Title
Ordinance No. 19-2 adopting PlanCOS as the City of Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan
(Legislative Item)
Presenters:
Peter Wysocki, Planning and Development Director
Carl Schueler, Comprehensive Planning Manager, Planning and Development Department
Body
Summary:
Work on PlanCOS started in late summer of 2016. Through a competitive process, and notionally recognized urban planning consultancy, Logan-Simpson, was selected as the lead project consultant. Additional sub-consultants included:
• Felsburg, Holt and Ullevig-- (Transportation)
• P.U.M.A- Progressive Urban Management Association-- (Development and redevelopment economics)
• TischlerBise-- (Fiscal impacts and trends)
• Drexel, Barrell & Company-- (Utilities)
• CDR Associates-- (Meeting facilitation)
Home rule cities are authorized to adopt general plans/comprehensive plans by the Colorado Revised Statutes, and this process is outlined in Chapter 7, Article 1 of City Code. Comprehensive plans are generally considered long-range plans for land planning and other topics that affect land planning such as mobility, economic development, housing, among others determined to be identified through local process.
The purpose of this Work Session is to introduce a draft PlanCOS as endorsed by the Comprehensive Plan Executive Steering Committee and recommended for adoption by the Planning Commission. A second Work Session is planned for December 10, 2018 to respond to any Council comments and direction. This is expected to be followed by formal Council hearings to adopt PlanCOS - by an ordinance - in January of 2019.
If adopted by City Council, PlanCOS will replace the current City of Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan which was adopted and has been in place since 2001. PlanCOS was created through a two-year process. It is organized around themes rather than more traditional topical headings (elements) found in most land use plans. In addition to containing more typical goals, policies, and strategies, PlanCOS employs the use of neighborhood typologies. Typologies are graphic examples, mostly of existing areas, that are intended to recommend how the city would like to “move the needle” to support the Plan’s vision.
A copy of the entire plan with its maps and appendices can be found on the City’s website, currently at:
<https://coloradosprings.gov/plancos?mlid=10651>
Previous Council Action:
City Council adopted the current Comprehensive Plan by Ordinance 01-43 on March 27, 2001, and has subsequently approved ordinances to amend the corresponding 2020 Land Use Map on an annual basis (in most years). Council has also formally amended the 2001 Comprehensive Plan on a number of occasions with ordinances adopting supporting plans. These include but are not necessarily limited to the Intermodal Transportation Plan (Ordinances 01-58 and 11-73), the Academy Boulevard Corridor Great Streets Plan (Ordinance 11-74), and the Comprehensive Plan Infill Supplement (Ordinance 16-31).
This is the third Council Work Sessions available for this agenda item. On November 26, 2018, there was a brief opportunity for Council comments. On December 10, 2018, there was a full staff presentation followed by City Council discussion and direction. The purpose of this Work Session is to describe and obtain direction on final recommended modifications, and to provide an overview of next steps for implementation and follow-up.
Background:
This draft of PlanCOS was created under the oversight of a Mayor-appointed Comprehensive Plan Executive Steering Committee comprised of a broad spectrum of community leaders. The Steering Committee was chaired by Councilman Merv Bennett with Councilwoman Jill Gaebler serving as vice-chair. A staff-level Technical Support Team (TST) also provided input and assistance related to the process of creating the plan and its content. In addition, a smaller Practitioner's Working Group (PWG) reviewed the wording and content in detail, from the perspective of everyday practice and implementation of the plan. City residents and stakeholders were then solicited to review and comment on this first complete draft of the Plan. Upon synthesis of public comment and input, a second draft was created and provided to the Steering Committee for review, deliberation, and final endorsement. Lastly, it should noted that based on public testimony, it appears that PlanCOS has created a new standard public engagement through all scales of events and online.
As further described in the Planning Commission staff report and accompanying presentation, PlanCOS carries forward many of the policies and values from the 2001 Plan, but also represents an updated approach in both structure and priorities of the Plan. Some of the particularly unique and innovative aspects of the Plan include its organization around themes rather than more traditional topics and its use of indicators and typologies.
With adoption of PlanCOS, the 2020 Land Use Map will no longer be maintained as an element of the Comprehensive Plan. A related ordinance addresses this be removing references to the 2020 Land Use Map in City Code.
In addition to replacing the original text of the 2001 Comprehensive Plan, the adoption of PlanCOS will have the effect of removing the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Infill Supplement as a formal element of the Comprehensive Plan. However, key elements of the Infill Plan have been incorporated into PlanCOS.
Included as attachments are a number of materials, including the following:
1) Planning Commission staff report for October 18, 2018
2) Supplemental update memo for November 15, 2018 Planning Commission
3) Planning Commission draft minutes from their October 18, 2018 and November 15, 2018 meetings
4) Summary of changes made subsequent to the September 27, 2018 Steering Committee endorsement of the Plan.
5) Documents identifying those specific revisions recommended subsequent to the November 26th and December 10th Council Work Sessions, respectively.
6) A document responding to specific City Council comments and questions from the November 26, 2018 Work Session.
7) Agency, Planning Commissioner, and individual comments received subsequent to Steering Committee endorsement.
Prior to these adoption hearings, Council has been involved in the PlanCOS in a number of ways. These have included, but are not limited to the following:
1) Chair (Bennett) and Vice-chair (Gaebler)of the Steering Committee
2) Active member of the Practitioner's Working Group editing team (Gaebler)
3) Two joint Planning Commission/City Council meetings during the process
4) Open houses held in each Council district for input on the draft plan (six Council district meeting and one at large
5) One-on-one stakeholder interview opportunities offered early in the process
6) One-on-one briefings with staff offered after the draft was finalized
7) Invitations to and participation in several events and forums throughout the process
At the abbreviated November 26, 2018 Work Session Councilors Pico and Geislinger provided a few questions and comments. Staff and the PlanCOS consultants have provided responses, including some recommended Plan edits, in the separate attachment. Generally, these topics we as follows:
• Recommend more attention to Airport (Pico)
• Integrate JLUS (Joint Land Use Study) being prepared by PPACG for the military (Pico)
o Staff notes that the Planning and Development Department has been part of the JLUS process and has also included both PPACG and military representatives throughout the PlanCOS process.
• More emphasis on Marksheffel Road (Pico)
• Electric vehicles (EVs) and capacity to serve them (Pico)
• More clarity on recommended City Annexation Plan (2006) update (Pico)
• Questions on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) (Pico)
• Concern with implications of “Be Serious About Stormwater” as an idea title (Pico)
• Plan needs to address homelessness (Geislinger)
• Plan should address mental health (Geislinger)
This item was comprehensively introduced and discussed at a December 10, 2018 Council Work Session. At this meeting, a small number of revisions recommended in response to November 26, 2018 Work Session comments and other input, were presented. Councilman Knight noted that he was in the process of finalizing his comments based on a re-review of the document. Councilman Geislinger and other members asked for a staff overview of next steps for Plan implementation. City Council agreed to schedule a January 7, 2019 Work Session review final language and content revisions prior to the January 8, 2019 public hearing.
Financial Implications:
As an advisory planning document, PlanCOS does not commit the City to any financial choices.
PlanCOS has been drafted with long term fiscal sustainability as one of major areas of focus and priority. In particular, two of the sub-consultants on this project were included based on their fiscal and related expertise. These were P.U.M.A. (Progressive Urban Management Association) and TischlerBise. These firms were involved in the initial stakeholder and trends analysis processes, with P.U.M.A. taking a lead role in drafting goals, policies, and typologies in Chapter 4, Thriving Economy. Ms. Erica Heller, formally with P.U.M.A. and since then joining MIG Inc. as Director of Strategic and Policy Planning, has provided a high level review of fiscal sustainability implications of PlanCOS. This is included as an attachment.
PlanCOS supports or recommends a number of ongoing and future City plans and initiatives that have budget implications for staff and consultant resources. Among these are:
• Update of Intermodal Transportation Plan (Intermodal Mobility Plan), first phase funded in 2019 budget
• Comprehensive update of Zoning and Subdivision Codes (anticipated to being in 2020 or thereafter)
• Annexation Plan update (2019- primarily supported by existing staff)
• Housing Plan (2019 primarily supported by existing staff and available resources)
• Neighborhood Process and Content Template (2019-primarily supported by existing staff)
• New or updated neighborhood plans (contingent upon available future funding)
Additionally, PlanCOS includes goals to identify and secure more sustainable funding for parks and transit. This language is purposefully generalized and does not recommend details concerning approaches and future choices. In the particular case of transit, there is an emphasis on making progress on physical development patterns that are conducive to increasing demand and setting the stage for enhanced funding.
Finally, it is envisioned that PlanCOS will be looked to as an ongoing source of input for City strategic plans. It will also assist in the prioritization of capital and maintenance projects associated with funding initiatives. This could include proposed additional extensions of voter-initiated programs such as the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority and the Trails Open Space and Parks (TOPS) taxes.
Board/Commission Recommendation:
At their November 15, 2018 hearing the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of this ordinance adopting PlanCOS. Their formal record of decision will be provided with the agenda materials for the December 10, 2018 City Council Work Session on this item.
Planning Commission’s action followed an introduction of the draft Plan at their October 18, 2018 hearing. At both the October and November meetings, no audience members spoke in opposition to the Plan.
Several community partner groups have formally voted to endorse this Plan. In all cases these votes have been unanimous. These include the following:
• Citizen's Transportation Advisory Board (CTAB)
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Commission on Aging
• Downtown Review Board
• Urban Renewal Authority Board
• Bike Colorado Springs
• Innovations in Aging Collaborative
(It should be noted that while staff has been diligent in reaching out to a myriad of groups for input into this Plan, there has been no similar effort to seek endorsements. These groups proactively took an action to endorse)
Stakeholder Process:
The two-year process of community engagement was robust, inclusive, multi-faceted, and innovative. This process is highlighted in the Planning Commission staff report, the PowerPoint presentation accompanying this agenda item, and in the Appendix of the Plan.
Alternatives:
City Council could choose to approve, deny, or modify the proposed Ordinance
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion: (for January 8, 2019)
Approve an ordinance adopting PlanCOS as the new City of Colorado Springs Comprehensive Plan
Summary of Ordinance Language
An Ordinance adopting PlanCOS as the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Colorado Springs