Planning Commission Agenda and Packet 2013 02 28

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes January 24, 2013 Page 6 of 44 9. Community Services46 47 BACKGROUND48 49 The City’sLouisville’s first Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1973 when the City had50 only 2,600 residents, and . That plan was then updated in 1975. Since then, newNew51 Comprehensive Plans were adopted in 1983 (updated in 1989) , updated in 1989, and52 then adopted again in 2005 (updated in 2009). and updated in 2009. The pattern of53 creating new Comprehensive Plans appears to coincide with a period of significant54 growth, while the updates appear to coincide with periods of relative stability. The 200555 Comprehensive Plan was created near the end of significant City growth and56 anticipated change associated with RTD’s FasTracks Program. The 2009 update57 occurred during a period of stability. Staff believes that aThe 2012 Comprehensive58 Plan uUpdate can will further strengthen the Comprehensive Plan in two key ways: 59 60 1) Better meet today’s unique challenges that were not factors in 2005 and 2009. 61 62 Several conditions which influence the City’s ability to implement the Community’s63 Vision have changed, or emerged., These conditions include: 64 65 a. Redevelopment vs. new development – The General Development Plan (GDP) 66 approval for ConocoPhillips and the Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval of North67 End and Steel Ranch commit the City’s last large vacant parcels for development. 68 Future change in Louisville will come almost exclusively in the form of redevelopment. 69 Previous Comprehensive Plans noted the shift in growth patterns, but they did not70 provide the adequate tools necessary tools for the community to adequately review, 71 discuss, and respond to inevitable future infill development requests. 72 73 Development issues and concerns of an expanding greenfield community are quite74 different than those of a redeveloping infill community. Louisville’s previous policies75 generally align with those of an expanding greenfield community. Previous policies76 focused on measuring, accommodating and mitigating the impact of new development77 on the capacity of the City’s infrastructure, services and quality of life. 78 79 In a redeveloping infill community, the capacity of community infrastructure and services80 is still a concern. However, efficiency—the ability to achieve economies of scale by81 using existing infrastructure to serve more customers at a lower unit cost to each82 customer—also becomes a consideration. Also, Bbecause infill development can83 positively or negatively affect existing land uses, understanding how the design, 84 physical character and other aspects of an infill project affect the adjacent neighbors85 and the City as a whole is critical to determining whether the project is likely to enhance86 or undermine the how the project will impact the existing quality of life. 87 88 This Comprehensive Plan provides not only the flexibility and guidance to address89 redevelopment in the HWY 42 Revitalization District and Downtown, but throughout the90