Overview
The Los Alamos County Downtown Master Plans & Development Code Update project is divided into two phases. In Phase 1, two Downtown Master Plans will be created for White Rock and Los Alamos. In Phase 2, Chapter 16 of the Los Alamos County Development Code will be updated. While Phase 1 is restricted to the County’s established downtown areas areas, Phase 2 will consider the entire County and revise the Development Code as appropriate.
The goal of Phase 1 is to develop a long-term vision for the two downtown areas that addresses the form and design of the built environment, parking, neighborhood protections, sustainability, and development density amongst others. Each plan will identify downtown-specific goals and implementation strategies which will be considered in Phase 2. Some strategies will be implemented through development standards, others will go beyond what a development code can achieve and will be implemented through other means. The Downtown Master Plans will be adopted as an amendment to the County’s existing Comprehensive Plan. As part of the Comprehensive Plan, the Downtown Master Plans serve to identify a vision for future growth.
The goal of Phase 2 is to analyze and revise Chapter 16, the Development Code of the Los Alamos Municipal Code, which applies to all land located within the County boundaries. The goal of this phase is to increase efficiency, create greater transparency, allow desired development to occur, and implement national best practices
What the Project is
- Create two district master plans for White Rock and Downtown Los Alamos.
- Creates a long-term vision for future growth to be adopted as part of the Comprehensive Plan with associated goals and strategies.
- Develops high-level goals and strategies for growth, density, building form and design, parking, connectivity, infrastructure, transportation, neighborhood protections, sustainability and economic development amongst others. These strategies will be implemented through a variety of actions including in the Phase 2, Development Code Update.
- The project team will coordinate with key stakeholders, businesses and organizations (e.g LANL & NMDOT) to address Los Alamos’ unique challenges.
- Comprehensive update of the Chapter 16 Development Code.
- Will address existing challenges with Chapter 16 and revise standards and procedures to increase efficiency, create greater transparency, allow desired development to occur, and implement National Best Practices.
- Will address zoning districts, use regulations and development standards for items like landscaping, signage, architecture, parking, and procedures and enforcements.
- Will incorporate recommendations for Phase 1 within the Downtown Overlay District, as appropriate.
- Goals and strategies will be established with the community during the public engagement phase of this project based on existing goals in the Comprehensive Plan.
What the Project is not
Does not address the entire County, only downtown areas.
Does not address short-term challenges. A downtown master plan is not zoning, though it will provide guidance on how to update the development code (zoning).
- While this project looks at a wide range of topics, it is a high-level master planning document, and is not an engineering report. Strategies for infrastructure improvements, for example, will be proposed but the specific details would be determined under other County initiatives or projects such as the Capital Improvement Plan.
- Does not address other chapters of the Los Alamos Municipal Code such as Chapter 10 or 18.
- Does not address short-term challenges but creates a more resilient development framework to respond to future challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
For questions concerning this project please email: ryan.foster@lacnm.us
Q: What’s the scope of the project?
The Downtown Master Plans & Code Update is a two-phased project. In Phase 1, two Downtown Master Plans for White Rock and downtown Los Alamos are created, in Phase 2 the County’s Chapter 16 Development Code is updated (code update).
Q: What does Phase 1 of the project include?
In Phase 1, two Downtown Master Plans are created for White Rock and Downtown Los Alamos. These master plans are restricted to the respective downtown boundaries, which are outlined in the Comprehensive Plan, but are subject to change as appropriate. The master plans will be adopted as an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and serve as a long-term vision for growth with associated goals and strategies to implement this vision for the downtown areas.
Q: What does Phase 2 of the project include?
Phase 2 will revise the Chapter 16 Development Code. Chapter 16 establishes the zoning and development standards of all properties located within the County. The goal of this update is to increase efficiency, create greater transparency, allow desired development to occur and implement national best practices.
Q: Will the property maintenance nuisance article of chapter 18 be addressed as part of this project?
A: The nuisance article of Chapter 18 is outside of the scope of this project and will be addressed through a separate process. Council has discussed an RFP to address Chapter 18 at a Council Meeting in July and will proceed to update this Chapter.
Q: How will increased spatial need for social distancing in retail be accommodated?
A: Phase 1, the Downtown Master Plans, are high-level, visioning documents which will be adopted as an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. As high-level documents, the Master Plans will include a vision, goals and strategies for both downtown areas which predominantly address the long-term, future growth of downtown. Short-term strategies to address impacts of current issues like COVID can be addressed by including strategies in the Downtown Master Plans that direct appropriate agencies to identify emergency business resources.
Q: Are there strategies for retail rent control to allow lower rents in downtown areas?
A: In Phase 1, the project team and community will identify opportunities and challenges related to the downtown areas. Based on what the community identifies as a challenge, strategies will be developed to address them. If retail rents are identified as a community priority, strategies related to rent control could be explored including, for example, inclusionary zoning techniques within the Phase 2 Code Update.
Q: Will existing neighborhood protection from incompatible uses be considered?
A: The Phase 2 Code Update will explore and incorporate National Best Practices for neighborhood protections, as appropriate, to ensure the overall protection of established single-family neighborhoods.
Q: Will this project help develop strategies to provide more affordable / missing middle housing?
A: The Comprehensive Plan calls for increased housing density in the downtown areas. If this goal is confirmed in Phase 1, strategies to increase housing within the downtown areas will be developed. In Phase 2, these strategies will be translated into regulatory standards as deemed appropriate.
Q: Is this project addressing necessary infrastructure improvements like the need for broadband?
A: Phase 1 includes a high-level analysis of the existing infrastructure within the downtown areas. However, due to the nature of master planning, it is considered high-level only and will not generate a detailed report about the shortcomings of the existing infrastructure. Nonetheless, it will generate recommendations and strategies to address infrastructure challenges through a variety of channels.
Q: Is this project addressing challenges to redevelop the existing housing stock?
A: In Phase 2 the existing development standards will be revised to address challenges that the community, stakeholders and the County
have identified. Critical community issues, such as the ability to redevelop existing housing, will be examined and strategies to address it will be developed.
Q: As areas redevelop, there is a need for better / green construction. Will Chapter 10 be addressed as part of this project?
As part of Phase 1, the goal for more sustainable development practices can be included; however, revising Chapter 10 is not part of either Phase 1 or Phase 2.
Q: Accessory dwelling units are permitted in some residential districts in the County. In some areas they are not suitable and should not be permitted. Will this project address this issue?
A: In Phase 2 the existing development standards will be revised to address challenges that the community, stakeholders and the County
have identified. This issue will be examined and strategies to address it will be developed.
Q: Is street design/redesign to improve pedestrian movement within the downtown area part of this project?
A: In Phase 1, the existing infrastructure including sidewalks and roadways will be examined. If there are deficiencies, Phase 1 will include proposed strategies to address them. If applicable, those strategies in the form of development standards can be implemented in Phase 2.
Q: Will parking be addressed as part of this project?
A: Parking strategies will be developed for the downtown areas to better utilize the existing land and enhance walkability. In Phase 2 the existing zone districts will be analyzed and revised as appropriate.
Q: What type of zoning is appropriate for the downtown areas?
A: In Phase 1 different zoning types will be evaluated that are appropriate to achieve the goals of the downtown master plans with recommendations for a preferred zoning strategy. In Phase 2, the existing zone districts will be analyzed and revised as appropriate.
Q: Will the project offer public participation events throughout Phase 1 and 2?
A: As of now, most of the public participation events will be offered virtually. There will be opportunities to participate throughout Phase 1 and 2. A project website www.losalamosconnect.org has been established to inform the public about outreach events, distribute project information and updates and provide opportunities for engagement. All outreach events will be advertised in advance through local news media using ads and press releases, as well as social media such as Facebook and Next Door. Meetings will also be announced in the Friday County Line email newsletter, available by clicking on the Subscribe to Newsletter link at the bottom of the County’s website www.losalamosnm.us
Q: How is social media employed for public outreach?
A: The County and project team will employ a variety of tools to inform the public of the project and solicit input. Social media will primarily be used to target different user groups to distribute information about the project and encourage people to participate. It is anticipated that the County will use it’s Open Forum survey tool, already in place, and that links to surveys will be shared out through social media, as well as the traditional channels described above.