Summary: Chapter 4 - Land Use Discussion Draft

If we want to avoid “build-out” in the near future in Forsyth County, a change will need to be made in the way we develop the remainder of our available land. The 2001 Legacy Plan has had successes and failures in its attempt to curb sprawl and guide compact development. While demographics show that we are not increasing our overall density in Forsyth County, our existing land use map does show increased densities along some strategic corridors. Unfortunately, the sites currently recommended for increased residential growth may not be enough to truly impact our density levels in the future. We do have new tools in place through regulatory changes which should help provide incentives for infill and increased densities, but additional strategies and tools will need to be developed. Negative perceptions of increased densities will need to be addressed through better design requirements.

For nonresidential land use, Legacy  principles and Area Plan recommendations have done a good job. While progress has been made through the formation of  Activity Centers, further steps must be taken to focus commercial development and continue to promote compact, walkable development. More incentives need to be created to encourage mixed-use development and strategies need to be developed to protect viable industrial and business park sites.

After community discussion, general land use principles and recommendations will be developed for this chapter. The more detailed strategies for land use objectives will be addressed in the Land Use Regulation and Area Plan chapters of this Plan.

Encourage Transit Oriented Development (TOD)

 How and where can we use the TOD concept (involves a mixture of increased residential densities, retail and offices clustered at specific locations along a transit line) to place housing and job locations in closer proximity and reduce trip miles? 

How can we promote development that can be conducive to a transit station locating there in the future?

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Increased Density Along Corridors

Roads such as Peters Creek Parkway and University Parkway lend themselves to an increased residential density and potential transit corridors.

How do we build a successful transit system through attractively-designed, increased-density developments along partially-developed corridors?

How do we help transform these corridors from strips into a complementary mixture of uses?

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Transportation in Downtown and Central Winston-Salem

What alternative means of transportation do we need in our center city to help move people between activities and to promote higher-density development and mixed uses?

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How does Land Use Relate to Transportation?

Land Use patterns do not happen in a vacuum, they are dependent on other features such as the transportation system and location of utilities. Before we can determine tools for changing our land use patterns, we must consider how these elements influence land use in our community.

The current relationship between land use and transportation in Forsyth County is that our low-density land use pattern is extremely auto-dependent. In most cases, people have to drive to get from their home to shopping, services or work. Transit use remains fairly low in our county. Currently, daily vehicle miles in Forsyth County translate into 30.5 miles per day for every person in the county.

The remainder of the Land Use Discussion will include questions that are also related to transportation.

Mixed-use Development

Over the last decade, Forsyth County has seen an increase in the number of mixed-use rezoning requests. The concepts and principles associated with mixed-use zoning (such as compact and pedestrian-friendly site features) will play an important role as we try to accommodate housing and job growth and reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled.

How do we promote mixed-use districts and what criteria should be used to locate them?

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Preservation of rural character outside the serviceable land area

Many people enjoy the character of our rural areas, and with agricultural tourism and the local food movement, rural areas are increasingly seen as an important community resource. However, as suburban sprawl continues to creep outward, many of these rural areas may be in jeopardy due to subdivision activity.

What are the tools we need to protect our rural areas?

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Preservation of Industrial Land

All land in Forsyth County is zoned for one use or another, and most vacant tracts in GMAs 3 and 4 are already zoned for single-family residential. Unfortunately, this zoning pattern makes it difficult to hold land for  future industrial and  employment centers. One subdivision built in a large tract of vacant land can make it unsuitable for a future employment center. This issue has left few areas in our county for large-scale business development. 

Given the limited amount of Serviceable Land Area we have left, what are the tools we need to preserve land for future industrial development and jobs?

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More Feasible Brownfield Development?

A similar issue is the redevelopment of brownfield (business sites with potential contamination) and greyfield (abandoned big box retail, shopping centers or industrial) sites for either industrial, residential, office or commercial uses. By utilizing these existing sites, we reduce the amount of prime land used for new development.

How can we as a community make this an economically feasible and desirable option for future development?

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Redevelopment vs. Greenfield Development

Over the last several decades many existing older commercial areas have fallen into decline as new greenfield commercial developments are rezoned farther out in the city and county. While this greenfield development provides new commercial opportunity and tax base growth, it typically has a secondary impact on older commercial areas as uses vacate those areas. In some cases, new commercial areas can also draw business away from our small municipality downtowns which are undergoing revitalization.

What is the right mix of new commercial and revitalized commercial for our community?

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Community Discussion: Land Use

Look for the Discussion Bubble for specific community issues that can help us develop a growth strategy. Most relate to our three Legacy Update themes: Sustainable Growth, Livable Design and Fiscal Responsibility.

Forsyth County contains a finite amount of land that must accommodate growth over the next twenty years and beyond, making future land use decisions even more important. As a community, we have two choices for how we accommodate growth: continue implementing the same land use patterns that have evolved over the past several decades and possibly have “build-out” in the near future; or engage in sustainable land use patterns that promote more compact development.

What are other communities doing?

While this is the first time Forsyth County has put a specific land use chapter in its Comprehensive Plan, many other cities in North Carolina have used a land use chapter to set out land use policy and growth strategies. Raleigh’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan puts an emphasis on “citywide” growth and the desire to become a model “sustainable city”. The Raleigh Plan includes a land capacity analysis that contains recommendations on how to accommodate the projected 220,000 people expected throughout the plan's duration. One key land use recommendation made in the Raleigh plan is to "promote pedestrian-friendly and transit-supportive development patterns along multi-modal corridors."  

The plan also includes a recommendation that sites within a half-mile of transit stations "be developed with intense residential and mixed-uses to take full advantage of and support the City and region’s investment in transit infrastructure." Wilmington also focuses on sustainable growth with an emphasis making sure their land use decisions do not negatively impact the delivery of public services.

Proposed Land Use

With all the Area Plans either in process or completed for the county, it is possible now to have a composite Proposed Land Use Map and accompanying table for GMAs 1-4 which lists the future acreage and percentages of land by use. The Proposed Land Use Map does not change the existing zoning on any property. It does provide guidance for future zoning activity and provides a framework for future public capital improvements.

The  Proposed Land Use Map serves as the blueprint for development in the county, as well as a gauge for how well we as a community are doing in applying Legacy principles in our Area Plan land use recommendations.

In looking at the composite map, there is more emphasis in the Area Plan recommendations for increased residential densities along Urban Boulevards to create transit corridors. However, the primary recommended residential use for our future is overwhelmingly single-family development, even in Urban Neighborhoods (GMA 2). In spite of the recognition of recommendations for increased densities for new development, it is a struggle to move toward more diverse housing options other than single-family development where vacant land exists or redevelopment is needed.


Gateway Commons, north of
downtown Winston-Salem,
is a HOPE VI development.

Perceptions of increased density are often associated with examples of unattractive design, crime, and lower housing values, and are hard to overcome in spite of the fact that some of our most expensive new housing is multifamily or cluster housing. In some older neighborhoods, many residents remember the fight to keep historic homes in place while apartments moved into their area. In lower-income areas, the association of density with crime has been a reality for decades. While new Hope VI and other urban developments are slowly changing perceptions, there is still a long way to go.

The Proposed Land Use map shows that the nonresidential goals of Legacy have found some success. An increase in the acreage for business and industrial sites was a key recommendation of the 2001 Legacy Plan.  A higher percentage of land has been recommended for industrial use through the Area Plan process.

Most new commercial on the Proposed Land Use map has been recommended for designated Mixed-Use Areas or Activity Centers as shown in Area Plans. Homes affected by existing nonresidential uses or major road widening have been given a viable land use option with low-intensity office and commercial. 

Proposed Land Use in Forsyth County
Land Use Designation	Acreage	Percentage
Low-Density Residential	192,138	73
Moderate-Density Residential	4,344	2
Intermediate-Density Residential	2,518	1
High-Density Residential	1,406	Under 1
Commercial	5,567	2
Office	1,697	Under 1
Mixed Use	4,626	2
Institutional	6,849	3
Industrial	15,137	6
Parks/Open Space	6,232	2
Commercial Recreation	1,266	Under 1
Utilities	22,360	8
Total	264,140	100

The Legacy goal of encouraging more mixed-use development has been realized as well in Area Plan recommendations, with many older areas having been recommended for mixed-use redevelopment including older warehouse areas north of downtown, South Stratford Road and Hanes Mall Boulevard. The Proposed Land Use Map recognizes the entire downtowns of Winston-Salem and Kernersville as mixed use. A number of “greenfield” sites have also been recommended for mixed-use development such as Caleb’s Creek in Kernersville and Village Point in Clemmons.

Success of Other Land Use Strategies

Heart of the Triad Study Area

One area the 2001 Legacy land use strategies have found success in is encouraging environmental sensitivity for new development. A new tree ordinance, new floodplain/stream buffer requirements, stormwater requirements and Planned Residential Development regulations (a residential designation requiring an open space component) are steps to help protect our environment and open spaces.

Planned regional coordination has also been successful  with the development of the Heart of the Triad study, the Aerotropolis Initiative, preliminary work toward a commuter rail line linking Forsyth and Guilford Counties and the beginnings of a regional sustainable communities strategy for the Piedmont Triad. 

What Land Use Tasks and Strategies have been completed?

·         Adoption of 20 Area Plans with recommended land uses

·         Revised street/sidewalk standards

·         “Big Box” Retail Text Amendment (City only)

·         Tree Ordinance (City only)

·         Sign Ordinance (City only)

·         Updated Neighborhood Conservation Overlay regulations

·         Added provisions for Agricultural Tourism

·         Voluntary Ag District

·         GMA 2 infill standards (commercial and residential)

·         Setback Reductions for Nonresidential Districts

·         Winston Overlay District for Downtown

·         Phase II Stormwater Requirements

·         Planned Residential Development Ordinance revision

·         Revitalizing Urban Commercial Areas Program

·         Industrial Sites Study

·         Parking reductions in GMA 2

·         Revised Floodplain/Stream Buffer Requirements

Existing Land Use: Nonresidential

Existing Land Use in Forsyth County
Land Use Designation	Acreage	Percentage
Agriculture	41,496	16
Low-Density Residential	109,540	41
Duplex/Triplex/Quadraplex	405	Under 1
Multifamily	3,987	2
Commercial	4,956	2
Office	1,186	Under 1
Mixed Use	53	Under 1
Institutional	7,764	3
Industrial	8,765	3
Park/Open Space	5,509	2
Commercial Recreation	2,458	1
Utilities	22,628	9
Vacant	55,393	21
Total	262,140	100

Legacy and Area Plans encourage commercial and office uses in Activity Centers and  in some cases, recommend office and limited commercial development as transitional uses between commercial and residential areas. For the most part, new commercial and office uses have been located in identified Activity Centers. However, some additional strip commercial rezonings have occurred on South Stratford Road, Peters Creek Parkway, University Parkway and some other major arterials. Other sporadic commercial rezoning has been approved in locations not supported by Area Plans. These types of rezoning often seem innocuous; however, they are used as justification for future commercial rezoning.

In order to improve the viability of Activity Centers, further steps must be taken to focus commercial development and continue to promote compact, walkable development. The commercial infill ordinance and RUCA program (Revitalizing Urban Commercial Areas) should help further the Legacy goal of consolidating commercial development.

The need for both new and redeveloped industrial and business sites was recognized in the 2001 Legacy Plan. While a number of new “greenfield” industrial sites have been successfully launched, very few brownfield sites have actually been redeveloped. There are plans for a new airport business park on an old housing site and the Piedmont Triad Research Park will replace some older industrial development as it continues to grow.

Over the past decade, Forsyth County has seen zoning proposals for several mixed-use suburban developments such as Hillcrest, Harper Hill Commons, Village Point in Clemmons and Vernon Farms.  However, true vertical mixed-use (residential and business uses within the same building) seen in other North Carolina communities have not yet been developed here. Some communities  such as the downtown Goler Neighborhood and the Cleveland Avenue area do have Master Plans for such mixed-use development.

Existing Land Use: Residential

The 2001 Legacy Plan promotes higher overall densities and infill projects in GMAs 1, 2 and 3 while steering significant development away from the Rural and Future Growth Areas. Through Area Plan recommendations and action on zoning cases, higher-density housing has been encouraged at Activity Centers, downtown  and along Urban Boulevards. Significant higher-density growth has occurred along Peters Creek Parkway, Griffith Road, University Parkway and other corridors designated in Area Plans. The recent adoption of a residential infill ordinance for GMA 2 should further help implement this Legacy goal by increasing densities where infrastructure is available.

Protection of the rural areas of the community has been helped by the creation of a agricultural tourism district giving landowners viable options for retaining their farms. An analysis done for the rural western section Forsyth County shows that extending sewer beyond the Muddy Creek ridgeline is cost prohibitive at this time, backing the Legacy goal of not developing land prematurely.

Increased overall residential density was a primary goal discussed in the 2001 Legacy Plan.  However, as noted in Chapter 2 of the Legacy Update, the overall population density in Winston-Salem has actually decreased from 2.9 persons per developed acre in 2000, to 2.7 persons per acre in 2010. The Existing Land Use Map for Forsyth County (above) reflects the prevailing low-density development. While progress has been made, there still is not  enough land used for higher-density residential in strategic locations. If our community desires to increase its residential development densities to encourage more compact growth and transit opportunities, we clearly will need additional tools and strategies to make it happen.

How Have the 2001 Legacy Plan Strategies Worked?

The primary guidance for land use is the Legacy Growth Management Plan (above) and the specific land use recommendations made in Area Plans (once adopted, Area Plans become part of the Legacy Comprehensive Plan). Over the past decade, many of the revisions to the zoning classifications and ordinance provisions in the Unified Development Ordinances have been based on GMAs, a recognition that the Growth Management Plan can be a tool for directing growth. Also, for the first time in the county’s history, adopted Area Plans and their accompanying land use plans are in place to cover all land within Forsyth County except for the rural area. Zoning decisions have followed Legacy and Area Plan recommendations approximately 90% of the time. In that regard, Legacy’s land use strategies have had success.