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Carrboro adopts ORMU zoning text amendment to clarify accessory-dwelling rules
Summary
After a staff presentation and no public speakers, the Carrboro Town Council found a proposed ORMU text amendment consistent with the comprehensive plan and adopted a revised ordinance clarifying how residential-only properties in the new Office-Residential Mixed-Use district may pursue accessory-dwelling uses.
Carrboro's town council on March 17 adopted a text amendment creating an Office-Residential Mixed-Use (ORMU) zoning district and added a new subsection to clarify standards for residential-only properties within that district to pursue accessory dwellings and similar changes.
Tina Moon, the presenting staff member, told the council the ordinance package included a purpose statement, applicability, permitting requirements, and a set of standards focused on mixed-use and commercial uses. She said staff identified a gap: the ordinance did not clearly address what happens to existing residential-only uses in the new district, which had prevented recent applicants from getting accessory-dwelling approvals in a timely fashion.
'We found that we really didn't have sufficient criteria in the ordinance to allow that to move forward,' Moon said, explaining staff proposed a new subsection aligning residential-only changes with R-3 standards and confirming staff had consulted the town attorney about downzoning concerns.
After the presentation, no members of the public spoke during the legislative public hearing. Council Member Fret moved that attachment A's consistency statement be adopted and that the council adopt the revised ordinance as written in attachment B; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The adopted changes are legislative in nature and the council framed the action as consistent with the comprehensive plan. Council members asked staff to consider proactively whether similar mixed-use rules should be reviewed elsewhere in town to prevent future applicants from encountering the same gap.
Staff noted that the full ordinance text and attachments are included in the meeting packet for reference.
