Title
Consider Issuance of Requests for Proposals for Downtown Master Plans and updates to Chapters 16 and 18 of the County Code, and Budget Revision 2020-16
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve that staff proceed with the finalization of the RFPs for the Downtown Master Plan and Updates to Chapters 16 and 18 of the County Code and issue those RFPs for consulting services as required under County Procurement Procedures. I further move that Council approve Budget Revision 2020-16 as summarized on Attachment C and that the attachment be made a part of the minutes of this meeting.
Body
Background
Development interest in the County, particularly within the downtown has significantly increased over the past few months and is expected to stay particularly active for the foreseeable future. Multiple expressions of interest in various parcels in the downtown area have included proposals for high density housing and mixed use. The Downtown Master Plan that was drafted in the mid-2000s was never adopted by County Council and is significantly outdated for use today as a guiding document for new development and re-development of strategic parcels. As such, staff believe that there is a need for a strategic planning framework for the downtown areas in order to approrpriately and proactively respond to these development proposals coming into the County.
Chapter 16 is the Development Code for Los Alamos County and while it has been updated in sections over the years, it has not had a significant update in decades. It is generally viewed as difficult to work with, particularly from the developer perspective, but also by the general public and by staff as well.
Given the above current situations, Community Development staff are proposing to move forward on the development of Downtown Master Plans for both the townsite and White Rock Town Center and to update Chapter 16 of the County Code. The process would be completed in two phases, starting with the Downtow...
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