Planning commission to hold listening session on sketch plan process

The La Plata County Planning Commission will hold a listening session regarding the current provisions for the sketch plan process in the La Plata County Land Use Code (as outlined primarily in LPLUC Sec. 66-19). The session will be included as part of the commission’s regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 25 at the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2^nd Ave. in Durango. The agenda, which may be found on the La Plata County website under the “Meetings & agendas” tab, includes a Zoom link for virtual attendance.

The sketch plan process is the first step in obtaining a major land use permit, and may be an optional step for other types of permits. The intent of the sketch plan process is to provide an opportunity for the county, the applicant, and the public to evaluate and discuss the basic design, concept and suitability of the project and to consider if the project is capable of substantially complying with this code and in general conformance with the comprehensive plan. The sketch plan process has been in place since the adoption of the current land use code in 2020, and the purpose of the listening session is to identify how well the process is working and where there are areas for improvement.

Written comments may be submitted to the planning department at planning@lpcgov.org by April 15 so they may be compiled and available in advance of the meeting. Verbal comments will be welcomed in person at the April 25 meeting and are limited to three minutes per speaker.