Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Udo topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Smithfield council hears major UDO overhaul proposal, tables amendments to November
Summary
Planning staff presented a broad package of Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) amendments including tree-resource permitting, lighting and parking updates, and a proposed septic minimum of 1 acre for septic lots in the ETJ; after extended Q&A the council voted to table the package until November for further review.
Planning staff presented a sweeping set of proposed amendments to the Town of Smithfield Unified Development Ordinance (ZA-23-06), outlining changes intended to clarify performance standards, move technical street design elements to the engineering standards manual, and address several technical and policy gaps.
Steven from planning staff gave the presentation, listing consolidated dumpster regulations, revised landscaping triggers, a proposed permit/process for forestry projects to address riparian-buffer violations, clarified encroachment sections, updated outdoor lighting standards including restrictions on floodlights and a move toward downcast LED fixtures, and edits to traffic-impact references. A substantive recommendation would increase minimum lot size for septic-served lots from 20,000 square feet to 1 acre for areas in the extraterritorial jurisdiction; planning staff said that recommendation came after consultation with Johnston County environmental health and is intended to reduce septic-site failures.
Council members questioned several details. One raised concern that making site plans administrative should not reintroduce council review; staff clarified that references to planning board and council were being removed where review no longer occurred. Councilmembers pressed staff on lighting standards and how long-term maintenance or nonconforming fixtures would be enforced after development, and whether street lighting requirements or spacing standards should be included. Questions were raised about parking standards for restaurants and how outdoor seating would be counted under the revised requirement of one parking space per three seats.
Following discussion, a councilmember moved to table the UDO amendments until the November meeting to give council members more time to review the proposals and permit absent members to comment. The motion was seconded and the council voted in favor; the package was tabled for further review. Staff offered to return with additional information, including more data from environmental health regarding soil testing for septic capacity and refinement of lighting and parking language.
Next steps: planning staff will gather the additional information requested and return the package to the council at the scheduled November meeting.
