Council committee weighs major changes to landscaping, buffers and admin authority in draft UDO

Allison Harden, a county planning staff member, presented proposed changes to chapters 4 and 8 of Lancaster County’s draft Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) in a Committee of the Whole meeting, walking the council through landscaping applicability, buffer types, phased compliance thresholds and proposed administrative discretion.

The presentation and discussion focused on where landscaping and screening rules would apply, how buffers would be sized and planted, exceptions for single-family lots and railroad rights-of-way, and how the UDO would tie certain requirements to other regulatory programs such as stormwater and FEMA substantial‑damage rules. Harden said the chapter “clarifies and generally expands the number of landscaping and screening requirements” and that the new rules aim to preserve tree canopy and protect the county’s rural character.

Why it matters: the landscaping and buffer rules determine what new and changing development must plant or build along property lines and rights-of-way; they affect the appearance of highway corridors, the viability of small redevelopment projects and the safety and maintenance of stormwater and utility corridors.

Most of the debate centered on three areas: (1) where and when landscaping rules apply, (2) the technical specifications for buffer types and berms, and (3) how much discretion the UDO gives to an “administrator” to require additional measures.

Applicability and phased compliance Harden said the draft makes landscaping rules depend on zoning district and the extent of proposed changes. Single-family detached and duplex lots outside larger developments would remain exempt. For phased compliance, the draft proposes that parking and building expansions under a 50% threshold would require landscaping only for the new area, while expansions of 50% or more would trigger full-site compliance. Harden tied the 50% threshold to FEMA…