Greenville County's development code is changing. What that will mean for future growth.

It's no secret that Greenville County is growing, but some of the laws guiding that growth are nearly 50 years old.

But a new unified development ordinance could soon bring Greenville County's growth-centered laws into the 21st century.

Since the spring of 2020, Tyler Stone, Greenville County's Long Range Planning Manager, and county staff have worked with a group of consulting firms to both modernize and combine the county's current zoning laws and land use regulations into a single, working document.

Despite setbacks stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the unified development ordinance drafting process is now more than halfway complete, Stone said.

What is a unified development ordinance, and how is it being created?

The new UDO spurred from the county's 20-year comprehensive plan, Stone said. While the county's comprehensive plan acts as an aspirational document that does not have any governing authority, the UDO is meant to act as the legal arm of the county's planning and development goals.

The drafting process was broken down into four modules:

• Module 1 has been drafted and focuses on the county's zoning districts and rules for both zoned and unzoned areas throughout the county.

• Module 2A has been drafted and focuses on the county's land use regulations, including parking, property buffers, outdoor lighting and building design.

• Module 2B is being written and will focus on more of the county's land use regulations, including rules for subdivision development.

• Module 3 is being written and will focus on internal administrative procedures.

Mauldin strives to create 'urban core:'Key developments transforming the growing city.

A public workshop for module 2A was held in January, and Stone said the county hopes to hold a workshop for module 2B in March.

Up-to-date versions of all completed drafts are available on the county's website. Residents can also submit comments and questions about the drafts online.

What are the goals of the unified development ordinance, and what major changes are included?

One of the biggest goals of the UDO, Stone said, is to account for the varied development needs across different parts of the county.

"It can't be a one-size-fits-all approach," Stone said.

The UDO also attempts to foster the comprehensive plan's goal of focused growth in the county's former mill villages and urban areas, Stone said.

Previous Reporting:Greenville County Council passes affordable housing incentive, but some don't like it

Stone pointed to the UDO's first module, which outlines incentives for developers to include affordable housing in their developments, as another big change to the county's development rules.

The module outlines incentives like density bonuses and building height increases for including affordable housing in development projects.

Ultimately, Stone said, the goal of the UDO is to remove ambiguity from the rules and create specificity and predictability for residents and developers.

"Knowing what's possible in a location is the vision," Stone said.

What happens next?

As Greenville County staff continue working with consultants to complete a full draft of the UDO, Stone said the county hopes to begin the ratification process this summer.

Since the new development code is an ordinance, it will require a public hearing, three readings and three votes to become law.

But, Stone said, residents, do not need to wait for a public hearing to make their voices heard. He said staff members welcome public engagement during this developmental stage and emphasized residents can contact staff members at any point with comments or questions about the draft.

− Tim Carlin covers county government, growth and development for The Greenville News. Follow him on Twitter @timcarlin_, and get in touch with him at TCarlin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville County's development code is changing. What that will mean.