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Welcome to Madison the City’s Community Development Department Page. The Community Development Department is the chief planning agency for Madison. Through a variety of programs and activities, we strive to enhance the physical environment; improve the quality of life for residents, businesses, students, and visitors; and support the diversity of our unique community.
This is a time of great excitement and challenge in Madison. We remain a magnet for retail, medical, service, educational, and related companies, encompassing many unique, intimate, and historic neighborhoods. Our ongoing challenge is to help manage the balance between the needs of neighborhood residents and the business community.
The Department is organized into four major divisions:
The Department of Community Development guides owners, developers, and design-related professionals as to the development of land in the City of Madison. Any changes to this guidance are documented and updated in the Comprehensive Plan. Madison is committed to providing assistance, guiding applicants through the review process, and ensuring that any development that occurs is beneficial to the city and its citizens.
The Community Development Staff is also responsible for updating the Comprehensive Plan, the Zoning Ordinance, and the Land Use Map, enforcing the Zoning Ordinance, enforcing Floodplain Management Ordinance, and other development-related ordinances.
Some of these ordinances you will find here on this site. Please contact us by email or phone if you would like a copy of any other ordinance.
Our review process is guided by our Zoning Ordinance. The week following a submittal, a staff meeting is held in which all city departments review the submitted documents and make written comments about their area of concern. These comments (Staff Notes) are sent to the applicant via email. The applicant should provide written answers to the comments and updated drawings if needed by the resubmittal deadline. These drawings and comments are sent out by the Community Development Department to each Planning and Zoning Commission member on the Friday before their regularly scheduled meeting, which is held on the second Monday of each month. The Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the request, hold a public hearing if it is called for, and vote to recommend or deny project approval to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. The entire process for the initial application submittal to the approval of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen is approximately 5-6 weeks, depending on the month.
Site Plan Permit Application
Site Plan Review Checklist
The Community Development Department enforces the city’s adopted zoning ordinance. This includes maintaining the official zoning map and guiding the process for rezoning, special exceptions, and variances. A copy of our Zoning Ordinance is available at City Hall. For more information on these issues, please call us at 601-856-7116. We will be glad to help you through the important process.
City of Madison Zoning Map August 2023
Zoning Ordinance 2024
Zoning Variance Application
Planning & Zoning Commission Meetings & Submittal Deadline Dates
Click any link below to download additional information in PDF format.
Current Madison Flood Plain Map
Street Map
Ward Map (04-29-2025)
City of Madison Zoning Map August 2023
Click any link below to download additional information in PDF format.
Exterior Lighting Ordinance
Fence Ordinance
Landscape Ordinance
Shared Parking Ordinance
Sign Ordinance
Smoking Ordinance
Gated Public Streets
Madison the City provides architects, engineers, developers, and builders with Subdivision Development Regulations that outline the minimum and recommended design criteria for developments. The written standards will serve as a guide that applies to both residential and commercial developments.
Click the link below to download additional information in a PDF format.
Subdivision Development Regulations
Our comprehensive plan sets out benchmarks and goals for the city. It is developed once every ten years and addresses land use within Madison the City. Any changes in land use are reflected in the comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan for Madison the City must be updated and on file with the Central Mississippi Planning District.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment
