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Home My WebLink AboutMemo - Mail Packet - 07/29/2025 - Memorandum from Sylvia Tatman-Burruss re July 8, 2025 Work Session Summary – Land Use Code Update – Commercial Corridors and CentersCommunity Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.221.6376 970.224.6111- fax Page 1 of 4 WORK SESSION MEMORANDUM Date: July 15, 2025 To: Mayor 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 Subject: July 8, 2025, Work Session Summary – Land Use Code Update – Commercial Corridors and Centers BOTTOM LINE The purpose of this memo is to document the summary of discussions during the July 8th Work Session. All Councilmembers were present. Staff received questions and feedback regarding potential Land Use Code revisions. The staff presentation was provided by Clay Frickey, Megan Keith, and Sylvia Tatman-Burruss. DISCUSSION SUMMARY The presentation included a review of the proposed Land Use Code changes based on Council feedback from the April 22nd Work Session, public engagement, Focus Group conversations, and analysis. After each section, staff paused for clarification and discussion. For consistency, this summary is organized by Guiding Principles in the order they were presented. During the discussion, there were additions made and follow-up items requested for clarity. Those are noted below, both in the tables of potential code revisions and in the “follow-up items” section. Enable more housing and mixed-use buildings, especially along roads with frequent bus service Following the introduction and grounding on the Transit Oriented Overlay (TOD) District, Councilmembers reviewed 6 potential code modifications toward the fulfillment of the Guiding Principle. Specific Feedback Docusign Envelope ID: 26AD260F-501E-4AD7-8DDA-913DE582B054 Page 2 of 4 • General support for increasing the height limit in General Commercial from 4 to 5 stories. • General feedback that breaking up the TOD into subareas would cause greater confusion and add complexity. • Most Councilmembers were in favor of disallowing gas stations within a 1000’ buffer from any MAX station along the TOD and within 1000’ of an existing gas station. A map is attached for clarity. • General agreement to remove parking minimums from the TOD. • Some interest in removing parking minimums citywide. • Request for staff to bring back optionality regarding parking minimums citywide. Create resilient commercial and employment centers that are adaptable to future needs Following the presentation of information on this section, Councilmembers reviewed 5 potential code modifications toward the fulfillment of the guiding principle. One additional request was made to add an affordable housing provision. That is noted as “additional request” at the bottom of the HC/E table below. Specific Feedback Recommendation Number Recommendation TOD 1 Allow 5-story standalone residential within the General Commercial zone (up from 4 stories) TOD 2 Subdivide the existing TOD Overlay into Zones A, B, and C TOD 3 Limit new Gasoline Stations (gas stations) within 1000’ of MAX Stations, other existing gas stations, and Convenience Stores with Fuel Sales in TOD Zones A and B for all of TOD TOD 4 Prohibit new enclosed mini-storage use except when in a two-story building in entire TOD Overlay TOD 5 Prohibit new boat sales with storage use in entire TOD Overlay TOD 6 Eliminate parking minimums in the entire TOD Overlay but retain maximums for surface parking. Set a maximum contiguous surface parking lot allowance at 2.0 acres, inclusive of circulation and landscaping. Introduce additional site design standards such as requiring parking lots to be bound on at least two sides by streets (public and/or private) Docusign Envelope ID: 26AD260F-501E-4AD7-8DDA-913DE582B054 Page 3 of 4 • General support for a 50/50 Primary/Secondary Use split in the Harmony Corridor and Employment zone districts. • General support to allow standalone residential development in existing parking lots. • General support to codify the primary/secondary use split calculation methodology. • General support for allowing residential buildings to be 6 stories in height in the Harmony Corridor zone district. Some questions about why only 3 stories is allowed in the Employment zone district. • Additional request to allow affordable housing developments to be considered a primary use or be exempt from the ratio calculation. Recommendation Number Recommendation HC/E 1 Adjust to a 50:50 primary/secondary use split HC/E 2 Allow standalone residential to replace existing parking lots (will not count towards ratio) HC/E 3 Codify primary/secondary use split calculation methodology HC/E 4 Allow primary use exceptions for mixed-use buildings when: • Primary uses occupy at least 25% of the ground floor • Non-residential secondary uses may occupy 100% of the ground floor HC/E 5 HC Only: Allow residential buildings to be a maximum of six (6) stories (increased from 3 stories) Additional Request Allow affordable housing developments to be considered a primary use or be exempt from the ratio calculation. Create clearer building and site design standards that promote transit use, walking, and rolling along roads with frequent bus service Councilmembers were generally in support of moving toward form-based code standards similar to those developed for residential buildings. Questions arose regarding whether the design Docusign Envelope ID: 26AD260F-501E-4AD7-8DDA-913DE582B054 Page 4 of 4 standards and examples will be updated for the “General Building” schematic to reflect better design articulation. Improve predictability of the Land Use Code, especially to support small business owners Councilmembers were generally in support of the direction as presented for the Change of Use Process. NEXT STEPS Unless further discussion is requested, the next time this topic is presented to Council will be for adoption. That date will be set in the coming weeks, sometime in the fall. A memo with pro forma analyses and development scenarios where the new Land Use Code changes are applied will be delivered to Council prior to adoption. FOLLOW-UP ITEMS • Request for a map showing where gas stations currently exist and where they would be disallowed with a 1000-foot buffer from MAX stations. ATTACHMENTS • 1000-foot Buffers in TOD Overlay Zone: this map depicts the existing TOD overlay and locations of existing Gas Stations or Convenience Stores with Fuel Sales. The Gas Stations or Convenience Stores with Fuel Sales (gas stations) within the TOD overlay have a 1000-foot buffer added shown in the purple shade. MAX Station locations are shown in green and have an accompanying 1000-foot buffer. The proposed LUC changes would allow new gas stations in the TOD to locate only in areas outside of either 1000-foot buffer areas. This map also depicts the locations of other existing gas stations within map view. cc: Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager Noah Beals, Development Review Manager Docusign Envelope ID: 26AD260F-501E-4AD7-8DDA-913DE582B054 0 10.5 Miles ¯ 1000 Foot Buffers in TOD Overlay Zone Co l l e g e A v e 1000 Foot Buffer MAX Stations 1000 Foot Buffer Gas Stations / Convenience Stores with Fuel Sales City Limits TOD Overlay Zone Docusign Envelope ID: 26AD260F-501E-4AD7-8DDA-913DE582B054