Town Council Adopts LUMO Amendments

At their January 21, 2026, meeting, the Town Council adopted a package of amendments to the Chapel Town Code and Land Use Management Ordinance. The amendments eliminate mandatory minimum parking requirements, streamline development review processes, support missing middle housing production, and make other miscellaneous improvements to the Town’s land use rules.

A brief summary of the adopted changes is included below:

1. Site Plan Review:

1. Remove the “Site Plan Review” process for all projects.

2. Concept Plan Review:

1. Remove the “Concept Plan Review” process for all projects.

3. Conditional Zoning:

1. Streamline the conditional zoning process and application submission requirements.
2. Require that most conditional zoning approvals indicate the location of above-ground stormwater control measures.

4. Special Use Permits:

1. Allow projects with existing SUPs to add new permitted uses or development that is compliant with LUMO.

5. Two-Family Housing Options

1. Increase maximum size limits for duplexes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and cottages.
2. Allow ADUs to be built

6. Parking Regulations

1. Eliminate mandatory parking minimums across town.

1. Ease front-yard parking restrictions for 1- and 2-family developments.

7. Subdivisions – Procedural Improvements

1. Make Town staff responsible for all subdivision approvals.
2. Better align the Town’s authority over subdivision approvals with state law.

8. Subdivisions – Lot Layout Standards

1. Reduce minimum lot sizes and related dimensional standards like setbacks and lot width.

1. Allow zero-frontage lots and flag lots.

9. Subdivisions – Infrastructure

1. Ease requirements for new lots on “local” streets to provide infrastructure improvements.

10. Manufactured Home Communities

1. Make existing manufactured home parks a permitted use.

11. Sign Regulations

1. Ease various sign regulations and update which types of signs are allowed in residential zoning districts.

12. Miscellaneous Updates

1. Allow multiple permitted uses on the same property.
2. Update the Town Code to allow shared driveways.

For more information about the new standards, please contact Tas Lagoo at tlagoo@townofchapelhill.org