The city of Cortez will hold two open house events for residents and businesses to learn about and provide input on the land use code.
The open houses are Tuesday, Oct. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Cortez Chamber of Commerce, 20 W. Main St. and on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall, 123 E. Roger Smith Ave.
According to the city, the discussion will center on Chapters 4, 5 and 7 of the code. The chapters include the topics of historic preservation, subdivisions standards, application procedures and site-development standards.
Site development standards include landscaping, parking and lighting regulations.
The city also will hold a joint work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m.
This work session will be held at the City Hall Council Chambers. No council action or public comment will take place at this meeting, however. The workshop also can be viewed on the city’s YouTube channel at www.cortezco.gov/497/City-Council-Live-Stream.
Community members who want to share feedback on the draft chapters are encouraged to attend a drop-in open house.
The city said the land use code applies to property within Cortez city limits “in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the city.”
The regulations help provide safety from fire, ensure adequate light and air, prevent crowding, promote the conservation of energy and facilitate the provision of transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks and other public requirements for the Cortez community.
The current code was adopted in 1996 and has only had small updates.
“The update aims to address current LUC inconsistencies and outdated language in addition to improving the administration and simplification of development review processes. The update also aims to address the city’s current housing needs, which have changed significantly since the current LUC was adopted nearly 30 years ago,” the city said.
The city has been working on the update process for 1½ years with the help of consulting firm Logan Simpson. They’ve conducted one-on-one public interviews, public open houses and task force meetings made up of developers, business owners, residents and city staff.
“The draft chapters currently available for public review reflect input from a wide range of community members,” the city said.
Changes to Chapters 1 and 3 can be viewed online at www.plan.konveio.com/cortez-land-use-code-update. Changes for Chapters 4, 5 and 7 will be released for online review later this year.
The city has created a webpage, www.cortezco.gov/870/Land-Use-Code-Update, where the public can learn more about the city’s land use code and the process for updating it.
For more information, call the Community & Economic Development Department at (970) 565-3402.
