Community Development Director Paul Andrus
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Work continues to update Chapter 16 of the Los Alamos County Code – the development code. Los Alamos County Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission will host three work sessions this week, 1-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday to discuss the code updates.
All the meetings will be held virtually, and the public may attend by going to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86726009229 or calling in at +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 309 205 3325 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 386 347 5053 or +1 564 217 2000 or +1 646 931 3860 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592.
Community Development Director Paul Andrus explained each session will cover one of three parts of the proposed changes to Chapter 16.
These parts include:
- Administrative Policies and Procedures;
- Zoning Districts and Land Use; and
- Development Standards.
Andrus added that the goal of the three sessions is to identify areas that the council has consensus on and highlight issues that require further input, editing and refinement prior to the next public meetings.
The idea, Andrus said, is that County staff and the consulting team can make changes and edits as they hear direction from council and the public.
Public comment will be a big part of the process; Andrus said the public is invited to weigh in during each work session as well as provide written comment. More public comments will be accepted at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 and again during the Wednesday, Nov. 30 council meeting during which the final version of the code updates will be presented.
The reason behind the joint sessions, he explained, “…was to try to build in as much public input as possible and to have council and commissioners in the same room to have a concerted conversation.”
Andrus said the sessions begin in the afternoon due to scheduling conflicts with evening meetings and and to provide a venue in which both councilors and commissioners could participate together in the discussions.
Ultimately, all parties are working to improve the County’s development code.
“From my prospective, the reason for the update is to bring our code into modern, best use compliance and to make it easier to work with and understand,” Andrus said.
The most up-to-date copy of the comprehensive update to Chapter 16 is available online at https://losalamosconnect.org. Direct questions to Sobia Sayeda in CDD at Sobia.Sayeda@lacnm.us or DPS representatives at jessical@dpsdesign.org.
