Town staff outlines phased rollout of Unified Development Code; Bella Prosper item tabled

Town staff told the Planning & Zoning Commission on Nov. 18 that the Town Council has approved adoption of the town's Unified Development Code (UDC) but will return to the commission and council with ordinance-form sections in a phased rollout.

At the meeting, a staff member (S4) said the council's action left the UDC adoption in place while staff prepares individual ordinances for each section. "We pulled them out from when they went to the council," S5 said of sections that will be returned later as separate ordinance actions; S5 estimated the draft as "750 pages" and said staff expects to present the changes as roughly six or seven separate ordinances over the next several months so the commission and council can consider them in depth.

Why it matters: converting the UDC draft into ordinance-format pieces means the commission will review specific regulatory and ordinance language rather than the entire draft at once. Staff said this approach will let commissioners and council members focus on individual chapters and allow time for more thorough discussion and edits. S5 said the phased approach will likely extend review into January through May 2026, with some housekeeping changes (for example, building and fire department items) brought forward earlier and zoning or subdivision changes handled individually.

The staff presentation also noted related council actions. S4 reported the council discussed a facade plan in the Gates of Prosper and that the Bella Prosper development item was tabled to Feb. 24, 2026. "It was tabled to 02/24/2026," S4 said. Staff advised commissioners to review materials and return comments; S5 asked commissioners to look at distributed "homework" documents and provide feedback so staff can develop a path forward and prepare supporting manuals and processes for implementing the UDC.

What was said about interim use: staff said some parts of the draft could serve as guidance to evaluate incoming development proposals, but most changes will require ordinance action. S5 reiterated that while pieces might be used as a guideline informally, formal changes will come through ordinance actions and separate public notices.

Next steps: staff will prepare ordinance-format sections of the UDC and return them to the commission for review and recommendation, then forward ordinances to council for final action. Commissioners were asked to review the materials and send comments to staff ahead of the next meetings.

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