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Chatham delays UDO implementation again as state down‑zoning law stalls local rules
Summary
Chatham County staff recommended pushing the Unified Development Ordinance effective date from Dec. 31, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026, because of state down‑zoning legislation and new procedural requirements; commissioners said they will monitor the legislature and can accelerate implementation if the law changes.
Chatham County planning staff asked the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 15 to move the effective date of the county’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) from Dec. 31, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026 because state legislation has blocked local down‑zoning authority and created additional implementation hurdles.
Planning manager Chance Mullis told the board that recent laws, including a down‑zoning restriction and a separate bill requiring extra review for rezonings in voluntary agricultural districts, mean the county cannot safely implement the UDO on the previous schedule. "We think that is just the right time to try and move that effective date yet again," Mullis said. Commissioners asked staff to keep monitoring the legislature and said the county can accelerate implementation if the General Assembly acts sooner; Mullis said staff will reconvene consultants after the legislature returns Sept. 22 to reassess next steps.
Why it matters: The UDO reflects several years of public outreach and Plan Chatham policy work; its implementation affects future rezoning, subdivision review, and protections for rural character. Several residents and a public commenter at the meeting said they oppose the state changes and urged county leaders to pursue local remedies and public outreach. The board formally referred the request to the planning timeline and approved moving the effective date, with staff noting it can still be shortened if the legislature acts.
