Title
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AWARD OF A CONTRACT FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE CITY LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO KENDIG KEAST COLLABORATIVE, INC.
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Summary and Background Information:
This project aims to revise the City of Commerce City Land Development Code to achieve the goals established in the new Comprehensive Plan that is underway at this time. The current code provides several pretty significant challenges and limitations, including but not limited to:
• Redundant review requirements and procedures.
• Over-reliance on the use of Planned Unit Development standards for approval of projects.
• Lack of user-friendliness, including sufficient and updated graphics, illustrations, and tables.
• Multiple means of compliance allow flexibility but cause a lack of clarity of intent and excessive administrative work.
• Changes in the development community that impact the type of housing, the demand for office use, and evolving trends in commercial use.
• Code that is too general and does not consistently deliver the uses and amenities that the City Council approved.
The objectives of the project are to create a new development code that:
• Is lean and easy to understand, implement and maintain.
• Create a framework for development that is based on the development character and place types defined in the new Comprehensive Plan.
• Simplify and streamline the development process for projects that meet the comprehensive plan's goals.
• Preserve the character of existing neighborhoods while allowing current population density.
• Ensure a variety of housing types and sizes for a wide range of income levels and household types in existing and new development.
• Ensure that new development will generate sufficient revenue to pay for the long-term maintenance of the infrastructure and services required by it.
• Maximize the return on investment of the City's existing infrastructure systems before expanding those systems into undeveloped areas.
• Expand and connect the City's traditional grid of streets in both infill and greenfield development.
• Ensure that the development that is approved is what is received, i.e. commercial uses, parks, and other amenities.
In March 2022 Council appropriated $500,000 to the Capital Improvement Budget to fund the hiring of a consulting firm to prepare the changes to the code. A Request for Proposals was developed and advertised and four firms responded to the RFP. It was determined that only two of the firms were responsvile and those two were interviewed. The responsive firms were Code Studio and the Kendig Keast Collaborative. After an interview with each, staff decided that Kendig Keast was the best choice and their cost was within the budgeted funds available.
Success in this project will result in a new Land Development Code that will guide development to achieve the Comprehensive Plan's goals. It is anticipated that this will be an approximately 14-month process. It will include a public process that would include meetings with the general public and stakeholders.
Staff Responsible (Department Head): Jim Tolbert, Director of Community Development
Staff Member Presenting: Jim Tolbert, Director of Community Development
Financial Impact: $500,000
Funding Source: Capital Improvement Program
Staff Recommendation: Recommend approval of Resolution 2022-87
Suggested Motion: I move to introduce and approve Resolution 2022-87 by Council as seated.