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Brownsburg council approves first reading of Unified Development Ordinance updates
Summary
Council approved on proposed first reading a package of Unified Development Ordinance amendments—including a change to R1 lot-size minimums (20,000→15,000 sq ft), clarified childcare language, buffer/fence definitions, and parking/setback adjustments—intended to correct terminology and align the ordinance with state code.
The Brownsburg Town Council approved proposed first reading on a package of amendments to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on Nov. 20, advancing changes staff said are technical clarifications and policy updates.
Planning staff member Elizabeth outlined revisions that include lowering the R1 lot-size threshold from 20,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet for greater consistency with the progression between residential district lot sizes; clarified the permitted-use table by inserting the phrase "childcare with daycare" and added definitions so that a childcare home requires the provider to live on the premises (aligning local language with state regulations); and refined buffer and fence rules to require plantings outside fences in certain buffering options. Staff also proposed clarifications to parking and loading standards so parking areas are no longer treated as accessory structures that could impose incompatible setback requirements.
Other edits address terminology (changing references from "as-built" to "record drawings"), add definitions distinguishing decorative and functional fences, and correct cross-references and board names (for example, replacing an incorrect APC reference with BZA where appropriate). Council members discussed details and confirmed staff removed one contentious APC-proposed item from the package before advancing it.
Council moved and seconded the proposed first reading; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff advised that some updates will be refined in the staff report before second reading but that the ordinance commitments themselves are unchanged. The council encouraged continued annual review of the UDO and BZA findings.
