Longmont City Council could exert more authority over developments near parks, open space

LONGMONT — An ordinance is set to be introduced Tuesday that, if passed, would give Longmont City Council the final say over certain development projects near public parks, greenways and open space. 

The measure proposes changes to city code that would “require that any major development application that is adjacent to a City park, greenway, or open space, and is proposing development that requires Planning Commission review as the decision maker, would now be required to receive approval from the City Council at a public hearing,” according to city documents.

Under current regulations, the planning commission has decision-making authority over applications for conditional uses, preliminary plats, overall development plans, and most variances.

The new ordinance, which was first proposed in 2018, vetted by legal counsel last year and is now set for a public hearing March 30, would hand much of that authority to the City Council for projects that share a border with or are directly across a right-of-way from park land.  

For example, if a restaurant wanted to open up shop in a zoning district that allows for such a use, the planning and zoning commission could approve a simple site plan for the project, Longmont planning manager Don Burchett told city leaders last year. However, if the applicant wanted to include a drive-through in the restaurant plans and the zoning district allows for that only as a conditional use, the plans would go to City Council for approval. 

“The whole impetus was to bring accountability to the council, who are the elected representatives of the people, [as opposed to] an appointed body such as the Planning Commission,” Councilman Aren Rodriguez said during a discussion on the measure held in late 2020. “… It was not to add further restrictions [on development], but to work in conjunction” with other efforts to improve Longmont’s land development codes.”

With this proposal, Longmont is moving in a different direction than other local municipalities, which are placing more authority in the hands of planning boards. 

Broomfield leaders recently introduced a measure aimed at streamlining the city’s development-review process by allowing the Planning and Zoning Commission to approve certain projects that otherwise would require a public hearing before the Broomfield City Council.

Officials there believe that the measure would benefit both developers, who could move through the approval process faster; and City Council members, who have had agendas bogged down by development plans as Broomfield has grown.