Unified Development Ordinance Update

SUMMER 2024 UPDATE

This updated project page will review the goals, processes, and maps for the Unified Development Ordinance update. Sections below will provide a preliminary overview of some zoning districts and uses.

A list of highlighted changes from the current UDO to the proposed are available on the Town's website:  https://www.brownsburg.org/587/Brownsburg-UDO-Review-Process 

• Create a more user-friendly Unified Development Ordinance (simplified text, reduced redundancy and overlap, improved organization)
• Better align the Unified Development Ordinance with Town direction, goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan, and recurring discussion during project approval processes
• Have a document that can be more easily updated in the future, instead of the current document where amendments cannot be incorporated into the main document.

What is a Unified Development Ordinance?

The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is a set of rules and regulations for development in Brownsburg. It is a combination of zoning ordinances and subdivision control standards.

Where the  Comprehensive Plan  sets forth general ideas and goals for the future, the UDO provides the "how" or the framework that a project of any size must follow before it can come to life. The Unified Development Ordinance covers topics such as allowed uses, lot standards (setbacks, lot coverage), development standards like landscaping, lighting, etc., and provides an overview of review processes and permitting.

The following sections will provide an introduction to various proposed revisions of the Unified Development Ordinance. The sections will walk through new district naming conventions, map changes, and highlight key areas of text.

The Regional Outdoor Entertainment district would be removed, with some uses shifting to the Parks and Recreation District and the racetrack shifting to the Motor Sports District. The intent of this shift is to celebrate the uniqueness of the MS District with the Racetrack included. The High Intensity District would no longer be used, as it has not been used to this point.

AG, RE, R1, TR, UC, I1, I2, and IS are the same designation as the current UDO.

MS and PR are the same, with some of the previous RO included in these areas as noted above.

Current R2 and R3 are combined into one district (R2) and only allow single-family detached homes by-right. A new R3 District allows some combination of attached units like duplexes and townhomes with new single-family development.

NC, C1, C2, HC, and EC are simplified into 3 commercial districts (C1-C3)

The map changes would also clean up previous zoning map issues that designated drainage ponds in subdivisions as Park and Recreation Districts, which can have a big impact on buffering requirements. These areas would be zoned the same as the subdivision to which they relate.

Interactive Side by Side Map

Use the swipe feature below to get a general idea of zoning district changes.

The proposed zoning map is on the left and the existing is on the right. Use the zoom features in the bottom right to zoom in and out of the maps.

You can view the legend by clicking on the icon in the bottom left corner of the map with the three lines and dots on it.

All uses are in a combined Use Table, and some have additional standards that apply (Chapter 3, images shown below).

Architectural materials and requirements are updated for residential and other districts (Chapter 5).

Landscaping is updated and simplified, with some new options to substitute a portion of the non-evergreen shrubs with ornamental grasses to diversify plantings (Chapter 5).

An amenity table noting what is required of new development is included (Chapter 7).

The document itself has more hyperlinks to help users navigate to other sections and quickly find other references. Buttons exist on each page to help a user get back to the table of contents for that chapter.

To view the full document, please refer to our website  https://www.brownsburg.org/587/Brownsburg-UDO-Review-Process .