Ardmore, Oklahoma

Unified Development Code
   

For the City of Ardmore, Duncan Associates prepared a Unified Development Code incorporating the City's previous zoning and subdivision ordinances. The historic downtown area, interstate highway frontage and square miles of undeveloped rural ranch land within the City limits all provided special challenges for the code revision process. The decision to consolidate the City's regulations and procedures into a unified development code (UDC) signaled a commitment to regulations that were up-to-date; internally consistent; easy to use, understand and administer; and capable of implementing local planning and development objectives. Other

primary objectives in preparing the new UDC were to reformat, "clean up," reorganize and synchronize existing regulations; and to develop an efficient, fair and workable code; but not to "reinvent the wheel." Substantive revisions responded to issues raised in the City's comprehensive plan. A new historic district and historic preservation board were created for the downtown area. Separate urban and rural subdivision standards, including lower requirements for services and streets in rural areas were prepared. In conjunction with rural development standards, new rural districts were drafted with large minimum lot sizes to encourage the preservation of rural character, along with "right-to-farm" provisions. Finally, an existing overlay district for the I-35 interstate frontage through the City was modified to improve the aesthetics of the highway corridor, including special sign regulations, improved landscaping, and buffering and screening of utilities. Several other new provision were drafted, including soil erosion and sediment controls, revised provisions for manufactured housing and improved enforcement procedures.

Period:     November 1997 - August 1998               Contact:    Richard Hart
Team:       Duncan Associates                                                 former Planning Director
                                                                                          206.236.3593