The Vance County Board of Commissioners and the Vance County Planning Board gathered Thursday afternoon for a joint meeting to get an update on progress of the development of a Unified Development Ordinance for the county.
Under the leadership of N-Focus, the county is in the process of updating policies that govern development and land use.
Michael Harvey with N-Focus shared a draft of the document during the hour-long meeting, and he walked the group through the various sections of the document.
Harvey said the UDO will provide a streamlined process that is easy for the public to read and follow, and will make policies easier to enforce.
The UDO is “born out of partnership, not mandates,” Harvey said.
N-Focus has worked with numerous counties and municipalities to develop ordinances and comprehensive land use plans over the past 20 years.
Harvey said N-Focus provides two years of service after the document is adopted to help resolve questions, address modifications or tackle other issues where support is needed.
Commissioner Dan Brummitt advocated for concentration first on Article 5 of the UDO draft, which includes data center development. If N-Focus can make that article a priority, then that part of the UDO could be adopted as a text amendment to the current ordinance.
Commissioner Valencia Perry said the current draft language is not strong enough; Harvey said N-Focus helps counties and municipalities develop their desired policies, while making sure the language is consistent with state law.
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