Shreveport, LOUISIANA. The Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) and its consultant, Camiros, have been working diligently with the City and the Parish to develop a draft of the new Unified Development Code (UDC). This new Code is one of the primary tools for implementing the goals and vision of the “Great Expectations Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Master Plan” that was approved by the City and Parish in 2010. The UDC will replace the current zoning and subdivision ordinances that were originally approved in the 1950s.
The proposed UDC is important to every resident and business within the community because it has the potential to effectively enhance the physical appearance of City and Parish, improve the quality of life of the citizenry, encourage redevelopment of the downtown area and the adjacent inner city neighborhoods, and open the door to greater economic opportunities by streamlining the development review and approval process.
Mark Sweeney, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), is excited to roll out this body of work. Effective May 1, 2015, the entire UDC document is available for public review and input. “It has taken almost two years to compile this working draft of the UDC, now we begin the most important step in the process, presenting the document to the public so that all residents, neighborhood groups, organizations and businesses can have a voice on what components of the proposed code are eventually approved by the City Council and the Parish Commission”, as stated by Mark Sweeney, MPC Executive Director.
During the week of May 18th there will be five (5) Public Open Houses at various points in the area for the MPC team to provide the community, neighborhood association leaders, and businesses with a formal presentation on the content and status of the Unified Development Code. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to publicly ask questions and to submit their written comments. More details will be provided as these meetings are scheduled and finalized.
The official website for the new Unified Development Code is: www.shreveportcaddoudc.com. Also, a hard copy of the UDC is available for public review at the libraries, and at the MPC office in Government Plaza on the 4th Floor. Feel free to review, make copies, ask questions and leave comments. “The more community involvement that we have, the better the final product will be. That is why we are encouraging every citizen to participate, whether online or in person- so that we can have the best possible UDC in place as we take the major step in reaching the goals of our City-Parish Master Plan”, said Councilman Jeff Everson, Chairman of the City Council.
For more information about the UDC, please contact Diane Tullos, MPC Office Administrator, at 318-673-6498 or Africa Price, City of Shreveport Director of Communications, at 318-673-5008.
