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Council to form ad hoc committee to review 750‑page Unified Development Ordinance
Summary
After criticism that the proposed Unified Development Ordinance is too long and unclear, Lancaster County Council agreed to form an ad hoc committee of council members, planning commissioners, developers and citizens to review and return recommendations in 3–4 months.
Lancaster County Council discussed the county's proposed Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and directed staff to form an ad hoc review committee to refine the draft.
Councilman Steve Harper, who said he has reviewed several chapters, proposed appointing an ad hoc committee including council members, planning commission representatives, developers and residents from the Panhandle to make the draft more user‑friendly. "I would ask that you appoint an ad hoc committee, and I would ask that I be on it, and I would ask for Mr. Louis and Mr. Graham, to work in conjunction with several members from the planning commission and community stakeholders," Harper said.
Harper and several other council members described the current draft as voluminous (he cited a working copy near 750 pages) and lacking illustrations and practical clarity. Council members argued the document needs simplification so developers, staff and citizens can understand and apply it without repeated legal interpretation.
County Attorney Merck DuPont advised council that it could appoint an ad hoc committee today because the item appeared as a discussion‑and‑action item, but that the council could not make motions to adopt the UDO itself at this meeting. The chair said the council would appoint the committee at the next council meeting and charge it with returning recommendations in three to four months. The chair also asked that the planning commission chair and vice chair be included and suggested including at least one developer and one or two citizens, preferably with legal background, on the committee.
Why it matters: the UDO would govern land use, zoning and development standards across Lancaster County, and council members said the current draft could produce practical problems in the field unless clarified. Several members noted a nine‑month moratorium on development actions gives time to get the document right but urged the committee to work with a sense of purpose so changes are in place before next budget or land‑use cycles.
Next steps: council will identify members and appoint the ad hoc committee at the next council meeting. The chair asked the committee to complete its review and return recommendations to full council within three to four months.
