Session: Model Land Use Code for Colorado

March 30, 2:30 PM

Charles T. Unseld
Office of Smart Growth, Colorado Department of Local Affairs

With development pressures taking a heavy toll on Colorado's local governments, a new Model Land Use Code is helping communities develop progressive growth management policies.

The Office of Smart Growth (OSG) recently premiered the Model Land Use Code for Colorado’s Small Communities, which was funded by an OSG Colorado Heritage Planning Grant. The Town of Frederick’s new code served as the framework for this innovative new planning tool. The model code represents a significant step forward for growth management efforts in small communities across Colorado. It incorporates a “unified code” concept, where zoning and subdivision regulations and all other regulatory codes are combined into one comprehensive document rather than existing as separate and sometimes disconnected ordinances. The code is divided into key components that should be part of every community’s land use regulations, along with optional sections that can be customized to address a particular community’s circumstances and values.

The development standards contained in the model code are not meant to be overly prescriptive, but instead represent a balance between individual freedom and the public good. This balance was based on research, user feedback, and practical experience. The authors consulted with planning commissioners, attorneys, architects, site designers, planners, ecologists, town staff and developers to get a wide range of viewpoints and input as the standards were being developed and refined. The result is a code that encourages collaboration between the community and developers, as opposed to a more adversarial relationship that sometimes evolves.

The model code also includes a workbook intended for use by local elected officials, planning staff, developers and the public. The workbook is a veritable “how-to” manual that guides the reader through the code. Also included in the code is a “design vocabulary,” complete with illustrated examples of differing architectural styles, signage, and streetscape designs that can be customized to fit with the local character of each community.

The model code is available on CD, so the text can be modified easily. The CD contains an outline for customization that helps communities tailor the code to implement their unique vision and instill their own character, thereby ensuring that community values and character are the guiding principles behind new growth.

The model code CD is being made available for free to all local governments in Colorado. The model code is available for purchase by all others at a cost of $25.00. If you are interested in obtaining the model code, please submit the attached order form to the Department of Local Affairs, Office of Smart Growth.

Model Land Use Code order form in rtf format

The Office of Smart Growth, established in 2000, provides the following services and programs to assist local governments in the areas of growth management and land use planning:

• Colorado Heritage Planning Grant Program. The Office administers a grant program designed to recognize and reward those communities cooperatively planning to manage growth. Grants totaling up to $735,000 are awarded annually to multi-jurisdictional projects around the state. In the first three funding cycles, projects receiving grants included: establishment of open space buffers between communities, development of a transferable development rights (TDR) program, impact fee studies, agricultural preservation efforts, a model land use code for small communities, wildfire mitigation in the wildland/urban interface, creation of regional housing authorities, and a study of revenue sharing methodologies.
• Intergovernmental Land Use Dispute Resolution Program. The Office maintains an online list of qualified alternative dispute resolution professionals with experience in local land use planning who are available to assist local governments in resolving land use disputes. The Office also provides local government guides to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to assist local officials and staff in the land use mediation process.
• Colorado Heritage Best Practices Reports. The Office publishes a series of reports detailing best practices around the state in the following subject areas:
  • Intergovernmental Agreements
  • Land Use and Growth Management
  • Preservation of Open Spaces, Farms and Ranches
  • Natural Hazards Planning and Mitigation
• Information and Technical Assistance. The Office acts as a clearinghouse for information and resources on a variety of land use issues. Staff is available to provide technical assistance to local governments and planning commissions, including workshops and other types of outreach and training. Stay informed of workshops and more by joining the Office’s listserv (see website to join).
• Office of Smart Growth Homepage: www.dola.state.co.us/SmartGrowth. The Office maintains a website containing information on the programs listed above, a land use planning library, information for planning commission members, and links to other growth management and land use web sites.
  
  If you have questions, please contact the Office of Smart Growth staff:
  Charlie Unseld: 303.866.2353/charles.unseld@state.co.us
  Andy Hill: 303.866.3785/andy.hill@state.co.us
  Eric Bergman: 303.866.4552/eric.bergman@state.co.us

Author and Copyright Information

Charlie Unseld is director of the Office of Smart Growth in the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, where he has worked for 18 years. The office provides technical and financial assistance to local governments throughout Colorado in the areas of land use planning and growth management, and is involved in related legislative and policy issues. Mr. Unseld holds a BS in environmental engineering and an MA in environmental planning. He has taught at the University of Denver's Masters Program in Environmental Policy and Management, and at the University of Colorado at Denver's Graduate School of Architecture and Planning.