Loveland’s Current Planning Department has two major tasks remaining for 2015. The first is to define and create a permitting process for temporary uses such as fruit stands or Christmas tree lots. Believe it or not the zoning code currently does not define or regulate this type of use at all. The intent is to make it easy for such businesses to get permits quickly and easily while ensuring that they don’t negatively impact adjacent businesses or create traffic problems.
The second project is an entire update of the City’s zoning code. The current code dates back to the 1970s. Most developers opt to go through the planned unit development (PUD) process instead of conforming to the existing code. However, modifying a PUD is a complicated and expensive process.
Once the Comprehensive Plan update, known as Create Loveland, is complete work will begin to create a new code that incorporates some of the Comp Plan principles as well as concepts from the Highway 287 plan. The City wants the new code to be flexible and include bonuses for innovative design. Paulsen says Centerra for example, although developed as a PUD, resulted in flexibility and quality design. The intent of the new code is to encourage the same type of quality development.
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