The Lodi city development code was first approved in 1956 and has undergone numerous updates throughout the years. But the piecemeal approach to development planning often left the development code in conflict with the General Plan. Now, a new development code has been approved.

Discussion for the new code has been underway since 1999, but wholesale change has been delayed due to budget constraints and staffing reductions. But the new, 20-year document should provide greater clarity to zoning, and allows compatible neighborhood and commercial development.

Part of the new plan is a streamlined approach to planning, as the number of zoning districts was reduced to four from the previous ten. The streamlining and simplification was made to encourage individuals to use and digest the information, making it palatable to lay residents and not simply the city’s planners.

Read the full article at the Lodi News-Sentinel.