City Council Agenda and Packet 2013 04 16 - PG 222 - ATTACHMENT #6

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CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION Louisville AGENDA ITEM 8E COLORADO•SINCE 1878 SUBJECT: DISCUSSION/DIRECTION – 2012 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE DATE: APRIL 2, 2013 PRESENTED BY: GAVIN MCCMILLAN, AICP AND TROY RUSS, AICP PLANNING AND BUILDING SAFETY DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: The 2012 Comprehensive Plan update is the result of an extensive 18-month community outreach effort designed to identify a vision statement and a set of core community values that define the community, develop a framework, and outline an implementation strategy to ensure those values are reflected in the future governance and physical development of the City. The process of developing the plan engaged all of the City's Boards and Commissions, included numerous public meetings and employed an on-line website to involve in as many ways as possible citizens and stakeholders representing various groups throughout the City. The Planning Commission considered all sections of the plan and invited additional public comments during its January, February and March meetings and, on March 14th voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the plan. The plan examines existing conditions in the City, and identifies areas of change and areas of stability. It also provides a clear vision and a framework of strategies to enhance areas of stability, and guide the form and function of the areas experiencing change. This update to the Comprehensive Plan introduces a new language to identify desired character and development patterns throughout the City. This change is intended to clarify the community's vision and to set clear expectations for the physical form of the built environment. In this way, the updated plan provides a comprehensive strategy for building on what makes Louisville great, and proactively addressing challenges the community is now facing and will face in the near future. THE ROLE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Comprehensive Plan is a vision document containing principles and policies to help guide future developments in the City. It is also an advisory document which provides a conceptual framework to advance the City's Vision and Core Community Values. However, the Comprehensive Plan is not regulatory. The City must implement the Comprehensive Plan through various regulatory measures, including (1) the Louisville Municipal Code (LMC)—which is the City's primary regulatory tool, specifically the Buildings and Construction (Chapter 15), Subdivision (Chapter 16), and Zoning (Chapter 17) ordinances and the zoning map of the City; (2) Small Area Plans and Neighborhood Plans; (3) the Annual Operating and Capital Budget and the Capital CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION