Indian Land's New Development Rulebook Faces a Final Lancaster County Vote Oct. 26

Lancaster County is in the last stretch of rewriting the rulebook that decides what can be built in Indian Land and the rest of the county. The final vote on the new Unified Development Ordinance is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26, and there is still time to read the draft and comment.

What a UDO is and why this one matters

A Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, combines a county's zoning and land development rules in one document. It covers things like which zoning districts exist, how subdivisions are laid out, open space, buffers, landscaping, parking, lighting, stormwater, and tree protection.

Lancaster County adopted its current UDO on Nov. 28, 2016. The county says staff and the development community have since identified problems with it, so it has been rewriting the code in two phases: first an assessment of the existing rules, then the update itself, shaped by a stakeholder committee. (Lancaster County)

For Indian Land, which is unincorporated and has no town government of its own, the county code is the local rulebook. Decisions about how new neighborhoods, shopping centers, and road frontage look there are made under it.

What the committee worked through

The county's page lists the meetings of an ad hoc UDO committee created Oct. 27, 2025. Between November and late February, it reviewed: (Lancaster County)

• Character area districts and the new zoning regulations
• Stormwater and planned development districts
• Housing types and conservation subdivisions
• Development agreements, subdivisions, and lighting
• Open space, buffers, landscaping, parking, and tree save rules
• Rural business zoning
• Streets, right of way, and administration

The county also posted short explainers on conservation subdivisions, Highway Corridor Overlay changes, mixed use, multifamily, open space, and its list of the most important changes. They are linked from the county's UDO page along with the public hearing draft, dated Oct. 8.

Where the vote stands

The county's schedule lists these steps, all at 6 p.m. in County Council Chambers: (Lancaster County)

• Planning Commission: Aug. 18
• First reading: Sept. 1
• Second reading: Oct. 12
• Third and final reading: Oct. 26

Monday's second reading was scheduled as the public hearing. The county had not posted the outcome when we checked on Oct. 13, so confirm on the county's agenda portal whether anything changed. Council can still amend the draft before final adoption.

How to weigh in

• Read the draft. The public hearing draft and explainers are on the county's UDO page.
• Comment. Use the county's citizen comments page or call County Planner Dr. Kirsten Willis at 803-285-6005.
• Attend or watch. Council meets at the Lancaster County Administration Building, 101 N. Main St. in Lancaster, and streams meetings on the county's YouTube channel. Agendas post on the county's CivicClerk portal about 24 hours ahead.

What is still uncertain

We could not confirm on an official county page when the code would take effect if adopted, or how it interacts with any pause on new residential development. If you own land, are planning to build, or are watching a project near you, ask the planning department how the new rules would apply before you make plans.

Last verified October 13, 2026.