HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/23/2021 - Memorandum From Noah Beals And Meaghan Overton Re: November 9, 2021 Work Session Summary - Housing Strategic Plan Implementation: Land Use Code Phase 1 Updates
Community Development & Neighborhood Services
281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.416.2740
970.224.6134- fax
fcgov.com
Planning, Development & Transportation Services
MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 12, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council
THRU: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Kyle Stannert, Deputy City Manager
Affordable Housing Executive Team1
Caryn Champine, Director of Planning, Development and Transportation
Paul Sizemore, Community Development and Neighborhoods Services Director
FROM: Noah Beals, Senior City Planner
Meaghan Overton, Housing Manager
RE: November 9, 2021, Work Session Summary Housing Strategic
Plan Implementation: Land Use Code Phase 1 Updates
The purpose of this item was to provide updates on progress for the Land Use Code (LUC)
Phase 1 Update, which implements several Housing Strategic Plan strategies:
Assess displacement and gentrification risk (Strategy 1)
Remove barriers to the development of accessory dwelling units (Strategy 7)
Recalibrate existing incentives to reflect current market conditions (Strategy 13)
Create additional development incentives for affordable housing (Strategy 14)
Explore/address financing and other barriers to missing middle and innovative housing
development (Strategy 15)
Remove barriers to allowed densities through code revisions (Strategy 16)
Staff also sought Council feedback about the draft guiding principles and approach for the code
update process and shared initial findings from the diagnostic report of the current LUC. Six
Councilmembers were present (Councilmember Pignataro absent).
Feedback
Overall: Several Councilmembers expressed support for the guiding principles and approach for
the code update process. Councilmembers also shared feedback about specific refinements to
incorporate into the final diagnostic report (e.g., present information in multiple ways, increase
clarity and transparency about assumptions).
Specific Feedback
Specific input about the guiding principles included:
o
existing policies and adopted plans.
1Jackie Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer; Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director; Caryn
Champine, Planning, Development, and Transportation (PDT) Director; Julie Brewen, Housing Catalyst
Executive Director; Dave Lenz, Finance Planning and Analysis Director; Beth Sowder, Social Sustainability
Director
Community Development & Neighborhood Services
281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.416.2740
970.224.6134- fax
fcgov.com
Planning, Development & Transportation Services
o Support for continuing to seek a range of perspectives from all stakeholders.
o A desire to emphasize that the LUC Phase 1 updates are about making our
community better
o Confirmation that the code will continue to be updated regularly.
o Support for efforts to make the code easier to use and understand.
o A desire to highlight multiple impacts of the LUC on housing affordability and housing
choice, the environment and our climate action goals, neighborhood context, and
equity.
Councilmembers also had a rich discussion about the initial findings from the LUC
diagnostic report. Feedback about these findings included:
o A recommendation to include household sizes of 2 (instead of or in addition to
household sizes of 4) to better reflect average household sizes in the community.
o A recommendation to clarify assumptions for down payment percentages in pro
forma and affordability analyses.
o Highlighting the important tension around calibrating the appropriate level of
review/scrutiny of development while seeking to provide more housing choices,
predictability, and streamlined processes. Continuing to discuss and explore the
balance so that the LUC can advance both will be an important piece of this work.
o Encouragement to explore the applicability of LUC changes to HOAs to ensure
maximum applicability and honor our commitment to equity.
Next Steps
Councilmembers will receive two communications from the project team in the coming
months.
o In mid-November, the project team will share information about the Equity and
Opportunity Assessment via memorandum.
o In mid-December, the project team will share the finalized diagnostic report and
Code drafting will begin in early 2022, with a Council work session to share draft code
changes.
Consideration of adoption is tentatively planned for March/April 2022