An expandable list of the many resources useful for the development process in the City of Charlotte is provided below. The resources are useful for Citizens, Design Professionals, and Developers and Contractors. The list is categorized by Resource type including: Applications, Checklists, Forms, Information, Manuals, and relevant City Ordinances. Click the + symbol next to the category to view and/or download the resources.
Accessibility & PROWAG
Accessible Public Rights-of-Way Planning and Design for Alterations - Special Report prepared by PROWAC of the Access Board detailing accessible layouts for alterations within the public ROW
CDOT ADA Field Guide - General guide to aid in field inspection for ADA/PROWAG.
PROWAG - The U.S. Access Board's Proposed Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way. The guidelines address access to newly constructed and altered public streets and sidewalks covered by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
CLDSM - Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual contains various standard details for elements in the public ROW including sidewalks and ramps.
Applications
Brownfield Assessment Grant Application - The City offers assistance to developers through a City-funded Brownfield Program. The program offers matching funds for assessment and cleanup activities for properties within the Business Corridor Revitalization Area.
Charlotte Historic District Commission - Certificate of Appropriateness
Fence and Wall Certificate Application
NCDOT Driveway Permit Application
Notification to Issue Single Family Certificate of Occupancy Sidewalk Agreement - When sidewalk is not constructed to City standards, but a homebuilder needs to obtain the CO for a SF home, this can be submitted to LD Inspection staff to demonstrate the builder’s intent to repair the sidewalk in a timely manner.
Plat Application Signature Form – All plat applications must include the owner and/or the duly authorized agent’s signature. Please attach the signature page during the attach document phase in Accela Citizen Access (ACA).
Rezoning Applications
SWAC Appeal Application - Storm Water Advisory Committee Appeal Application
Text Amendment Application
Transit Corridor Adjacent Development Process - For CATS (includes application info)
Zoning appeals and variance application packet
Bond forms
Cash Surety Requirements and Form - Automated Form - Cash Surety Requirements and Form (Automated Version)
Cash Surety Requirements and Form -Printable Form - Cash Surety Requirements and Form (Printable Version)
Final Inspection Bond Release Form - Complete this form to request Bond/Surety Release upon completion of required work in a Subdivision. This form also contains the Continuous Maintenance Request and Final Inspection request.
LOC Requirements and Form - Automated Form - Letter of Credit Requirements and Form (Automated Version)
LOC Requirements and Form - Printable Form - Letter of Credit Requirements and Form (Printable Version)
Surety Action Request Form - Surety Action Request Form used for Renewal, Adjustment and Replacement Requests
Surety Bond Requirements and Form - Automated Form - Surety Bond Requirements and Form (Automated Version)
Surety Bond Requirements and Form - Printable Form - Surety Bond Requirements and Form (Printable Version)
Surety Estimation Worksheet Sample - Bond Master - Surety Estimation Worksheet Sample
Surety Preferences Selection Form - Complete this form to select preferences for surety estimation.
Charlotte Fire Department
City Fire - LD Requirements Checklist - City Fire - Residential and Commercial Land Design Requirements Checklist
Uptown Fire District Map
Checklists
ADA Field Guide - General guide to aid in field inspection for ADA/PROWAG.
As-built Checklist - Bioretention - Checklist for As-built Survey of Bioretention
As-built Checklist - Extended Dry Detention - Checklist for As-built Survey of Extended Dry Detention Facilities
As-built Checklist - Infiltration - Checklist for as-built survey of Infiltration SCMs
As-built Checklist - Permeable Pavement - Checklist for As-built survey of Permeable Pavments including Pervious Pavers.
As-built Checklist - Sand Filter - Checklist for As-built Survey of Sand Filter
As-built Checklist - Storm Drainage - Checklist for As-built Survey of Storm Drainage systems
As-built Checklist - Wet Pond - Checklist for As-built Survey of Wetpond
As-built Checklist - Wetland - Checklist for As-built Survey of Constructed Wetland
CDOT Land Development Site Plan Checklist - CDOT Land Development Site Plan Checklist
Check List for Hold Release - Commercial and Residential projects
Cross Section Guidelines - Stormwater / CDOT / NCDOT / Mecklenburg County LD - Roadway improvement Cross-Section Guidelines
Final Plat Checklist - Engineering - Checklist used by Engineering to review Final Plats
Final Plat Checklist - Planning - Final Plat Checklist for Planning Review
Home Builders Guidelines for Inspection - Home Builder's Guidelines for Inspections
Pre-Construction Information Packet - Packet of Information including checklists for presentation to contractors at Pre-construction Meetings
Private Street Acceptance Checklist - Steps for petitioning for Private Streets to be accepted by CDOT for maintenance
Roadway Cross Section Guidelines - City Engineering, CDOT, NCDOT, and Meck. County Land Development - checklist for roadway improvement cross-sections
Site Checklist - Engineering - Engineering Site Checklist for Residential and Commercial site, grading, erosion control, and stormwater management plans reviewed by the City of Charlotte Engineering & Property Management Department
Self-Certify Gateway Checklist for Commercial Plans - gateway checklist required to be filled out by the submitting design professional and uploaded along with Commercial plan submittals
Subdivision Gateway Checklist - Subdivision Gateway Checklist
SWIM Buffer Checklist - SWIM Buffer Checklist
Tree Ordinance Checklist - for Commercial and Urban Plan Submittals
Fees
Planning Department Review Fees - Planning Department Review Fees - Rezoning, Subdivision, Zoning Administration
Subdivision Fee Schedule - Subdivision Fee Schedule - Planning
Commercial User Fee Schedule - Commercial User Fee Schedule
Forms
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Form - Form to be sent to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, containing information for projects that will be using the Public Utility System.
City Engineering Commercial Project CO Hold Release Request - On-Line form to request the release of a City Engineering Hold on a commercial property
City Engineering Residential CO Hold Release Request - On-line form to request the release of a "Subdivision Single Family City Engineering Hold" on a residential property (formerly known as Sidewalk Inspection Request)
Final Inspection Bond Release Request Form - Complete this form to request Bond/Surety Release upon completion of required work in a Subdivision. This form also contains the Continuous Maintenance Request and Final Inspection Request
Financial Responsibility Form
Land Development newsletter subscription request
Outdoor Special Events on Private Property - Questionnaire and Permitting Guide
Request for Informal Review per Session Law 2014-120 - "Informal review" with respect to regulatory review requirements issued under Charlotte's PCO, EC Ordinance, and Zoning Ordinance Watershed Overlay Districts
Sediment Basin Agreement
Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Weekly Monitoring Form
Wet Pond BMP Maintenance Responsibility Form
Tree Planting Delay Request Form
Tree Work Permit Form
Information
ADA Field Guide - General guide to aid in field inspection for ADA/PROWAG.
Addressing Information (Meck. County) - Addressing Information (Meck. County)
Annexed Street Acceptance - Information and steps required for Street Acceptance in Annexation Areas
CDOT Bridge Policy - Requirements for the Approval of New City of Charlotte Bridges
Charlotte Mecklenburg - Future State Service Delivery Model (Final) - Future State Service Delivery Model (Final) Gartner Phase II Report
Charlotte Mecklenburg FINAL REPORT 3-19-15 - "Development Planning, Permitting and Inspection Process Review Final Report" prepared by Gartner Consulting for the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
City NCDOT Concurrent Subdivision Review Process Flowchart - City NCDOT Concurrent Subdivision Review Process Flowchart
City NCDOT Concurrent Subdivision Review Process - City NCDOT Concurrent Subdivision Review Process Summary
Commercial Review Types - A list of the various types of Commercial Reviews available through City Land Development
Customer Service Standards - Our Customer Service expectations of Development Services staff
Development Services Technical Advisory Committee Charter - Development Services Technical Advisory Committee Charter
DSTAC Presentation April 8, 2015 Final Version - Stormwater Services' DSTAC Presentation SWS April 2015
E-recording of Plats in North Carolina - Information guide about how to utilize electronic signatures for plat recordation
Erosion Control Facts for Homebuilders - Erosion Control Facts for Homebuilders
Erosion Control Policies and Procedures - Erosion Control Policies and Procedures Manual
Extension of Development Approvals SL 2010-177 - Chart: Extension of Development Approval per Session Law 2010-177
Land Development Public Telephone List - List of all LD staff with telephone numbers and e-mail addresses
LD Newsletter - Monthly Land Development Division Newsletter, current edition and archive of past editions
NCDOT State Roadway Petition Summary - NCDOT Roadways - Petition for Acceptance Checklist
Planning - Subdivision Contact List - Telephone and e-mail contact info for City Planning / Subdivision Review Staff
Pre-Construction Information Packet - Packet of information including checklists for presentation to contractors at Pre-construction Meetings
Shared Responsibilities Venn Diagram - Land Development - Staff and Customers - Shared Responsibilities Venn Diagram
Subdivision Concurrent Review CDOT and NCDOT - Process Enhancements - Document describing process enhancements for the City/NCDOT concurrent plan review process
Transit Corridor Adjacent Development Process - CATS (includes application)
User Fee Feedback - Feedback from User Fee Policy meeting tour 2016 - User Fee Stakeholder Meeting Comments
Zoning Handout - Your Guide to Zoning Services in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Manuals, standards and guidance
Accela Citizen Access How To Instructions - Accela Citizen Access How To Instructions
Accela Citizen Access Training Doc - Accela Citizen Access (ACA) On-Line Application User Guide
Accessible Public Rights-of-Way Planning and Design for Alterations - Special Report prepared by PROWAC of the Access Board detailing accessible layouts for alterations within the public ROW
BMP Design Manual - Charlotte-Mecklenburg BMP Design Manual
CATS Bus Stop Detail Drawings - Details for construction of bus stops for Charlotte Area Transit Services (CATS).
CDOT Sight Distance Policy - CDOT Sight Distance Policy and Diagrams, 2003
CDOT Street Cut Regulations and Procedures - document detailing utility and other street cut procedures
Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) - Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) - online library of standard details, drawings, and specifications for use in land development projects in the City.
Stormwater Design Manual - Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Design Manual (CMSWDM)
Charlotte Water Design Manual - Water and Sewer design manual
HARP Manual - Selection and Planting Guide for Aquatic and Wetland Plants in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina
Landscape Construction Standards 2017 - (rev 11) - City Engineering / Landscape Management Division's standards book for Landscape Construction.
NCDOT Manuals and Handbooks - Important guides and handbooks from NCDOT
NCDOT Roadway Standard Drawings Library - NCDOT Roadway Standard Drawings Library
PCSO Administrative Manual - Administrative Manual for Implementation of the City of Charlotte Post Construction Stormwater Ordinance (PCSO)
Pervious Pavement - Chapter 18 of the Old NCDWQ BMP MANUAL - Chap. 18 of old NCDWQ BMP Manual - Permeable Pavement design state BMP manual chapter regarding design of pervious pavements, including % credit as BUA in density calculation.
Tryon Street Mall Design and Streetscape Guidelines - Planning Dept. guidelines for design of streetscape along Tryon Street in the Uptown Area
Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) - Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) is the implementation tool for planning and designing Charlotte's streets and for providing viable transportation choices for all Charlotteans .
Water Quality Buffer Implementation Guidelines Manual
Maps
Inspector Territory Map on Charlotte Explorer - On this online GIS map, activate and expand the "Planning" Layer Cluster, and activate the layers Land Development - Construction Inspectors, Erosion Control Coordinators, and Urban Forestry Inspectors
Maps and GIS resources - City Maps and GIS Resources
Charlotte Explorer - City of Charlotte's Online GIS Map
POLARIS 3G- Mecklenburg County on-line GIS map
Time Machine - Mecklenburg County GIS map of historic aerial photos with slider comparison tool (Includes 1978 Aerial Photos)
Uptown Fire District Map
PCSO, detention and stormwater items
Pervious Pavement - Chapter 18 of the Old NCDWQ BMP MANUAL - Chap. 18 of old NCDWQ BMP Manual - Permeable Pavement design state BMP manual chapter regarding design of pervious pavements, including % credit as BUA in density calculation.
Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinance (PCSO) Information - City of Charlotte Stormwater Services page for PCSO regulations and information
BMP Design Worksheets - .Zip file of all of the BMP Design Worksheets - to be included with design calcs for BMPs
BMP Inset Tables - Inset Tables for all BMP types in one Excel Spreadsheet for use on stormwater management plan sheets
BMP Design Manual
BMP Design Spreadsheet - Charlotte BMP Design Calculation Spreadsheet (Excel format) providing a simple format for design calculations of various BMPs, following the requirements of the BMP Design Manual.
Built-Upon Area (BUA) Guidelines - information for use in determining what is considered built-upon area for compliance with water supply watershed and post-construction ordinance requirements in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Declaration of Transfer of Inspection and Maintenance Responsibilities of Stormwater SCM faclities form (Appendix O of the PCSO Admin Manual)
Detention Worksheet Rev 2010 - Detention Worksheet Revised in 2010
Determining Built-Upon-Area Restrictions in Mecklenburg County - Guidance for determining Built-Upon-Area Restrictions in Mecklenburg County
Floodplain Development Permit Info - Link to Mecklenburg County LUESA website for information on Floodplain Development Permits
PCSO Compliance Flowchart - PCSO Compliance Flowchart - for assistance in navigating the requirements of the PCSO
PCSO Summary Table - Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinance (PCSO) summary table for use on all plan submittals to Engineering for PCSO review.
Operations and Maintenance Agreement and Easement Agreement 2016 - PCSO Operations and Maintenance Agreement and Easement Agreement version 2016 - (PDF Format)
SWIM Summary Document Mecklenburg County - Document from Mecklenburg County LUESA describing the S.W.I.M. program background
Tree information
Tree ordinance resources - Ordinance information, checklists and suggested details
Tree Planting and Preservation Standard Notes (updated 1/26/2022)
May 2016 presentation to the Charlotte Chamber - Presentation to support a revision to the tree ordinance relating to incentives for single-family development
Tree Work Permit Form
Erosion & Sediment Control
Erosion & Sediment Control Team - Click here to find specific resources related to E&SC, contact info for E&SC Inspection Staff, CMCSI Training info, and more
Zoning
Matrix showing submittal types for Zoning reviews - Bulletin Drawings, Zoning Only reviews, or RTAPs
Data Table - Required data table formats for zoning (site, elevation, buffers)