Details

Title	Code of Ordinances, City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Highlights	There is implicit recognition that development fees have an impact on housing affordability.   Greensboro has a provision to exempt affordable housing from water and sewer “capacity user fees”.                       There is implicit recognition that some zoning ordinances do not provide for affordable housing.   Greensboro allows accessory dwelling units, home occupations, migrant farm housing, and manufactured housing in single family zoned areas.
Description	Several of the regulations found in the Greensboro Code of Ordinances have an impact on the provision or maintenance of affordable housing. Planning regulations are contained in Chapter V, building regulations are found in Chapter 6 and the housing code is in Chapter 11. In Section 29-53, Greensboro enacts charges called “Capacity Use Fee” for water and sewer services. The purpose of the capacity use fee is to partially recover from new customers the cost of the capacity of the utility system to serve them. Different charges apply to single family and multifamily housing. Smaller houses have the option of paying a reduced fee based on the actual square footage of the house. The City also provides exemptions and refunds of the capacity use fee for housing affordable to low-income households within the city limits (Section 29-53.1). Detached single family owner-occupied homes can qualify if the unit is less than 1,200 square feet, and an attached unit can qualify if it is less than 1,000 square feet. Rental units qualify for a refund of the fee if the owner rents sixty percent of the units in the development at or below the applicable fair market rent. No exemptions or refunds are allowed for affordable housing outside the corporate limits of Greensboro. Greensboro allows Class AA manufactured dwellings to be sited in any residential district provided an overlay district has been approved for each manufactured dwelling unit. (Section 30-4-4.5) The code specifies a number of criteria the unit must meet including minimum size, type of foundation, orientation on the lot, type of siding, types of projections and roof pitch. The code also specifies a minimum development size of between 90 and 120,000 square feet of land. The city also regulates the development of manufactured dwelling parks and recreational parks or campsites in Section 30-5-2.54. The city requires each park to be at least five acres in size and contain between 15 and 300 spaces. The code lists other requirements for refuse disposal, setbacks, minimum lot sizes, utilities, parking and landscaping. The city allows accessory dwelling units and places different conditions on those attached to single family housing from those detached from the main unit. (Section 30-5-2.3.2 and 30-5-2.3) No accessory units are allowed on the same lot as a two-family or multifamily dwelling. Greensboro allows home occupations in Chapter 30-5-2.47. The code specifies the maximum area set aside for a home occupation and requires that there be no outside storage or display of items associated with the home occupation. Greensboro also specifies a number of requirements for the operation of the unit: the use must be secondary to the residential use, only hand made items or foodstuffs can be offered for sale, employment is restricted, activities cannot generate additional traffic and supplies cannot be delivered to the home occupation. Greensboro provides for and regulates migrant farm housing (Section 30-5-2.57). Migrant labor housing sites are to contain at least two acres of land for no more than 20 people. The city requires additional land if more people occupy the development. The city mandates that no more than 10 people can be housed in one room or compartment and specifies minimum square footage requirements. Other sections of the code set requirements for separate toilet and shower facilities, laundry rooms, and dining and food service facilities. This site was accessed in May 2003.
Publication Date	2003
Organization	City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Web Location	http://municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=10736&sid=33

Notice: The contents of this record reflect the views of the author and/or promulgating municipality, and should not be construed as representing the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or U.S. HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. No attempt has been made by U.S. HUD or its contractors to verify the accuracy, currency, or validity of the record contents presented herein.