NEWTON — Catawba County has published a draft rewrite of its Unified Development Ordinance — the rulebook that governs zoning, subdivisions, development standards, and floodplain rules in county-regulated areas — and is moving that draft toward Planning Board and Board of Commissioners review.
A Sept. 11 county news post says the update process began in 2025. Planning staff worked with consultant Freese and Nichols on the proposed ordinance.
County officials describe three aims: align the code with the 2024 Catawba County Comprehensive Plan, tackle current development problems, and reflect recent changes in North Carolina General Statutes. The rewrite also tries to streamline how projects move through county review.
What is — and is not — decided yet
The draft is not law. The county says the amendments still go to the Planning Board, then to the Board of Commissioners for final review and adoption.
An informal public drop-in was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, for residents to look at key changes and speak with staff. As of this writing, the county had not posted a follow-up recap of that session with attendance figures or a punch-list of resident comments.
Why it matters
Anyone building, subdividing, or rezoning outside city limits lives under the UDO. A full rewrite can change what is allowed by right, what needs a special approval, and how floodplain and subdivision rules apply — well before a later commissioners’ vote makes headlines.
Catawba First News will follow the draft through Planning Board and the Board of Commissioners and report any posted hearing dates, maps, or substantive text changes once they appear in official packets.
Upcoming: Planning Board Monday, Sept. 28
County Planning Board is next listed for Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, at 7 p.m. on the county’s published 2026 schedule. Watch that packet for any UDO workshop or referral language.
Earlier Catawba First News planning coverage: July 20 commissioners approve rezonings · May 18 Startown Road industrial rezoning denial · Parks Master Plan adoption
Source: official county release, Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Update (Sept. 11, 2026). Further detail links in that post point to county-hosted draft materials; this article does not republish the full draft text.
