City development ordinance has flaws

I have some seriously felt concerns about the Saratoga Springs UDO. The unified development ordinance will replace the zoning ordinance once it is approved by the city council. I have three concerns. The first is that the wording of the ordinance will need to change dramatically if the voters change the city charter in November. Many of the provisions in either the current zoning ordinance or the UDO will need to be rewritten under a city manager government and it makes little sense to change it now simply to redo it in a few months.

The second concern is the provision for inclusionary zoning that, while attempting to address the affordable (work force) housing need, will in my opinion actually cause more problems than solutions. I feel there are better alternatives that have not been explored. At the very least, the citizens need a much better understanding of this provision.

The third is the UDO’s dependance on the definition of sustainable. Sustainable is primarily a political not a zoning term but it’s preponderance of use in the UDO will, in my opinion, cause unnecessary confusion and delays in practice if the proposed UDO is adopted.

My suggestion is that any final votes on the UDO be postponed until at least after the November election. The citizens of the city need to become much more educated about this document that will dictate many of their property rights over the next decade.

— John Safford Saratoga Springs