Johnston County pushes UDO vote to Nov. 16, with Planning Board review Oct. 20 and public hearing Nov. 2

Johnston County has moved back its schedule for adopting a new Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, the rulebook for building in the county's unincorporated areas. A county planning page last updated Sept. 30 puts the Planning Board's review on Tuesday, Oct. 20, a commissioners' public hearing on Monday, Nov. 2, and a possible adoption vote on Monday, Nov. 16.

That is later than the schedule the county announced in July. When it announced next steps on July 23, the county set a Planning Board review for Sept. 15, a commissioners' hearing for Oct. 5 and adoption for Nov. 2, while noting those dates could change. The county's page does not say why the dates moved.

What the rules cover

The UDO will govern development in unincorporated Johnston County. If you are buying land or planning a subdivision in unincorporated Johnston County, these are the standards you would build under.

The current draft is Version 3, posted on the county planning site in sections: administration, zoning, development standards, subdivision standards, flood damage prevention, stormwater management, riparian buffer protections, and erosion and sediment control. A companion document is posted with it. According to the county, the draft has been revised several times since it came out last December, in response to concerns from farmers, developers, homeowners and others.

Where residents disagree

The county held a second public drop-in session on Sept. 23 at Johnston Community College in Smithfield, with stations on subdivision standards and on buffers between new development and nearby farms. Residents could question county staff and the consulting firm that helped write the UDO, and commissioners attended.

Two days earlier, at their Sept. 21 meeting, commissioners heard a summary of public feedback on the draft, JoCo Report says. According to JoCo Report's account of that meeting, residents are split on when a subdivision should need the commissioners' approval: some want that at 10 or more lots, others favor 30.

Farm buffers are another sticking point, JoCo Report says. Some residents back a 75-foot separation between new homes and neighboring farms; others back 35 feet, which the outlet reports most commissioners prefer. JoCo Report notes the county's current UDO has no such buffer. JoCo Report says some residents also asked for an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, which could tie development approvals to whether roads, schools and other infrastructure can handle new growth.

These positions come from public comment and news coverage. Readers should check the posted draft to see what it actually proposes on lot thresholds and buffers.

What comes next

At its Oct. 20 meeting, the Planning Board could recommend adopting the draft as written, recommend changes, or shelve it. Commissioners then hold their public hearing Nov. 2 and could vote to adopt on Nov. 16.

The county has posted public comments from its earlier Sept. 9 drop-in session alongside the draft. Questions can go to Johnston County Planning at the Land Use Center, 309 E. Market Street in Smithfield, at (919) 989-5150 or planning@johnstonnc.gov.