Land Development Code Update

The current City Land Development Code (LDC) is lengthy and antiquated. Several key components of the LDC are dispersed throughout the Code in multiple chapters and are often conflicting. This makes administration and consistent interpretation difficult.
Further, development standards/processes are often vague and definitions may be incomplete or lacking.

Toole Design Group in partnership with HDR, Inc., Kendig Keast Collaborative and the City, will prepare updates to the Land Development Code.

Although we are updating the Land Development Code, no new content is being considered except language that was suggested by the Ordinance Review Committee (ORC) and changes made to the state statute as well as recommendations from the Land Development Code Advisory Committee (LDC-AC).

The final update to the LDC will:

• Modernize the code with best practices and legal compliance,
• Tailor development standards to achieve quality, resilient outcomes that support community character,
• Implement goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan,
• Streamline review procedures to be clear, illustrated, and less time-intensive,
• Organize regulations into a simplified, logical, and unified code, and
• Create a format for a more user-friendly development code including more graphics and tables

The top priorities of this LDC update include:

• Aligning the Land Development Code with Strive for 2035 Comprehensive Plan
• Respecting the City’s current projects and policies and prior work
• Streamlining the Zoning Districts
• Improving the Use Regulations
• Enhancing Site Development Standards
• Simplifying the Development Review Procedures
• Creating a More User-Friendly Code
• Creating a Legally Compliance Code

The Land Development Code update will happen in 3 sections:

As of Fall 2025, we are updating the General Provisions and the Zoning Districts and Development Standards.

The General Provisions will primarily remain the same but will expand on the purpose statements for quality of Life, Conservation and Preservation and Economic Development.

The Zoning Districts and Development Standards will:

• Provide an organized “menu” of districts
• Add new comprehensive design-based regulations
• Expand the use of frontage types into downtown districts
• Merge all FX and Downtown districts into a new Mixed -use zoning district
• Define the traditional districts with purpose statements and dimensional tables
• Include build-to-zones rather than minimum setbacks and property frontage building minimums, and
• Remove the vague language

Community Outreach:
December 10, 2025
City Hall Lobby
5pm to 6pm

December 11, 2025
Clear Skys Draught Haus
680 Main Street
9:30am to 11:00am

#2. In Winter 2026, we will be updating:

• Development Standards
• Concurrency
• Subdivision Standards
• Environmental Management

#3. In late Winter 2026, we will be updating:

• Development Review Bodies and Procedures
• Nonconformities
• Enforcement, Violations and Penalties
• Word Usage / Definitions

The entire update process including hearings by the Local Planning Agency and the City Commission should be completed late summer / early fall of 2026.