Appendix A.  State Statutes on Development Agreements

§ 160A‑400.20.  Authorization for development agreements.

(a) The General Assembly finds:

(1) Large‑scale development projects often occur in multiple phases extending over a period of years, requiring a long‑term commitment of both public and private resources.

(2) Such large‑scale developments often create potential community impacts and potential opportunities that are difficult or impossible to accommodate within traditional zoning processes.

(3) Because of their scale and duration, such large‑scale projects often require careful integration between public capital facilities planning, financing, and construction schedules and the phasing of the private development.

(4) Because of their scale and duration, such large‑scale projects involve substantial commitments of private capital by developers, which developers are usually unwilling to risk without sufficient assurances that development standards will remain stable through the extended period of the development.

(5) Because of their size and duration, such developments often permit communities and developers to experiment with different or nontraditional types of development concepts and standards, while still managing impacts on the surrounding areas.

(6) To better structure and manage development approvals for such large‑scale developments and ensure their proper integration into local capital facilities programs, local governments need the flexibility in negotiating such developments.

(b) Local governments and agencies may enter into development agreements with developers, subject to the procedures and requirements of this Part. In entering into such agreements, a local government may not exercise any authority or make any commitment not authorized by general or local act and may not impose any tax or fee not authorized by otherwise applicable law.

(c) This Part is supplemental to the powers conferred upon local governments and does not preclude or supersede rights and obligations established pursuant to other law regarding building permits, site‑specific development plans, phased development plans, or other provisions of law.

§ 160A‑400.21.  Definitions.

The following definitions apply in this Part:

(1) Comprehensive plan. – The comprehensive plan, land‑use plan, small area plans, neighborhood plans, transportation plan, capital improvement plan, official map, and any other plans regarding land use and development that have been officially adopted by the governing board.

(2) Developer. – A person, including a governmental agency or redevelopment authority, who intends to undertake any development and who has a legal or equitable interest in the property to be developed.

(3) Development. – The planning for or carrying out of a building activity, the making of a material change in the use or appearance of any structure or property, or the dividing of land into two or more parcels. "Development", as designated in a law or development permit, includes the planning for and all other activity customarily associated with it unless otherwise specified. When appropriate to the context, "development" refers to the planning for or the act of developing or to the result of development. Reference to a specific operation is not intended to mean that the operation or activity, when part of other operations or activities, is not development. Reference to particular operations is not intended to limit the generality of this item.

(4) Development permit. – A building permit, zoning permit, subdivision approval, special or conditional use permit, variance, or any other official action of local government having the effect of permitting the development of property.

(5) Governing body. – The city council of a municipality.

(6) Land development regulations. – Ordinances and regulations enacted by the appropriate governing body for the regulation of any aspect of development and includes zoning, subdivision, or any other land development ordinances.

(7) Laws. – All ordinances, resolutions, regulations, comprehensive plans, land development regulations, policies, and rules adopted by a local government affecting the development of property, and includes laws governing permitted uses of the property, density, design, and improvements.

(8) Local government. – Any municipality that exercises regulatory authority over and grants development permits for land development or which provides public facilities.

(9) Local planning board. – Any planning board established pursuant to G.S. 160A‑361.

(10) Person. – An individual, corporation, business or land trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, two or more persons having a joint or common interest, State agency, or any legal entity.

(11) Property. – All real property subject to land‑use regulation by a local government and includes any improvements or structures customarily regarded as a part of real property.

(12) Public facilities. – Major capital improvements, including, but not limited to, transportation, sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water, educational, parks and recreational, and health systems and facilities.

§ 160A‑400.22.  Local governments authorized to enter into development agreements; approval of governing body required.

A local government may establish procedures and requirements, as provided in this Part, to consider and enter into development agreements with developers. A development agreement must be approved by the governing body of a local government by ordinance.

§ 160A‑400.23.  Developed property must contain certain number of acres; permissible durations of agreements.

A local government may enter into a development agreement with a developer for the development of property as provided in this Part, provided the property contains 25 acres or more of developable property (exclusive of wetlands, mandatory buffers, unbuildable slopes, and other portions of the property which may be precluded from development at the time of application). Development agreements shall be of a term specified in the agreement, provided they may not be for a term exceeding 20 years.

§ 160A‑400.24.  Public hearing.

Before entering into a development agreement, a local government shall conduct a public hearing on the proposed agreement following the procedures set forth in G.S. 160A‑364 regarding zoning ordinance adoption or amendment. The notice for the public hearing must specify the location of the property subject to the development agreement, the development uses proposed on the property, and must specify a place where a copy of the proposed development agreement can be obtained. In the event that the development agreement provides that the local government shall provide certain public facilities, the development agreement shall provide that the delivery date of such public facilities will be tied to successful performance by the developer in implementing the proposed development (such as meeting defined completion percentages or other performance standards).

§ 160A‑400.25.  What development agreement must provide; what it may provide; major modification requires public notice and hearing.

(a) A development agreement shall at a minimum include all of the following:

(1) A legal description of the property subject to the agreement and the names of its legal and equitable property owners.

(2) The duration of the agreement. However, the parties are not precluded from entering into subsequent development agreements that may extend the original duration period.

(3) The development uses permitted on the property, including population densities and building types, intensities, placement on the site, and design.

(4) A description of public facilities that will service the development, including who provides the facilities, the date any new public facilities, if needed, will be constructed, and a schedule to assure public facilities are available concurrent with the impacts of the development.

(5) A description, where appropriate, of any reservation or dedication of land for public purposes and any provisions to protect environmentally sensitive property.

(6) A description of all local development permits approved or needed to be approved for the development of the property together with a statement indicating that the failure of the agreement to address a particular permit, condition, term, or restriction does not relieve the developer of the necessity of complying with the law governing their permitting requirements, conditions, terms, or restrictions.

(7) A description of any conditions, terms, restrictions, or other requirements determined to be necessary by the local government for the public health, safety, or welfare of its citizens.

(8) A description, where appropriate, of any provisions for the preservation and restoration of historic structures.

(b) A development agreement may provide that the entire development or any phase of it be commenced or completed within a specified period of time. The development agreement must provide a development schedule, including commencement dates and interim completion dates at no greater than five‑year intervals; provided, however, the failure to meet a commencement or completion date shall not, in and of itself, constitute a material breach of the development agreement pursuant to G.S. 160A‑400.27 but must be judged based upon the totality of the circumstances. The development agreement may include other defined performance standards to be met by the developer. The developer may request a modification in the dates as set forth in the agreement. Consideration of a proposed major modification of the agreement shall follow the same procedures as required for initial approval of a development agreement.

(c) If more than one local government is made party to an agreement, the agreement must specify which local government is responsible for the overall administration of the development agreement.

(d) The development agreement also may cover any other matter not inconsistent with this Part.

§ 160A‑400.26.  Law in effect at time of agreement governs development; exceptions.

(a) Unless the development agreement specifically provides for the application of subsequently enacted laws, the laws applicable to development of the property subject to a development agreement are those in force at the time of execution of the agreement.

(b) Except for grounds specified in G.S. 160A‑385.1(e), a local government may not apply subsequently adopted ordinances or development policies to a development that is subject to a development agreement.

(c) In the event State or federal law is changed after a development agreement has been entered into and the change prevents or precludes compliance with one or more provisions of the development agreement, the local government may modify the affected provisions, upon a finding that the change in State or federal law has a fundamental effect on the development agreement, by ordinance after notice and a hearing.

(d) This section does not abrogate any rights preserved by G.S. 160A‑385 or G.S. 160A‑385.1, or that may vest pursuant to common law or otherwise in the absence of a development agreement.

§ 160A‑400.27.  Periodic review to assess compliance with agreement; material breach by developer; notice of breach; cure of breach or modification or termination of agreement.

(a) Procedures established pursuant to G.S. 160A‑400.22 must include a provision for requiring periodic review by the zoning administrator or other appropriate officer of the local government at least every 12 months, at which time the developer must be required to demonstrate good faith compliance with the terms of the development agreement.

(b) If, as a result of a periodic review, the local government finds and determines that the developer has committed a material breach of the terms or conditions of the agreement, the local government shall serve notice in writing, within a reasonable time after the periodic review, upon the developer setting forth with reasonable particularity the nature of the breach and the evidence supporting the finding and determination, and providing the developer a reasonable time in which to cure the material breach.

(c) If the developer fails to cure the material breach within the time given, then the local government unilaterally may terminate or modify the development agreement; provided, the notice of termination or modification may be appealed to the board of adjustment in the manner provided by G.S. 160A‑388(b).

§ 160A‑400.28.  Amendment or cancellation of development agreement by mutual consent of parties or successors in interest.

A development agreement may be amended or canceled by mutual consent of the parties to the agreement or by their successors in interest.

§ 160A‑400.29.  Validity and duration of agreement entered into prior to change of jurisdiction; subsequent modification or suspension.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this Part, any development agreement entered into by a local government before the effective date of a change of jurisdiction shall be valid for the duration of the agreement, or eight years from the effective date of the change in jurisdiction, whichever is earlier. The parties to the development agreement and the local government assuming jurisdiction have the same rights and obligations with respect to each other regarding matters addressed in the development agreement as if the property had remained in the previous jurisdiction.

(b) A local government assuming jurisdiction may modify or suspend the provisions of the development agreement if the local government determines that the failure of the local government to do so would place the residents of the territory subject to the development agreement, or the residents of the local government, or both, in a condition dangerous to their health or safety, or both.

§ 160A‑400.30.  Developer to record agreement within 14 days; burdens and benefits inure to successors in interest.

Within 14 days after a local government enters into a development agreement, the developer shall record the agreement with the register of deeds in the county where the property is located. The burdens of the development agreement are binding upon, and the benefits of the agreement shall inure to, all successors in interest to the parties to the agreement.

§ 160A‑400.31.  Applicability to local government of constitutional and statutory procedures for approval of debt.

In the event that any of the obligations of the local government in the development agreement constitute debt, the local government shall comply, at the time of the obligation to incur the debt and before the debt becomes enforceable against the local government, with any applicable constitutional and statutory procedures for the approval of this debt.

§ 160A‑400.32.  Relationship of agreement to building or housing code.

A development agreement adopted pursuant to this Chapter shall not exempt the property owner or developer from compliance with the State Building Code or State or local housing codes that are not part of the local government's planning, zoning, or subdivision regulations.