Woodland Park council tables downtown housing moratorium until Nov. 19
A council member said the draft could reach further than intended; the vote delayed action on initial posting until Nov. 19.
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The Woodland Park City Council unanimously tabled a proposed 12-month moratorium on residential development applications in the Central Business District until Nov. 19, after a member questioned whether the draft was broader than the city intended. The council’s Nov. 5 meeting includes the vote and discussion.
The member said the wording seemed to prohibit any development, while the goal, as they understood it, was to limit rezoning options while the city reviewed its downtown and neighborhood-commercial zoning map. The council did not amend the proposal before tabling it.
The council agenda had also scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 19. On Nov. 5, the council tabled the initial-posting item until that date.
As drafted, the ordinance would pause the submission, acceptance, processing, review and approval of development, zoning and land-use applications for residential development in the Central Business District for 12 months. The pause would begin seven days after publication following final passage, the proposed ordinance says.
The proposal says the city wants time to document existing downtown uses and decide what kinds of development it wants there. It anticipates a consultant will prepare an area plan and implementation strategies. It also cites a potential mismatch between zoning rules that allow some residential uses and the district’s stated focus on placing residences particularly above ground-floor shops and offices.