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Planning commission backs code changes to require water-availability review for future development
Summary
The commission recommended the city adopt amendments to Titles 17 and 18 to make water availability an explicit review criterion for rezones, PUD amendments, density increases and certain permits, calling the change a necessary first step toward data-driven water planning.
The Woodland Park Planning Commission on March 13, 2025 voted unanimously to recommend city council adopt proposed code amendments to Titles 17 and 18 that require applicants to address water availability for certain land-use changes and permits.
Staff described the ordinance as a bridge between current permit review practices and a more comprehensive, data-driven approach to water planning. The amendments would explicitly add water-availability review criteria for rezones, PUD amendments, increases in density, conditional-use permits, special-use permits and site-plan reviews. Staff and the utility director said the change is intended to put water considerations "front and center" in development reviews while the city and its Utilities Advisory Committee pursue more detailed studies and policies.
City utility staff said Woodland Park plans for buildout population and water demand using residential taps as a baseline and that the city currently has planning assumptions sufficient for the present zoning buildout level. Utility staff and the commission said the new ordinance is an important interim tool to require applicants to provide verifiable water-use documentation (for example, estimated gallons per day, wastewater characteristics and similar metrics) when a proposed use has the potential to materially affect water demand.
Utility Director Kip and planning staff told the commission that implementing a precise, use-by-use water-allocation system will require additional studies, time and resources (reuse-water policy, updated demand modeling and possible rate structures). Several commissioners emphasized that the ordinance provides a defensible framework to raise water at public hearings and to require applicants to supply information the city will need to weigh approvals.
After a brief public period with no commenters, the commission moved and voted to forward the ordinance to city council with a recommendation of approval. Commissioners said the change aligns with objectives in the Woodland Park comprehensive plan and will assist the city in balancing short- and long-term water demands with development decisions.
The commission’s motion passed unanimously on roll call. Staff noted the city council public hearing is scheduled for April 17, 2025.
