In the past, when a residential developer could not meet the standards for open space, or any other standard, due to flood hazards, required roadways, density, or public utilities they had to seek a conditional re-zoning. This allowed the public, Planning Board, and the City Council to review the application to make sure that the proposed development was in the best interest of the city and citizens. 

That all changed earlier this year with the adoption of Monroe's new UDO. Monroe’s (NC) new UDO creates two new “by right” residential developments in Conservation Subdivisions and Cluster Developments that allow drastically reduced lot sizes (45% and 50% respectively) and will promote higher density on a site as small as 5 acres. Cluster Developments allow for an increase in zoning density from 3 to 4 dwellings per acre by administrative decision only. There will be no community meeting, no public notice, and public hearing. The smaller lots created by Conservation Subdivisions and Cluster Developments, and in the case of Cluster Developments allowing townhomes, will no doubt impact the surrounding communities, home values, public services, and infrastructure. Again, all without even a community meeting, Planning Board recommendation, or City Council vote.

Growth in a city should not be driven by a UDO that allows residential developments to be built just to,”…provide reasonable economic use of land which may have unique environmental conditions that would otherwise make development undesirable.”

I am hoping that the City Council with follow the lead of other cities and treat Conservation Subdivisions and Cluster Developments as a conditional re-zoning option. Conditional re-zoning was created to allow for residential developers to present site plans that might not fit the traditional zoning, but meet some other need for the city and citizens. Conditional re-zoning also allows for citizen input and the use of legislative hearings as fail-safes to control abuse. 

Join me in telling the Monroe NC City Council we support the effort to change the UDO so that the citizens have input on what is being built around them and council gets a vote.