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Planning commission recommends City Council approve Fisher rezoning to remove parking condition
Summary
The Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that City Council approve a rezoning request to remove a 2020 parking condition on two Westward Drive lots owned by Eric Fisher, citing recent local code updates and state legislation limiting municipal parking requirements.
The Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 16 voted to recommend that City Council approve a rezoning request from property owner Eric Fisher to remove a parking-condition placed on two Westward Drive lots during a 2020 rezoning.
The commission’s recommendation applies to the Fisher rezoning (referred to in the hearing as REZ24Triple01 / REZ 240,001) and was approved by roll call with six yes votes. Commissioner York moved to recommend approval and Commissioner Connelly seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
City planner Clark Mapes told the commission staff recommends approval, noting changes since 2020 that affect parking requirements. "Staff is recommending approval," Mapes said, and he described two drivers for the request: a May land use code update that lowered parking requirements for certain multifamily units and a state law enacted in 2024 restricting cities’ ability to require parking in transit-served areas.
Applicant representative Joel Weichert of Ripley Design said the application’s sole purpose is to remove the prior condition that required "at least 1 parking space per bedroom" for any future multifamily development on 1185 and 1201 Westward Drive, about two-thirds of an acre he said the Fisher properties total. "Our only goal is to remove that rezone condition with this application," Weichert said, adding the team paused its final development review to reassess after the state bill and code updates.
A nearby resident, Sam Stobelar (signed in at the hearing), spoke in opposition during public comment, saying the neighborhood already experiences heavy on-street parking and that removing the condition could increase competition for existing spaces. "We already have a pretty high traffic street... Not providing enough parking spots for a large multifamily development would be, just not the right move in this case," Stobelar said, asking the commission to consider long-term parking impacts.
Commissioners and staff responded that other measures affect on-street parking. Mapes and other staff noted the RP3 residential parking permit program governs long-term curb parking in the area and that new residential development would participate in that program if residents seek long-term on-street permits. Commissioners also noted practical constraints — lenders and market expectations — make fully zero-parking projects unlikely.
During deliberation commissioners said the request primarily aligns the parcel’s regulatory conditions with recent legal changes. Commissioner Stackhouse and others said the change reflects "changed conditions" from state legislation and recent local code updates and would not alter the zone district or allowed uses. The commission’s recommendation states the requested OTC-C placement is "consistent with the City of Fort Collins comprehensive plan" and is "warranted by changed conditions." The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council, which holds final authority on rezoning.
Votes at a glance: Commissioner York moved to recommend approval of the Fisher rezoning (REZ24Triple01 / REZ 240,001) to the OTC-C (Old Town High) zone; Commissioner Connelly seconded. Roll call: Katz — yes; Connelly — yes; York — yes; Sass — yes; Shepherd — yes; Stackhouse — yes.
Background and next steps: The two lots were rezoned in 2020 into the neighborhood conservation/high-density district with a voluntary condition requiring 1 parking space per bedroom for future multifamily development. In 2024 Fort Collins adopted a land use code update that reduced parking requirements for some multifamily units and renamed the NCB district to Old Town High (OTC). The Colorado legislature also enacted a bill in 2024 restricting municipal parking mandates in designated transit service areas; the applicant and staff cited that statute as a changed condition. The commission recommended approval to align the parcels’ approval conditions with those legislative and code changes; City Council will consider the recommendation at a future meeting.
