The city of Rincon, Georgia, knew that its rulebook needed an overhaul. The small community just outside of Savannah had been seeing plenty of development in recent years, but the land development codes governing that process were outdated, fragmented, and difficult for residents, developers, and even staff to navigate. This prompted city leaders to pursue a streamlined, visually guided Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that would enhance usability and would better incorporate the key principles of its comprehensive plan.

Inspire worked with the City to define specific goals, understand the challenges within the existing code, and identify locations for overlay districts and design standards. A stakeholder committee was formed. The feedback addressed inconsistencies in the current regulations and discussions were conducted on barriers for quality development. An open house for public input was also held that afforded the public an opportunity to give their thoughts on potential new uses, standards, and concepts.

Inspire then drafted a new UDO with modernized code language, a simplified and accessible table of uses, and clearly organized graphics to ensure that anyone who needed to use it, could.  The UDO included more housing options, design standards, and a consolidated development review process. Three overlay districts were also added to address the unique conditions of specific areas.

The new Unified Development Ordinance ultimately provides Rincon with a streamlined regulatory tool that improves predictability for developers, increases clarity for residents, and equips City staff with a modern code to advance long-term planning and economic development goals.