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Council adopts UDO housekeeping amendments to align local code with 2045 comprehensive plan
Summary
Suffolk City Council approved a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to remove redundant references to prior comprehensive plans and to let the 2045 plan lead zoning-place type relationships; staff outlined next implementation steps including a fiscal-impact review matrix and potential UDO changes to encourage affordable housing.
Suffolk City Council voted 8-0 to adopt OTA 2024-07, an ordinance text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that updates cross-references and removes redundant land-use place-type descriptions so the 2045 comprehensive plan serves as the primary reference. The change is characterized by staff as a housekeeping measure to reduce contradictions between the UDO and the new comp plan.
"This is really just a housekeeping measure," Kevin Wine, director of planning and community development, told council. Wine said the most substantive change removes explicit place-type listings from UDO Section 301-403 so the comprehensive plan’s future land use map will guide district-to-place-type relationships.
Wine used the public presentation to preview next steps tied to comp plan implementation: staff are preparing a scope for a village-area market study, developing a project-specific fiscal-impact review matrix, and considering UDO amendments that could encourage affordable and workforce housing, master-planned communities, and improved mixed-use district regulations.
The planning commission recommended approval at its April 15 meeting. Council Member Rechter moved approval; Council Member Wright seconded, and the council approved OTA 2024-07 8 to 0.
Council members praised the implementation priorities. Rechter asked that the downtown master plan be reviewed as part of the follow-up work; Wine said staff expected the changes would be part of a longer program of UDO amendments and studies.
The ordinance does not itself create incentives or program funding; it modifies references and structure in the UDO to reduce redundancy and help future code amendments to reflect the 2045 plan’s goals.
