City taps local committee to help shape Morganton development rules

Morganton has selected a local advisory committee to help shape one of the city’s most important land-use overhauls in years, a rewrite of development rules that could affect how property is built, divided, landscaped, and regulated in the future.

In a June 1 memo to City Council, Wendy Smith, the city’s director of Development and Design Services, said the committee has been chosen to assist in development of Morganton’s new Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO. The memo says the group includes members selected for their knowledge of zoning, subdivision, stormwater, watershed rules, and other ordinances under review.

For Morganton property owners, builders, and residents, the practical meaning is simple: This is the rulebook rewrite that could eventually shape what gets built, where it gets built, and how difficult or easy the city’s development process is to navigate.

The committee met earlier this week. That meeting was not open to the public.

“There will be no quorums of City Council members and no decisions will be made at any of the meetings. The comments received will be summarized and available during the UDO development process,” said City of Morganton Public Information Officer Jonelle Sigmon. “There will be many opportunities for community feedback from the entire community as the City undertakes this months-long Unified Development Ordinance process.”

Morganton residents can comment on the Unified Development Ordinance update June 25 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 305 East Union Street, or June 26 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during TGIF at Courthouse Square.

The committee members listed in the memo are Erin Kiser, Pete Wallace, Judy Francis, Louis Vinay, Chris Hawkins, Tal Stephanides, Joe Irvin, Allen VanNoppen Jr., Julia Mode, Matt Schultze, Benjie Thomas, and Darren Lathan.

The group will review draft ordinance chapters, provide comments to the city’s consultant team and staff, and serve as community ambassadors for the project by encouraging public involvement through meetings and the project website.

That advisory role fits into a broader city effort already underway.

Morganton formally launched the UDO project late last year, issuing a request for proposals in November 2025 seeking professional help to create a single Unified Development Ordinance and associated zoning map. The city said at the time that the goal was to consolidate multiple development regulations into one modern ordinance.

Right now, Morganton’s development rules are spread across multiple ordinances and plans. The city’s planning materials say those regulations include zoning, watershed protection, flood damage prevention, and subdivision rules. A UDO is meant to pull those pieces together into one coordinated document, which often makes rules easier to administer and easier for the public to understand.

The effort also builds on Morganton’s recently approved IMAGINE Morganton 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which city officials described as the vision document meant to guide future land-use and development decisions.

Smith’s memo says several committee members also served on the advisory committee for the comprehensive plan update and participated in stakeholder consultation, which the city says should help create continuity between the vision plan and the new ordinance.

For residents, the stakes go beyond technical zoning language. The ordinance rewrite could influence housing patterns, development standards, stormwater controls, subdivision design, landscaping requirements, and how the city balances growth with neighborhood character and infrastructure demands.

The city’s memo suggests the committee’s first meeting is planned for noon Thursday, June 18.