Lancaster County Special Council Meeting 9-1-2026

Lancaster County Council held a special meeting on September 1, 2026, to consider the first reading of Ordinance 2026-2059, a comprehensive rewrite of the county’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Council discussed proposed zoning, subdivision, development review, transportation, infrastructure, environmental protection, and enforcement rules, working through staff and Planning Commission recommendations. The motion to approve the UDO with a package of amendments was made and seconded; the transcript proceeds to adjournment after the call for a vote but does not clearly capture the vote count or result. The ordinance is to return through the Planning Commission and Council for further readings, with approval targeted before the development moratorium expires.

Among the amendments in the motion were retaining the Carolina heelsplitter overlay for now while developing later text amendments and a credit-banking process; allowing individual septic systems on lots of at least three-quarters of an acre in specified districts where public water is available, while prohibiting shared septic systems; and authorizing development agreements where permitted by applicable law. Other changes addressed road connectivity, parking, buffers, signs, subdivision plats, and development standards. No contracts, vendor selections, purchasing decisions, or other procurement activity were identified.