During a special meeting on Wednesday, September 25, the Troutman Town Council unanimously approved a 30-month moratorium on new residential subdivisions and multi-family development. The action, reported by Iredell Free News, also places restrictions on non-residential development, allowing only commercial or industrial projects that use less than 1,000 gallons of sewer capacity per day to move forward. The moratorium took effect immediately.
The decision does not impact projects that have already received approval. Exemptions include developments with valid building permits, projects with special use permit applications already deemed complete, and those tied to site-specific plans previously approved. Projects where substantial expenditures have been made in reliance on valid approvals are also allowed to proceed.
Subdivision plats submitted for review prior to the September 13 public hearing announcement are not subject to the moratorium, meaning developers can continue to seek final plat approval. In addition, residents who want to build a single home on their lot are permitted to do so, as are redevelopment projects where existing structures are repurposed without requiring new sewer connections.
Council members said the moratorium was necessary due to limited wastewater capacity. Current usage and allocations for previously approved projects have reached full capacity, leaving the town unable to support additional residential development. Troutman does not operate its own wastewater treatment facilities and instead depends on neighboring Statesville and Mooresville. Mooresville is in the process of multi-year projects aimed at expanding its sewer capacity, which will eventually allow for additional service to Troutman.
The moratorium is intended to provide Troutman time to address its infrastructure needs while ensuring that approved projects and smaller-scale development can continue without overburdening the existing system.