The Corinth City Council unanimously approved May 1 a package of amendments to the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) addressing landscaping, parking-lot islands, residential parkway trees, nonresidential architectural elements and standards for industrial façades, and changes to the use chart for certain institutional patient-care facilities.

City Planner Matthew Lilly summarized seven amendments: clarifying a linear requirement that shade trees be planted along landscape edges every 30 feet; adding specifications for vehicle-headlight screening using opaque evergreen shrubs (5-gallon minimum and 4-foot height within two years); defining interior parking-lot islands and requiring a shade or ornamental tree for every 10 spaces; allowing the planning director discretion to permit trees in parkways (the area between curb and sidewalk); and revising the use chart so that institutions for care of alcoholic, psychiatric or narcotic patients in C-1 and C-2 commercial districts would require a specific use permit (SUP) rather than being permitted by right.

Lilly also described architectural changes that expand acceptable design elements for nonresidential buildings (colonnades, courtyards, curtain wall systems, decorative fenestration) and a relaxation of industrial building façade articulation from 3 feet to 18 inches, while adding a 15% glazing requirement for front façades and corners. Planning & Zoning recommended approval 4–0; staff recommended approval as presented.

No public speakers addressed the amendments at the hearing; a motion to adopt the ordinance as presented was made, seconded and adopted unanimously.