HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/26/2024 - Memorandum from Sylvia Tatman-Burruss and Megan Keith re November 12, 2024 Work Session Summary – Land Use Code Update: Commercial Corridors and Centers
Community Development & Neighborhood
Services
Planning & Development Services
281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.221.6376
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MEMORANDUM
Date: November 21, 2024
To: Mayor Arndt and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director of Planning, Development, and Transportation
From: Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, Sr. Policy & Project Manager
Megan Keith, Senior Planner
Re: November 12th, 2024, Work Session Summary – Land Use Code Update:
Commercial Corridors and Centers
__________________________________________________________________
The purpose of this memo is to document the summary of discussions during the November
12th Work Session.
Mayor Pro Tem Francis and Councilmembers Canonico, Potyondy, Gutowsky, and Ohlson were
present; Mayor Arndt and Councilmember Pignataro joined remotely. Staff received questions
and feedback regarding potential Land Use Code revisions. The staff presentation was provided
by Clay Frickey, Sylvia Tatman-Burruss, and Megan Keith.
Summary of Feedback
The presentation included a review of the draft guiding principles, a proposed project timeline,
potential code revision topics, and a review of community engagement conducted thus far.
Following the presentation, Councilmembers expressed general support regarding the scope
and work and timeline as presented. Discussion also included a desire to utilize more
accessible and tactile promotional language with community members throughout the project,
and direction to update language in the Guiding Principles to be more understandable and
accessible.
Councilmembers requested the state bill compliance be added to the overall project timeline
and clarify which code updates are not being included in the upcoming work.
Follow-ups and Clarifications
Councilmembers asked for follow-up regarding the following topics:
Maps of Structure Plan Map and the other maps included in the presentation
Attached are larger versions of the maps from the presentation. The maps and descriptions are
as follows:
Docusign Envelope ID: C74DE3A2-699D-4343-B03A-D12ABA68B690
Structure Plan Map from City Plan: This map depicts Place Types across the entire city
of Fort Collins
Mixed-Use District Place Types Only: This map depicts Mixed-Use District Place Types
o Urban Mixed-Use District
o Suburban Mixed-Use District
o Neighborhood Mixed-Use District
Mixed-Employment Place Type: This map depicts two of the zone districts that fall within
the Mixed-Employment Place Type; Employment and Harmony Corridor zone districts.
These are the primary areas in which upcoming work of the LUC update will focus. Most
prominent areas of intended focus include College Avenue, Harmony Road, Prospect Road and
Timberline Road, among others.
Future Updates to Environmental Policies in the Land Use Code
The Environmental Planning team is finalizing a FEMA BRIC grant to support the development
of an environmental plan that focuses on implementing nature-based solutions and climate
resilient design strategies at the neighborhood level. The Nature Based Solutions plan will
address the nexus between stormwater management design criteria and natural habitat
protections on private property. The Nature Based Solutions plan will be brought to Council as
an update to the Larimer County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. As an update to the
local hazard mitigation plan, the master planning process will inform updates to the Land Use
Code development standards and the Fort Collins Utilities stormwater design criteria. The
community engagement and plan development process will take place in 2025, and any Code
updates informed by the plan would not be proposed until 2026.
Engagement Summary follow-up
Six neighborhood center visits were conducted during the month of October. These visits
and the format of these visits were designed to gather feedback on a smaller, more
neighborhood-specific scale and allowed participants to provide in-depth comments
directly to staff. Feedback gathered at the events was very helpful in identifying specific
areas for code improvements and for education about the purpose of the Land Use
Code. Over 50 community members participated in these events.
The OurCity page dedicated to the Land Use Code update has had over 2,000 visitors,
448 engaged users, and 56 newsletter subscribers as of writing this summary. The
OurCity Interactive map allows users to provide place-specific feedback about
commercial spaces throughout the city. As of writing this summary, there have been
over 430 comments collected and over 50 commentors to utilize this feature.
Approximately 70 people attended the Community Forum on Monday evening, 11/18 at
the Aztlan Community Center. This event provided an opportunity for participants to
learn about the project and hear a summary of comments that participants have
provided so far, spanning online engagement and neighborhood visits.
The Community Forum was the culmination of fall engagement on the Land Use Code
update. The multiple events and methods of collecting community input were
strategically planned to engage the community at different depths and provide
opportunities for people to engage in a variety of ways.
Future gatherings may rely on smaller, area-specific conversations where necessary and
such feedback will be brought to a larger audience at community-wide events.
Next Steps
Staff plan to deliver a comprehensive memo in early December to outline upcoming
Land Use Code updates, including compliance with state bills, and planned updates
outside of the upcoming work project scope.
Docusign Envelope ID: C74DE3A2-699D-4343-B03A-D12ABA68B690
More community engagement and outreach will occur in Q1 of 2025, including website
updates, focus group conversations, and other opportunities to provide feedback.
Updates to the communications plan and marketing materials are underway.
Attachments:
Requested Maps included in presentation at a larger scale.
CC: Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Noah Beals, Development Review Manager
Clay Frickey, Planning Manager
Docusign Envelope ID: C74DE3A2-699D-4343-B03A-D12ABA68B690
Growth Management
Area
City Limits
Urban Mixed Use
District
Suburban Neighborhood
Suburban Mixed Use
District
Rural Neighborhood
R&D/Flex District
Parks and Natural/
Protected Lands
Neighborhood Mixed
Use District
Mixed Neighborhood
Mixed Employment
District
Industrial District
Downtown District
Community Separator
Campus District
Adjacent Planning Area
Place Types Legend
Other
DistrictsBoundaries
Neighborhoods
Structure Plan Map
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Fossil Creek
Reservoir
Horsetooth
Reservoir
Warren Lake
Lake
Sherwood
Parkwood
Lake
Rigden
Reservoir
Baker
Lake
Lindenmeler
Lake
Long Pond
Terry Lake
W MULBERRY ST E MULBERRY ST
W PROSPECT RD
W DRAKE RD
W ELIZABETH ST
W HORSETOOTH RD
W HARMONY RD
S
T
A
F
T
H
I
L
L
R
D
S
S
H
I
E
L
D
S
S
T
W TRILBY RD
E PROSPECT RD
E DRAKE RD
E HORSETOOTH RD
E HARMONY RD
KECHTER RD
VINE DR
S
L
E
M
A
Y
A
V
E
S
T
I
M
B
E
R
L
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Docusign Envelope ID: C74DE3A2-699D-4343-B03A-D12ABA68B690
PLACE TYPES
Districts
Urban Mixed-Use District
Suburban Mixed-Use District
Neighborhood Mixed-Use District
MIXED-USE DISTRICT PLACE TYPES
Docusign Envelope ID: C74DE3A2-699D-4343-B03A-D12ABA68B690
ZONE DISTRICTS
Employment
Harmony Corridor
ZONE DISTRICTS WITHIN THE MIXED
EMPLOYMENT PLACE TYPE
Docusign Envelope ID: C74DE3A2-699D-4343-B03A-D12ABA68B690