Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the UDO?
The Unified Development Ordinances (UDO) are the collection of land use regulations for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. The UDO includes the Zoning Ordinance, the Environmental Ordinance, and the Subdivision Ordinance/Regulations. The original UDO was adopted in 1994 and used until December 2019.
2. Why did the City and County update the UDO?
The original UDO was adopted in 1994 and nearly 300 text amendments were made to the code over the past 25 years. While these amendments were necessary to keep the code up-to-date, they also made the code difficult to navigate and use. The primary goal of the UDOClearCode project is to make the UDO more accessible by addressing instances of unclear language, redundant information, and confusing organization, and adding graphics and illustrations to improve the UDO's user-friendliness.
3. Will this project change the zoning on my property?
UDOClearCode is not a rezoning project and will not result in rezonings.
4. What is the schedule for this project?
UDOClearCode launched in November 2017, with a Code Assessment report completed in fall 2018, and the new UDO ClearCode adopted in December 2019. Additional text amendments will be prepared in the coming years to implement additional recommendations of the Code Assessment.
5. Who helped staff prepare UDO ClearCode?
CodeWright Planners, LLC is the consulting firm who prepared the Code Assesssment and UDO ClearCode document. They are a small planning and zoning firm with offices in Durham, NC. The firm is currently working with numerous communities across the state to update and improve their planning and regulatory documents. More information on the firm can be found at www.codewright.info. Planning and Development Services staff will be responsible for implementing further recommendations of the Code Assessment.
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