Unified Development Code Revision

Liberty Hill, Texas, is located in western Williamson County, approximately 30 miles northwest of Austin, and is a part of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the nation. With a population of approximately 10,500 residents, Liberty Hill is experiencing a significant increase in development. While Liberty Hill is poised to experience increased growth as the metro area continues to expand, many in the community seek to foster growth in the downtown area, implement a redevelopment vision along the State Highway 29 corridor, and gravitate toward traditional and fiscally responsible forms of development.

The City recently completed an update to its comprehensive plan, the LHTX 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The plan is focused on pursuing development where the City has already invested in infrastructure expansion, developing in the core of the city (downtown), creating complete neighborhoods, and ensuring financial impacts of new development are intentionally considered and at the forefront of all discussions regarding growth.

This effort aims to revise the City's development regulations to work in tandem to achieve the goals established in the LHTX 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The ultimate goal is to develop a solid framework for future community growth that builds on the strengths of Liberty Hill's historic development patterns and is fiscally sustainable.

The selected consultant shall work with City staff, elected and appointed officials, citizens, and the development community to prepare the new development regulations using an inclusive and transparent process that allows all stakeholders to be engaged. The use of online engagement tools and social media should be an integral part of the public participation plan.

The City seeks a new UDC that:

• Is concise and easy to understand, implement, and maintain
• Creates a framework for development that is based on the characteristics of Liberty Hill's historic neighborhoods and desired redevelopment efforts
• Simplifies and streamlines the development process for projects that meet the goals of the comprehensive plan
• Encourages and facilitates infill development and incremental increases in development intensity in existing neighborhoods
• Preserves the character of existing neighborhoods while allowing additional population density
• Ensures a variety of housing product types and sizes for a wide range of income levels and household types in existing and new neighborhoods
• Maximizes the return on investment of the City's existing infrastructure systems before expanding those systems into undeveloped areas
• Ensures that new development will generate sufficient revenue to pay for the long-term maintenance of the infrastructure and services required by it