Unified Development Code (UDC) & Zoning Map Update

• “UDC” refers to the practice of consolidating all rules and regulations for land development in one place, into a single code (instead of fragmented regulations spread out across a code of ordinances).
• A UDC provides a streamlined approach to land management, improves user experience, and enhances code understanding and compliance.
• It is intended to improve the application and land development process for all by guiding residents and businesses to one place to find applicable requirements for their proposed development projects.

This project is part of the city’s implementation of the Slidell 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Efforts first began in 2022 and 2023 with amendments to the Code of Ordinances that updated and streamlined standards for signs and tree preservation, floodplain and fee regulations, and guidelines for multifamily developments. To learn more,  click here  .

The city is now working to improve the way all land development regulations and the citywide zoning map work for local and prospective businesses and residents.  This project includes two tasks:

• Official Zoning Map Update: New user-friendly zoning districts will be proposed to better communicate existing standards and uses across the city and promote redevelopment of existing, underutilized properties.
• Full Code Reorganization: Development regulations across the Code of Ordinances will be comprehensively reorganized to support user navigation and understanding, to remove duplication and conflicting standards, and to support more efficient and effective local land use management. This effort will include updates to land use requirements (i.e., permitted uses, lot area, building height, setbacks, etc.) in accordance with best planning practices and in furtherance of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan’s implementation.

The City hopes to adopt a new zoning map as a result of this planning process. The approach to this process includes development of new, streamlined zoning districts that retain existing standards for more than 75% of properties.  In developing zoning map updates, the City will take into consideration:

• 2040 Plan Future Land Use Map: The Future Land Use Map (FLUM) will guide land use decisions in furtherance of the City’s Vision in the Comprehensive Plan, specifically related to proposed changes to existing zoning designations.
• Existing Land Uses in the City: The Existing Land Use Map (ELUM) provides a snapshot of existing development across the city and will help limit the creation of nonconforming uses as part of this planning process.
• The City’s Existing Zoning Map: The Existing Zoning Map outlines the current development rules in the city and will help establish the intent behind and history of how the city has developed to-date. For example, where homes and businesses may locate, including specific standards like minimum lot area, building height, and setbacks. Additional provisions in the zoning code address landscaping, parking, and signage.
• A Co-Developed Proposed Zoning Map: Based on the above information, new zoning districts will be defined and mapped across the city that aim to support more predictable land and redevelopment activity in the years to come. To help ensure city goals are met, the proposed zoning map will be co-developed based on site-level public feedback throughout the project prior to City Council consideration of the final map.
• Best Practices: National and local best practices will be reviewed to ensure the proposed zoning map promotes predictable land development patterns and promotes a vibrant built environment aligned with 2040 Plan community values.
• Public Input: Community meetings, an online and paper survey, and this website will gather public feedback that will be incorporated into the proposed zoning map and land development code. There will be multiple opportunities to review proposed changes before being considered by the Zoning Commission and City Council later this year.

We encourage you to explore the following viewer to learn more about your property and the resources involved in this planning process by toggling between the future land use map, existing land use map, and existing zoning map. (Scroll on for the Draft Zoning Map and to provide your feedback.)

The community Survey is now closed. Thank you for your feedback!

The proposed zoning map has been prepared for public review in collaboration with the Planning Department, City Council, and city boards and commissions. New districts will be incorporated into the Unified Development Code. While comments are no longer being accepted, the map is still available for viewing.

Use the button below to sign up to stay informed of project updates.

• The Slidell 2040 Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2022. It establishes a vision and goals for the City of Slidell over the next 20 years: “In 2040, Slidell is a safe community for families of all types that is connected to nature yet provides a wide variety of shopping experiences and a wide range of services for its citizens. The City's historic core has been preserved and its culture revitalized with a quaint but bustling Olde Towne. It is a city reinvesting in itself to create a sustainable and resilient community.”
• One of the primary implementation goals of the Plan is to ensure development regulations are aligned with the Plan vision and further city goals. The zoning map is a critical “tool in the toolbox” for the City Council to enact the goals of the Slidell 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
• The city’s Code of Ordinances has never been comprehensively updated. This process will establish modern and more user-friendly development regulations.

• “UDC” refers to the practice of consolidating all rules and regulations for land development in one place, into a single code (instead of fragmented regulations spread out across a code of ordinances)
• Provides a streamlined approach to land management and improves user experience and code understanding and compliance
• Intended to guide residents and businesses to one place to find applicable requirements for their proposed development projects, improving the application and land development process for all

• The City Council should strategically amend the UDC to support consistent interpretation of local land development standards, and should assess the overall effectiveness of the Code every 5 to 15 years in support of overall use and navigation. Recently, the city adopted a unified sign code, unified fees ordinance, updated tree and landscaping code, multifamily guidelines, and updated flood regulations. These amendments will be incorporated into the new Unified Development Code.  

• The zoning map establishes minimum standards for land development for every site (or parcel). Each “zone” identifies permitted land uses – such as where homes or businesses may locate – and what specific development standards apply – such as minimum lot area, building height, and setbacks.
• The Code or Ordinances provides the words behind the map. Each zoning district has a corresponding list of standards and requirements that ensure compatibility and preserve neighborhood character.  

• Every property within the city will receive a new zoning designation because all districts are being retitled to support user comprehension, however the rules will remain the same for about 75% of sites. The project team will present the proposed zoning map later this year. Residents and businesses will be able to search for their property to better understand these changes and provide site-level input before map finalization.6.

• In addition to community meetings throughout this process, a community survey will ask questions about what you would like to see from the citywide zoning process. Later in the year, an online interactive map will be launched for the public to learn and provide feedback on existing and proposed zoning districts.
• Before the City finalizes and approves any land use regulation or zoning map changes, a public hearing will take place after the public comment period.