DEPARTMENT: Development Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Michael Shannon, PE, CBO
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT: 2020 Unified Development Code (UDC) Amendment Process
SUMMARY:
A briefing on the 5-year UDC amendment process, procedures, and timeline.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The San Antonio City Council adopted the UDC on May 3, 2001. The UDC implements the City's Comprehensive Plan and Master Plan policies. In addition, the UDC includes development regulations for subdivision platting, zoning, and street and drainage design standards, as well as historic preservation. This amendment process is intended to help strengthen and clarify regulations, and carry out City Council priorities. UDC Chapter 35-111 provides for a review and update process to occur every 5 years - years ending in "0" or "5". The last UDC amendment process occurred in 2015.
ISSUE:
The UDC authorizes the Zoning Commission, Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Historic Design Review Commission, City Council, City Staff, and other appropriate city boards to initiate amendments to the UDC to modify procedures and standards for workability and administrative efficiency, eliminate unnecessary development costs, and to update the procedures and standards to reflect changes in the law or the state of the art in land use planning and urban design. Groups and individuals from outside the City may submit amendments to the UDC. Amendments submitted from outside the City should meet one of the following criteria:
1. Editing amendments to provide for editing changes that do not alter the impact of the provision being addressed and including changes such as spelling, grammar correction, formatting, text selection, or addition of text in compliance with existing ordinances, statutes or case law.
2. Clarification amendments to provide for ease of interpretation and understanding of the existing provisions of the UDC. Clarification amendments should not change or alter the intent or mean...
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