Lancaster Council, consultants review UDO Module 2; members ask for page-by-page walkthrough

Lancaster County Council, meeting as the Committee of the Whole, on Feb. 1 reviewed Module 2 of a proposed Unified Development Ordinance update with consultants from White & Smith and county planning staff. The module covers development and design standards including landscaping, parking, outdoor lighting, signs and architectural design.

The session produced clear direction from several council members that the draft should be simplified and reviewed in detail before final adoption. Council members repeatedly asked for a page-by-page walkthrough, and discussion centered on two competing approaches for dividing the county into development-area standards: a three-part geographic map aligned with the comprehensive plan and a map based on existing zoning districts.

Kelly Cousineau, a White & Smith consultant, and Sean Scopmeyer of White & Smith described the module and the project schedule. Cousineau said the UDO update was broken into modules to make review manageable and that Module 2 aligns with chapters on development standards. Scopmeyer reviewed proposed changes to landscaping and open-space rules, including a new mandatory tree‑save approach and larger buffers around certain uses. He said the draft would require most developments with existing trees on…