In the last few weeks we have gone over who I am, the timeline of the Land Use Code rewrite and one of the most important aspects of Land Development in Fort Collins, the Growth Management Area. 

Given what we know now, it’s time to meet the stakeholders. 

Citizen Groups

The most prominent stakeholder in this debate are Fort Collins residents. Decisions that are made in the Land Use Code affect citizens the most and arguably they have the most power here, considering one group was able to petition the repeal of the Land Development Code.
The two citizen groups of interest are Preserve Fort Collins, the opposition group to the Land Use Code and Foco Housing now, the group supporting the Land Development Code. 

Preserve Fort Collins came in response to what they thought was a lack of communication and outreach by the city in regards to the Land Use Code rewrite. According to their website, their mission is to preserve Fort Collins’ high quality of life for all residents. 

Preserve Fort Collins led a citizen petition drive to overturn the Land Development Code. They collected 6,447 valid signatures while they only needed 4,228. The petition requires the City of Fort Collins to repeal Ordinance No. 114, 2022, also known as the Land Development Code. 

The other citizen group is FoCo Forward, the group that is supportive of the Land Development Code. 

FoCo Forward supports the Land Use Code and the group was created to educate the community in a non-partisan fact based manner, according to their website. 

FoCo Forward was founded by city council member Julie Pignataro and Mayor Pro Tem Emily Francis. 

An interesting difference between the two groups is the endorsements that they have. Foco Forward has the endorsements of groups like Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity, Poudre Education Association and Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce. 

On the other hand, Preserve Fort Collins has the endorsements of former city council members such as former Mayor Doug Hutchison, former Mayor and City Councilmember Ray Martinez, and former City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, Ross Cunniff, to name a few.

Another group to keep in mind is the Associated Students of Colorado State University. ASCSU is currently lobbying the City to change its U+2 ordinance and while their work does not necessarily relate to the Land Development Code, it relates to housing and thus they need to be included in this group. 

Housing Industry

The housing industry is an umbrella group for many different groups here. I consider the housing industry to be groups like the Northern Colorado’s Home Builders Association, The Fort Collins Board of Realtors and the Noco Rental Housing Association. 

Faster permitting for building and more spaces to rent out are definitely something that these groups are interested in. 

City of Fort Collins

Ultimately, the City of Fort Collins has to do something in regards to the Land Use Code. Leaving the code as it is likely will not address the affordable housing crisis the City faces, thus they are left to find a solution.

In the end, the City is being forced to go back to the drawing board and try again with the Land Use Code. The stakeholders are the Fort Collins residents who need places to live, the industries that relate to housing and the City of Fort Collins. 

As always, feel free to reach me at michael.stella@colostate.edu or @Michaelstella_.