Oviedo Council Advances Land Development Code Update, Removes Townhomes By Right
At its December 1 meeting the Oviedo City Council opened discussion on a package of corrections to the city Land Development Code, aimed at fixing implementation issues that emerged after a code rewrite earlier this year. The council agreed to remove townhomes as a by right use in the R1B district, a change that will alter the approval process for future development and matters to property owners, developers and neighbors.
The Oviedo City Council on December 1 began formal consideration of what staff described as a glitch update to the Land Development Code, a set of technical amendments intended to resolve practical problems that surfaced following the comprehensive rewrite completed earlier in 2025. The package contains a range of adjustments that staff say are largely clarifications and corrections, but several items will change how projects are reviewed and approved.
Key elements in the package include allowing certain final plats to be approved administratively, clarifying inspection and guarantee procedures for development work, adding uses such as floating solar and resiliency facilities to align with new state statutes, revising the permissible uses table, and remapping zoning districts so they match adopted future land use categories. Staff framed these moves as necessary to make the code operable and consistent with state law, while council discussion underscored the real world effects of the changes.
A notable outcome of the discussion was council agreement to remove townhomes as a by right use in the R1B district. That decision means townhome proposals in that district will no longer be automatically permitted and will instead require an alternative approval path. The change will affect developers who had counted on by right entitlement in R1B areas, property owners considering redevelopment, and neighbors concerned about density and neighborhood character.
Although the amendments are described as technical, the council acknowledged that adjustments to permitted uses and review procedures have policy consequences in practice. The overall package remains under consideration following the December 1 session and will return for further action. Residents, property owners and development interests should monitor upcoming planning board and council agendas to track final changes and to understand how new rules will affect permitting timelines, project costs and neighborhood outcomes.
