Unified Land Development Code Project
The City of Statesboro is partnering with a consultant team led by Lott + Barber, Inc. to prepare
a new unified land development code (ULDC) for the city. Work on this project was initiated in October, 2009 – only months
after the completion of the Statesboro, Georgia, Comprehensive Plan (2009-2029). The ULDC project is a comprehensive update
of Statesboro City codes related to development procedures and standards, environmental protection and community infrastructure.
A completed ULDC will incorporate applicable codes into a single, seamless document that will help implement the community
vision contained in the Comprehensive Plan while providing for a coordinated and predictable development process within the city.
Learn more about the 3 “P’s” of the ULDC Project – Parameters of the ULDC,
Process for drafting the document, and how you can Participate.
ULDC Parameters:
What is a unified land development code?
A unified land development code (ULDC) is a master document in which all of a community’s various provisions regulating land
development are maintained. A ULDC is formally adopted by ordinance by the elected body of the jurisdiction and may include
a wide range provisions, including but not limited to: soil and erosion control, floodplain management, signs, open space,
zoning, subdivisions, streets, infrastructure, etc. Traditionally, such provisions have often been adopted as separate
ordinances.
Incorporation of a community’s various land development regulations into a single ULDC is
beneficial to a community for the following reasons:
- A ULDC provides consistent language and definitions for development concepts — reducing potential contradictions
between ordinances.
- The ULDC is the vehicle to providing updated development standards that implement the policies contained in a community’s
comprehensive plan while providing greater options and choice to the development community.
- A ULDC provides clear administrative procedures which adhere to current state statutes.
- The consistent language of a ULDC improves the legal defensibility of the city’s development standards.
What will Statesboro’s unified land development code project entail?
The
Statesboro ULDC project will include the following three (3) principal components:
- City-Wide Land Development Provisions. The ULDC will be drafted for city-wide application. Existing
zoning district classifications contained in the Statesboro Zoning Ordinance may be retained where possible (although revised)
in order to reduce the need for a comprehensive remapping of city parcels as illustrated on the Official Zoning Map of the
City of Statesboro. Additional elements shall also be considered for inclusion in the city-wide unified land development
code.
- Center-City Form-Based Code. The ULDC will include a “form-based” code for downtown Statesboro and
other properties within the city’s “Urban Core” Character Area as identified by the Statesboro, Georgia
Comprehensive Plan (2009 — 2029). A form-based code emphasizes the physical form of development — with land
uses being a secondary consideration. Such a code promotes comparable development which considers the context of its
surroundings and appropriately integrates individual developments and the public realm.
- Form—Based Code Pilot Project. The ULDC project, with the assistance of the general public, will include
the conceptual development of one (1) or two (2) sites in the Urban Core to illustrate how the form—based code will be
applied in the downtown vicinity.
What will the Statesboro Unified Land Development Code document encompass?
The Statesboro ULDC document will incorporate development provisions that are currently dispersed throughout at least the
following existing chapters of Statesboro City Code: Chapter 38, Article V (Soil Erosion and Sedimentation); Chapter 46 (Floods);
Chapter 54 (Manufactured Homes and Trailers); Chapter 62 (Residential Subdivision Incentive Program); Chapter 86 (Vegetation);
Appendix A (Zoning); Appendix B (Subdivision Regulations). Other portions of Statesboro City Code will also likely be
incorporated into the ULDC over the course of the project.
The final ULDC document will also be accompanied by a new Official Zoning Map of Statesboro,
Georgia, a variety of application forms, checklists, and other supporting documentation to ensure that the final product can be
effectively managed, administered and enforced.
ULDC Process:
It is anticipated that the ULDC project will take roughly 24 months to complete. This
extended project timeframe reflects the complexities involved with such an important community project. Ultimately however,
the principal reason for such a lengthy process is to provide for as much public input opportunity as possible.
Over the
course of the ULDC project, input will take the form of:
Project Team Committee: The “Project
Team” is composed of City officials representing the Engineering, Fire, Natural Gas, Planning, Public Works, and Water and
Wastewater departments. Project Team meetings will be held periodically throughout the project. All interim documents
will be prepared in close coordination with City Project Team members.
Stakeholder Committee: The
Stakeholder Committee is composed of invited members of important community organizations including, but not limited to:
Bulloch County Board of Education, Statesboro—Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Statesboro Development
Authority, etc. The committee also includes other members of the local development community, environmental organizations
and citizens who took active roles in the preparation of the Statesboro, Georgia, Comprehensive Plan (2009-2029).
Stakeholder Committee meetings will be held periodically throughout the project. All interim documents will be
prepared in close coordination with City Project Team members.
Public Open Houses/Workshops/Surveys:
Various opportunities for public input will be offered throughout the course of the ULDC project. To maximize your
opportunity to actively participate, please view the section entitled “ULDC Public Participation”.
Click HERE to view the anticipated ULDC project schedule. (
Note: Subject to periodic revision)
ULDC Public Participation:
Want to make sure that you have the opportunity to participate in the ULDC process? Add your
name to the Statesboro ULDC mailing list maintained by Lott + Barber, using the form below. By adding your name
to the Statesboro ULDC mailing list, you will receive email notifications of upcoming events, access to project—related
surveys, periodic newsletters, and other important notifications.
Upcoming Events:
(There are no meetings/events scheduled at this time.)
Comments/Surveys:
(There are no draft documents or surveys posted for review or participation at
this time).
