Recode Chatham

Recode Chatham

The landscape of Chatham County is changing. What does that mean? The project is called Recode Chatham and its purpose is to rewrite land-use regulations that include zoning and subdivision regulations. These regulations are based on the policies set in the Plan Chatham Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted in 2017. So, what does the final picture look like? The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) will serve as the fundamental regulatory document to guide development and land use in Chatham County.

Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)

Intended to be a user-friendly resource, the UDO will be accessible to residents, officials, boards and the community at large. The guidelines featured in the document will be simple, they will be flexible and easy to facilitate.

On March 6 and 7, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners met to discuss the first chapters of the UDO with the consultants who drafted the project, White & Smith LLC, and county staff and subcommittees of the planning board. Of the UDO’s 19 chapters, the meeting covered the first three chapters on introductions and definitions, zoning districts and use regulations.

As part of the discussion, White & Smith proposed drastic changes to classifications of new land uses, promoting more of a “business-friendly approach.” These changes will allow the county to accommodate new land uses, reducing 79 uses to 26.

The vice chairperson of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee shared input from the public on the first section of the UDO, an initial step in making the UDO more supportive of affordability.

Get Involved

Want to provide input on the Recode Chatham project? Sign up to receive the latest projects updates, review draft material and submit your comments. The second module of the UDO will be presented in an upcoming meeting in April.