Background

The Mayor and Town Council directed Department of Planning and Zoning staff to engage the community in fall 2021 on potential updates to the zoning code for lot coverage and front porch projection provisions separate from the process to update the Town's zoning and subdivision ordinances.

In late summer/early fall of 2021 staff held several engagement events at the farmers market and Chillin’ on Church to take in additional comments on front porches and lot coverage.

The Planning Commission first held a public hearing on Nov. 10, 2021, which it continued to the Dec. 8, 2021 meeting. The Planning Commission closed the public hearing at the Dec. 8, 2021 meeting and passed a motion to recommend adoption of the front porch encroachment, as presented.

The Town Council held a public hearing on Jan. 24, 2022 and closed the public hearing that night, but allowed written comments through Jan. 31, 2022.

The Town Council considered the text amendment at the Feb. 28, 2022 regular meeting and voted 4-2 to approve the proposed text amendment and directed staff to add additional criteria in the text amendment to clarify that knee walls and railings up to a certain height are permitted. The code amendments were adopted on March 21, 2022 and went into effect

The code amendments went into effect on April 4, 2022.