asked the board whether staff should begin work on an annexation policy to guide future development and reduce enclaves. He emphasized any policy would be prospective and would not force existing residents to annex.
Why it matters: The items staff flagged would change local land‑use rules and could affect neighborhood character, housing supply and the location of billboards. Commissioners asked for public education, environmental safeguards (tree protection and floodplain limits) and careful outreach.
Next steps and public process
Murphy said staff will prepare stakeholder outreach and draft text amendments for any direction the board gives, and that area plan outreach and public hearings would follow the drafting process. The board asked to schedule more detailed discussion at a morning briefing on ADUs and annexation.
Ending: The department will begin the Northeast Suburban Area Plan in January 2026 and return to the board with draft text amendments and public‑engagement plans for ADUs, view corridors and annexation policy work.
