Larimer County debates notice methods after public‑input pilot finds postcards miss rural residents

Larimer County commissioners discussed whether to align land‑use notice practices with the county code after staff piloted a public‑input tool and audited current outreach. At the March 31, 2025, work session staff described gaps between what the Land Use Code requires and what planning staff routinely do to notify nearby residents.

Leslie Ellis, director of Community Planning, Infrastructure and Resources, explained that the department has been using a public‑input platform for several recent cases and that the tool’s visual summaries show positive, neutral and negative comment clusters. Shalena Lysat, business operations supervisor, told the board that neighbor‑notice mailings often fail in rural areas because many properties lack roadside…