Sustain Charlotte recommends Compact Development text amendment

UPDATE: On June 24, Charlotte City Council unanimously voted to approve the compact development text amendment. This new tool will boost housing supply and help our City grow in line with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Thank you, Planning staff and City Council!

This week, Sustain Charlotte sent a letter to Charlotte City Council members and Mayor Lyles recommending the adoption of the Compact Development text amendment for the Unified Development Ordinance.

This text amendment intends to capture the market for smaller lot sizes in new subdivisions. It will also help boost the housing supply, similar to the pre-UDO Cluster Development standard. Planning staff are recommending that this type of development be allowed everywhere except Protected & Critical Watersheds and the Airport Noise Overlay.

Below is a copy of the letter Urban Design Specialist Eric Zaverl submitted on behalf of Sustain Charlotte.

Dear Mayor and City Council,

Sustain Charlotte supports the Compact Development text amendment, which will increase housing density in the right places, make mass transit more economically feasible, and allow people to live within walking or bicycling distance to work or school. When we execute all the elements of good urban design and the goals of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan correctly, the outcome is a city that provides a range of transportation and housing options for everyone in the Charlotte region.

We believe that the Compact Development subdivision option (also referred to as phase two) will lead to increased housing diversity and density, which will subsequently reduce sprawl. The proposed amendment is just one step in a series that will bring Charlotte closer to a development approach that promotes a variety of building types and uses, diverse housing and transportation options, development within existing neighborhoods, and strong community engagement. 

In the fall, phase three will address improvements to infill development, and, in the coming year, the city must also consider realignment rezoning for Center and Neighborhood 1 zoning districts. The majority of zoning on the ground today has NOT been updated in decades and has not kept up with all the growth Charlotte has experienced.

Please vote next week to support the Compact Development text amendment (petition 2024-06) and help move our city towards becoming a smart, sustainable, and accessible community. 

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Eric Zaverl

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