Greenville needs a Unified Development Ordinance that lines up with the Comp Plan

November 1st, 2020
By Lisa Hallo

Following adoption of a widely supported comprehensive plan early this year, Greenville County 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 UDO is to implement the shared community vision laid out in the comp plan for guiding future growth. 

It may come as a surprise just how uncommon it is for local Upstate governments to take the seemingly logical step of updating land development regulations once comp plans are adopted. Greenville County, like many Upstate jurisdictions, has adopted many plans over the years, but those plans have rarely been implemented through policy action.

When plans and policies are out of sync, it is confusing and frustrating to everyone — community members, government staff, elected officials, developers, and other stakeholders, especially after significant time, effort, and resources have been expended to create the plans in the first place.

If county leaders succeed in updating zoning and land development to enact the comp plan vision, it will be a tremendous step towards smarter growth management and away from the chaos that ensues when plans and policies are contradictory. 

Unfortunately, residents’ voices are often lost in the process of updating regulations, drowned out by the chorus of those that benefit from the status quo. 

Your voice is important in determining how Greenville grows! Hundreds of residents actively engaged in the process of developing the county’s future plan for growth. Now it is time to put that plan to action.  

If you want to see the Greenville Comp Plan enacted through policy, please take five minutes to contact your council member and tell them: 

  • We need a UDO that lines up with the vision laid out in the Comp Plan.
  • Rural areas must have a means of protection from rampant suburban-style residential sprawl.
  • We should steer growth to areas that already have the infrastructure to support it. 
  • The UDO must shift away from our current sprawling pattern of growth, which is fiscally irresponsible and eats up too much land, too quickly.

Don't know who represents you? Enter your address here to find out!

District 17: Joe Dill
228 Highway 101, Landrum, SC 29356
864.380.6534
JDill@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 18: Michael Barnes
2210 N. Highway 14, Greer, SC 29651
864.877.9457
Mbarnes@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 19: Willis Meadows
9 Queensbury Drive, Greenville, SC 29617
864.419.8419
WMeadows@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 20: Sid Cates
1 Cypress Knoll Way, Taylors, SC 29687
864.268.2725
SCates@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 21: Rick Roberts
111 Golden Wings Way, Greer, SC 29650
864.877.9755
Rroberts@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 22: Bob Taylor
107 Karen Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
864.414.7219
BTaylor@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 23: Xanthene Norris
209 Ackley Road, Greenville, SC 29607
864.271.6798
XNorris@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 24: Liz Seman
18 East Tallulah Drive, Greenville, SC 29605
864.501.4126
LSeman@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 25: Ennis Fant
11 Ghana Drive, Greenville, SC 29605
864.467.2787
Efant@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 26: Lynn Ballard
505 Shaded Acre Court, Pelzer, SC 29669
864.243.0014
LBallard@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 27: Butch Kirven
7 Ralph Hendrix Drive, Simpsonville, SC 29681
864.228.9300
BKirven@greenvillecounty.org
 
District 28: Dan Tripp
300 Hickory Lane, Mauldin SC 29662
864.962.1093
DTripp@greenvillecounty.org

For more information, contact Lisa Hallo, Upstate Forever's Land Planning & Policy Director, at lhallo@upstateforever.org.

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