HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 09/24/2024 - Memorandum from Sylvia Tatman-Burruss and Megan Keith re Land Use Code Phase 2 Update
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City Manager’s Office
City Hall
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
fcgov.com
Planning, Development &
Transportation
281 N. College Ave
Fort Collins, CO 80522
www.fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: September 19, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
THRU: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director, Planning, Development & Transportation
FROM: Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Senior Policy & Project Manager
Megan Keith, Senior Planner
RE: Land Use Code Phase 2 Update
PURPOSE: The purpose of this memo is to inform Councilmembers on the start of Phase 2 of
the Land Use Code updates.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fort Collins is undertaking Phase 2 of the Land Use Code (LUC) update. The focus
of Phase 2 is on updating commercial zone districts, corridors, and development standards to
ensure they align with current city policies, Council priorities, and community needs. The
ultimate goal is to create a more intuitive and effective LUC that supports housing affordability,
economic vitality, and neighborhood well-being.
Phase 2 builds on the foundational changes made in Phase 1, with a particular focus on:
• Enabling more mixed-use development, especially along transit corridors and
within commercial centers.
• Promoting compatible infill and complete streets.
• Improving the predictability of the Development Review Process
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
An Our City page has been created to keep community members informed about upcoming
engagement events, opportunities to provide online feedback, and to generally stay informed
about the project. Neighborhood Visits will be hosted at several commercial centers across Fort
Collins and will include a brief project overview, a presentation on the development history of
the commercial center, a scavenger hunt activity, and the ability to discuss thoughts and
observations with other event attendees and City staff.
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Upcoming Neighborhood Visits are promoted and posted on the OurCity project page.
Community members can visit the OurCity project page to RSVP (https://ourcity.fcgov.com/land-
use-code-phase-2):
• October 4: Poudre Valley Plaza (Horsetooth and Shields)
• October 7: Jessup Farm Artisan Village (Timberline and Blackbird)
• October 9: Harmony Crossing (Harmony and Timberline)
• October 10: Whole Foods Market (College and Rutgers)
• October 12: Scotch Pines (Drake and Lemay)
• October 14: Cedarwood Plaza (Taft Hill and Elizabeth)
Other opportunities to engage are available on the Our City page, including an interactive map
where participants can post comments about specific commercial centers and areas. These
comments will be used to understand the current experience of commercial customers,
including how they access these areas and better understand what they would like to see in the
future.
The OurCity project page will be frequently updated throughout the project and offers visitors
the ability to subscribe to the project newsletter or submit questions to project staff.
CONSULTANT SELECTION
The consultant teams selected to help lead Phase 2 of the Land Use Code Update will assist
City staff with code production and focus group engagement respectively.
LAND USE CODE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION
The composition of the team that will work on development and production of updated code
sections includes four firms assembled under one lead consultant:
• Metta Urban Design: lead consultant, specializing in urban design and landscape
architecture
• Peter Park: subconsultant, specializing in City Planning and design
• Cascadia Partners: subconsultant, specializing in real estate finance, housing policy,
and urban design
• Pel-Ona Architects & Urbanists: subconsultant, specializing in architectural design and
New Urbanism
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FOCUS GROUP ENGAGEMENT
Kearns & West
A separate consultant that has formerly contracted with the City will assist in the engagement of
focus groups, including especially interested community members, frequent users of the code,
business owners, real estate developers and brokers, amongst others. City staff will work with
Kearns & West to determine composition of focus groups that reflect a wide swath and diversity
of community members to participate in this process. These focus groups will be held in addition
to broader community outreach events. Information gathered and discussed during the focus
groups will inform various aspects of the project, including Frequently Asked Questions, focus
areas of the code revisions and subjects for broader community outreach. A final focus group
summary will be provided at the end of the project and updates from the focus groups will be
provided throughout the project.
NEXT STEPS:
• Project updates will be presented and discussed with the Planning & Zoning
Commission at their October work session.
• Broad community outreach updates will continue through the Our City webpage and
through other media outlets, including the City’s social media platforms and signs within
the community.
• A City Council work session focused on Phase 2 will occur on November 12th
• Project team is anticipating Focus Groups will kick-off their first meetings in January.
cc: Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Kim Meyer, Interim Director, Community Development & Neighborhood Services
Clay Frickey, Planning Manager, Community Development & Neighborhood Services
Noah Beals, Development Review Manager
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