FAQ
This page provides answers to some basic questions about the Advance Morehead City project. This page will be modified as new questions arise over the course of the project. If you have a question that is not answered below, please pose your question in the textbox at the bottom of the page and include your email if you would like a City staff member to respond. If enough people ask the same or similar question it will be added to this list of FAQs. Please note that City planning staff also provides numerous FAQs on the City’s WEBSITE
01 WHAT IS THE ADVANCE MOREHEAD CITY PROJECT?
The Advance Morehead City project is an effort undertaken by Morehead City, with assistance from CodeWright Planners, Angie Manning Consultants, Bedrock Planning, the Brough Law Firm, TideWater Associates, and McAdams to prepare an updated Unified Development Ordinance (“UDO”) and new Official Zoning Map to implement the City’s adopted policy guidance and to establish new development rules and procedures that can help manage growth, ensure a functional transportation system, support a year-round economy, provide a wider range of housing, and protect environmental resources. The updated UDO is expected to raise the bar for development quality, increase the range of available housing types, promote multimodal transportation, and provide more opportunities for year-round retail and employment uses.
02 WHY IS THE PROJECT CALLED “ADVANCE MOREHEAD CITY”?
The Morehead City Plan 2032 sets the policy tone for future growth and development in Morehead City. The UDO is the primary tool for implementing land use policy. The UDO project hopes to build on and further the ideas in the Plan, specifically, living with water (instead of working against it), broadening the range of housing options, ensure a well-connected and multimodal transportation system, and supporting a balanced year-round economy.
The project hopes to encourage higher quality development and help continue the substantial progress with protecting community character.
03 WHAT IS A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE?
A Unified Development Ordinance (or the “UDO”) is an integrated set of laws governing the use of land within the corporate limits of the City and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The UDO establishes the kinds of land uses that may be permitted, where those uses may be permitted, the process used by the City to consider requests to establish allowable uses, how uses and land development activities may be operated, how sites and site features supporting land uses are to be configured, and how violations of the City’s land use rules are determined and addressed. In addition to the written rules, the UDO also includes the Official Zoning Map, or the graphic distribution of zoning districts (and thus allowable use types). A digital version of the City’s current UDO and a copy of the Zoning Map from April 2022 are available under the Documents tab. Readers who are considering filing an application for development or who have specific questions about the current regulations are strongly encouraged to contact City staff.
04 WHAT IS THE CITY’S ADOPTED POLICY GUIDANCE?
The City’s adopted policy guidance is a set of adopted documents that identify the City’s shared vision and direction for the future. While adopted policy guidance like a land use plan is required by State law for local governments seeking to apply zoning controls, adopted policy guidance is advisory in nature. The primary piece of adopted policy guidance in Morehead City is the Morehead City Plan 2032. This document expresses the City’s vision for its future in terms of land use and outlines the goals and actions necessary to realize this vision. Also included in the adopted policy guidance is the Morehead City Pedestrian Plan (re-adopted in 2019), and the Morehead City Comprehensive Bicycle Plan. Together, these documents comprise the policy guidance for Morehead City that is implemented through regulations like the updated UDO. Copies of the Morehead City Plan 2032 and other policy guidance documents are available under the Documents tab of this webpage.
05 WHY IS THE CITY DOING THIS PROJECT NOW?
The City’s adoption of its comprehensive plan in August 2023, coupled with a wide variety of recent statutory changes at the State level, and significant growth taking place throughout the Crystal Coast, make it a perfect time to bring the City’s rules into alignment with its goals for future development, current legislation, and best practices in land development regulation. Plans for completion of Interstate 42 and continued economic activity at the Port will bring additional investment to Morehead City, and the development regulations should be positioned to take advantage of any opportunities.
06 WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS?
Advance Morehead City has 7 tasks in the process over a 17-month period wrapping up in July, 2025. The project is designed to allow numerous opportunities for interaction with the public and interested individuals, particularly with respect to any Zoning Map changes. The table below identifies the tasks, or steps in the process and the purposes for each. This is a tentative schedule that may be revised as the project progresses. A more detailed project schedule is available under the Participate tab.
07 WILL MY PROPERTY BE AFFECTED?
Development in the City’s planning jurisdiction is subject to the rules in the current UDO. While many of the rules in these current documents will likely be revised or amended as part of the updated UDO, lawfully established development that predates the updated UDO will instead be subject to the City’s prior rules. The new UDO will include a series of details about how development applications in process at the time of the adoption of the new UDO will be addressed. Generally speaking, most development applications in process at the time of adoption may choose to follow the new rules or the prior rules. Land that is vacant and not subject to a development application at the time the updated UDO is adopted will be subject to the rules and requirements in the updated UDO. Every effort will be made to ensure that lawfully-established existing development is not impacted in a negative manner by the adoption of the updated UDO.
08 HOW CAN I GET MORE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS?
Advance Morehead City includes a series of five public forums at key stages in the process (the Ideas Forum, the Code Assessment, and during the initial and revised UDO draft review steps). There are also a series of office hours available for anyone to request a meeting during any one of the consulting team’s trips to Morehead City over the course of the project. The adoption process includes at least two public hearings where members of the public may provide input. Additional details on the ways to become more involved are available on the Participate tab of this webpage.
09 WHAT IS THE PROJECT STEERING COMMITEE?
As mentioned in the project scope of work and at prior public forums, the Advance Morehead City project has a Steering Committee charged with initial review of draft work products and providing guidance to the consulting team on City policies and processes. It is very common for a unified development ordinance project like Advance Morehead City to include a steering committee to guide the initial stages of the project until the adoption process commences. Typically, the steering committee is a group comprised of technical experts and persons familiar with the development review process. It is uncommon for lay people or persons unfamiliar with a community's current development regulations to participate on the steering committee. In Morehead City, the project Steering Committee is comprised of the City Manager, Assistant City Manager/Finance Director, Assistant City Manager/Public Services Director, City Clerk, City Attorney, Planning and Inspections Director, Fire & EMS Chief, and Public Information Officer. In addition to the technical guidance provided by the steering committee, the Advance Morehead City project also includes a robust public engagement program which features ongoing engagement opportunities for stakeholders, business leaders, the development community, and residents of Morehead City. Check the Participate tab for more detail on opportunities for participation, such as the five public forums, five sets of consultant office hours, and opportunities for meetings with stakeholders, landowners, and students.
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