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Commissioners approve multiple UDO changes: nonconforming lots, wireless facilities on state land with military review, and highway-corridor manufactured-homes
Summary
The board adopted three separate Unified Development Ordinance amendments: 1) owners of nonconforming lots may keep lots nonconforming (replacing 'shall' with 'may'); 2) wireless facilities on state land may proceed by administrative review but must be reviewed by RULAC/Fort Bragg to avoid aviation hazards; and 3) manufactured homes were allowed in the Highway Corridor Overlay'urban transition subdistrict. The highway-corridor change passed 3-1.
The Moore County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 1 approved three separate amendments to the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) after public hearings and planning-board recommendations.
Ruth, a planning department presenter, described the first amendment to Section 19.9c, which changes the UDO language referring to contiguous, lawfully established nonconforming lots. The amendment replaces a mandatory requirement that owners combine such lots with permissive language, giving property owners the option to keep nonconforming lots as-is. The planning board had recommended the change by an 8-0 vote; the commission adopted it after citizens asked about homeowners-association rules and other local effects.
On a second amendment, staff proposed exempting wireless communication facilities on state-owned land from conditional rezoning and instead allowing administrative review under North Carolina General Statute 160D-913D. Regional Land Use Advisory Commission (RULAC) and Fort Bragg had asked that permit applications on state land be routed to them for review to protect military aviation operations. The board approved the staff proposal with added language requiring RULAC and Fort Bragg review and a condition that structures "not pose a hazard to military aviation operations," making those reviews part of the administrative process.
The board also approved a change to Section 7.8 (the Highway Corridor Overlay District) to remove "manufactured home" and "accessory manufactured home" from the list of prohibited uses in the urban transition subdistrict, allowing manufactured homes where the underlying zoning permits them. Planning staff said the item returned to the board after a planning-board recommendation (7-1). Public commenters raised concerns about long-term appearance, skirting durability, and disclosure in real-estate transactions. Commissioners debated urgency and fairness to property owners who had held land for generations; the amendment passed with a recorded vote of 3-1.
Quotes from the meeting captured board and public concerns: a planning-board supporter framed the change to nonconforming lots as clarifying language, while a commissioner emphasized local affordability concerns and broader county priorities: "The 3 biggest things we've got that we're working with in this county is clean water, mental health, and affordable housing for people." (paraphrased from meeting comments.)
What passed and next steps: All three amendments were adopted. For wireless facilities on state land, staff will implement the added procedural requirement to send permit applications to RULAC and Fort Bragg for review as part of the administrative process. The highway-corridor amendment will be applied according to UDO standards; staff noted some applications could be handled more quickly to resolve individual landowner issues.
Provenance: Amendments were introduced during public hearings in which the planning board's recommendations and RULAC comments were included in the record.
