The Town’s Land Development Ordinance (LDO) was adopted in 2015, with an extensive comprehensive update in 2024, and includes the Town’s Subdivision Regulations and Zoning Ordinance. This comprehensive update was an extension of the All Aboard Planning Process that will worked within the existing LDO regulatory framework and result in a turn-key LDO that is clear, predicable, and establishes standards and regulations to enact the guiding principles of the General Plan, Major Thoroughfare Plan, and Parks Master Plan. Updates and modifications can be tracked within the LDO section of this site.
LDO Effective July 1, 2024
For Development Approved
Prior to July 1, 2024
Town Staff identified the following LDO updates to include: updated and simplified
thoroughfare standards; the creation of a PUD process that ensures the Town accrues benefits from any PUD developments; simplified and clarified permitting processes; simplified signage standards; and creation of comprehensive development standards as part of the zoning process, with an emphasis on commercial and mixed use standards. Town Staff fully expects other LDO changes to be identified as part of the All Aboard Comprehensive Planning process.
These updates to the LDO will allow the Town to implement the policies and vision of the All Aboard Plans to ensure that Thompson's Station remains "Where the Town meets the Country."
Late addition to the LDO Adoption Draft v2:
Sections 2.3(b) and (d) have been updated to reflect a recent state law that is not currently in effect, but will be post July 1. These sections have been updated to include a twenty-one (21) day notice requirement and to note that signage must meet state law requirements.
TSPC will review at their Regular Meeting on 5/28/24. Boma will review at the Public Hearing on 6/11/24.
The Town of Thompson’s Station Board of Mayor and Aldermen will hold three (3) separate Public Hearings related to Ordinance 2024-002:
- Public Hearing on the Zoning Ordinance provisions within the LDO;
- Public Hearing on the Subdivision Regulation provisions within the LDO; and
- Public Hearing on the Design Review Standards and building material provisions within the LDO.
At their 3/26/24 Meeting, the Thompson’s Station Planning Commission unanimously provided a favorable recommendation that the BOMA adopt the LDO Comprehensive Updates, with the items noted in the LDO Adoption Revision Tracking Memo.
LDO Comprehensive Update: Adoption Draft Revision Tracking List
BOMA will consider 1st reading of the LDO Updates at their April 9th Meeting, with prior discussion at their April 1st BOMA Work session.
At their 3/26/24 Meeting, the Thompson’s Station Planning Commission unanimously provided a favorable recommendation that the BOMA adopt the LDO Comprehensive Updates, with the items noted in the LDO Adoption Revision Tracking Memo.
LDO Comprehensive Update: Adoption Draft Revision Tracking List
LDO Comprehensive Update: What's Changed
The LDO Update changes in total are broad in scope and, thus, too numerous to allow for a redline document to identify each revision. This memorandum provides a generalized list of changes, per Article and per Section, from the Current LDO to the LDO Update. This list is general in nature and by no means itemizes each and every change in the LDO Update.
LDO Comprehensive Update: Article by Article Changes
Adoption Draft Review
Adoption Draft of the LDO Comprehensive Update is now available for review. This document is the Adaption Draft, released 3-19-24. it's culmination of more than 3 years of comprehensive planning efforts by the Town. This Draft, builds on the Public Draft and is offered as part of the Planning Commission or BOMA review of the Comp Updates to the LDO to allow residents, property owners, business owners, members of the development community, and other stakeholders in the future of the Town of Thompson's Station to review and provide comments to Town Staff.
LDO Comprehensive Update: ADOPTION DRAFT
LDO Comprehensive Update: What's Changed
The LDO Update changes in total are broad in scope and, thus, too numerous to allow for a redline document to identify each revision. This memorandum provides a generalized list of changes, per Article and per Section, from the Current LDO to the LDO Update. This list is general in nature and by no means itemizes each and every change in the LDO Update.
LDO Comprehensive Update: Article by Article Changes
Finalizing Staff Review
The Town is completing the last part of our All Aboard Comprehensive Planning process. We’re taking the policies of the All Aboard Plans and implementing them through a comprehensive update to the Land Development Ordinance to ensure that Thompson’s Station remains the best small town in Tennessee!
LDO Comprehensive Update: PUBLIC DRAFT
This document is the Public Draft of the All Aboard Comprehensive Update to the Thompson’s Station Land Development Ordinance (LDO), released 2-27-24. This Public Draft is offered prior to the Planning Commission or BOMA review of the Comp Updates to the LDO in order to allow residents, property owners, business owners, members of the development community, and other stakeholders in the future of the Town of Thompson’s Station to review and provide comments to Town Staff.
The purpose of this comp update to the LDO is to:
- Implement the policies of the All Aboard General Plan and Major Thoroughfare Plan;
- Connect development with the Town’s utility policies;
- Address issues with minimum standards; and
- Introduce state of the practice regulations and standards.
Some things to keep in mind as you review the document:
- This is a draft, so there will be formatting issues, drafting errors, and other similar grammatical errors that will be corrected for the Adoption Draft.
- This is a draft document and it will continue to evolve throughout the comment and review period.
- We want to hear your feedback!
Town of Thompson's Station Staff updated the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) in 2024 with public input and presented the updated comprehensive draft for vote in June 2024 for a July 1, 2024 Effective Date.
Town Staff identified the following LDO updates to include: updated and simplified thoroughfare standards; the creation of a PUD process that ensures the Town accrues benefits from any PUD developments; simplified and clarified permitting processes; simplified signage standards; and creation of comprehensive development standards as part of the zoning process, with an emphasis on commercial and mixed use standards. Town Staff fully expects other LDO changes to be identified as part of the All Aboard Comprehensive Planning process.
These updates to the LDO allow the Town to implement the policies and vision of the All Aboard Plans to ensure that Thompson's Station remains "Where the Town meets the Country."
The Town of Thompson's Station developed the prior Land Development Ordinance (LDO) in 2015 with public input and assistance from the Placemakers LLC.
The document establishes the zoning standards that guide future residential and commercial developments in the Town.
The LDO is separated into 5 Articles or Sections:
- General Provisions - Authority, Intent and Definitions
- Sector Plan - Adopted Sector Plan and Community Types, etc..
- Subdivision Regulations - Subdivision Standards, Floodplain Regulations, Access, Drainage, Sewage, Utilities, etc..
- Zoning - Lot Standards, Use Restrictions, Parking/Lighting/Fencing/Buffering/Landscaping /Signage Standards, etc..
- Administration and Process - Subdivision and Zoning Process, Plans and Applications, Approval Authority, etc.
In 2016, the Town of Thompson's Station won two (2) awards for the LDO that was enacted in 2015.
Alderman Brandon Bell represented the Town of Thompson’s Station at the Tennessee Municipal Leagues' annual conference in Gatlinburg, where the town received the Small Town Progress Award for the work done on the new Land Development Ordinance.
“My understanding is that’s a state award,” said Mayor Corey Napier. “It represents the collaborative and consensus-building process we went through last year to look at our Land Development Ordinance and the intended code that went with it.”
The Town also received a national award, the Driehaus Prize, national recognition from the Form-Based Codes Institute located in Detroit.
“What they were patting us on the back for is we’re looking out 20, 30, 40 years down the road and saying, ‘We know growth is going to happen here, and this is how we are going to address it,'” Napier said. “What this was acknowledging was that we are still considered a somewhat rural, agrarian area, but we know that’s changing with 840 and with the popularity of Williamson County and Middle Tennessee."