title
Ordinance Amending the Land Development Code, Chapter 18, to Establish Food Banks as a New Use (LDC-2-1025)
body
Department:
Planning & Development
Meeting Date:
11/18/2025
Contact Name:
Kathryn Thurston
Public Hearing:
Yes
Contact Phone:
910-341-3249
Advertising Date/Advertised By:
11/7/2025 and 11/14/2025/StarNews
Attachments:
Attachment #1: Ordinance; Attachment #2: Case Summary; Attachment #3: Benchmark Review Peer Cities; Attachment #4: Zoning District Maps; Attachment #5: Planning Commission Recommendation
PURPOSE:
The proposed amendment would establish "food bank" as a distinct land use in the Land Development Code ("LDC") and allow it in select commercial, mixed-use, and industrial districts. Food banks are facilities that receive, store, and distribute food to partner agencies or directly to the public, often with volunteer and administrative operations on-site.
BACKGROUND:
The legacy LDC in effect prior to December 2021 included a "social services" use category covering a range of community-serving facilities. As part of the LDC rewrite in 2021, this category was removed to simplify the code, with most uses reclassified under "office." Food banks, however, do not align with office or retail uses, as their core functions are better suited to warehousing and distribution uses, which the LDC limits to commercial services or industrial districts. This creates challenges, as food banks often serve populations that are better reached in accessible commercial or mixed-use areas. To address this, staff proposes creating a new defined use for "food bank" and permitting it by-right in selected non-industrial districts, subject to performance standards to ensure neighborhood compatibility.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing regarding this amendment on October 1, 2025. Following a brief discussion, the commission voted 6-0 in support of the proposed amendment.
budget
BUDGET IMPACT:
N/A
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION / ACTIO...
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