The town of Dolores plans to review and update the land use code, which was adopted in 1998.
The yearlong process will involve input from the public, town board, planning and zoning commission, businesses and local organizations, officials said.
To help draft the technical document and offer guidance, the town has contracted with Elizabeth Garvin, a specialist in municipal land use codes with Community ReCode, LLC.
A kickoff meeting for the project will be held at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Dolores Town Hall. Garvin will give the Town Board and public a presentation on the goals and processes for updating the code.
She will meet with local groups and organizations to gather information, and there will be opportunities for the general public to provide input.
A summary of comments from the initial public outreach will be presented to the Town Board. Workshops with the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town Board also will be scheduled.
The 20-year-old land use code needs to be reviewed and updated to ensure it complies with current state laws, serves the community well, and provides a fair and consistent process, said Planning and Zoning Commission Chairwoman Linda Robinson.
“The goal is to clarify the code and analyze where it can be improved,” she said. “It will be a yearlong process and will involve the community.”
Each section of the document will be reviewed during the next six months, including: districts and uses, definitions, site development standards, and administration and procedures. Project update meetings will be held throughout the process with the town board and public, and drafts of the revisions will be shared with the community.
A final draft of revised code is scheduled for review by October 2020. To be adopted, it must pass a vote of the Town Board.
The current code has gaps and is difficult to follow in places for contractors and residents, said Planning and Zoning Commissioner Mark Tucker.
Some topics to review include sidewalk regulations, zoning, code enforcement, home-based businesses, public safety, noise, condominiums and town homes, handicapped access, and grandfathered exemptions, among others.
“The land use code is an important legal part of how a town is supposed to work,” Tucker said. “The review of the codes is a positive experience. It is a chance to have a good public debate and provides an opportunity for the community to recognize issues and problems then address them appropriately.”
The town budgeted $50,000 for the land use code update and consultant. It received a $25,000 grant from the Department of Local Affairs for the project, and the town provided a match of $25,000.
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