Forsyth County to consider updating UDO references to 'Forward 2045' at Jan. 29 hearing

Chris Murphy, Forsyth County planning director, briefed commissioners on a proposed Unified Development Ordinance text amendment (UDO CC 31) that would update references in the county’s development code to the Forward 2045 comprehensive plan.

Murphy said the amendment replaces references to “Legacy” and “Legacy 2030” with Forward 2045, removes prior size-based activity-center categories in favor of a single “activity center” term and adds a Forward 2045 definition so the comprehensive plan and development regulations use consistent terminology. “This is a request, as UDO CC 31,” Murphy said, adding the Planning Board unanimously recommended approval after an Oct. 9 public hearing.

Why it matters: The change is primarily technical and administrative but affects how the county’s land-use regulations reference and implement the adopted comprehensive plan. Murphy noted that city council adopted Forward 2045 in December 2025, and the ordinance amendment is intended to align county regulations with that plan.

What’s next: The item was presented at this Jan. 27 briefing and is scheduled for a public hearing before the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 29. No formal action or vote was recorded in the briefing.

Speakers quoted in this report include Chris Murphy (planning director), Chair (unnamed in the transcript) and County Manager Shantel Robinson, who previewed the agenda. The full amendment text and staff analysis will be available with the Jan. 29 agenda packet.