On Monday, the Claremore City Council formally adopted an innovative new Uniform Development Code (UDC) to streamline the city’s planning efforts, simplify regulations for residents and businesses and position Claremore for future growth.

This work is a result of an in-depth planning project that began in 2018 as part of the Claremore 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and provides an outline for Claremore’s long-term growth and development planning strategy.

While the comprehensive plan provides our community with a clear vision for growth, we needed a fair and equitable process to guide that development. The UDC consolidates all development-related regulations and review procedures into one easy-to-view document. It complies with current state law and will provide consistent interpretation and enforcement of land development.

This new simplified approach allows both developers and citizens to easily find information, eliminates confusion and misinterpretation of codes and zoning regulations, and addresses housing through the use of pattern zones.

Claremore is the second community in the nation to utilize pattern zones within its UDC, placing it at the forefront of rural development and planning. A pattern zone is a tool used to preapprove plans for building types based on identified special districts: West Bend | University District, Will Rogers Corridor District, Downtown District and the Historic Route 66 District. Universal zoning will be applied in accordance with the identified needs of each district to enable quick-start development and raise housing quality without adding to the burdens of small developers and property owners trying to meet Claremore’s growing housing needs.

I would like to thank our residents for their continued support and acknowledge the hard work of our planning department. I am confident that this new simplified approach to zoning and land regulations will position Claremore for optimal growth.