Troy's New Development Rulebook is Almost Ready
Vol. III, No. 325 - When Will Residents Be Able to Weight In?
For years, Troy has operated under a patchwork of separate documents that govern how land is used, how buildings are built, and how neighborhoods grow. That is about to change. The city is in the final stages of writing a new Unified Development Code — a single, consolidated rulebook that will replace the current zoning code, subdivision regulations, sign code, and fence code all at once.
At Monday night’s council meeting, that document was front and center. And the conversation revealed just how much is riding on it — and how much uncertainty still surrounds the process.
What Is the UDC?
The Unified Development Code, or UDC, is essentially a complete rewrite of the rules that govern development in Troy. The draft version weighs in at more than 400 pages, it covers everything from where homes can be built, to how subdivisions are laid out, to what kind of signs businesses can hang. City staff has been working on the document with an outside consultant, American Structurepoint, for well over a year and comes off the Comprehensive Plan that was completed last year.
The goal is to make the rules clearer, more consistent, and easier to follow. Right now, someone trying to understand what they can build in Troy has to dig through multiple separate documents. The UDC puts it all in one place.
Where Things Stand Right Now
At Monday’s meeting, city planning director Tim Davis told council he hopes to bring the draft UDC to the Troy Planning Commission at its first meeting in May — expected to be around May 14. Council members will receive a copy at the same time.
That said, even Davis couldn’t promise the process would wrap up within 90 days. The Planning Commission will need time to review a 400-plus page document, and the city’s Law Director, Mr. Kerber, noted that a public hearing — while optional at the Planning Commission level — is likely given the scope of this rewrite. After the Planning Commission makes its recommendation, the document still has to come before the full City Council for a final vote, which includes a mandatory public hearing.
One council member asked point-blank whether 90 days was enough time. The honest answer from city staff: probably not guaranteed.
Council’s Own Frustrations
Several council members expressed concern that they have been kept at arm’s length from the process. Councilwoman Mrs. Snee requested that council be given a copy of the draft when it goes to the Planning Commission — not after. That request was built into the committee’s formal recommendation and passed Monday night.
Councilman Schilling raised a sharper concern. He said that at a committee meeting last week, Davis admitted he didn’t really know what the new code said about specific topics — like gas stations — because the consultant and planning staff had been handling the document largely without council’s involvement. “You don’t have any idea what the new regulations are,” Schilling said. Davis did not dispute that characterization.
When Can the Public Weigh In?
The Troy Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 3:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Troy City Hall. If the draft UDC is delivered in early May as planned, the Planning Commission could begin its review as early as May 14.
A public hearing at the Planning Commission level is optional — but expected. A public hearing at City Council is mandatory before any final vote.
The exact dates for those hearings have not been released. Once released, this newsletter will publish those dates. If you want to understand what’s in this document before it becomes law, now is the time to start paying attention. This rulebook will shape how Troy grows for the next generation.
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