The Town Council may from time to time, on its own motion or on petition, amend, supplement, change, modify, or repeal by ordinance the boundaries of districts, regulations, or restrictions herein established.
A. 
A public hearing shall be held by the Town Council before adoption of any proposed amendment, supplement or change. Public notice of the time and place of such hearing, together with a summary of the proposed amendment, shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Mount Airy once each week for two successive weeks, with the first such publication of notice appearing at least 14 days before the hearing. A complete record of the hearing and the votes of all members of the Town Council shall be kept.
B. 
A fee of $300 for a zoning text amendment and a like fee for a Zoning Map[1] amendment shall be paid to the Town at the time the application is filed. Charges will include the costs of the Town's employees and consultants. When the application is concluded by the Town Council, the charges will be assessed, and if less than the fee imposed, a refund will be given to the applicant, and if greater, the applicant will be billed for the difference. Fifteen percent will be added to the total charges for the Town's administrative costs and overhead. The rates for charges shall be established from time to time by resolution of the Town Council. Charges will be billed monthly if in excess of the fee imposed as set forth above. If any charges are not paid within 60 days of billing, the Town will withhold further review, approvals and/or issuance of any required permits until paid in full, together with interest at the rate of 1% per month or fraction thereof from the date of billing to the date of payment.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in the Town offices.
[Amended 11-2-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-23]
No amendment shall be considered or acted upon by the Town Council unless it is first submitted to and approved by the Planning Commission (except, however, failure of the Planning Commission to report within 90 days from the date of its first regularly scheduled monthly meeting after referral by the Town Council shall be deemed approval), or is disapproved by the Planning Commission, and it shall be considered approved if it receives a majority vote of the entire Town Council.
Any application for a reclassification shall not be accepted for filing by the Mount Airy Town Council if the application is for the reclassification of the whole or any part of the land, the reclassification of which has been opposed or denied by the Town Council on the merits within 12 months from the date of the Town Council's decision.
Where the purpose and effect of the amendment is to change the zoning classification, the Mount Airy Town Council shall make findings of fact in each specific case including but not limited to the following: population change, availability of public facilities, present and future transportation patterns, compatibility with existing and proposed development for the area, the recommendation from the Mount Airy Planning Commission, the relationship of such proposed amendment to the Mount Airy Master Plan; and may grant the amendment based upon the finding that there was a substantial change in the character of the neighborhood where the property is located or that there was a mistake made in the existing zoning classification.