Planning commission recommends land‑use changes to speed electric‑vehicle charging approvals

At a meeting of the Wellington Town Planning Commission, planning staff recommended code changes intended to simplify and speed local permitting for electric‑vehicle (EV) charging sites and forwarded that recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Planning Director Cody Byrd told commissioners the changes respond to a recent state law and the Colorado Energy Office model code, and are intended to create predictable, local procedures for applicants. "We shortened that from 10 to 3 across the board for all application types," Byrd said of the applicant‑notification timeline required by state law.

Byrd said staff vetted three options from the state: adopt the model code as written, create local standards that meet state minimums, or take no action. Staff recommended the middle path — drafting locally tailored standards that preserve the state’s minimums while fitting Wellington’s context.

Under the draft amendments presented to the commission, EV charging would be allowed as a primary use in C‑1, C‑3, LI and I zone districts, meaning a standalone charging facility could be permitted in those districts through site plan review. The downtown C‑2 district was excluded from primary‑use status due to small lot sizes and parking patterns, but businesses in C‑2 could still add chargers as an accessory use.

For accessory installations — the most common case, Byrd said — staff proposed allowing administrative approval for changes that convert existing parking spaces to EV spaces. Staff set a threshold of eight accessory charging stations at a single site: eight or fewer could be administratively approved; more than eight would trigger site plan review because staff said larger installations can change trip patterns and the character of a parking area. Byrd said the eight‑station threshold was chosen as a practical local standard and noted it mirrors similar reference points in the state model code.

Byrd and commissioners discussed alternatives such as using a percentage of total parking rather than a fixed number. Byrd said staff considered a percentage but concluded small lots would be overly constrained and very large lots could see significant operational change even at a small percentage of spaces. He said Wellington does not currently have very large lots ("Ridley's is probably our largest parking lot, presently, at under a 100"), and that the eight‑space cutoff fit local conditions.

The draft also clarifies technical and design standards: EV spaces retain the dimensional and screening requirements that apply to parking generally; electrical and building code requirements would still apply; and staff proposed reduced canopy lighting levels for accessory chargers so the town does not over‑illuminate smaller, residential‑scale installations. Byrd said town staff consulted with Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association and Xcel Energy and the Colorado Energy Office while drafting the changes.

Direct current fast chargers (DCFC) received specific attention in the presentation. Byrd said outside input and utility feedback indicate DCFC installations are unlikely on residential properties because of the high cost of service extensions — "the cost of extending the power and installing those is 20 to $30,000," he said — and because such fast chargers are generally intended for commercial locations.

After a public hearing with no speakers on the item and limited deliberation, commissioners voted to move the staff recommendation forward to the Board of Trustees. The commission’s recommendation will be included in an advertised Board of Trustees hearing scheduled for Oct. 28.

Byrd said staff will follow the code changes with a checklist and guidance for applicants and will report back to the state on applications received, as required by law. The commission recommended the draft code as presented and forwarded it to the trustees for their public hearing.