You’re invited to the Draft Zoning Ordinance Community Meeting, January 21, 2020

By January 9, 2020 News, zoning

The first installment of the new draft ordinance is now available for public review. Join City staff and the consultant to:

  • Learn about the progress of the rewrite
  • Learn about the regulations drafted in the first installment
  • Ask questions and provide feedback in a casual setting

January 21, 2020

6:30 – 8:00 pm
Decatur City Hall
402 Lee Street
Council Chambers, 1st Floor

 

The meeting will allow members of the community to learn about the first of two parts of the draft zoning ordinance. There will be a brief presentation at 6:30pm followed by an open house format where you can visit several topic stations, speak with staff and consultants, and provide feedback.

View the draft ordinance before the meeting.

Provide comments on the draft zoning ordinance (Part 1)

FAQs

1. What is the difference between the zoning ordinance, zoning map, and
future land use map? 

  • The zoning ordinance and the zoning map are legal documents that define the land uses and the development attributes allowed on a specific property within the city today. A zoning ordinance also establishes the process for reviewing development proposals and includes standards for different aspects of development, like parking, landscaping, lighting, signs, building design, and environmental impacts.
  • The future land use map is a policy guide that depicts the general character and land use that is appropriate throughout the city and its planning jurisdiction in the future. The future land use map contained in the comprehensive plan is used to develop recommendations about potential zoning changes. It also helps guide the City’s long-term infrastructure planning.

2. Why revise the zoning ordinance?

Decatur’s zoning ordinance was published in 1987, and several portions date back to the 1950’s. Large parts of the ordinance are outdated and difficult to use. The ordinance does not reflect recent policy direction found in the City’s plans or make use of many best practices of modern planning and zoning techniques. The purpose of the zoning ordinance revision is to address all these issues, resulting in a set of regulations that are user-friendly, modern, and in-line with the policy direction in the City’s comprehensive plan, One Decatur.

3. Will there be other opportunities to get involved? 

Yes, an additional public input meeting is planned after the completion of the second draft module. You can also visit onedecatur.org to review work products, submit comments, and sign-up for our email list.