COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Residents are invited to learn about changes to local zoning regulations as laid out in “RetoolCOS,” the City-initiated project of its Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances at a digital public meeting Tuesday, October 5. The City’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance, which guides how property owners can use their land, is being updated to provide the tools to carry out the vision and goals of development within in the City, based on PlanCOS, the City’s adopted Comprehensive Plan.
What: RetoolCOS, an update to the City’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance Consolidated Draft
When: Tuesday, October 5, 5:30 – 7:00p
Where: Digital Public Meeting on WebEx Participate by phone: (415) 655-0003
Past public meetings have reviewed earlier sections of the plan which focused specifically on zoning districts and their permitted uses (Module 1),development and design standards (Module 2), and review and approval procedures (Module 3). Zoning districts and their uses include what use types are appropriate for properties, such as residential, commercial, or industrial. Development and design standards include landscape and parking requirements, architectural standards, dimensional standards such as building setbacks and lot size, and subdivision regulations including block length. Review and approval procedures, including what review bodies make final decisions on development applications and how the review process is conducted. The Consolidated Draft will combine all three Modules into one document for the first time in the process.
City staff and the project team will share the overall goals of the project, basic land use and zoning issues and processes, types of changes that may be made to the Zoning and Subdivision Code, and provide input on the City’s current regulations as they pertain to the implementation of PlanCOS.
RetoolCOS and PlanCOS background
PlanCOS, the City’s guide for the future physical development of Colorado Springs over the next 20 years, was adopted by City Council in January 2019. Focused around six themes: vibrant neighborhoods, unique places, thriving economy, strong connections, renowned culture and majestic landscapes; PlanCOS establishes the City’s land-use vision and directs how the City will accommodate future growth and change while building upon the strengths of existing communities.
The City’s subdivision and zoning code must be updated to carry out the technical provisions for implementing the vision of PlanCOS. RetoolCOS will update the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance, Chapter 7 of City Code, which has not been comprehensively updated since the late 1990s, with the goal of establishing a new, modern and more user-friendly Unified Development Code (UDC).
For more information about RetoolCOS visit: www.ColoradoSprings.gov/RetoolCOS