After mulling over what to do when it comes to development and regulations for the last month, the Cloverdale Town Council made a decision Tuesday during its first council meeting of the new year.
In an unanimous decision, the council voted in favor of approving a Unified Development Ordinance, which is a document that combines traditional zoning and subdivision guidelines with other city regulations into a single document. It lays out a uniform set of guidelines for developers and helps municipalities have a say in how development occurs.
A UDO can limit what kind of development occurs, as well as the size, how much parking is needed, what landscape, lighting and signage looks like, and also the design of stormwater management and utilities. In addition, there are various zoning districts ranging from rural preservation and agricultural to residential and heavy development to downtown mixed-use.
Putnam County's new comprehensive plan moves the county to a UDO. Under the UDO, the Plan Director and/or designated staff serves as the zoning administrator. Lisa Zeiner is the Plan Director for Putnam County. There is also involvement by the Board of Zoning Appeals, the County Commissioners, a floodplain administrator, the plan commission, a technical advisory committee and town councils.
At last month's council meeting, James McKee, who is a member of the Cloverdale Planning Board, laid out the options for the town council.
Heading into Tuesday, the council had three options it could take.
The first ordinance would have Cloverdale pass the UDO and keep its Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals but let the county take over administrative duties.
The second would have Cloverdale pass the UDO and keep its Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals as well as handle all administrative duties. Roachdale and Bainbridge currently do this.
The final would have Cloverdale pass the UDO and give up its Plan Commission to the county. Should Cloverdale officials give up its Board of Zoning Appeals, it would have to be added as well.
"We adopted the UDO, kept the BZA and got rid of our planning commission. It gives us that one representative from the town for county projects," Cloverdale Town Council mulls UDO possibilities
When the new year hits, the Cloverdale Town Council will have a decision to make when it comes to development and regulations, as the council received information recently on what a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) would mean for the town.
A UDO is a document that combines traditional zoning and subdivision guidelines with other city regulations into a single document. It lays out a uniform set of guidelines for developers and helps municipalities have a say in how development occurs. A UDO can limit what kind of development occurs, as well as the size, how much parking is needed, what landscape, lighting and signage looks like, and also the design of stormwater management and utilities. In addition, there are various zoning districts ranging from rural preservation and agricultural to residential and heavy development to downtown mixed-use.
Putnam County's new comprehensive plan moves the county to a UDO. Under the UDO, the Plan Director and/or designated staff serves as the zoning administrator. Lisa Zeiner is the Plan Director for Putnam County. There is also involvement by the Board of Zoning Appeals, the County Commissioners, a floodplain administrator, the plan commission, a technical advisory committee and town councils.
At the December council meeting this week, the board got a look at three possible UDO ordinances and heard from James McKee, who is a member of the Cloverdale Planning Board.
"The county is going under a uniform planning and zoning so all of our coding will be uniform across. The plan commission, for the town or county, the primary duties are to approve the comprehensive plan, consider development plans, consider primary plats for subdivisions, zone map change recommendations, zoning subdivision ordinance and PUD recommendations. What this UDO will do, if we give up the administrative duties which is building permits, building inspections. That gives the county control over the comprehensive plan zoning, primary plats for subdivisions, zone map changes, and PUD recommendations," McKee said.
McKee said should that happen the only duty of the Cloverdale Planning Commission would be zoning map changes, which would be approved by town council.
The first ordinance would have Cloverdale pass the UDO and keep its Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals but let the county take over administrative duties.
The second would have Cloverdale pass the UDO and keep its Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals as well as handle all administrative duties. Roachdale and Bainbridge currently do this.
The final would have Cloverdale pass the UDO and give up its Plan Commission to the county. Should Cloverdale officials give up its Board of Zoning Appeals, it would have to be added as well.
"We kept the BZA and got rid of our planning commission. It gives us that one representative from the town for county projects," Cloverdale Town Council President Brandon Tancak told The Putnam County Post.
In addition, Cloverdale will join the county's Advisory Commission, which will feature a nine member board.
Each town that participates in the Area Plan Commission is able to appoint a member to the board. With Cloverdale having a population of over 2,100 but less than 10,000, Cloverdale would have a seat at the table with its town council making the appointment.
In other Cloverdale Town Council news, council selected Tancak as president and Brice Howell as vice president.
Council also voted in favor of allowing the Cloverdale Police Department to purchase four ballistic vests to replace outdated vests.
Town Marshal Adam Hull told the council the department is mandated by law to have the vests current and vests have to be replaced every five years. The funding will come from donations and the uniform allowance, Hull said.
