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Planning staff preview ADU, backcountry zoning review and April Box Creek Titan hearing
Summary
Planning staff told the Lake County Planning Commission on March 10 that accessory dwelling units may be proposed as administrative uses by right, the commission will revisit backcountry wording related to fuel-fired equipment, and a conditional-use hearing for the Box Creek Titan gravel-mining application is scheduled for April 28.
At the Lake County Planning Commission meeting on March 10, planning staff reviewed upcoming agenda items and described a set of code-review priorities that the commission will consider in coming weeks, including changes to accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permitting, a review of backcountry zoning language on fuel-fired appliances, and an April 28 conditional-use hearing for a gravel-mining application named Box Creek Titan.
Staff said they will recommend treating certain accessory dwelling units as an administrative “use by right” in the zoning districts where ADUs are allowed, for parcels under one acre. The proposed change would remove a conditional-use-permit requirement for those small ADUs, with staff saying the change aims to reduce regulatory barriers to creating diverse housing options.
Staff also reported plans to revisit backcountry zoning language that currently limits fuel-fired equipment, noting that newer backcountry appliances may warrant reconsideration of the rule. Commissioners were told the review will likely take place after the commission completes three public hearings on March 24 and during a first April work session.
Other staff updates - Box Creek Titan conditional-use permit (gravel mining): Staff said they have been working with the applicant and consultants on technical impact analyses; the commission was told a public hearing is scheduled for April 28 and a staff report will be drafted for that meeting. - Rezone and site-plan review: The commission’s March 24 meeting will include a rezone application and a site-plan review for construction inside the scenic-conservation overlay; staff warned the meeting may run longer to accommodate three separate public hearings. - Manufactured-home communities: Staff flagged a future policy discussion about whether existing manufactured-home parks, often in business zones and nonconforming under current code, should be recognized or rezoned to better preserve naturally occurring affordable housing and to smooth future improvements or expansions. - Short-term rental licenses: Staff confirmed short-term rental licenses remain available; no count was specified during the meeting.
Staff also reviewed recent conferences and professional development (building-code and Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute) and said those events informed the ADU and parking-minimum discussions. The commission was told the county will seek opportunities to streamline code language and review fee schedules and process improvements on future agendas.
Speakers who provided the updates included Melissa (county planning staff) and planning staff generally; the chair facilitated the discussion. Staff said the ADU recommendation and backcountry-code review will be returned to the commission for further deliberation and possible action in April.
