Staff preview three land-use code updates: well drilling in moratorium areas, noticing changes and wildfire cameras

Larimer County planning staff told the Board of County Commissioners on May 12 they will hold a joint work session this week to review three potential land-use code amendments: (1) allow drilling a well on parcels larger than 35 acres within areas subject to a tap moratorium; (2) revise noticing standards to reduce returned-mail costs by using signposting for some notices while maintaining owner/adjoining-owner notification; and (3) permit the county or a public utility to install wildfire cameras on telecommunications towers without triggering the appeals process for narrow public-agency installations.

Jenny Axmaker, planning manager, told commissioners the well-drilling amendment and the noticing changes will sound familiar because they have been discussed previously. Axmaker said the well-drilling provision would apply to properties over 35 acres in portions of the county where a tap moratorium is in effect. She said the noticing-change proposal is intended to lower costs and reduce returned mail by switching to signposting in certain cases but will not change how adjacent property owners themselves are notified.

Axmaker said the third amendment would allow a slim public agency exception for wildfire-camera installations on telecommunications towers and is not intended to alter private telecommunications appeal processes. Rebecca Everett, community development director, said staff expect to present materials and accept stakeholder feedback at the upcoming session and that revisions will be refined after the work session.

No formal decisions were made at the May 12 work session; staff scheduled the joint work session for Wednesday to review draft code language and collect input from commissioners and stakeholders.