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Council approves contract with HDR Inc. to develop Unified Development Ordinance
Summary
The council authorized a contract, pending attorney review, with HDR Inc. not to exceed $178,800 to prepare a Unified Development Ordinance intended to replace legacy zoning and subdivision rules.
The council voted to execute a contract, pending attorney review, with HDR Inc. for development of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) in an amount not to exceed $178,800. Alderman Behney moved the contract authorization and Alderman Davis seconded; the motion passed 5–2 on a roll call.
City staff said most of the city's development ordinances date to 1986 and that a UDO will combine subdivision and zoning regulations into a single, current code. John Young of HDR said the UDO will translate the comprehensive plan into implementable code and that the proposal includes about 37 meetings with council, developers, residents and stakeholders.
City Attorney David McArdle cautioned that ordinance language does not alone prevent lawsuits: he told the council that if a proposed development complies with the comprehensive plan and applicable legal standards (which he referred to as the LaSalle and Sinclair standards), denying a compliant project could still prompt litigation. McArdle said the UDO will clarify requirements but will not by itself eliminate legal exposure.
