200 W. Oak Street, 3rd Floor Fort Collins, CO 80521 (970) 498-7683 / larimer.org/planning ZONING VARIANCES ADMINISTRATIVE The submittal requirements listed in this packet are intended to collect all of the information required for Larimer County staff and review agencies to fully evaluate the proposal. Additional information may be requested from the applicant during the review process if necessary to address specific issues that arise. Please Note: Once submitted to the County, all application materials become a matter of public record. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS The following item are required for all applications. Item # Description: Information Provided for: Copies Required One Electronic Set Of All Submittal Materials (Flash/Jump Drive or CD) 1. Application Form must be signed by all property owners File and the applicant 2. Application Fee current fee at the time of submittal File $ 3. Project Description detailed description of what is being File, All Referral proposed, include review criteria from Section 4 of the Land Agencies Use Code. Please see Page 4 for Project Description requirements 4. Scaled Drawing size 8 ½ x 11 or larger as needed. (If larger, please provide one 8 ½ x 11 copy) Please see Pages 4 & 5 for more information 5. Vicinity Map - illustrate roads and significant natural features near the project site. County and local roads must be labeled so that the site can be easily found (size should be 8 ½ x 11 ) 6. Ownership & Encumbrance* - contact a Title Company for this information. 7. Written Documentation that notice of the proposed variance was mailed to all property owners within 250 feet of the subject property boundaries and no objections were stated. Note: Applicable only to variances from county roads and/or 10% variances. Please see Page 6 for a sample notice 8. Other information as deemed necessary by the project planner File, All Referral Agencies *Ownership and Encumbrance: A report that identifies the last recorded owner, legal description and recorded deeds of trust or mortgages of a particular real property address available from public records. File File File TBD 1 Zoning Variance Administrative Zoning Variance Administrative February 2012
ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE TYPES The purpose of a Zoning Variance is to grant a landowner relief from certain standards in the Land Use Code where, due to exceptional narrowness, shallowness or shape of a specific piece of property or by reason of exceptional topographic conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations or conditions of the property, the strict application of the standard(s) would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties or exceptional and undue hardship on the property owner. 10% Variance - setback requirements to vary from up to 10% of the required setback The Planning Director is authorized to approve administrative variances from setback requirements up to ten percent of the required setback after finding the proposed setback is consistent with the intent and purpose of this code. 50% variance from streams, creeks and rivers - The Planning Director is authorized to approve administrative variances from the required 100-foot setback from the centerline of streams, creeks and rivers up to 50% of the required setback provided the following items are met: 1. The proposed building site is not within a wetland; 2. The proposed building site is not with a 100-year floodplain; and 3. The proposed building site is not within any federally designated threatened or endangered species critical habitat. 4. The review criteria in Section 4.6.3 are met or determined to be inapplicable (See Page 3 for review criteria). Setbacks for non-conforming buildings from county roads - The Planning Director is hereby authorized to approve administrative variances from the county road setback requirements listed in section 4.9.1.B. for additions to existing buildings which are nonconforming with respect to county road setbacks, subject to the following criteria: 1. The proposed addition must meet the following minimum setbacks: a. Arterial roads-90 feet from ROW centerline; b. Major collector roads-80 feet from ROW centerline; c. Minor collector roads-60 feet from ROW centerline; d. Local roads-55 feet from ROW centerline. 2. Written documentation has been provided to the planning department that the property owners in the vicinity of the proposal as defined in the land use code, or as determined by the planning director, have been notified and they have indicated they support the variance request; 3. No portion of the original building or the proposed addition is within the future right-of-way identified by the Larimer County Functional Road Classification. 4. The review criteria in section 4.6.3 are met or determined to be inapplicable. (See Page 3 for review criteria). 2 Zoning Variance Administrative
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Building Permits - Building permits will NOT be accepted on the property while the application is pending. Conditions of Approval All approved zoning variances run with the land unless conditions of approval specify otherwise. All administrative variances automatically expire if not acted upon within 12 months of the date of the written approval of the Planning Director. Setback Certification Required if variance is approved, to be completed after an application for a building permit Certification, in the form of a letter or drawing, must be signed by and include the seal of a surveyor licensed to practice in the State of Colorado. The letter should include the building permit number for the property or project in question. **This certification will be a condition on the building permit** Appeals to Administrative Decisions Appeals to decisions of the Planning Director can be appealed to the Board of Adjustment. See Section 22.3 of the Land Use Code for more information. 3 Zoning Variance Administrative
ITEM# 3 & 4 DETAILS PROJECT DESCRIPTION & SCALED DRAWING Element 1) Project Description Existing Conditions Review Criteria Section 4 2) Scaled Drawing (See site plan example attached) Description The project description is the applicant s opportunity to explain what is being proposed. A written detailed description of the existing conditions, topographic constraints, floodplain, drainage or other natural or manmade features and impacts. To approve a zoning variance application, the board of adjustment must find that A (1), (2), or (3), has been met and that B, C, and D have each been met: A. 1. Strict compliance with the standard sought to be varied will cause either: (i) A peculiar and exceptional practical difficulty or, (ii) An exceptional and undue hardship on the owner by reason of: An exceptional physical condition of the property such as narrowness, shallowness, topography or location of the property, or other extraordinary and exceptional situation unique to the property provided the difficulty or hardship is not caused by the act or omission of the applicant, or 2. The requested variance will promote or maintain the general purpose of the standard for which the variance is sought and will be equal to or better than the standard, or 3. The requested variance will diverge from the standard only in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered in the context of property in the vicinity of the subject land or structure. B. Granting the variance will not result in a substantial adverse impact on other properties in the vicinity of the subject land or structure or be a detriment to the public good. C. Granting the variance will not substantially impair the intent and purpose of the land use code and master plan. D. The recommendations of referral agencies have been considered. The scaled drawing should show all pertinent information, including but not limited to the following: Required setback and proposed setback; labeled as such Property lines with dimensions labeled Existing structures labeled as existing Proposed structures labeled as proposed Any structures to be removed or replaced. Distances between proposed structures and property lines labeled Distances between proposed and existing structures labeled Road rights-of-way Easements (access, drainage, utility or any other easement) Septic, well and utility locations (if applicable) Streams, lakes, drainages, ditches and other natural or man-made features Title of the request (Example: Smith Setback Variance) North arrow and scale used for drawing (1 =100, 1 = ½, etc.) Any other information relevant to the variance request 4 Zoning Variance Administrative
1. 10% Variance - section 4.6.7.C The required side setback for this property is 20 feet. The property owner is proposing an 18' setback (2' is a 10% variance) 180' 85' SAMPLE SCALED P D rop R ose A d W set I b N ack G 18 S ft Required setback 20 ft 90' proposed dwelling 38' driveway 98' FRANKLIN ROAD 32' North Scale: 1 in = 100 ft 10' utility easement 138' 2. Setback for 'non-conforming' buildings from County Roads section 4.6.7.B The required setback from this County Road 'ROW centerline' is 100'. The property owner is proposing an addition to a 'non-conforming' building that will be 80' from the ROW centerline. 370' 88' 40' detached garage 130' 100' required setback 88' 'non- conforming' existing North Scale: 1 in = 60 ft dwelling proposed addition 80' 75' driveway COUNTY ROAD (major collector) 100' required setback 175' center line of County Road right-of-way 3. Setback from streams, creeks and rivers section 4.6.7.A The required setback from the centerline of a creek is 100'. The property owner is proposing a setback for a pole barn that will be 50' from the creek centerline. North Scale: 1 in = 100 ft 300' 25' 50' proposed pole barn 140' 180' creek centerline 150' 50' existing dwelling driveway 38' 5 Zoning Variance Administrative
SAMPLE NEIGHBOR NOTICE (Property Owner Name) Setback Variance, Neighbor Notification Property Location: (include address, major cross streets, other relevant information) Hello, My name is (property owner name) and I am applying for a setback Variance with Larimer County. I would like to (describe project here, include what is proposed, what is existing, what (if anything) is being removed, what the required setback is, what the proposed setback is, where the property is and where the construction will be occurring on the property). This notice is being sent to you because you have property adjacent to or near the proposed project. Please review the information that I have included (property owners should include a site map, project description and any other pertinent information with this letter) and call or email me with questions at (phone number, email). Written comments may be submitted to the Larimer County Planning Department at the information listed below. Any comments provided should be received by (2 weeks from date of letter). For further information please contact: Larimer County Planning Department (Planner s Name) PO Box 1190, Fort Collins, CO 80522 Phone: (Planner s phone number) Email: (Planner s email address) Fax: 970-498-7711 Please note: The list of residents for this mailing is derived from the official records of the Larimer County Assessor to identify property owners. Because of lag time between filing deeds and home occupancy or rental situations, a few affected property owners may have been missed. Please feel free to notify your neighbors about this proposal. 6 Zoning Variance Administrative
Planning Department 200 W. Oak Street, 3 rd Floor Fort Collins, CO 80521 (970) 498-7683 larimer.org/planning Development Review Process 1041 Appeal Add-on Agreement Amended Plat Boundary Line Adjustment Condominium Map Review Extended Family Dwelling Farmstead Location & Extent Lot Consolidation Minor Land Division Minor Special Review Nonconformities Plat Vacation Public Site Plan Rezoning ROW or Easement Vacation Site Plan Review Special Exception Special Review Variance Wireless Facility Other: Application Phase What process phase are you applying for? Admin Review Sketch Plan Review Public Hearing Location & Extent PC Review Page 5 All applications must be complete. To be complete, the application must include all items identified on the submittal requirement checklist. Any application which is not complete will not be accepted, processed, or scheduled for review. Property Owner Mailing Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: Email (required): Property Owner Mailing Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: Email (required): Applicant Company (if applicable) General Company Email (required): Applicant Contact Info Mailing Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: Email (required): Engineer/Surveyor Mailing Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: Email (required): PROJECT IDENTIFICATION (list all parcel # s that pertain to the project) Signatures required by ALL Property Owners and the Applicant I hereby certify that I am the lawful owner of the parcel(s) of land that this application concerns and consent to the action. I hereby permit county officials to enter upon the property for the purposes of inspection relating to the application. Building Permits will not be accepted while this application is in process. Property Owner(s) Printed Name Property Owner(s) Signature Property Owner(s) Printed Name Property Owner(s) Signature In submitting the application materials and signing this application agreement, I acknowledge and agree that the application is subject to the applicable processing and public hearing requirements set forth in the Larimer County Land Use Code (which can be viewed at larimer.org ) Applicant Signature LCPP-108 July 25, 2003
THIS SECTION IS FOR PLANNING STAFF TO COMPLETE AT THE PRE-APPLICATION CONFERENCE PROJECT SITE INFORMATION Project Case Number: Project Address (if available): _ Assessor s Parcel Numbers (list all parcels that pertain to the project): Pre-Application Conference Planner: Pre-Application Conference attended by: Proposed Request: Plan Area (if applicable): Lot Size(s): Related Files: Setback Information: Zoning Setbacks: Highway or County Road Setback(s): Streams, Creeks or Rivers Setback(s): Other Setbacks: Building Envelope? Utilities: Water: Sewer: Fire: Current Zoning: Any Additional Information: Received By: Sign Given: Paid $: Check #: