Greenville County works to update zoning and land development regulations

Following adoption of a widely supported comprehensive plan earlier this year, Greenville County has kicked off the process of drafting a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to replace current zoning and land development regulations.

One of the major goals of the project is to implement the vision laid out in the comprehensive plan. The consultant team leading the UDO process held a series of stakeholder meetings and presented to Council in late June. 

Here’s what we know so far...

Project Goals

The goals for the UDO are to:

• Implement the county's comprehensive plan
• Consolidate the county's zoning ordinance and land development regulations
• Create a modern, user-friendly code that is fiscally sound, easy to understand, flexible, consistent with the comp plan, and streamlined
• Make it easier to achieve desirable outcomes

Stakeholder Meetings

County staff and consultants hosted a series of focus groups in the days leading up to last week's presentation. Meetings were held with environmental organizations, utilities, residential & commercial developers, community groups, and stakeholders representing affordable housing, economic development, public safety, and transportation.

Additionally, the Citizens Advisory Committee formed during the comprehensive plan process were invited to provide feedback.

Next Steps & Final Adoption

In the coming months, consultants will be compiling and summarizing what they heard from stakeholders, citizens, county staff, and council & planning commission members. Additionally, they will be assessing the county's current zoning code and land development regulations.

Public workshops are planned for some time in August and/or September, and final adoption is anticipated in May 2021.

Stay tuned for more updates as to how and when you can engage in the process!