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Woodland Park planning commission prioritizes Unified Development Code revisions; topics include design standards, ADUs and a data-center moratorium
Summary
At a June 25 work session, planning staff presented a ranked list of proposed updates to Woodland Park's Unified Development Code — including architectural and landscaping standards, driveway and parking rules, accessory dwelling units, sign rules, emergency-service uses, and a temporary moratorium on data centers — and asked commissioners to score priorities ahead of a July 9 follow-up.
Planning Director Karen Schmink used the June 25 work session to walk the commission through a list of proposed updates to the city's Unified Development Code and to request commissioners' ranking of priorities.
Schmink said the updates are mainly administrative and aimed at clarifying standards, improving implementation and addressing items that emerged during the UDC rewrite. She listed candidate topics that include architectural design guidelines, landscaping and water-wise planting standards, driveway design and parking metrics, dark-sky lighting rules, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), sign standards in light of Reed v. Gilbert, measurement rules for oddly shaped signs, special-use-permit clarifications, an emergency-service-facility use category, powersports dealer definitions, outdoor storage thresholds and guidance for temporary ConX storage containers.
Several items drew specific comment. Schmink suggested more stringent architectural and landscaping standards could reduce conditional-use requests and improve aesthetics, and noted wildland-urban-interface rules (materials, defensible space) are relevant to fire safety. On ADUs and manufactured/modular tiny-home rules, staff said parts of the current code are "not fully compliant with the state" and may require revision. Commissioners discussed whether to address residential uses in commercial zones by a subarea plan or a new transitional zone.
The commission also touched on emerging concerns about data centers. Schmink said the city attorney recommended a moratorium on siting data centers so the city can analyze water usage, noise and other impacts; staff scheduled a council public hearing on a moratorium ordinance for July 16. Schmink said data centers can raise issues about cooling water demand and equipment noise.
Commissioner Don Hane proposed creating a verifiable, application-level standard demonstrating adequate water availability for proposed developments. Schmink said current practice defers to the public works and utilities director and that a more codified approach would likely require broader water planning and background documents.
Process and next steps: commissioners were asked to rank each item (1–5) on worksheets staff provided; Schmink will compile results and return the compiled priorities at the July 9 meeting so the commission can refine focus before advising council.
