Greetings!  The purpose of this email is to provide an update on the Housing Choices Text Amendment. 

What you’ll find in this email:

• What happened at the June 21 Town Council Meeting?
• What does the enacted ordinance allow?
• Where can I see the enacted ordinance?
• What will staff be working on now that the ordinance is enacted?
• What are some other upcoming Town initiatives?

What happened at the June 21, 2023, Town Council meeting?

• Staff presented a summary of the proposed text changes to Council
• Council received public comment
• Council enacted the Housing Choices text amendments with a modification to parking requirements for two-family, attached or detached units. The modification removed minimum parking requirements from these two-family developments. 
• Watch the video: https://chapelhill.granicus.com/player/clip/6564?view_id=7&redirect=true&h=8dfa5459d129533c4db7160fe940b8dc

What does the enacted ordinance allow?

• The ordinance allows more diverse housing options to be built in more areas of Town.  The only areas that this change does not apply is in the Neighborhood Conservation Districts (NCDs).

• Accessory apartment:

  • The text amendments did not change where accessory apartments are permitted, and these are allowed in most residential zoning districts.
  • The maximum allowed size of an accessory unit (whether attached or detached) has increased from 750 square feet to 1,000 square feet.

• Two-family home:

  • Two-family homes were previously only allowed in Residential-2 (R-2) and higher districts. Two-family homes are now allowed in all residential (R-) zoning districts. 
  • A two-family home is now defined as either a traditional duplex or two detached homes on the same lot.
  • Two-family homes (whether attached or detached) can’t exceed a total size of 3,000 square feet.

• Cottages:

  • Cottages are a new housing type and are allowed in Residential-1 (R-1) and higher zoning districts.
  • If your lot is at least 2,700 square feet larger than the minimum lot size requirement in your zoning district, a cottage up to 1,200 square feet is now allowed in addition to your single-family home.

• Three and four-family home:

  • These housing types are already permitted in Residential-4 (R-4) and higher zoning districts. The ordinance has not changed where they are allowed.
  • Three- and four-family homes in Residential-4 (R-4) and other higher density zones can now be permitted through a streamlined review process that does not require approval from the Planning Commission or Town Council.
  • Residential – 4 (R-4) zones already allow multi-family

• Tree Canopy Cover:

  • Tree canopy is the canopy that cover a residential lot.
  • All lots with two-, three-, or four-family homes require 40% of the lot to be covered with tree canopy.

Where can I see the enacted ordinance?

The enacted ordinance is available online.

What will staff be working on now that the ordinance is enacted?

• Creating a new webpage summarizing the changes
• Materials summarizing the new housing types and regulations
• Developing a pattern book of house types

What are some other upcoming Town initiatives?

The Town has several exciting upcoming projects that may be of interest to you:

• Check out our newsroom and stay informed by signing up for Chapel Hill Updates: townofchapelhill.org/news.
• Learn more about our efforts to rewrite the Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO): https://www.townofchapelhill.org/lumo and sign up for our quarterly updates: https://publicinput.com/u8314