Council and staff review draft Unified Development Code; council asks for deeper review of parking, trees and signage

Leslie Knipe, director of Development & Neighborhood Services, re‑introduced the draft Unified Development Code (UDC) to the Addison City Council on Feb. 25 and summarized the document structure, key changes and the adoption timeline.

Knipe said the UDC is organized into seven articles covering general provisions, administration and procedures, zoning districts and use regulations, development standards (including landscaping, parking and building design), subdivision standards and definitions. She said the Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed an earlier draft and unanimously recommended approval on Feb. 18; staff then made clarifying edits in response to public comment and commission feedback.

Why it matters: The UDC consolidates development regulations into a single, modernized code intended to improve clarity and predictability for applicants and staff. It adds or clarifies items such as use‑specific standards, new urban/suburban landscaping contexts, a maximum parking standard and rules for tree mitigation, heritage‑tree protection and EV charging infrastructure.

Council feedback and requested deep dives: Councilmembers asked staff to return with focused analysis in several areas at the next work session (March 4): - Parking and loading standards, including the proposed maximum parking cap and shared‑parking options; several councilmembers signaled support for loosening parking minimums to reduce barriers for redevelopment. - Tree protection and mitigation, including comparative detail on how heritage and significant tree mitigation requirements differ from the current rules and examples of enforcement and compliance language. - Signage and content neutrality: council asked for a review of master sign plan and meritorious exception procedures, and for guidance on educating businesses about allowable signage and the line between content and placement rules. - Administrative change procedures and how the UDC would be amended in the future without undue friction.

Knipe said staff and consultant Clarion Associates will bring the deeper analysis and requested materials to the March 4 work session and that the council could consider adoption on March 25 after reviewing the follow‑up materials.

Ending: Knipe encouraged councilmembers to submit comments through the Conveio portal before the follow‑up meeting; staff said the portal remained open through March 10 for public comment, and the town will provide redline and clean copies of the draft to aid review.