If you own a home in Leland, or you’re shopping in Brunswick Forest, Westport, Magnolia Greens, Waterford, or one of the newer communities off U.S. 17 and Village Road, there’s a quiet project at Town Hall worth knowing about. The Town of Leland is rewriting its development rules into a single Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO. It isn’t a flashy headline, but it will shape what can be built next to your neighborhood, how flood rules read, and how easy it is to run a business from home.
Here’s what’s happening, where it stands as of fall 2026, and what it means for homeowners, buyers, and sellers in northern Brunswick County.
What the Leland UDO Actually Is
Right now, Leland’s land-use rules are spread across many chapters of the town code. According to a May 2026 staff memo in the Leland Planning Board agenda packet, the new UDO will pull language from chapters covering general provisions, administration, building regulations, environment, floods and stormwater, the town’s FlexCode, noise and nuisances, streets and sidewalks, subdivisions, and zoning, and combine it into one chapter.
The Town of Leland says the goal is a single, streamlined chapter that’s easier to navigate, understand, and update, and that completion is expected in spring 2027. When Port City Daily covered the kickoff on Feb. 2, 2026, town staff described the work as largely structural, aimed at improving clarity, removing conflicts between regulations, filling gaps in zoning standards, and updating development requirements. Staff also noted that town employees, not outside consultants, are drafting it.
The ten articles
The draft is organized into ten articles:
- Article 1: General Provisions
- Article 2: Administration
- Article 3: Definitions
- Article 4: Zoning Map and Districts
- Article 5: Uses and Use-Specific Standards
- Article 6: General Development Standards
- Article 7: Subdivision Design and Improvements
- Article 8: Flood Damage Prevention
- Article 9: Nonconformities
- Article 10: Violations and Enforcement
Where Things Stand This Fall
The town is working through the draft one article at a time. Each month, the Planning Board and Town Council get a new draft article and give feedback on the one from the month before. Under the tentative schedule in that May memo, the Flood Damage Prevention article was slated for the Planning Board in October and the Town Council in November, with Definitions coming last. Once every article is done, the full draft gets a final review and a Planning Board recommendation before the Council considers adoption.
Staff have been candid that the timeline is ambitious. In the Port City Daily story, the town’s planning lead called it “a doable timeline, although it is an optimistic timeline.” So treat spring 2027 as a target, not a promise.
What It Means for Leland Homeowners
Your home is very likely protected if rules change
One of the drafts already reviewed is Article 9, Nonconformities. The town’s memo defines a nonconformity as something that was legally created under the rules at the time, but that the current rules wouldn’t allow anymore. If a future rule change touches your lot, setback, fence, or an older accessory building, this is the section that will spell out what you can keep, repair, or expand. If you’re planning an addition or a pool in the next couple of years, it’s worth asking how the new version treats your situation.
Working from home may get simpler
Minutes from the Planning Board’s Sept. 22, 2026 meeting note that home occupations have been made easier in Leland because of recent state statutes, and the board discussed how live/work arrangements fit into the new zoning districts. For the many Leland residents who freelance, consult, or run a small business from a home office, that’s good news worth watching as the use standards are finalized.
Flood rules are part of the package
Leland sits along the Brunswick and Cape Fear rivers and has plenty of creeks and low-lying areas. The flood damage prevention rules are being folded into the UDO too. If you own or are buying in or near a mapped flood zone, the final language could affect how future additions, elevations, and substantial improvements are handled. We’ll keep an eye on that article as it moves through review.
What It Means for Buyers and Sellers
Buyers: Leland is still one of the fastest-growing towns in the region, and the rules for what gets built on that empty tract behind a neighborhood matter. Before you buy, look at the zoning of nearby vacant land and ask whether any rezoning requests are pending. The UDO won’t change that overnight, but it will set the framework for the next wave of projects.
Sellers: If you have an older outbuilding, a nonstandard lot, or a home business, it’s smart to know how those things fit the current rules, so you can answer buyer questions with confidence. Clear answers keep due diligence smooth.
Investors: Use standards and district definitions in Articles 4 and 5 will shape where duplexes, townhomes, and mixed-use projects can go. If you’re eyeing land or small multifamily in Leland, follow those articles closely.
How to Follow Along
Draft articles appear in Planning Board and Town Council agenda packets, which are posted on the town’s CivicWeb meeting portal. Meetings are held at Leland Town Hall at 102 Town Hall Drive and can be watched online. If something affects your property, written comments and public comment periods are your chance to weigh in.
FAQ
Will the Leland UDO rezone my property?
The town has described the rewrite as largely about consolidating and clarifying existing rules. Staff have also noted that state law limits down-zoning, which they’re taking into account. If you’re worried about a specific parcel, check the zoning map and contact the Planning Department.
When will the new rules take effect?
Not yet. The town expects to complete the UDO in spring 2027, and it still needs a final Planning Board review and Town Council adoption. Staff have called that timeline optimistic.
Does this apply to homes outside town limits?
No. The UDO covers property inside the Town of Leland. Homes in unincorporated Brunswick County follow the county’s own ordinance.
Does it change HOA rules?
No. HOA covenants are private agreements and sit on top of town rules. Many Leland communities have their own architectural review, so check both.
Thinking About Buying or Selling in Leland?
Town rules, flood maps, and nearby development all play into what a home is worth and how it will live. We follow these changes so you don’t have to sort through agenda packets on your own. If you’re weighing a move in or around Leland, reach out to Aspyre Collective and we’ll walk you through the neighborhoods, the zoning around them, and what’s coming next.
