By James Dickhoff
Pagosa Springs is excited to announce that we have kicked off the process to update the Land Use Development Code (LUDC). With a well-established downtown, medical center, regional airstrip, outdoor recreation, and the popular hot springs, Pagosa Springs is known as a desirable place for people and businesses to establish. In response to an increase in development and to better align with the 2018 Comprehensive Plan, Pagosa Springs Forward, the current LUDC needs to be updated to better address things such as:
- Zoning and uses allowed in each district
- Housing options
- Parking
- Landscaping requirements
- Historic preservation and downtown vibrancy
- Environmental protections
- Stormwater management
- General design standards
The main objective at this time is to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the existing LUDC through community engagement and stakeholder feedback. The Town and consultant team, Logan Simpson, request your participation in 1-hour long stakeholder interviews that will be held via Zoom March 11 through April 2.
Please sign up for a one-hour time slot at www.mypagosa.org/ludc-update or via the following this link to the Doodle Poll. These interviews will be held individually or in small groups of up to 6 participants to encourage participation.
These interviews will be your best opportunity to communicate what is working and what is not working with the current Code. As with any project, success depends on these important conversations among a broad range of Community Members, and your feedback is integral to the process! Start thinking about how to answer questions such as these:
What do you want to see more of in Pagosa Springs? Or less of? More parking/less parking, more housing/less housing, more density/less density, more eclectic design/more traditional design, etc?
When you travel what do you see that you think “Gee, that would look great back home in Pagosa”?
What is working well with the existing code?
What is not working well with the existing code?
Are there any specific design standards that need to be stepped up (or down)? For instance, do we need to require more on-site parking or parking behind businesses, design standards should allow more flexibility for outdoor uses, standards should require more building accents and encourage more color, etc.?
Are there any standards, topics or innovations missing? A couple of recent trends are “food trucks” or other non-permanent business structures and “tiny homes” or homes under 400 SF or on wheels. Click here for some topics and how the current LUDC addresses them.
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful input and time, which will enhance the success of the project and don’t forget to stay tuned to www.mypagosa.org/LUDC-Update for more information and ways to stay engaged in the process.
James Dickhoff, AICP is Planning Director, Town of Pagosa Springs