Agenda Date: 07/26/2021
Subject:
Title
Discussion on Chapter 5 - Business and Industry; Chapter 10 - Nonconformities; and Chapter 7 - Environmental Management
Body
|
Presented By: |
Jennifer Q. Henninger, Community Development Director |
PURPOSE:
Continue discussions on the ULUC specifically Chapter 5-Business and Industry; Chapter 10-Nonconformities; and Chapter 7-Environmental Management.
PRESENTATIONS:
Staff Presenter(s): Jennifer Henninger, Community Development Director and
Mike Sutherland, Community Development Deputy Director
Additional Presenter(s): N/A
SUMMARY:
The Unified Land Use Code is in draft form and planning commission is in the process of reviewing the work of the City’s consultant Kendig Keast Collaborative (KKC). In July and August staff will be facilitating discussions on the draft version of the ULUC provided by KKC. In particular, new concepts such as lot and building standards as well as sign standards specific to businesses and industrial type uses will be discussed at planning commission’s upcoming meeting.
PRIOR ACTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS:
The adoption of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan brought several new ideas and goals for the City pertaining to employment centers as well as environmental issues. The Comprehensive Plan gave direction for these ideas and goals, along with many others, to be addressed in a new ULUC. Since the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, the city has hosted a series of Envision Studios related to the draft ULUC regulations. One of the Envision Studios was focused specifically on employment centers in Littleton. The input from these studios is now Chapter 5 - Business and Industry in the ULUC draft. Environmental topics and the need to address them, are found in Council’s draft Goal 7: Environmental Stewardship.
A draft of the ULUC was released to the public on June 7th. Staff receives comments daily on the ULUC and has facilitated several study sessions with planning commission, city council and historic preservation board on specific topics proposed in the code.
ANALYSIS:
Staff Analysis
Chapter 5-Business and Industry: addresses the Employment Center building block of the ULUC and Industry. This chapter creates the following unique concepts:
• Consolidation of over 13 current business and industrial zone districts into four new zone districts-two of which are specifically addressed in Chapter 5
• Identification of lot and building standards permitted in the BC-Business Commercial and IP-Industrial Park zone districts
• Provision of detailed design standards for building and roof materials
• Creation of landscape and green scape standards
• Sign standards specific to business and industrial zone districts
The draft also includes several detailed tables and associated illustrations. Of particular interest, is the table and illustrations setting forth clear lot and building standards (Table 10-5-2.2 and Figures 10-5-3.2.A1 and A2 and A3) that meet current best management practices for commercial spaces.
Chapter 10-Nonconformities: addresses non-conforming uses, structures, lots, improvements, signs and uses in floodplains. When a new code is adopted, nonconforming situations will occur, however, it is important to note that consolidating the residential zone districts was done in an effort to eliminate the hundreds of nonconforming lots that currently exist in the City. This chapter specifically:
• Guides expansion of a nonconformity
• Articulates the development activities that result in the need for a nonconformity to come into compliance
• Outlines how to bring a nonconformity in to compliance
• Creates an administrative compliance process
Chapter 7-Environmental: incorporates the recently adopted Floodplain ordinance into this new chapter of the ULUC. The City’s Floodplain Management Manager has been working with KKC to ensure that \all sections of the recently adopted Floodplain Ordinance are incorporated. In addition to the floodplain regulations, the Chapter addresses the following environmental Performance Standards:
• Noise
• Heat and Glare
• Liquid or Solid Wastes
• Toxic Substances
• Industrial materials
• Storage
• Air Pollution
• Vibration
• Electromagnetic Interference
• Discharge
Staff anticipates that this chapter will be expanded in the future-as expands their Environmental Stewardship goal in future Council workplans.
Council Goal, Objective, and/or Guiding Principle
The ULUC is Council’s number one Goal for 2021 and 2022.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
REFERENCES:
Draft ULUC:
https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/littleton-co/doc-viewer.aspx#secid--1 <https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/littleton-co/doc-viewer.aspx>