What Johnston County's revised development rules could mean for rural lots

If you are looking at land in unincorporated Johnston County, now is a good time to read the county's newest draft of its development rules. The date to watch is Monday, Nov. 2. That evening the Board of Commissioners holds a public hearing at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse in Smithfield, according to the county's hearing notice.

The proposal is called the Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO: one rulebook for zoning, subdivisions and related standards. JoCo Report reported that, if approved, it would replace the county's existing development regulations.

What's in the new draft

The county's UDO page lists "Proposed Draft – Version 4" in eight articles:

• Administration
• Zoning
• Development Standards
• Subdivision Standards
• Flood Damage Prevention
• Stormwater Management
• Riparian Buffer Protections
• Erosion and Sediment Control

The page also lists a companion document. The file names carry an Oct. 15 date, and the page says it was last updated Oct. 16. The county's Planning and Zoning Department says this fourth draft is the latest.

JoCo Report reported several substantial changes from the first draft, including these three:

• Who approves subdivisions. Under the original proposal, the Planning Director could approve major subdivision preliminary plats (the early layout of a new neighborhood) that met county standards after a technical review. The latest draft sends major subdivisions of 4 to 18 lots to the Planning Board, and those of 19 or more lots to the Board of Commissioners.
• Farm buffers. The first draft proposed extra setbacks between farmland and new non-farm development, from 75 feet for homes up to 300 feet for industrial projects. The latest draft applies the special buffer only to new homes next to an active farm. Developers could choose anything from a 10-foot, heavily screened buffer with a solid fence or wall to a 50-foot natural or open-space buffer. According to JoCo Report, the current rules have no farm-buffer requirement at all.
• Rural zoning districts. Three new districts in the original draft (Agricultural, Agricultural Estate and Estate Residential) have been dropped. They would have allowed from one home per acre to one home per five acres.

JoCo Report said other changes cover permitted land uses, open space, subdivision streets, septic systems and enforcement penalties, but it did not give details.

What it means if you want land or to build here

These rules shape how land outside town limits in Johnston can be zoned, divided and built on. If you are eyeing a lot in a planned subdivision beside an active farm, the buffer rule is one to read closely. According to JoCo Report, proposed major subdivisions would come before public boards instead of staff alone.

Nothing is final until commissioners vote. For questions about how the draft might apply to a specific parcel, the county's Planning and Zoning Department is the office to ask. For questions about a purchase contract, a real estate attorney can help.

What comes next

• Tonight, Oct. 26, 6 p.m.: The Planning Board continues its public hearing at the Courthouse. The county says the board may then vote to recommend that commissioners adopt the UDO, amend it, or table it for more work.
• Monday, Nov. 2, 6 p.m.: Commissioners hold their public hearing at the Courthouse.
• Monday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m.: Commissioners could adopt the UDO at their meeting.

The county calls its hearings, tonight's and the one on Nov. 2, residents' remaining chances to help shape the UDO before adoption. The full Version 4 draft is posted on the county's UDO page for anyone who wants to read it first.