The City of Fort Collins isn't settling for outdated rules when it comes to land use and development. In a move to get with the times, the city has kicked off Phase 2 of its Land Use Code update, an ongoing process to bring local regulations in step with the city's growth and changing demographics. This second phase is all about broadening the scope started in Phase 1, which the City Council put its stamp of approval on back in May of this year.

Folks around Fort Collins are getting the call to add their two cents to Phase 2. They're welcome to join the conversation with the City’s Community Development and Neighborhood Services team, sharing their thoughts on what this part of the City’s Land Use Code should look like. This phase is aiming to ease in more mixed-use development, ensure that new buildings fit in snugly with existing ones, and make the whole code easier to understand and work with. And let's not forget about sprucing up those commercial centers so they can better adapt quickly to meet future needs.

City Planner Shawna Van Zee said, as per the City of Fort Collins, "Our current Land Use Code, established in 1997, has served us well but requires significant updates to meet the evolving needs of our city." She emphasized the importance of this phase for aligning regulations with the community's vision for the future. If you were to have a blueprint for the city's aspirations, tweaking the Land Use Code is a major piece of it.

Phase 2 is not just about new buildings and codes, it's also about getting down to the nitty-gritty of making the development review process less of a headache, especially for the small business owners who could do without the added stress. The city planners are also looking to sync up the Land Use Code with existing policy plans, keep pushing towards the goal of a 15-Minute City, where everything you need is a quick walk or bike away, and balance the scales between economic growth, environmental sustainability, and the overall health of the community.