Out with the old and in with the new. Well, it may not be that dramatic but the city of Sedona is looking to make some changes to its current land development code.

According to Community Development Director Audree Juhlin, the LDC is more than 20 years old, is outdated and requires revisions to be current with new technology and best practices. The updated version will also help implement the Sedona Community Plan by providing better zoning options for new development, to carry forward the recommendations of the new Community Plan, and therefore, the community’s wishes and desires, she said.

During its Thursday, June 11, meeting, the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission briefly discussed the LDC and what additions and changes they’d like to see. Juhlin said the topic will be discussed at future meetings as well.

As part of the 2015-16 budget, City Council has tentatively approved funding over the next several years to allow the city to hire a consultant to work with staff to evaluate the existing Land Development Code and provide a comprehensive update for the commission’s and council’s review and consideration.

The LDC is there to regulate development within the city’s planning and zoning jurisdiction and covers things such a signs, parking, heights and setbacks of homes and businesses as well as zoning districts.

The commission was presented with a long list of areas within the code that have come up at staff level in recent years that may need to be addressed. Juhlin also asked the commissioners for their personal opinions of what should be changed.

Commission Chairman Marty Losoff said some amendments to the LDC can take up to two to three years while others could be done much sooner.

To read the full story, see the Friday, June 19, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.