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Madison City unveils draft Unified Development Ordinance, modernizes district names and standards
Summary
A consultant presented a draft Unified Development Ordinance that relabels several zoning districts (e.g., R4→R1), aligns lot-size and setback rules with county standards, and introduces a new Aviation Business district for airport parcels; the Planning Commission review is planned for January with City Council consideration in February.
Amy, the consultant presenting the draft Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to the Madison City Planning Commission, said the draft reorganizes the city’s zoning chapters, converts dated district names to contemporary labels and consolidates some special districts to reduce nonconformities.
The draft converts density-based labels to a trio of more conventional residential zones (examples cited include calling former "R4" areas "R1") and harmonizes some lot-area and lot-width standards with county practices (the consultant cited a county minimum of 1.15 acres and 200 feet for some agricultural lots). Amy said the intent is not to change where people live but to modernize naming and regulatory clarity: "We're gonna call it R 1 now," she said, describing the rename as alignment with current practice.
Key provisions in the draft include: updated development-standards tables on each district page (setbacks, heights, lot area, impervious-surface caps), conversion of some conditional/legacy districts into modern equivalents to avoid creating new nonconformities, and clearer measurement rules for building height and right-of-way. The consultant noted some districts would be combined or retitled (for example, manufactured-home-park rules are consolidated into an R3 framework as a special-exception use rather than a by-right entitlement).
Why it matters: The UDO is intended to make the code easier to use for property owners and staff (flowcharts and hyperlinked references are included), reduce ad hoc interpretation by clarifying terms and tables, and bring the city’s rules into closer alignment with recent statutory changes and county practice.
Next steps: Staff indicated they aim to bring the draft to the Planning Commission in January and to the City Council in early February for formal consideration, pending public feedback. Amy and city staff will provide training and updated checklists during implementation if the council approves the ordinance.
