News & INSIGHTS

The city of Greenville is rethinking the rules that govern local development as it seeks to rewrite its land management ordinance, or development code. 

Faced with mounting growth across the city, officials have hired a team of consultants headed up by czbLLC to evaluate the city's current code, then draft the new ordinance and present it for public input and City Council's approval next year.

The czbLLC firm is the same firm that helped the city develop its comprehensive plan, GVL2040.

So, why does the city's development code matter? Here's what you need to know: 

What is Greenville's land management ordinance? 

• It's a set of rules that regulate construction and building projects, including new construction and "substantial" rehabilitation or renovation to properties, according to the city's website.

• The code regulates things like building height, the distance between a building and its property line, property use and housing density, or how many housing units are in an area.

Why is Greenville adopting a new code? 

• The city has outgrown the old code, officials say.

• Project approvals take too long, and the approval process — and outcome — are unpredictable, according to consultants.

• The subjective interpretation of the old code make it difficult for builders and developers to know what's allowed.

• The new code goes hand-in-hand with the adoption of GVL2040, the city's blueprint for how Greenville will develop over the next 20 years. 

How does the new code impact Greenville residents? 

• The new code will replace the current Land Management Ordinance, the engineering design and specifications manual and the processes used to approve or deny projects in the city.

• Residents will need to accept higher-density projects in specific locations to absorb the city's growth, consultants said. 

• But the goal of the new code is to strengthen existing residential neighborhoods and preserve when possible.

What are the city's next steps? 

• The consultants and the city will talk to developers and residents, then decide on the best approach for the new code. They'll also decide which parts of town are candidates for small area plans, which are part of testing and developing the new code.

• They'll go back before City Council Nov. 8 to discuss the findings and the initial approach. 

• Consultants will present a draft code in August 2022 for public feedback. City Council adoption is slated to follow that December.