Page 10 - Littleton, CO Comprehensive Plan

2

• Pursuit of external grant funding to supplement local budgets and/or expedite certain planning and infrastructure
projects.
• Initiatives pursued in conjunction with other public and private partners to leverage resources and achieve successes
neither could accomplish on their own.
Despite these many avenues for action, the Plan should not be considered the solution for every tough problem Littleton
faces. The Plan focuses primarily on the responsibilities of City government in the physical planning arena, where
municipalities have a more direct and extensive role than in other areas that residents value such as education and social
services. Of necessity, long-range plans, as vision and policy documents, also must remain relatively general.

The resulting Plan may not touch on every challenge before the community, but it is meant to set a tone and motivate
concerted efforts to move the community forward in coming years.

CITY AUTHORITY TO PREPARE AND ADOPT PLAN

Through Title 31, Government – Municipal Powers and Functions of Cities and Town, of the Colorado Revised Statutes,
the State of Colorado puts community planning among the core duties of a local planning commission. As stated in C.R.S.
31-23-206: “It is the duty of the commission to make and adopt a master plan for the physical development of the
municipality, including any areas outside its boundaries, subject to the approval of the governmental body having
jurisdiction thereof, which in the commission’s judgment bear relation to the planning of such municipality.”

As in most states, the State of Colorado also identifies a municipality’s comprehensive plan as a key source of guidance
for local development regulations. As stated in C.R.S. 31-23-206, elements in the plan may include recreation and tourism
(required by the state statute), transportation, land use, housing, economic development, parks and open space, capital
improvements, and water supply, among others.
Along with state statutes, the City of Littleton operates under an adopted City Charter and City Code. Title 2, Boards and
Commissions, Chapter 9 of the adopted City Code establishes the Planning Commission. Among the duties itemized, the
Charter requires that the Commission “shall recommend to the city council comprehensive plans to guide future growth
and development within the city which includes, for example, land use, streets and transportation, parks and open space,
pedestrian circulation, and urban design.”

Littleton’s longstanding commitment to planning and community dialogue is exemplified by the many past plans and
studies cited within this Plan. As the newest adopted statement of a unifying community vision and associated guiding
principles, goals, and policies, this Plan replaces any and all Comprehensive Plans previously adopted by the City.
As warranted, City Council may direct the Planning Commission to deliberate and provide recommendations in cases
where any identified or perceived discrepancies between the Plan and previous special area or special purpose plans are
especially pertinent to upcoming decisions involving City policies, priorities, and actions.
PLAN CONTENT OVERVIEW

Comprehensive Plan Topic Areas
While the Existing City Data Book provides background and insights about
Littleton as it is today, the Plan focuses on Littleton as it intends to be in the Land Use and Community
years ahead. These aspirations are presented in topic areas central to Character (L&C)
Littleton’s physical growth and development. Each Plan section contains Housing and Neighborhoods
several common components:
(H&N)
• Legacy of Past Planning. Plans and studies previously developed for Transportation (TMP)
Littleton and vicinity offer insights from the time they were prepared, and Infrastructure and Services (I&S)
provide an essential foundation for this Plan. Economy and Tax Base (E&T)
• Key Issues and Considerations. These reflect input and discussions from Heritage, Arts, Recreation, and
varied Envision Littleton community engagement activities, workshops with Tourism (HART)
City Council and Planning Commission, and interaction with other City Environment (ENV)
boards/commissions, City departments, and partner agencies and Special Areas and Design (S&D)
organizations.
• Framework for Action. The framework is organized in three tiers: (1) Goals,
(2) Policies, and (3) Actions.

Adopted October 15, 2019