Fort Collins panel recommends against safe parking in every zone

The Fort Collins Planning and Zoning Commission recommended against a land-use change that would allow licensed safe-parking sites for people sleeping in vehicles in every city zoning district.

Public open houses were scheduled for Monday and Thursday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Northside Auslan Center, staff said. Invitations were mailed to neighbors near sites interested in applying for a license, but the meetings are open to the public, staff said. The safe-parking item is scheduled for City Council on Nov. 3, though staff had not decided whether to send the land-use change with the commission’s recommendation against it. Council could still approve the change; if it does not go forward, later action on the other code changes would depend on subsequent authorization of land-use changes, staff said.

Commissioners objected to the proposal’s timing and questioned whether licensing would ensure sites fit their surroundings. A commissioner who supported safe parking said the rushed timetable and unknown licensing details made the proposal impossible to support at that meeting. Citing public trust and uncertainty about program details, the commission asked Council to seek more input and develop licensing rules before changing the municipal, traffic and land-use codes. The proposal “allows it in every zone district without requiring site-specific land use code compatibility review,” Chair Adam Sass said.

A resident asked for minimum distances between sites and houses or schools and worried about the rushed timetable and unsettled operating details. “I'm more confused and have more concerns and more questions than I had before I came,” the resident said. A pastor at First United Methodist Church said conversations with neighbors underscored the need for clear expectations for hosts, careful site planning and ways to raise and address concerns. Safe parking would not solve homelessness, but it could give people sleeping in vehicles a lawful place to sleep and some stability, the pastor said.

Staff proposed allowing licensed safe-parking sites in every city zoning district, citing the citywide allowance for nonprofit uses and parking available at many buildings. The initial outline called for hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and a maximum of seven vehicles per site. Staff identified two potential sites and said it could oversee no more than two during the pilot.

Staff described safe parking as a safe place for people experiencing homelessness to sleep overnight in their vehicles. City Council directed staff on Sept. 8 to establish a one-year pilot, staff said. Participants would not be charged for parking, staff confirmed. Proposed eligibility requirements included a background check and a valid driver’s license, among other criteria.

Before the commission’s vote, staff expected the full set of code changes to go to City Council on Nov. 3, though the license application might not be fully developed. Operating conditions such as a pet policy could go in that application and be adjusted as the city learns during the pilot, staff said. The public could comment on the code criteria being developed while staff worked out which details belonged in the license application, staff said.