GOVERNMENT
Chapel Hill community,
As we welcome fall, I’m reaching out with an update on Council’s work this September — and a look ahead to October, including several opportunities for you to weigh in.
Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO): Public hearings begin October 21
Council has spent the past several meetings taking a close look at the draft Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) and how it supports our Complete Community vision and Council’s priorities.
Community input over the summer shows broad agreement on two things:
- Chapel Hill will continue to grow, and we need more housing and a diversity of housing types.
- We need to be thoughtful about how that growth happens.
I think that balance is at the heart of the conversation we’re having about LUMO.
Overall, Council believes the draft is moving in the right direction.
We see real value in:
- Setting clear by-right development standards to encourage the types of development we want, where infrastructure, amenities, and neighborhood context can support it.
- Connecting additional development opportunities to community benefits, such as affordable housing and energy efficiency.
- Building Complete Community goals into the baseline, including middle housing, neighborhood-serving commercial uses and greenway connectivity, rather than relying primarily on project-by-project Conditional Zoning.
We’ve also been looking closely at specific provisions and the trade-offs involved, including:
- Setting standards for new and infill development that balance housing needs with stormwater and environmental considerations.
- Strengthening tree canopy protections by making important standards mandatory rather than recommendations, as they have been in the past.
- Incentivizing community benefits in areas where we have limited authority.
There are also some challenges that require additional tools and more area-specific approaches. This is especially true for stormwater management and vulnerable ecosystems. We recognize these challenges and will continue working on them in the spring.
We also don’t expect LUMO to be a document we adopt and then leave untouched for decades. We’ll track how the new regulations are working in practice and make updates as our community changes.
What happens next?
Changes have already been made to the draft, including adjustments related to occupancy limits and areas where additional density could be allowed by right.
The formal legislative process begins in October, with public comment at each of these meetings:
- Planning Commission: October 6 at 6 p.m.
- Town Council: October 21 at 6 p.m.
- Town Council: November 18 at 6 p.m.
Additional meetings may be scheduled if the Planning Commission or Council need more time to consider the draft.
Now is the time to ask questions, learn more, and share what matters to you. I hope you’ll participate in the upcoming public meetings or connect with Town Council and me as this process moves forward.
Other topics this month
- Rezoning for Fire Station 4
- Unveiling the Town’s new Parks & Recreation Master Plan
- Updating our Climate Action & Response Plan
And some exciting news
The Town recently received an extraordinary $10 million gift from the Britt Foundation to support a new community building at Cedars Falls Park and two greenway extensions.
This is an incredible investment in Chapel Hill’s future, and we are deeply grateful for the generosity that made it possible.
Thank you for staying engaged and helping shape the future of our community.
With warm regards and appreciation,
Mayor Jess
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