GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN STANDARDS
See the Flood Damage Reduction Ordinance on the Town's website under the Engineering Department.
All developments will be constructed and maintained so that adjacent properties are not unreasonably burdened with surface waters as a result of such developments. More specifically:
All developments shall comply with the Indian Trail Post Construction Ordinance dated September 11, 2007. See DIVISION 1700 APPENDICES, Chapter 1740 Appendix 4: Post-Construction Storm Water Ordinance for a link to the document.
In order to prevent soil erosion and sedimentation pollution of waterways, the applicant shall comply with all requirements of the North Carolina Pollution Control Act. A plan shall be submitted and approved by North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources and a copy of the plan and DENR permit shall be provided to the Town prior to Zoning Certificate permit issuance.
Fire hydrants shall be installed according to the fire code adopted by the Union County Fire Service and fire hydrant improvements and locations shall be installed consistent with the following:
The regulations of this Chapter are intended to promote quality, aesthetically pleasing development throughout Indian Trail and to provide a wide range of nonresidential and residential structure types to accommodate the life-styles and economic levels of the projected population. The regulations are further intended to promote quality development that complies with all Town and state regulations and minimizes land use conflicts.
Plans demonstrating compliance with the design standards of this Chapter will be reviewed by the authorizing permit authority at the time of development’s initial review and consideration for approval. The authorizing permit authority may approve plans that deviate from these standards if the plan is consistent with the statement of purpose and utilize equal or better design strategies and materials.
Residential buildings in a Conditional Zoning constructed on-site may be improved with quality materials that are durable, safe, and require limited maintenance. It is recommended that materials be selected for suitability to the type of building and design for which they are used. All facades visible from public or private streets are desired to be constructed of the following materials:
This section and Section 1630.060 Household Living Category provides standards for manufactured homes. Permitted Class A or B manufactured housing units may be placed on individual lots in residential districts that permit or conditionally permit detached manufactured houses only if they meet all the following standards:
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the material and color standards of this section apply to all facades visible from a public or private street or public areas of adjacent sites for non-residential/commercial development in all zoning districts that are subject to site plan review. This section excludes industrial land uses.

The following lighting is exempt from the requirements of this Section:
Measurements shall be made at finished grade (ground level), with the light registering portion of the meter held parallel to the ground, pointing up. The meter shall have an accuracy tolerance of no greater than plus or minus 5%. Measurements shall be taken with a light meter that has been calibrated within one (1) year. Light levels are specified, calculated and measured in footcandles (FC), and should be taken after a one hundred (100) hour burn-in time, which will more accurately read “maintained” lighting levels.
All outdoor lighting (other than lighting for automotive dealerships and outdoor sporting facilities) shall comply with the following standards: All exterior lighting should be provided as to minimize the amount of light that is distributed towards an adjacent property, thereby limiting light trespass.
| Original Lamp (Watts) | LED Lamp (Watts) |
| METAL HALIDE | TO LED |
| 70 | 30 |
| 100 | 40-50 |
| 150 | 60-70 |
| 175 | 80-90 |
| HIGH PRESSURE | TO LED |
| 70 | 40 |
| 100 | 50-60 |
| 150 | 80-90 |
| 250 | 90-125 |



| Vehicular Roadway Classification | Commercial | Urban Intermediate | Residential | |||
| Foot-candle | Lux | Foot-candle | Lux | Foot-candle | Lux | |
| Freeway* | 0.6 | 6 | 0.6 | 6 | 0.6 | 6 |
| Expressway* | 1.4 | 15 | 1.2 | 13 | 1.0 | 11 |
| Major | 2.0 | 22 | 1.4 | 15 | 1.0 | 11 |
| Collector | 1.2 | 13 | 0.9 | 10 | 0.6 | 6 |
| Local | 0.9 | 10 | 0.6 | 6 | 0.4 | 4 |
| Alleys | 0.6 | 6 | 0.4 | 4 | 0.4 | 4 |




The Town may withhold certificates of occupancy for any use that installs luminaries that do not comply with this Section.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Town of Indian Trail’s Traffic Impact Study Policy, new developments must demonstrate that they are served by roads with adequate traffic capacity and that any proposed development will not lead to conditions of excessive traffic congestion or dangerous driving conditions.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Town of Indian Trail’s Traffic Impact Study Policy, the Town may require a traffic impact study as part of development approvals consistent with the terms and conditions of this Unified Development Ordinance. Said traffic impact study is subject to review and approval by the Engineering Director.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Town of Indian Trail’s Traffic Impact Analysis Policy, the Town may require a traffic impact mitigation and roadway improvements as part of development approvals consistent with the required Traffic Impact Study as approved by the Engineering Director and terms and conditions of this Unified Development Ordinance.
The intersection visibility standards of this article establish triangular areas on corner lots, referred to as “intersection visibility triangles,” within which the placement of buildings, fences, hedges, walls, and other structures is restricted in order to maintain clear lines of sight at street intersections for the purposes of traffic and pedestrian safety.
Lots located at the corner of any street intersection must comply with the requirements of this article.
Figure 1300-5: Sight or Visibility Triangle
The following obstructions are prohibited within intersection visibility triangles:
The following structures are exempt from the provisions of the intersection visibility standards of this section subject to review and approval by the Engineering Director.
The purpose of flood control detention requirements is to protect downstream properties from increased flooding due to upstream development. Development or redevelopment creating a total of 20,000 square feet or more of impervious area shall be designed to control the peak discharges from the 2-, 10-, and 25-year, 24-hour storm events to pre-development levels. The emergency overflow and outlet works for any stormwater BMP shall be capable of safely passing a discharge with a minimum recurrence frequency as specified in the Town of Indian Trail Stormwater Design Manual.
Development or redevelopment that proposes to use existing detention facilities shall comply with the requirements of this Section 1370.
Detention facilities shall not be located within FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, drainage areas where the 100-year storm event is greater than 50 cfs, or within 10 feet of any property lines. Design of detention facilities shall be consistent with the Town of Indian Trail Stormwater Design Manual except as stated herein.
Stormwater detention design must be performed by a North Carolina Registered Professional Engineer.
All streams in Indian Trail which drain more than one square mile (640 acres) are regulated by Section 1360, “Flood Damage Reduction Ordinance”. Streams that drain less than one square mile will also experience flooding and require regulation as well. This regulation is known as the “100 + 1 Flood Analysis”. For drainage systems which are expected to carry 50cfs of more in the 100-year storm event, both the 100-year + 1 Storm Water Elevation Line (SWEL) and the Storm Water Protection Elevation (SWPE) shall be shown on the site, grading plan, and recorded map.
Flood Analysis must be performed by a North Carolina Registered Professional Engineer.
All stormwater detention and water quality facilities with embankments that are designed to hold water shall comply with the requirements in Appendix 6, “Embankment Requirements”.
No certificate of occupancy or release of sureties will be issued for any development until:
When a detention facility serves more than one property, a permanent detention easement that encompasses the detention facility will be shown on a recorded plat. This easement will be described by metes and bounds.
There will be a note placed on the recorded plat that clearly describes who is responsible for maintenance of the detention facilities, pipes and/or channels located within the permanent detention facility.
Deviations from the Stormwater Manual may be necessary to accommodate soil types found in Union County and site constraints subject to approval by the Engineering Director.
Additions to existing non-residential structures over 50% of the existing floor area (square footage) or demolition of existing structures for purposes of redevelopment will be subject to the requirements of this section.
Minor residential subdivisions and individual single-family residences are exempt from said requirements.
All non-conforming developments (existing impervious area > 20,000 sq. ft.) adding impervious area (structural or non-structural) shall provide detention for the newly added impervious area only in compliance with this section.
Any developments which has either public water or public sewer system or both legally available or to be made available within 300 feet of its boundary shall have such available systems extended by the developer to provide service to each lot in the subdivision. Water and sewer installations shall be in accordance with the standards of the Union County Public Works Department.
Proof of public water/or sewer availability is required prior to issuance of a zoning permit to start construction. If public water/or sewer is not available proof of service by private system (well and/or septic, etc) authorized by the Union County Environmental Health Department or other authorizing agency shall be provided.
Electrical, television, and telephone utility lines installed within subdivisions must be underground unless the Technical Review Committee determines that underground installation is unreasonable of infeasible.
Utility easements with a width acceptable to public and private utility providers must be provided to accommodate electric, telephone, gas, and community antenna television services; conduits; and sewer or water lines. The location of such easements must be reviewed and approved by the Town, with advice from utility providers, before site plan approval.
Utility easements must be kept free and clear of any buildings or other improvements that would interfere with the proper maintenance or replacement of utilities. The Town is not liable for damages to any improvement located within the utility easement area.
Every development (subdivided or unsubdivided) that is served by a public water system shall include a system of fire hydrants sufficient to provide adequate fire protection for the buildings located or intended to be located within such development.
Fire hydrants must be located in accordance with the rules and regulations identified in North Carolina Fire Prevention Code. Appeals of these codes shall be filed with the North Carolina Building Code Council and the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
The Planning Staff and Union County Fire Service shall review all fire hydrant locations and fire hydrant specifications. A letter shall be provided from the Union County Fire Marshal’s Office to the Town stating the proposed development is in compliance with said Code. Final approval of locations and specifications shall be by the permit issuing authority.
Water lines that serve hydrants shall be at least six (6)-inch lines, and, unless no other practicable alternative is available, no such lines shall be dead-end lines.
The permit issuing authority may modify any previously issued permit to bring that project into compliance based on the Fire Marshal’s certification that said project is in compliance with the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code.
All new developments shall comply with the requirements of Section 1110.090 Street and Sidewalk Improvements.
Driveways, streets and sidewalks shall comply with the following:
Every development with the exception of individual single-family residential dwellings will be required to provide one (1) or more trash enclosures for solid waste collection. Said trash enclosure and/or grease trap facility shall be located so as to:
When required, all trash enclosure and/or grease trap facility shall be screened pursuant to the following:
Plant material shall supplement the trash enclosure. Planting material shall screen 25% of the trash enclosure wall area. Planting material shall consist of a minimum of six (6) low branching evergreen shrubs a minimum of three (3) feet in height at time of planting.
Requests for single-family and multifamily residential developments consisting of 50-lots/units or more shall include a school impact study estimating the number of students generated by the proposed development.
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN STANDARDS
See the Flood Damage Reduction Ordinance on the Town's website under the Engineering Department.
All developments will be constructed and maintained so that adjacent properties are not unreasonably burdened with surface waters as a result of such developments. More specifically:
All developments shall comply with the Indian Trail Post Construction Ordinance dated September 11, 2007. See DIVISION 1700 APPENDICES, Chapter 1740 Appendix 4: Post-Construction Storm Water Ordinance for a link to the document.
In order to prevent soil erosion and sedimentation pollution of waterways, the applicant shall comply with all requirements of the North Carolina Pollution Control Act. A plan shall be submitted and approved by North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources and a copy of the plan and DENR permit shall be provided to the Town prior to Zoning Certificate permit issuance.
Fire hydrants shall be installed according to the fire code adopted by the Union County Fire Service and fire hydrant improvements and locations shall be installed consistent with the following:
The regulations of this Chapter are intended to promote quality, aesthetically pleasing development throughout Indian Trail and to provide a wide range of nonresidential and residential structure types to accommodate the life-styles and economic levels of the projected population. The regulations are further intended to promote quality development that complies with all Town and state regulations and minimizes land use conflicts.
Plans demonstrating compliance with the design standards of this Chapter will be reviewed by the authorizing permit authority at the time of development’s initial review and consideration for approval. The authorizing permit authority may approve plans that deviate from these standards if the plan is consistent with the statement of purpose and utilize equal or better design strategies and materials.
Residential buildings in a Conditional Zoning constructed on-site may be improved with quality materials that are durable, safe, and require limited maintenance. It is recommended that materials be selected for suitability to the type of building and design for which they are used. All facades visible from public or private streets are desired to be constructed of the following materials:
This section and Section 1630.060 Household Living Category provides standards for manufactured homes. Permitted Class A or B manufactured housing units may be placed on individual lots in residential districts that permit or conditionally permit detached manufactured houses only if they meet all the following standards:
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the material and color standards of this section apply to all facades visible from a public or private street or public areas of adjacent sites for non-residential/commercial development in all zoning districts that are subject to site plan review. This section excludes industrial land uses.

The following lighting is exempt from the requirements of this Section:
Measurements shall be made at finished grade (ground level), with the light registering portion of the meter held parallel to the ground, pointing up. The meter shall have an accuracy tolerance of no greater than plus or minus 5%. Measurements shall be taken with a light meter that has been calibrated within one (1) year. Light levels are specified, calculated and measured in footcandles (FC), and should be taken after a one hundred (100) hour burn-in time, which will more accurately read “maintained” lighting levels.
All outdoor lighting (other than lighting for automotive dealerships and outdoor sporting facilities) shall comply with the following standards: All exterior lighting should be provided as to minimize the amount of light that is distributed towards an adjacent property, thereby limiting light trespass.
| Original Lamp (Watts) | LED Lamp (Watts) |
| METAL HALIDE | TO LED |
| 70 | 30 |
| 100 | 40-50 |
| 150 | 60-70 |
| 175 | 80-90 |
| HIGH PRESSURE | TO LED |
| 70 | 40 |
| 100 | 50-60 |
| 150 | 80-90 |
| 250 | 90-125 |



| Vehicular Roadway Classification | Commercial | Urban Intermediate | Residential | |||
| Foot-candle | Lux | Foot-candle | Lux | Foot-candle | Lux | |
| Freeway* | 0.6 | 6 | 0.6 | 6 | 0.6 | 6 |
| Expressway* | 1.4 | 15 | 1.2 | 13 | 1.0 | 11 |
| Major | 2.0 | 22 | 1.4 | 15 | 1.0 | 11 |
| Collector | 1.2 | 13 | 0.9 | 10 | 0.6 | 6 |
| Local | 0.9 | 10 | 0.6 | 6 | 0.4 | 4 |
| Alleys | 0.6 | 6 | 0.4 | 4 | 0.4 | 4 |




The Town may withhold certificates of occupancy for any use that installs luminaries that do not comply with this Section.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Town of Indian Trail’s Traffic Impact Study Policy, new developments must demonstrate that they are served by roads with adequate traffic capacity and that any proposed development will not lead to conditions of excessive traffic congestion or dangerous driving conditions.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Town of Indian Trail’s Traffic Impact Study Policy, the Town may require a traffic impact study as part of development approvals consistent with the terms and conditions of this Unified Development Ordinance. Said traffic impact study is subject to review and approval by the Engineering Director.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Town of Indian Trail’s Traffic Impact Analysis Policy, the Town may require a traffic impact mitigation and roadway improvements as part of development approvals consistent with the required Traffic Impact Study as approved by the Engineering Director and terms and conditions of this Unified Development Ordinance.
The intersection visibility standards of this article establish triangular areas on corner lots, referred to as “intersection visibility triangles,” within which the placement of buildings, fences, hedges, walls, and other structures is restricted in order to maintain clear lines of sight at street intersections for the purposes of traffic and pedestrian safety.
Lots located at the corner of any street intersection must comply with the requirements of this article.
Figure 1300-5: Sight or Visibility Triangle
The following obstructions are prohibited within intersection visibility triangles:
The following structures are exempt from the provisions of the intersection visibility standards of this section subject to review and approval by the Engineering Director.
The purpose of flood control detention requirements is to protect downstream properties from increased flooding due to upstream development. Development or redevelopment creating a total of 20,000 square feet or more of impervious area shall be designed to control the peak discharges from the 2-, 10-, and 25-year, 24-hour storm events to pre-development levels. The emergency overflow and outlet works for any stormwater BMP shall be capable of safely passing a discharge with a minimum recurrence frequency as specified in the Town of Indian Trail Stormwater Design Manual.
Development or redevelopment that proposes to use existing detention facilities shall comply with the requirements of this Section 1370.
Detention facilities shall not be located within FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, drainage areas where the 100-year storm event is greater than 50 cfs, or within 10 feet of any property lines. Design of detention facilities shall be consistent with the Town of Indian Trail Stormwater Design Manual except as stated herein.
Stormwater detention design must be performed by a North Carolina Registered Professional Engineer.
All streams in Indian Trail which drain more than one square mile (640 acres) are regulated by Section 1360, “Flood Damage Reduction Ordinance”. Streams that drain less than one square mile will also experience flooding and require regulation as well. This regulation is known as the “100 + 1 Flood Analysis”. For drainage systems which are expected to carry 50cfs of more in the 100-year storm event, both the 100-year + 1 Storm Water Elevation Line (SWEL) and the Storm Water Protection Elevation (SWPE) shall be shown on the site, grading plan, and recorded map.
Flood Analysis must be performed by a North Carolina Registered Professional Engineer.
All stormwater detention and water quality facilities with embankments that are designed to hold water shall comply with the requirements in Appendix 6, “Embankment Requirements”.
No certificate of occupancy or release of sureties will be issued for any development until:
When a detention facility serves more than one property, a permanent detention easement that encompasses the detention facility will be shown on a recorded plat. This easement will be described by metes and bounds.
There will be a note placed on the recorded plat that clearly describes who is responsible for maintenance of the detention facilities, pipes and/or channels located within the permanent detention facility.
Deviations from the Stormwater Manual may be necessary to accommodate soil types found in Union County and site constraints subject to approval by the Engineering Director.
Additions to existing non-residential structures over 50% of the existing floor area (square footage) or demolition of existing structures for purposes of redevelopment will be subject to the requirements of this section.
Minor residential subdivisions and individual single-family residences are exempt from said requirements.
All non-conforming developments (existing impervious area > 20,000 sq. ft.) adding impervious area (structural or non-structural) shall provide detention for the newly added impervious area only in compliance with this section.
Any developments which has either public water or public sewer system or both legally available or to be made available within 300 feet of its boundary shall have such available systems extended by the developer to provide service to each lot in the subdivision. Water and sewer installations shall be in accordance with the standards of the Union County Public Works Department.
Proof of public water/or sewer availability is required prior to issuance of a zoning permit to start construction. If public water/or sewer is not available proof of service by private system (well and/or septic, etc) authorized by the Union County Environmental Health Department or other authorizing agency shall be provided.
Electrical, television, and telephone utility lines installed within subdivisions must be underground unless the Technical Review Committee determines that underground installation is unreasonable of infeasible.
Utility easements with a width acceptable to public and private utility providers must be provided to accommodate electric, telephone, gas, and community antenna television services; conduits; and sewer or water lines. The location of such easements must be reviewed and approved by the Town, with advice from utility providers, before site plan approval.
Utility easements must be kept free and clear of any buildings or other improvements that would interfere with the proper maintenance or replacement of utilities. The Town is not liable for damages to any improvement located within the utility easement area.
Every development (subdivided or unsubdivided) that is served by a public water system shall include a system of fire hydrants sufficient to provide adequate fire protection for the buildings located or intended to be located within such development.
Fire hydrants must be located in accordance with the rules and regulations identified in North Carolina Fire Prevention Code. Appeals of these codes shall be filed with the North Carolina Building Code Council and the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
The Planning Staff and Union County Fire Service shall review all fire hydrant locations and fire hydrant specifications. A letter shall be provided from the Union County Fire Marshal’s Office to the Town stating the proposed development is in compliance with said Code. Final approval of locations and specifications shall be by the permit issuing authority.
Water lines that serve hydrants shall be at least six (6)-inch lines, and, unless no other practicable alternative is available, no such lines shall be dead-end lines.
The permit issuing authority may modify any previously issued permit to bring that project into compliance based on the Fire Marshal’s certification that said project is in compliance with the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code.
All new developments shall comply with the requirements of Section 1110.090 Street and Sidewalk Improvements.
Driveways, streets and sidewalks shall comply with the following:
Every development with the exception of individual single-family residential dwellings will be required to provide one (1) or more trash enclosures for solid waste collection. Said trash enclosure and/or grease trap facility shall be located so as to:
When required, all trash enclosure and/or grease trap facility shall be screened pursuant to the following:
Plant material shall supplement the trash enclosure. Planting material shall screen 25% of the trash enclosure wall area. Planting material shall consist of a minimum of six (6) low branching evergreen shrubs a minimum of three (3) feet in height at time of planting.
Requests for single-family and multifamily residential developments consisting of 50-lots/units or more shall include a school impact study estimating the number of students generated by the proposed development.