Agenda Date: 09/09/2019
Subject:
Title
PC Resolution 09-2019: Recommending approval of an ordinance to amend the Littleton City Code Title 10, Chapter 1 to establish enabling legislation and procedures for the creation, adoption, and amendment of a comprehensive plan
Body
|
Presented By: |
Mike Sutherland, AICP, Deputy Community Development Director |
PURPOSE:
Does planning commission wish to recommend adoption of enabling legislation and procedures for a comprehensive plan?
PRESENTATIONS:
Staff Presenter(s): Mike Sutherland, Deputy Community Development Director
SUMMARY:
Currently, the Littleton City Code references the comprehensive plan but does not describe how the comprehensive plan is started, nor does it contain a process for adopting and amending the comprehensive plan. The proposed amendment would codify and establish these procedures.
PRIOR ACTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS:
Council, planning commission, staff, citizens and stakeholders have been engaged in an update to the comprehensive plan, Envision Littleton, for nearly two years.
ANALYSIS:
Staff Analysis
The proposed code language is relatively simple. The process requires at least one public hearing by the planning commission to make recommendations for adoption or amendment of the comprehensive plan to the city council. City council takes final action by resolution to adopt or amend the comprehensive plan through at least one public hearing. City council has authority to establish or cause the creation or amendment of the comprehensive plan, in whole or in parts. As a precautionary measure, the proposed code amendment allows property owners to request amendments to the future character and land use map specifically for their own property.
Currently, the Littleton City Code (LCC) has a definition of the comprehensive plan and requires development applications to be reviewed “in light of the city’s comprehensive plan…” (LCC 10-1-9). At this time, the current code adequately connects the review of development to the comprehensive plan. However, as part of a broader zoning code update in the future, staff recommends including clearer review criteria language for all development review processes, similar to the recently adopted site development plan review criteria (LCC 10-7-3). To better engage the community and elicit feedback from citizens, the city received four survey responses through a linked survey on LittletonPlans.org and those positive survey results are attached.
Council Goal, Objective, and/or Guiding Principle
Adoption of the comprehensive plan is expected in October, 2019. The proposed amendment provides the code process for achieving this goal.
Fiscal Impacts
N/A
Alternatives
Council may choose not to amend the code. This may cause some confusion about future adoption of a comprehensive plan and amendments thereto.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of PC Resolution 09-2019 which forwards a recommendation of approval to city council of the proposed amendment.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve PC Resolution 09-2019 which forwards a recommendation of approval to city council to amend the Littleton City Code Title 10, Chapter 1 to establish enabling legislation for the creation, adoption, and amendment of a comprehensive plan.