Goose Creek council introduces overhaul of land-use rules with unified development ordinance

The Goose Creek City Council on June 9 introduced an ordinance to repeal portions of the municipal land-use code and adopt a new unified development ordinance intended to simplify zoning and land-development regulations.

Mayor (name not given) told the audience the city spent two years reworking the zoning code, some of which dated to the 1980s, and that staff and prospective businesses had urged changes to make rules easier to apply. The mayor said the rewrite was intended to make the code simpler for staff to use and more navigable for applicants.

Councilmember Fletcher moved to take action on the ordinance and the motion was seconded. The transcript records the ordinance's introduction and debate on whether to take action at that meeting but does not include a recorded final vote on the ordinance in the available audio.

The mayor said the proposed changes include repealing Title 15, Chapter 151 (zoning) and Chapter 153 (land development regulations) and adopting a consolidated Title 15 (Unified Development Ordinance) meant to centralize standards and streamline review. No staff presentation text or ordinance language was read into the record in the provided transcript excerpt; staff (identified as Reagan) was noted as available to explain details if needed.

If the council schedules a subsequent reading or vote, the new code would change how developers, property owners and staff navigate permitting and zoning questions. The council did not provide a timetable for final adoption in the portion of the meeting transcribed here.

The council also approved routine minutes and proceeded with other agenda items that may affect development timelines, including campus parking improvements and facility projects.