Franklin County, NC Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

The Unified Development Code (Appendix A) Article 9.3, Stormwater Regulations, requires a stormwater permit before most development moves forward. Under UDC § 9.3.5(A), no person may receive a permit for land development, land-disturbing activity, or a building permit without first meeting the requirements of the stormwater article and obtaining a stormwater permit, unless the project is specifically excluded from the ordinance. The Stormwater Administrator, defined at UDC § 1.14.4 as the Administrator or a designee who reviews and approves stormwater permits and management plans, handles applications, which under § 9.3.5(E) must include professionally sealed nutrient-reduction calculations, a site plan showing impervious and pervious coverage, and, where structural controls are proposed, approved SCM or peak-flow design specifications, an operation and maintenance agreement, and a non-refundable review fee.

Once issued, the permit governs the design, installation and construction of stormwater controls on the site; it does not continue indefinitely after construction, since post-construction compliance is instead assured through the ordinance's annual maintenance provisions in § 9.3.6, which require an owners' association or owner to fund an escrow account (an initial deposit of 15% of construction cost, two-thirds by year five, the full amount by year ten) and submit annual SCM inspection reports. The county may also require a performance security equal to 110% of the SCM cost estimate, reducible to 25% at Certificate of Occupancy, under § 9.3.6(E).

Failure to comply with a maintenance agreement is treated as a UDO violation and enforced under Article 3, Enforcement, which can mean civil penalties up to $500.00 per day or a Class 3 misdemeanor.