The Durham Planning Commission’s special meeting and public hearing scheduled for February 24, 2026, to discuss the rewrite of the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), also known as the Land Development Code (LDC), has been canceled. The decision was made by the Durham City Council and the Durham County Board of Commissioners.
Durham began efforts in late 2023 to update its development rules so they would align with the Comprehensive Plan adopted in October 2023. State law requires local governments to have a comprehensive plan and to ensure that zoning regulations are consistent with it.
However, a new provision added by the General Assembly in December 2024 to a disaster relief bill has complicated this process. The provision prohibits local governments from making certain zoning changes—referred to as “down-zoning”—without written consent from every affected property owner. This restriction has made it difficult for communities across North Carolina to update their development regulations while still being required by other state laws to maintain consistency with their comprehensive plans. As a result, there is now a conflict between different state policies, creating uncertainty for local governments.
To address this issue, Durham’s draft LDC included an exception: properties that would be “down-zoned” would continue under the existing UDO rather than being subject to new rules. Recently, property owners challenged this approach and threatened legal action just days before the planned hearing. In response, city officials decided to pause the adoption process for the LDC in order to review these legal concerns and determine how best to proceed.
Although the formal public hearing will not take place as scheduled, staff from the Durham Planning & Development Department will still be available at City Hall on February 24 at 5:30 p.m. They will answer questions and provide information about the current draft of the LDC in an informal setting for residents who wish to attend.
City officials stated: “Durham remains committed to transparency and to ensuring that the new LDC reflects the goals and values of our community. We will continue to keep the public informed as we navigate this challenge.”
