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Consultant gives near-final Unified Development Ordinance draft; council asked for direction on density and downtown standards
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Summary
A consultant told the council a near-complete UDO draft will be ready in roughly 4–6 weeks; the draft keeps existing zoning districts, updates land-use tables and introduces compensating open-space options and transition standards intended to preserve downtown character while encouraging infill and parkland.
A consultant presenting a near-final draft of Montgomery’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) told the City Council the document preserves the city’s existing zoning districts while updating land-use definitions, site-development standards and procedures.
The presenter said modules 1 and 1.5 (zoning districts and land-use matrices) are delivered; module 2 (historic preservation and design standards) and module 3 (development-review bodies and procedures) are nearly complete. He told the council the team expects to deliver a full public-review draft in about 4–6 weeks, subject to staff comments and statutory public-notice timelines.
On substance, the consultant described several policy choices built into the draft: a compensating open-space option that would allow 8,000-square-foot lots combined with a 10% open-space requirement (the presenter said that approach would "deliver 1 acre of parkland for about 40 dwelling units"); a potential option to reduce lot size to 7,500 square feet for a density bonus; and a set of transition standards to limit abrupt changes in scale between large-acreage lots and smaller lots, including minimum lot-area requirements and buffer-yard standards. The draft also includes more explicit tables for landscaping, parking, buffering and permitted/limited uses.
Council members asked about public availability and timeline for hearings; staff said the code would be web-based with hyperlinks and searchable definitions and that public hearings before the planning commission and council will follow state-notice requirements. One council member requested that staff provide milestones and public-review dates so local business owners can plan for timely feedback.
Why it matters: The UDO consolidates and modernizes development rules that govern how the city regulates everything from setbacks and multifamily design to landscaping and parking. Changes to lot-size, open-space and bonus incentives could affect upcoming subdivisions and infill projects.
What’s next: Staff and the consultant will finalize language and formatting, circulate a public-review draft, schedule required public hearings and return to council for adoption consideration.
