Lafayette planners, consultants unveil first draft of land-use code focusing on districts, setbacks and uses

City of Lafayette planning staff and consultants presented the first module of a proposed land‑use code rewrite at a March working‑group meeting, outlining new base zoning districts, revised dimensional standards and a reorganized use table intended to implement the city’s Legacy Lafayette comprehensive plan.

The draft, prepared by Clarion Associates and described to the Planning Commission working group, condenses some existing zones, splits the current M‑1 industrial district into multiple industrial tiers, and creates clearer tables that map each proposed district to future land‑use categories in Legacy Lafayette. Gabby Hartz, a senior associate with Clarion Associates, told the group the project team aims to produce a consolidated code by late this year after three drafting modules and phased public outreach.

The rewrite’s stated goals include making the code more user friendly for residents and applicants, rightsizing the development review process, and providing more predictable outcomes, Hartz said. Elizabeth Gardner, the project manager, explained the draft will be released in modules: Module 1 (districts and uses), then development standards (parking,…