[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6051477,"mediaKeyId","3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb","parentId",3443916,"title","Planning commission backs Fort Collins water efficiency plan update, seeks stronger city‑wide coordination","audioSeconds",1207,"startMs",9916000,"endMs",11123000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb&start=9916&end=11123","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb/thumbnail_9916000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6051477/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/Planning-commission-backs-Fort-Collins-water-efficiency-plan-update-seeks-stronger-citywide-coordination","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051477-399f323af3ba66f290356074d0b757ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770612649&Signature=Aa87qu2btVlipr6kn6stHOLLoPd4PjwGqbe9RW5A6CMAxjyMU9fgvLUlpGwzWTrALq0DlZBIfcwebNv3-2H6JhP~71I5WvTx~9KngUeu0WxV6c9JHp-rmi57LPAtDe4YPXAGNeNdu66plQxUkowlLbY0pi0pNAQ93pWzgadcvcwLEn4qU3knALI8clRBAoq0C4kEYKJAl-vRNnRR7Ux2sD1RpTtmYqTQRvfdk7jK3T2T6upvDEERY~w4H07vszgOB9tDl8tjj5DPzPIRDV1IE18MNTPr71B9tFCTvZEUliH7~iQoStfGNKEeKUfHVKTXMh0y13NY3b2kK8izk0eoSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Fort Collins CO","date","2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","article","The Planning and Zoning Commission on May 15 recommended that City Council adopt an updated City of Fort Collins Water Efficiency Plan, a state‑required policy document that sets long‑term goals and implementation strategies for municipal water efficiency.

City water conservation staff presented the update and explained two new community goals: reduce treated water demand across the utility service area and improve landscape resilience on city‑owned property. \"The plan is an opportunity to reevaluate our goals and strategies,\" Alice Convets, Water Conservation Specialist, told the commission. The plan frames conservation as a tool to reduce drought risk and make the community more resilient to a warmer climate.

Under the draft plan, the utility would pursue a target of lowering annual treated water demand by 320 million gallons below projected use by 2040 (roughly a 4% reduction relative to projected demand under moderate growth/climate scenarios). Staff said achieving the target would require more than doubling measurable savings from the water conservation division compared with recent years. The plan also includes a municipal target to implement at least seven city‑landscape projects focused on water resilience by 2040, intended to reduce irrigation demand and prioritize multi‑benefit landscapes such as trees and sports fields.

Staff described the plan as a suite of strategies — behavioral programs (education, technical assistance), economic tools (rebates, grants, rate structure options), infrastructure investments (advanced metering, leak detection) and regulatory options (daytime watering limits or code changes) — prioritized for cost, estimated water savings, equity and feasibility. The plan will not itself change fees or adopt regulations; staff said programmatic, regulatory or budget changes would be pursued through the normal city processes, public outreach and Council action.

Commissioners asked staff how the plan aligns with the city's Climate Future and other municipal sustainability work and whether incentives could be adjusted to account for on‑site raw water or graywater systems. Staff said they would continue coordination across departments and that incentives and detailed implementation items were included in the plan's strategy list for further study.

Commissioner (name not specified in the transcript) moved to recommend Council adopt the updated Water Efficiency Plan; the motion passed unanimously. Staff said the plan will be revised where appropriate based on comments from boards and commissions, the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the public, and staff plans to bring the final document to City Council in September.

If adopted, the plan will guide multi‑year conservation programs and municipal landscape projects intended to lower treated water demand, reduce shortage risk, and coordinate city operations with community conservation goals. Staff emphasized that water efficiency is only one element of the city's broader water resilience strategy, which includes storage, water rights portfolio management and source‑water protection.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fort Collins City Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting 5/15/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended City Council adopt an updated Water Efficiency Plan that sets a community goal of reducing treated water demand and directs the city to implement resilient landscape projects on city property.","taxTitle","Fort Collins City, Larimer County, Colorado","taxId",5777,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6051482,"Commission approves overall development plan for former Spradley Mazda / Sherwin‑Williams block at Drake and College",3278,7379000,10657000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb&start=7379&end=10657","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb/thumbnail_7379000.jpg","/articles/6051482/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/Commission-approves-overall-development-plan-for-former-Spradley-Mazda-SherwinWilliams-block-at-Drake-and-College","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051482-9bc15c9fdf8a5947601c9f8846e8b42d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770612649&Signature=Ow7Fm2LtYBvr2ha~l-yYkuuW4H5CH9MEL~CnLMcYoSrPyNvBhMlCib9pTjj1xL5RNU4LhDn8TcHIHuXbCwLJ3PQ6R1nwQ7jsmtk~pFkI-DUtNtE5Oc7dD70pMwhmWgTSWKSgBzvH5IhmDRl~rl0M88RDyI2gTUAj3S18bovoiAV6zAawn1M6jqFxQjit~K0PTxCpVG-KbB4oWYXqIJQrox4-vggaI2IAgL7G2pfShD7LnpxvjimLD~Br0FWAzdfW6VF9CG9z6bZNEPdvmt2goFbo7y9KOaelajJotJ0PyaWsu8WpG9pfQoC48ki2DgwhQcldM64JzMizbo~A0a3bKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning and Zoning Commission on May 15 recommended approval of an overall development plan (ODP) for the 6.666‑acre redevelopment site at the southwest corner of Drake Road and North College Avenue, commonly described as the former Spradley Mazda and Sherwin‑Williams properties.

Norris Design and Kensho Group presented an ODP that divides the property into two planning areas, establishes an internal north‑south access road and frontage improvements intended to align with the city's Midtown in Motion conceptual corridor design. The plan documents proposed right‑of‑way dedications (roughly 0.7 acre) along College and Drake to accommodate future roadway and multimodal improvements and shows proposed private street cross sections to ensure future developers build sidewalks and landscaped paseos consistent with the Midtown plan.

Ryan McBreen of Norris Design emphasized the ODP's role as a framework for future phased development rather than a final site plan: \"This is meant to establish a central design element and a design guideline so future developers understand the baseline cross section and connectivity requirements,\" he said. The applicant team said no final land uses were locked in; conceptual conversations have included multifamily housing on the west parcel and potential commercial or drive‑through uses on the east parcel, but no end users were finalized.

Staff reported the ODP complies with the city land use code and Midtown guidance while noting coordination is ongoing with the city's planned corridor improvements and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). Kai Klier, city planner, told the commission the drainage master plan and a preliminary traffic impact study had been provided and reviewed; engineering and more detailed design will be required when individual development plans return to staff for approval.

Traffic and multimodal impacts were a recurring theme in public comment and commissioner questions. The ODP indicates a future right‑turn lane and other signal timing adjustments at Drake and College, consistent with the city's 10% conceptual corridor design; City traffic staff attended the hearing to answer technical questions about level‑of‑service tradeoffs and signal timing.

Commissioners praised the application packet as unusually complete for an ODP and noted that the plan retains flexibility for multiple future developers while securing key public‑realm improvements. After discussion, the commission moved to approve the ODP; the motion passed unanimously. The record notes the motion was based on the staff report and materials provided in the packet.

Key technical details in staff and applicant materials: the site area is approximately 6.666 acres; proposed right‑of‑way dedication totals about 0.7 acre to accommodate planned Drake/College corridor improvements; the plan shows two private access roads and identifies potential pedestrian and bicycle connections to the Mason Trail and nearby King Soopers redevelopment. Drainage design shown in the ODP uses a StormTech chamber system with an outfall into existing College Avenue infrastructure and requires later coordination on stormwater conveyance.

The ODP approval is a legislative land‑use step that sets development parameters and does not approve specific building plans, uses or building permits. Future development applications for any parcel will be reviewed against the ODP and the city land use code. The commission’s recommendation will be included in the administrative record for council and staff consideration as the project advances through required engineering and permitting steps.

","The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of an overall development plan for a ~6.67‑acre parcel at Southwest Drake and North College, establishing street connections, preliminary right‑of‑way dedications and design guidance for phased redevelopment.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6051487,"Fort Collins planning board recommends ban on new non‑owner short‑term rentals in Old Town North",9991,466000,10457000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb&start=466&end=10457","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443916-dd5f32f69d13653c9950995ff9ac9eeb/thumbnail_466000.jpg","/articles/6051487/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/Fort-Collins-planning-board-recommends-ban-on-new-nonowner-shortterm-rentals-in-Old-Town-North","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051487-646162b1e625e745290817f3c7f17b83/orig.mp4?Expires=1770612649&Signature=X3EgVa8kHlf0RGfubAH0tG82iz8X2rvbisqwGunvcDoTbjmKAzfrTRsHV3DOKgzHSNglnGwFyv~mpV5nCiAiDSV~AvsC7Q48UomaF9orpCeH2Gqhb~KeXg3v3w9y2cNb~YsQLX3oCZ2JUtdSdODfCmmk0JVjHCGoRKK1f~5yVQbXtfIgs2N-r1agerzeLjQ8UKOtTA3iauNndvsEOipcg41rI4neFBuPONeUzRnM37UhORURsq9-pDa4T2MdV~QhISwkmSr1IfPH9Txzhj5PvDxfGZ4U0QiOz-zZM4fRPRQKD-R8kwY-ZLBfD0KvZ3llmQCEcX8gW2Bjsbc5i2bx0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Commission on May 15 voted 3‑2 to recommend that City Council remove the ability to apply for new non‑primary short‑term rental (STR) licenses in the Community Commercial North (CCN) zone district that includes the Old Town North neighborhood.

The action follows a staff presentation describing the proposed land use code text amendment and more than two hours of public comment, during which neighbors described repeated late‑night parties, parking congestion, and safety concerns; property owners and managers urged enforcement of existing rules and warned of financial harm if rules change. \"We all want to get home sooner than later — we want to thank the planning and zoning board for having this hearing,\" resident Walter Abercrombie told the commission, summarizing neighbors' concerns about noise, trespass and parking impacts.

City staff presented the proposal as a narrow text amendment: remove from the CCN zone the ability to apply for a non‑primary STR license while leaving existing non‑primary licenses able to renew. Noah Beals, Development Review Manager for the City of Fort Collins, told commissioners the city currently issues roughly 375–400 STR licenses annually and, as of this year, about 381 were active. Non‑primary licenses total about 89 citywide; 68 of those non‑primary licenses are located in Old Town North, Beals said, and the neighborhood has produced a disproportionate share of complaints (about 53 complaints attributed to Old Town North in the materials shown to the commission).

Beals explained the 2017 regulations established two license classes — \"primary\" STRs (owner‑occupied most of the year) and \"non‑primary\" (no residency requirement) — and placed allowances for each class into the land use code according to land uses that historically allowed hotels or bed‑and‑breakfasts. The proposed change would remove the non‑primary license from the CCN zone only; staff said existing non‑primary license holders would be able to renew and that renewals would be allowed after ownership changes only within a short window established under existing practice.

Neighbors urged the commission to support the proposal. \"This dense urban neighborhood design requires respect and pride, everybody's privacy and need to live comfortably with each other as neighbors,\" Abercrombie said. Several speakers described regularly encountering trash, late‑night noise, parking on front lawns and emergency vehicles blocked by on‑street parking. \"The essence of a neighborhood is having neighbors,\" Abercrombie said. Others asked that the city move beyond preventing new licenses and consider ways to reduce the existing concentration of non‑primary STRs.

Owners and managers of STRs pressed the commission for stronger enforcement rather than a zone‑level ban. Mark Driscoll, a property manager who said he uses written rental agreements, on‑site monitoring and on‑call responsiveness, described \"good neighbor\" policies some managers employ and argued the city's overall STR inventory (about 0.52% of housing units citywide, he said) is low compared with tourist communities. Multiple owners said they relied on STR income for retirement or to keep houses maintained and urged fairness if rules change.

After commissioners asked staff clarifying questions about enforcement, the role of other city departments and how existing licenses would be handled, Commissioner (name not specified in the transcript) moved that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommend City Council adopt the proposed land use code change removing non‑primary STRs from the CCN zone. The motion passed 3‑2. The roll call in the transcript recorded three yes votes, two no votes; the commission record and staff packet will be provided to City Council for final decision at a future public hearing.

The commission's recommendation is advisory; City Council will hold a public hearing and decide whether to adopt the text amendment. Staff said if the council adopts the change, current non‑primary license holders would be allowed to renew, but the land use change would prevent new non‑primary licenses from being applied for in the CCN zone going forward. Staff also said they would re‑check complaint counts, which they described in the hearing as conservative.

The commission hearing drew more than two hours of public testimony and dozens of written inputs; staff said they held an open house in February and have been tracking complaints and license activity since the 2017 rules were adopted. The matter now moves to City Council, with staff noting council is scheduled to consider the code change beginning June 17 under the city's public hearing schedule.

The commission did not specify an implementation timeline beyond the standard City Council process. The amendment, if adopted by Council, would change where non‑primary STR applications may be filed under the city land use code; it would not immediately revoke or cancel existing non‑primary licenses, based on staff testimony at the hearing.

Community members and owners interested in next steps should watch the City Council hearing schedule for the public hearings the commission has recommended.

","After hours of public testimony, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3‑2 to recommend that City Council remove the ability to apply for non‑primary short‑term rental licenses in the Community Commercial North (CCN) zone covering Old Town North, while allowing existing licenses to renew.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning commission backs Fort Collins water efficiency plan update, seeks stronger city‑wide coordination

Commission approves overall development plan for former Spradley Mazda / Sherwin‑Williams block at Drake and College

Fort Collins planning board recommends ban on new non‑owner short‑term rentals in Old Town North