- Home
- Town Government
- Departments & Services
- Planning
- Map & Text Amendments
Map Amendments
A Map Amendment is the official process by which a property's Planning Area designation is changed. In other communities, this term is referred to as a "rezoning." Since the Town of Davidson utilizes a form-based code, which emphasizes a building's orientation on its lot and its architecture in addition to its use, the Town uses the comprehensive term "Planning Areas" in place of the strictly use-based term "zoning" to refer to a property's land use designation. These Planning Areas are illustrated in the Davidson Planning Ordinance's Planning Areas Map; therefore, changes to the map are referred to as Map Amendments. Below is information about the most recent Map Amendments proposed.
Text Amendments
A Text Amendment is the official process by which the language of the Davidson Planning Ordinance (DPO) is changed. The DPO includes the guidance, rules, and regulations governing planning and development within town limits, as well as the town's extra-territorial jurisdiction - areas outside the town limits but within Davidson's planning jurisdiction that are subject to the standards. The standards represent legally-enforceable measures to implement adopted plans and manage development projects. Proposed changes generally encompass: Clarifying existing standards; outlining new criteria and/or instituting best practices; correcting errors and/or inadvertent omissions; and, aligning the ordinance with state statutes. The DPO is a living document updated consistently; it reflects years of collective experiences and incorporates this knowledge along with best practices to ensure a high quality of life for citizens.
Map Amendments
There are no map amendments at this time. Please check back regularly.
Text Amendments
Historic Preservation Text Amendments (Fall 2019/Winter 2020)
Description
The Town of Davidson was recently designated as a Certified Local Government (CLG) by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The CLG program seeks to assist the development, maintenance and enrichment of local historic preservation programs in cooperation with state and federal preservation programs. In North Carolina, governments which qualify for certification must have an active and legally adequate historic preservation commission, and must meet the federal requirements for certification.
The CLG model ordinance is a document drafted by SHPO to be used as a guide for local historic preservation commissions. The Historic Preservation Ordinance (draft below) was drafted using the state model ordinance language. The purpose of working to adopt a version of the Historic Preservation Ordinance is to ensure that the town enforces appropriate state and federal legislation for designating Historic Landmarks and Local Historic Districts, clarifies the process for Certificates of Appropriateness (COAs), and expands the powers and duties of the Historic Preservation Commission in accordance with state statute. The proposed amendments also include minor changes to Section 2 Planning Areas, 4 Design Standards, 11 Signs, 13 Boards and Commissions, and 15 Violations and Penalties.
Documents
Please see the following for additional information regarding these proposed changes. The Historic Preservation Ordinance Draft may be viewed in its entirety at the link below. Additional changes are listed in the accompanying memo.
- Memo: Historic Preservation Ordinance - Memo
- Proposed Ordinance: Historic Preservation Ordinance - Draft
Timeline (Tentative)
- Winter 2020 Board of Commissioners Decision (Tentative): The Board of Commissioners may choose to adopt the proposed changes.
- November 25, 2019 Planning Board Review + Recommendation (Tentative): The Planning Board will review the proposed changes and offered a recommendation concerning the proposed changes.
- November 12, 2019 Board of Commissioners Hearing (Tentative): The Board of Commissioners will review the proposed changes and receive public comment.
- October 8, 2019 Board of Commissioners Review: The Board of Commissioners reviewed the proposed changes and provided feedback.
- July 29, 2019: The Planning Board reviewed the proposed changes and offered feedback.
- January - June 2019 Historic Preservation Commission Review: Planning staff, along with the Historic Preservation Commission, reviewed the model ordinance provided by the state.
Tree Canopy, Landscaping, & Screening Text Amendments (Summer 2019)
Description
Davidson Planning Ordinance Section 9 Tree Canopy, Landscaping, and Screening, contains standards to promote the creation of a healthy tree canopy and landscape by establishing rules to regulate the establishment, preservation, and maintenance of natural features at the lot and site/master plan level. In December 2016 the Livability Board suggested revising the standards to institute best practices, make adjustments, and clarify administration procedures. Beginning in the fall of 2018 the Board of Commissioners directed staff, with the assistance of the Planning Board Ordinance Committee, to update the tree ordinance. This exercise paralleled efforts to complete a Street Tree Inventory and Tree Canopy Study. The proposed amendments reflect the data collected through each of these studies. The proposed amendments also include proposed changes to Section 15, which concerns how to process landscaping violations, and Section 16 Definitions.
Documents
Please see the following for additional information regarding these proposed changes. The Proposed Changes documents list the proposed ordinance text with explanatory comments in the right margin.
- Memo: DPO 9 + 15 Summary of Changes Memo
- List of Changes: DPO 9 + Related Text Amendments Schedule of Changes
- Proposed DPO 9 Changes: DPO 9 Tree Canopy, Landscaping, & Screening
- Proposed DPO 9 Appendices: DPO 9.10 Tree List, DPO 9.10 Shrub List
- Proposed DPO 15 Changes: DPO 15.3.1 Landscaping Violations
Timeline (Tentative)
- September 24, 2019 Board of Commissioners Decision: The Board of Commissioners adopted the proposed changes, effective November 1, 2019.
- August 26, 2019 Planning Board Review + Recommendation: The Planning Board reviewed the proposed changes and offered a positive recommendation concerning the proposed changes.
- August 20, 2019 Livability Board Review + Recommendation (Tentative): The Livability Board reviewed the proposed changes and offered a positive recommendation concerning the proposed changes.
- July 29, 2019 Planning Board Hearing + Recommendation (Tentative): The Planning Board reviewed the proposed changes, received public comment, and offered a further topics to explore concerning the proposed changes.
- July 23, 2019 Board of Commissioners Hearing (Tentative): The Board of Commissioners reviewed the proposed changes and received public comment.
- Winter/Spring/Summers 2019: Staff and the PBOC consistently presented updates at board work sessions and sought input from the Board of Commissioners on various topics related to the amendments.
- Fall 2018, Winter/Spring/Summer 2019: Planning staff, along with the PBOC, conducted research and collectively drafted the proposed text amendments. Staff also managed the Tree Canopy Study used to guide these efforts.
- Fall 2018: Beginning in the fall of 2018 the Board of Commissioners directed staff, with the assistance of the Planning Board Ordinance Committee (PBOC), to update the tree ordinance.