Keystone staff seeks council backing to launch comprehensive land-use-code rewrite

Keystone staff told council the town needs a Keystone-specific land use code to replace the current Summit County–based code and to address the town's many planned-unit developments (PUDs). Staff asked the council to authorize initial work to inventory existing PUDs and code provisions and to return with an RFP or options for a full rewrite.

Community Development Director Drew Nelson said the town adopted the county code on incorporation but the county code contains many provisions intended for rural areas and multiple ski areas, so it does not match Keystone's needs. Nelson recommended an early step using an AI-assisted analysis to compare the town's current code, PUDs and ordinances to identify commonalities and conflicts and provide a baseline report for council direction.

Nelson told council there are about 31 PUDs that require review and that the rewrite process will require significant stakeholder outreach. Staff offered three paths: retain the town's law firm to lead a rewrite, hire a planning/consultant team, or use a hybrid team combining attorney and planner roles. Council members suggested the town attorney's team could perform the work without an RFP, but several members said they wanted the option of an RFP for transparency and pricing comparisons.

Council member Carol Kerr noted similar efforts elsewhere cost in the mid-six figures; staff estimated $150,000 to $200,000 for a comprehensive rewrite and a timeline of up to two years. Nelson said the AI inventory step would be modestly priced (staff suggested $10,000'$15,000 as an order-of-magnitude) to provide a clear baseline.

Council directed staff to start the inventory/analysis process and return with recommendations and potential procurement approaches for a full rewrite; no procurement decision was made at the work session.