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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Estes Park Planning Commission Study Session 2022-10-18 October 18, 2022 11:30 a.m. Town Hall Board Room 11:30a.m. 1. Introductions PC Chair Comstock, all 2. Review of Draft Comp Plan Miriam McGilvray, Logan Simpson 3. Lunch Break atrium 4. Comp Plan review: continued 5. Review of Missing Middle Code Amendment Director Garner AGENDA ESTES PARK PLANNING COMMISSION Joint STUDY SESSION With the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee engageestes.org Memo To: Estes Park Planning Commission Through: Jessica Garner, Community Development Director From: Ayres Associates Date: October 18, 2022 RE: UPDTATE: Proposed Code Amendment related to the inclusion of “Missing Middle” housing types in the Estes Park Zoning Code Background Starting last fall, staff has been reviewing options to add additional Medium Density “Missing Middle” zoning designations to the local code. The effort is viewed as one of many potential solutions to Estes Park’s housing issue and is one of the “Qualifying Strategies” for DOLA’s 1271 Housing Incentive Grant. The Ayres team has enlisted Multi.Studio to assist with the technical and legal aspects of the code work. Status: Multi.Studio is currently working on the technical draft of a possible code amendment for review by staff and the Planning Commission. There are a few considerations that have informed our effort. • Estes Park lacks uniform lot sizes and neighborhood development patterns. While the uniqueness of the development patterns is a source of pride within the community, it presents challenges when attempting to develop design standards for setbacks, public rights of way, density and building height among other design considerations. • There are very few areas for large scale new development in Estes Park and any code changes would need to be adapted to support small-scale infill development. • Five of the eight residential districts are very low density. • There are a lack of small (compact) lot detached housing options and duplexes have a very large lot requirement (27,000 sq.ft.) • Multi-unit building types (3+ units) all treated generically as “multi-family” and multi-unit types regulated primarily by density, and relatively low maximums • Lack of clear neighborhood design values, policies, or goals COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Options: We are working to create a “pattern-based” code option that would consider the unique conditions in the Estes Valley while providing opportunities for quality development that will add much needed new housing units. The pattern-based approach would focus more on the site capacity and allow for the allocation of building types based on the building area and local context. For example, the pattern-based approach would take into review the buildable area, any natural features, and other factors including proximity to transit. More specifically: • Identify development yield o Review capacity  Slopes  Natural features  Other issues including building separation o Select building types  Eligible as permitted by district  Scale/height • Provide guidance for building siting and site design o Open space  Vegetation  Public areas  Landscaping and fire prevention o Access and circulation  Pedestrian connectivity  Reduction in pavement  Minimize impact of driveways and parking o Building site and design  Frontage orientation  Building footprint As part of the effort, we are contemplating a proposal that would add two medium density zoning designations that can be used depending on the context. 1. MM - Open This designation would allow for a higher level of density that could be used in areas with existing density near downtown, transit proximity and greater building height. This would include small lot options up to medium walk-up apartment units. 2. MM - Limited This designation would apply to the suburban or edge areas with a lower density than the core where building types such as duplexes and triplexes may be more appropriate. This designation would allow for smaller lots up to row houses. Neither designation is intended to replace the RM Multi-Family Residential Zoning district. Our team is also contemplating anticipated future changes to the zoning code that result from the update to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. We are also coordinating our efforts with the Housing Needs Assessment that is currently underway by Root Policy. Timeline/Next Steps We are focused on working through the details of how the code amendment could be implemented and managed by staff. We anticipate a draft of a code amendment that we can share with the Planning Commission later this year.