Land use committee unanimously recommends Article 1 of UDO, with edits, be sent to City Council

The Land Use and Special Studies Committee voted unanimously June 4 to send Article 1 of the city's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) back to the City Council with a positive recommendation after members requested a handful of technical corrections and clarifications.

Committee members said the changes include a corrected strike/insert at line 319, a unified definition of the thoroughfare (transportation) plan, and added language to accommodate future overlay districts and state-required transportation plans. A committee member moved to forward the amendment “with the 3 19 being corrected and the amendment that Matt spoke on.” The motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

Committee members said the draft now defines the thoroughfare plan to incorporate the comprehensive plan’s map, street topology, streetscape facilities, mobility and pedestrian plans — language the drafter said was added after coordination with staff. The presenter told the committee the comprehensive plan’s transportation element had been renamed and broadened in a recent comprehensive-plan update, and that the UDO needed matching language so references are consistent across documents.

Members asked that the ordinance explicitly include a catchall clause to cover any transportation plan required by the state of Indiana; the drafter agreed to add that provision before sending the final resolution. Members also requested that the official zoning map reference the city clerk treasurer as the keeper of the official map and provide an online link so the public can access the most current map without needing to visit the clerk’s office in person.

The committee discussed timing for sending the package to council. Staff and members noted statutory deadlines that affect text amendments: by state code a UDO text amendment requires review by the Plan Commission. Committee members debated whether to place the ordinance on the June 16 City Council agenda or wait for the first July meeting so the city's 60-day statutory review windows align with Plan Commission meeting dates. The committee ultimately approved forwarding the item so it can proceed through the required steps.

The committee asked staff to send the revised material to a named reviewer for a final check prior to transmittal to council and flagged the city's public-hearing procedures as a separate item for future review.

The motion to forward the UDO amendment carried unanimously.