(May 7, 2018) The Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission (APC) is seeking proposals for a consultant, or a team of consultants, to assist in the development and adoption of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County. The UDO will be the primary source of land use regulations for both the City and the County, including both zoning and subdivision control ordinances. The last major updates of the current zoning codes occurred in 1962; the subdivision control ordinances have not been substantially updated since 1984.

“The current code is inconsistent, unclear and obsolete,” said Area Plan Commission Executive Director Ron London. “There have been many changes in best practices related to zoning codes and subdivision ordinances that are not currently reflected in our community’s standards, which were enacted over 50 years ago.”

The development regulations need to be modernized to address issues such as:

• Awkward and confusing ordinance format and structure
• Standards or requirements which are difficult to meet resulting in excessive variances
• Outdated standards that do not reflect the community’s priorities and values in land use and development, public infrastructure, and property rights; nor are they tailored to reflect urban verses suburban/rural settings

London added, “The revised Unified Development Code must be consistent with the 2015-2035 Comprehensive Plan and express a progressive vision that promotes thoughtful growth and protects the health, safety and welfare of the community, as well as the property rights and values of our citizens. Community involvement in this process will be critical including a strong outreach program which is key to making this a success.”

Some of the major objectives that will need to be looked at in the UDO are:

• Recommend updates to all existing zoning districts, defined and permitted uses, special uses, development standards including parking requirements, public infrastructure, etc.
• Include innovative and user-friendly interactive graphics that illustrate design and other requirements and make the codes easy to use
• Develop form-based provisions targeted to specific areas offering greater opportunities for redevelopment, primarily in the downtown, historic, and overlay districts
• Promote and support multi-modal transportation options including complete streets with bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Develop provisions that will facilitate mixed use development along with high-quality infill and redevelopment projects consistent with the context of existing development in the area
• Place the City & County zoning and subdivision codes (now under 4 different code titles) into one title making these regulations easier to find

A Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued Monday, May 7, 2018. The RFP is available on the Area Plan Commission website: www.evansvilleapc.com. The received proposals will be reviewed in June, and interviews with respondents will be scheduled in July. The goal is to select a consultant by August 1, 2018. The process of reviewing, updating and enacting a comprehensive Unified Development Ordinance is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months, with a goal for adoption by January 1, 2020.

Submissions must be emailed to rlondon@evansvilleapc.com prior to the deadline at 4:00 p.m. (Central Time) on June 4, 2018. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.