Planning staff presented draft changes to Littleton’s Unified Land Use Code that would make it easier to site electric vehicle charging stations while adding additional scrutiny for new fuel sales.

Unidentified planning staff told the Environmental Stewardship Board that the work responds to the state’s guidance implementing House Bill 24-1173 and the Colorado EV charging model land use code. “The city would need to allow electronic vehicle charging stations as a principal use in certain districts,” the planner said, describing a distinction between chargers installed as accessory uses in parking lots and charging centers where the primary parcel use is charging.

The staff presentation explained two linked efforts: (1) clarify and expand where principal-use EV charging is allowed and set administrative review criteria so staff, rather than commission or council, can approve qualifying sites; and (2) revise fuel-sales (gas station) standards while a city moratorium remains in effect. “City council initially put a moratorium on new gas stations that were not already in the entitlement process,” the planner said, and staff proposed changing zoning so many inquiries would become conditional uses reviewed by planning commission.

Board members asked about practical design and equity. One member said most chargers “are part of parking lots, which is a great place to put them,” and asked whether Littleton could require fast chargers at gas stations; the planner said that is a policy choice the code could accommodate. Several members raised equity concerns, urging staff to think beyond market-driven siting so chargers are available in lower-income neighborhoods and for micromobility such as e-bikes.

Staff said Littleton is nearly compliant for accessory chargers — mostly removing landscaping or screening exemptions — while principal-use rules will require more drafting because the current definition folds principal charging into the fuel-sales definition. The planner also described the building code’s separate requirements for new construction: large new commercial and industrial projects must install a number of chargers or run conduit as “EV-ready” depending on parking counts; staff noted Costco is providing six chargers under earlier approvals.

The presentation included technical topics members flagged for future guidance: setbacks, landscape screening, traffic/stacking concerns at high-speed chargers, equipment standardization, alarm or theft-protection for hardware, and whether pricing could be regulated (staff said pricing oversight was not proposed). The planner offered to return for additional study sessions and to carry board feedback to the planning commission’s upcoming review.