North Carolina § 160D-703 - Zoning districts.

§ 160D-703. Zoning districts.

Types of Zoning Districts. - A local government may divide its territorial jurisdiction into zoning districts of any number, shape, and area deemed best suited to carry out the purposes of this Article. Within those districts, it may regulate and restrict the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, or use of buildings, structures, or land. Zoning districts may include, but are not be limited to, the following: Conventional districts, in which a variety of uses are allowed as permitted uses or uses by right and that may also include uses permitted only with a special use permit. Conditional districts, in which site plans or individualized development conditions are imposed. Form-based districts, or development form controls, that address the physical form, mass, and density of structures, public spaces, and streetscapes. Overlay districts, in which different requirements are imposed on certain properties within one or more underlying conventional, conditional, or form-based districts. Districts allowed by charter. Conditional Districts. - Property may be placed in a conditional district only in response to a petition by all owners of the property to be included. Specific conditions may be proposed by the petitioner or the local government or its agencies, but only those conditions approved by the local government and consented to by the petitioner in writing may be incorporated into the zoning regulations. Unless consented to by the petitioner in writing, in the exercise of the authority granted by this section, a local government may not require, enforce, or incorporate into the zoning regulations any condition or requirement not authorized by otherwise applicable law, including, without limitation, taxes, impact fees, building design elements within the scope of G.S. 160D-702(b), driveway-related improvements in excess of those allowed in G.S. 136-18(29) and G.S. 160A-307, or other unauthorized limitations on the development or use of land. Conditions and site-specific standards imposed in a conditional district shall be limited to those that address the conformance of the development and use of the site to local government ordinances, plans adopted pursuant to G.S. 160D-501, or the impacts reasonably expected to be generated by the development or use of the site. The zoning regulation may provide that defined minor modifications in conditional district standards that do not involve a change in uses permitted or the density of overall development permitted may be reviewed and approved administratively. Any other modification of the conditions and standards in a conditional district shall follow the same process for approval as are applicable to zoning map amendments. If multiple parcels of land are subject to a conditional zoning, the owners of individual parcels may apply for modification of the conditions so long as the modification would not result in other properties failing to meet the terms of the conditions. Any modifications approved apply only to those properties whose owners petition for the modification. Uniformity Within Districts. - Except as authorized by the foregoing, all regulations shall be uniform for each class or kind of building throughout each district but the regulations in one district may differ from those in other districts. Standards Applicable Regardless of District. - A zoning regulation or unified development ordinance may also include development standards that apply uniformly jurisdiction-wide rather than being applicable only in particular zoning districts. History (2019-111, s. 2.4; 2020-3, s. 4.33(a); 2020-25, ss. 16, 50(b), 51(a), (b), (d).) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2020-3, s. 5, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2020-25, s. 50(b), provides: "Sections 5, 10, 14, 16, 17, 18, 45, 46, 47, [which amended or enacted 160D-108, 160D-108.1, 160D-405, 160D-603, 160D-703, 160D-705, 160D-706, 160D-1402, 160D-1403.1, 160D-1403.2, respectively] and the amendments to G.S. 160D-1405(c) in Section 48 incorporate in Chapter 160D of the General Statutes the provisions of Sections 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, and 1.17 of S.L. 2019-111 [which amended or enacted former 160A-360.1, 153A-320.1, 160A-385, 160A-385.1, 153A-344, 153A-344.1, 160A-388, 160A-393.1, 160A-364.1, 160A-393, 160A-393.2, 160A-381, 153A-340, 160A-382, 153A-342, 153A-346, and 160A-390, respectively], clarify and restate the intent of existing law, and apply to ordinances adopted before, on, and after the effective date of this act." Session Laws 2020-25, s. 51(b), provides: "Part II of S.L. 2019-111 [which enacted this Chapter] is effective when this act becomes law [June 19, 2020]. Part II of S.L. 2019-111 clarifies and restates the intent of law existing on the effective date of this act [June 19, 2020] and applies to ordinances adopted before, on, and after that date. Valid local government development regulations that are in effect at the time of the effective date of Part II of S.L. 2019-111 remain in effect but local governments shall amend those regulations to conform to the provisions of Part II of S.L. 2019-111 on or before July 1, 2021. Part II of S.L. 2019-111 applies to local government development regulation decisions made on or after the earlier of: "(1) The effective date of the amendments to local development regulations made to conform to the provisions of Part II of S.L. 2019-111 or "(2) July 1, 2021." Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2020-25, s. 16, effective June 19, 2020, in subsection (b), in the first sentence, deleted "mutually" preceding "approved by" and added "consented to by" and "in writing," and added the second sentence; and made minor stylistic changes. Legal Periodicals. - For comment, "Planned Unit Development and North Carolina Enabling Legislation," see 51 N.C.L. Rev. 1455 (1973). For survey of 1979 property law, see 58 N.C.L. Rev. 1509 (1980). For comment discussing contract zoning and conditional use zoning in North Carolina, see 68 N.C.L. Rev. 177 (1989).