Protest Petitions
Protest petitions are permitted in City Council hearings for rezoning decisions made by the City of Greensboro. Under 160A-385 of the General Statutes of the State of North Carolina, a valid protest petition may be submitted and, if determined to be valid, may mandate that any decision for which the petition has been submitted can only be passed through a three-fourths super-majority vote. In the case of a fully seated, nine-member City Council, this means seven votes are required to take action.
Protest petitions must be submitted on City-provided forms, which outline the standards by which the petitions will be reviewed. Submitting a petition on any other form invalidates the petition. Download the City petition form here. You may also call the City Clerk's office at 373-2397 or the City's Planning Department at 373-2144 to receive a form.
To properly submit a petition, follow these guidelines:
- The petition must be signed by all people with ownership interest in the property, as represented by the signatures on the property deed – ie, both spouses, the managing partner of a partnership, etc.
- Removal of signatures from this petition after it is filed requires a notarized statement signed by all owners of a property as indicated on the protest petition.
- This form must be submitted to the City Clerk's office at least two business days before the City Council hearing. For regularly scheduled Council hearing days, this means that the petition must be submitted to the City Clerk by 5 pm the Thursday before the regularly scheduled City Council hearing. Petitions submitted after this date and time shall not be valid.
- Protest petitions can not be used in cases where original zoning is being applied, such as areas being annexed into the city.
Carefully review the instructions and information on the petition form to make sure you meet all the requirements. If you have questions, call Fred Boateng at 336-433-7258.
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