Agenda Date: 05/12/2025
Subject:
Title
PC Resolution 03-2025: Recommending approval to city council of a code text amendment to Title 10, the Unified Land Use Code related to the 2024 Legislative Updates
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Prepared by: |
Andrea Vaughn, Senior Planner |
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Presentations: |
Andrea Vaughn, Senior Planner |
PURPOSE:
Final planning commission review and recommendation to city council for approval of revisions to Title 10, the Unified Land Use Code (ULUC) related to the 2024 State Legislative Session, as it relates to Minimum Parking (HB24-1304), Nonfunctional Turf (HB24-005) and Residential Occupancy Limits (HB24-1007).
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
High-Quality Governance; Robust and Resilient Economy; Sustainable Community with Natural Beauty
DISCUSSION:
During the 2024 Legislative Session, the Colorado Legislature passed a series of bills that require the City of Littleton to update the Unified Land Use Code (ULUC), to remain in compliance. Two of these bills, HB24-1304 (“Minimum Parking”), HB24-1007 (“Residential Occupancy”), are aimed at easing the housing burden by removing the restrictions that local jurisdictions may have on limiting residential occupancy to family members, as well as reducing the cost of construction associated with residential developments by eliminating parking minimums for projects located near high-frequency transit. A third bill, HB24-005 (“Nonfunctional Turf”) intends to reduce water waste through the prohibition of turf deemed “nonfunctional”, as well as artificial turf and invasive species on nonresidential properties.
The ULUC proposed code changes are now ready for planning commission final review and recommendation to city council.
BACKGROUND:
The 2024 Legislative Session passed a series of bills, which require that the City of Littleton update some of its regulations in the ULUC. While some, such as Minimum Parking and Nonfunctional Turf, require significant revisions to the ULUC, staff believes that these bills are aligned with the city’s goals of encouraging housing near high-frequency traffic and water conservation. Staff also finds that the states goal of eliminating the restriction on residential occupancy based on familial relation is aligned with the City’s own practice, as the City removed the definition of “family”, as well as nearly all restrictions of occupancy based on familial relation, when the ULUC was adopted in 2021.
Staff met with Planning Commission and City Council on March 11, 2025 to discuss these legislative items, as well as to discuss the opportunities that staff had identified to further the goals of the City. When discussing Nonfunctional Turf, staff mentioned that the legislature in 2025 is considering a bill that would apply the prohibition of the bill to multifamily developments and that other municipalities in the Front Range are limiting the installation of turf; staff believed that this update could be an opportunity to examine turf installation on all properties in the City. While there was some agreement that the City could be examining its regulations of turf on residential properties, it was determined that it was best for staff to not pursue this, at this time.
In addition to the Nonfunctional Turf regulations, staff also identified a possibility to expand the exemptions for minimum parking, which apply to multifamily, mixed use multifamily, and adaptive reuse residential projects, to all residential projects located within the Applicable Transit Area Map. The City of Littleton defines “multifamily”, as residential projects containing five or more units and the Applicable Transit Area Map covers some of the most permissive areas for residential development in the city, including the downtown area. Staff had proposed allowing for the exemption to be expanded to all residential developments within the map area, so as to not discourage lower-density projects, whose projects may be made inviable by parking minimums. After some discussion with Council and the Commission, staff was granted permission to move forward with this exemption.
Proposed Code Amendment
The following details the proposed text amendments, according to each legislative bill:
• Residential Occupancy (HB24-1007)
o Removed a code provision limiting occupancy to one family for a mobile home unit
• Nonfunctional Turf (HB24-005)
o Created two new definitions, to make clear what is considered functional and nonfunctional turf
o Amends 10-3.6, which retains the previous allowances for turf for residential properties only and prohibits the installation of nonfunctional turf, artificial turf, and invasive species on nonresidential properties
• Minimum Parking (HB24-1304)
o Creates an exemption for off-street parking requirements for all residential properties that have been identified in the Applicable Transit Area Map, which was created by the Division of Local Affairs
Prior Actions or Discussions
• At the March 11, 2025 joint Planning Commission-City Council study session, staff discussed the text amendments that would need to be adopted in order to meet minimum compliance
• On April 25, 2025, staff hosted an open house to meet with the community to discuss the proposed amendments; approximately 70 people attended
FISCAL IMPACTS:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of PC Resolution 03-2025, recommending approval to city council of a code text amendment to Title 10, the Unified Land Use Code regarding the 2024 Legislative Updates.
ALTERNATIVES:
The planning commission may choose to recommend approval of the code amendment, rejection of the code amendment, or may recommend approval of the code amendment with revisions.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve PC Resolution 03-2025, recommending city council approve a code text amendment to Title 10, the Unified Land Use Code, regarding the 2024 Legislative Updates.
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REFERENCES:
ULUC Proposed Changes:
https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/littleton-co-cc/rfc.aspx?secid=3002#secid-3002 <https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/littleton-co-cc/rfc.aspx?secid=3002>