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Jefferson County council adopts ‘Visualized Jefferson County’ master plan, will use it to guide UDO rewrite
Summary
After public hearings and citizen testimony, the Jefferson County Council voted unanimously to adopt the Visualized Jefferson County Master Plan (Sept. 16 version) as official policy guidance; councilmembers said the plan is guidance, not zoning, and will inform a forthcoming Unified Development Ordinance rewrite.
Jefferson County’s council voted unanimously on Nov. 10, 2025, to adopt the Visualized Jefferson County Master Plan dated Sept. 16 as the county’s official master plan, passing Resolution R25-eleven96 by a 5–0 vote.
County planning staff summarized the three-and-a-half-year process behind the plan, telling the council the county spent $314,309.80 to date, conducted over 500 survey responses and multiple stakeholder workshops and advisory meetings. The presentation emphasized the document is guidance — not zoning — and will be used as the foundation for rewriting the county’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
"This plan is guidance. It is not zoning," said the staff presenter, noting the land-use matrix, growth map and an expanded glossary are intended to give consistent definitions and a usable framework for staff and elected officials.
Members of the public who spoke during the public hearing expressed support. John Giancola, a resident of Imperial, thanked the ad hoc committee, staff and consultants and said the glossary and land-use grid clarify policy choices for the next 20 years. "I would like to see the master plan adopted by the county council and become the new cap master plan for Jefferson County," Giancola said.
Volunteer ad hoc member Alan Leaderbrand also urged adoption and offered continued help with the UDO work. Council members thanked volunteers and staff for extensive review and multiple iterations; several said the plan represents a step toward coordinated growth management.
Councilman Grodeky read the resolution into the record before a roll-call vote; the council formally adopted the plan by unanimous vote. Councilmembers said technical changes and future amendments remain possible as the UDO rewrite proceeds and as staff and the council study implementation steps.
Next steps identified during the meeting include using the adopted plan as the framework for drafting and reviewing a new Unified Development Ordinance and convening additional public engagement as those regulatory changes move forward.
