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Home My WebLink About04/11/2025 - Planning and Zoning Commission - AGENDA - Work SessionPLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION WORK SESSION 281 N. College Ave, 1st Floor Conference Rooms Zoom – See Link Below •CALL TO ORDER •ROLL CALL 1.Draft Minutes for P&Z February 20, 2025 Hearing 12:00 – 12:05 Discussion: 2.Liberty Common Junior High School Phase 2 – SPA250001 (Meyer) 12:05 – 12:25 Policy and Legislation: •Land Use Code Updates (Keith) 12:25 – 12:55 Participation for this Planning & Zoning Commission Work Session will be in person at 281 N. College Ave, 1st Floor Conference Rooms. You may also join online via Zoom, using this link: https://fcgov.zoom.us/j/94653158022 Online Public Participation: The meeting will be available to join beginning at 11:45 am, April 11, 2025. Participants should try to sign in prior to the 12:00 pm meeting start time, if possible. No public comments are allowed at the Work Session. If you’d like to make a public comment, you may participate at the Regular Hearing, April 17, 2025. To participate: •Use a laptop, computer, or internet-enabled smartphone. (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). •You need to have access to the internet. •Keep yourself on muted status. Masks Strongly Recommended in Indoor Public Spaces While there are currently no public health orders in place, Larimer County Public Health officials strongly recommend that well-fitting, high-quality masks are worn in crowded indoor spaces. For more information, please visit fcgov.com/covid Packet Pg. 1 PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION WORK SESSION Commission Topics: •Upcoming Hearing Calendar (Frickey) •Commission Updates (Frickey) •Public Engagement Updates (Myler) 12:55 – 1:20 •ADJOURNMENT Packet Pg. 2 Headline Copy Goes Here • April 11, 2025 Planning & Zoning Commission Work Session Update Land Use Code Updates: Commercial Corridors & Centers Headline Copy Goes HereUpcoming Events 2 •Virtual Open House Date:Monday, April 7 Time:6-7:30 p.m. Platform:Zoom (RSVP required for access link) •In-Person Open House Date:Wednesday, April 9 Time:3-7 p.m. Location:Center for Creativity, 200 Mathews St. 1 2 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 3 Headline Copy Goes HereOpen House Stations Station 1: Site Design and Parking Sample Questions: • Should we keep current nonresidential parking requirements as they are? Should we change existing parking minimums or maximums? • What can we do to improve parking lots in future commercial developments? Station 2: Transit-Oriented Development Sample Questions: • Would you like to see MORE of these uses in the TOD in the future? (participants given list of uses and asked to rate on a spectrum of strongly oppose to strongly support) Station 3: Harmony Corridor and Employment Sample Questions: • Please vote on the spectrum from preserving employment zones as they are today to allowing more flexibility in land uses in the Harmony Corridor and Employment Zone District. • How do you envision the Harmony Corridor and Employment Zoned areas in 10-15 years? Station 4: Change of Use Process Sample Questions: • Given the site improvements we could enforce during a change of use, which to you are the most important? (list of improvements provided) Headline Copy Goes Here Guiding Principles and Project Focus 4 3 4 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 4 Headline Copy Goes Here 5 Council Priority Council priority No. 1:Operationalize City resources to build and preserve affordable housing Council Priority No. 3: Advance a 15-minute city by igniting neighborhood centers Council Priority No. 4:Pursue an integrated, intentional approach to economic health Council Priority No. 8:Advance a 15-minute city by accelerating our shift to active modes Guiding Principles Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners Updated after November Work Session Updated after November Work SessionAc t i v e M o d e s 8 Af f o r d a b l e h o u s i n g 1 Ec o n o m i c H e a l t h 4 Ig n i t e N e i g h b o r h o o d Ce n t e r s 3 Headline Copy Goes Here 6 Transit Oriented Development Overlay • The Purpose of the Transit-Oriented Development Overlay District is to modify the underlying zone districts south of Prospect Road to encourage land use and denser development close to transit. • The TOD Overlay offers height bonuses if projects meet various criteria: •Example: A 4-story building is currently allowed in General Commercial zoning (CG). With the TOD Overlay Zone Incentives, up to a 7-story building would be allowed if all incentives are used. • Currently, permitted land uses in the TOD include gas stations, self-storage, drive-thru restaurants, drive-thru pharmacies, car washes, drive-thru banks & credit unions, banks & credit unions, and stand-alone parking lots, amongst others. Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service 5 6 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 5 Headline Copy Goes Here 7 Transit Oriented Development Overlay Recalibrate existing incentives for encouraging TOD development and examine uses permitted within this area • With current market conditions, the incentives offered by the TOD Overlay are not economically feasible. • Construction costs as well as low commercial and office rents disincentivize building more floors. Only tax abatement makes this feasible. • Some currently allowed uses may be not aligned to the vision of the TOD overlay. Quotes/Statements from Focus Groups & Community Engagement: The satellite image (of the city) tells the whole story. Sprawling parking lots mean wasted space, hot pavement, and a hostile environment for people. Most of the neighborhoods and businesses along the transit line are not connected to the transit line because of all the vacant parking lots. All these gigantic parking lots along College drive me crazy. They’re always 20% full at most. Build apartments and townhomes lining College with the big boxes behind. Housing is occupied at night and retail during the day. Let them share lots. Headline Copy Goes Here 8 Draft Guiding Principle: Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service. Recommended Land Use Code Changes: • Recalibrate incentives: Easier to achieve height and density bonuses for standalone residential. • Adjust permitted uses: Remove low-intensity or excessively auto-oriented uses. • Recalibrate non-residential parking: consider lower surface parking maximums for commercial uses. • Leverage other City incentives outside of the Land Use Code to encourage desired TOD development. Af f o r d a b l e h o u s i n g 1 Ec o n o m i c H e a l t h 4 Ig n i t e N e i g h b o r h o o d Ce n t e r s 3 7 8 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 6 Headline Copy Goes Here 9 Harmony Corridor & Employment Zones Employment Zoning in Fort Collins - Employment (E) - Harmony Corridor (HC) •Secondary Uses: • Residential uses (with some exceptions) • Convenience shopping centers • Standard restaurants • Limited indoor recreation use and facility • Child Care Centers • And Others •Primary Uses: • Offices, financial services & clinics • Long term care facility • Medical centers/clinics • Light industrial • Mixed-use Dwellings • And Others Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs The Harmony Corridor District is intended to implement the design concepts and land use vision of the Harmony Corridor Plan - that of creating an attractive and complete mixed-use area with a major employment base. Headline Copy Goes Here 10 Harmony Corridor & Employment Zones • Current restrictions could impair mixed-use/multi-modal corridor strategies and policies. • Low demand for primary uses over several decades, corridor is almost fully developed. • Demand for new office space has continued to decline following the COVID-19 Pandemic. Reconsider primary/secondary use requirements to support 15-minute city goals in the Harmony Corridor and Employment Districts Quotes/Statements from Focus Groups & Community Engagement: Redefine employment zones to better accommodate market needs and mixed-use commercial developments. Re-evaluate restrictions on secondary uses and redefine employment zones to better reflect the current, post- pandemic market. 9 10 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 7 Headline Copy Goes Here 11 Guiding Principle: Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs. Recommended Land Use Code Changes: • Adjust the primary/secondary use ratio to allow for a greater mix of uses, including housing. • Adjust primary use requirements in mixed-use buildings. • Allow more secondary uses as part of a multi-story, mixed-use development. • Allow standalone secondary uses to be developed if replacing an existing surface parking lot. Ac t i v e M o d e s 8 Af f o r d a b l e h o u s i n g 1 Ec o n o m i c H e a l t h 4 Ig n i t e N e i g h b o r h o o d Ce n t e r s 3 Headline Copy Goes Here 12 Building Types & Design Standards • The LUC currently does not include non-residential building types or provide additional configurations of mixed-use buildings (Article 3 of the LUC). • Article 5 of the LUC (General Development and Site Design) includes the standards that influence building placement and site design, building standards, circulation and connectivity standards, bus stop design standards, etc. –standards that influence the pedestrian, multi-modal, and transit experience. Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service 11 12 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 8 Headline Copy Goes Here 13 Building Types & Design Standards Create nonresidential building types, streamline and reduce redundancy within Article 5 • Form standards and building types (like the diagrams added during Phase 1 of the LUC update) can yield better design outcomes and can help achieve more predictability in built projects. • Article 5 of the LUC was not updated during the Phase 1 updates and contains redundant sections that could be clarified, simplified, and possibly eliminated with the addition of building types. Most of the neighborhoods and businesses along the transit line are not connected to the transit line because of all the vacant parking lots. Please encourage or require all new developments near MAX bus stops to provide a pedestrian walkway connecting the stop to the main street. Asking pedestrians to walk an extra half mile to reach a stop does not encourage riders to use the service. Quotes/Statements from Focus Groups & Community Engagement: Headline Copy Goes Here 14 Draft Guiding Principle: Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service Recommended Land Use Code Changes: • Develop new Non-Residential Building Types to be added to the LUC. • Consolidate and organize standards addressing non-residential buildings. Convert text standards to illustrations and graphics. • Update pedestrian-oriented design standards: • Connectivity and site circulation • Frontage and ground floor activity • Building massing and articulation Ec o n o m i c H e a l t h 4 Ig n i t e N e i g h b o r h o o d Ce n t e r s 3 Ac t i v e M o d e s 8 13 14 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 9 Headline Copy Goes Here 15 Change of Use Process • A change of use means the act of changing the occupancy of the building or land to a different use. • Under the current process, businesses are required to comply with the LUC, with a few exceptions: • Traditionally, the Land Use Code has relied on an 'all-or-nothing' approach to site upgrades • The Director may grant a waiver for a few standards only Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners Headline Copy Goes Here 16 Change of Use Process Explore strategies to help ensure sites are brought up to modern standards over time without discouraging new business formation • Older sites and buildings help foster new business formation but require costly and time-consuming site upgrades. • The current process lacks clarity about the type of upgrades and cost associated. • Changes required can seem disproportionate to the change proposed. Consider how to encourage small businesses to open without putting enormous costs on their shoulders, such as the cost of installing city sidewalks or repairing off-site infrastructure. The number of review cycles should be determined by the complexity of the project. For example, reuse projects don’t need multiple rounds of review. Create a program for small business owners to move into a building, comply with essential codes, and then start operating, gradually becoming compliant with the entirety of the Code. Quotes/Statements from Focus Groups & Community Engagement: 15 16 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 10 Headline Copy Goes Here 17 •Draft Guiding Principle: Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners Land Use Code Changes under consideration: • Design an approach that makes requirements clear from the beginning and is commensurate with the impact of the proposed changes: • Decrease the threshold for change of use requirements when a site is not undergoing intensification. Delay site upgrades until larger redevelopment occurs. • Allow lower priority site upgrades to occur on a more graduated basis. Ec o n o m i c H e a l t h 4 Ig n i t e N e i g h b o r h o o d Ce n t e r s 3 Headline Copy Goes Here Questions? 18 17 18 LAND USE CODE UPDATES Packet Pg. 11 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT UPDATE Community Development & Neighborhood Services Planning & Development Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.221.6376 970.224.6111- fax MEMORANDUM Date April 4, 2025 To Fro m Re Chair Stackhouse and Members of the Planning & Zoning Commission Em Myler, Neighborhood Development Liaison April 2025 Public Engagement Update The purpose of this memo is to provide the Commission a monthly review of staff efforts to engage the public in Development Review as well as preview upcoming work of interest. March Public Engagement •Neighborhood Meetings – 0 Staff Update 2025 Work Plan Noticing Problems •Letters don’t reach the right people •Sign information is minimal •Newspaper posting is outdated •Each neighborhood has a different way to learn about news •Noticing doesn’t prepare people to participate correctly Goals •Improve efficacy of current noticing •Expand types of notice Preliminary Action Items •Create rules for usage of new signage with letterboxes •Consider additional information to include in mailings •Consider ways to get mailings to different people •Explore new noticing methods such as social media and community connectors Public Comment Problems •Lack of understanding of how to comment •Comments are not useful for decision makers •Inaccessible process •Unorganized written comment procedure Goals •Educate public on how to participate and make good comments •Break down barriers to participate •Design new written comment process Preliminary Action Items •Create educational materials and events o 1 or 2 Planning Academy cohorts Packet Pg. 12 •Engage public on what barriers they have to participation •Create standard procedures for receiving, compiling and sending written comments to decision makers o Utilize new OurCity platform Neighborhood Meetings Problems •Not meeting the expectations of participants •Format may not be the best option •No place for feelings •Heavy on time and resources •Feedback gathered is not useful for decision makers Goals •Improve format and event planning •Reduce time and resource requirements •Create space for emotions •Educate the public on how to participate more effectively •Staff training on working with the public Preliminary Action Items •Research on formats •Data analysis on participation/resource usage •Plan events separate from the neighborhood meeting to educate and listen •Staff training Accessibility & Equity Problems •Planning wants to better tell the story of what they do and why •The planning and development review processes are difficult to understand, and when people can’t understand it, they can’t be involved in it •Planning and development review have historically left out certain groups of residents more than others Goals •Design and implement a housing cohort of Planning Academy in partnership with Social Sustainability •Enact Language Access procedures •Improve storytelling and education before development review so that the review process can move more smoothly for staff, decision makers and the public Preliminary Action Items •Coordinate with Social Sustainability and planners to host Housing Academy in June •Research and brainstorm ideas for storytelling •Utilize Language Access SOP for neighborhood meetings and hearings in 2025 Packet Pg. 13