Community Development and Planning Training Opportunities

The Community Development Office provides technical assistance and training services to communities through a series of workshops and recorded webinars related to land use planning, economic development, and sustainable community development.

The Community Development Office provides planning refresher trainings to a limited number of municipalities and counties locally by request. These Planning Refresher sessions provide a general overview for planning commissioners and elected boards, this brief workshop is helpful for both new and long-time officials. The agenda can be tailored to fit your specific needs, but typically includes the following elements:

• Planning Authority and Enabling Legislation
• The Role of the Planning Commission in Relation to Elected Officials and Staff
• Long Range Planning and Implementation Tools
• Effective Meetings and the Decision Making Process
• Legal and Ethical Review (ex parte contacts, conflicts of interest, etc.)

The session usually takes two hours depending on the agenda. View the Virtual Planning Refresher webinar. Please contact KC McFerson with any questions or to request a Planning Refresher workshop in your area.

Housing Peer Exchange

The Community Development Office is hosting a monthly peer exchange series for local governments working on affordable housing strategies and land use issues. Each month will feature a different topic with presentations from selected Colorado communities, with ample time allowed for questions and discussion.

This interactive virtual series will take place on the third Thursday of each month from 9 to 10 a.m. Register for the series to add the Zoom event to your calendar and receive updates about future scheduled topics. Upcoming and previous events are listed below with links to the videos and presentations.

Next Meeting

November 21, 2024
Topic: Template Land Development Code
DOLA has released the new Template Land Development Code (formerly known as the Model Land Use Code). This session will feature Don Elliott of Clarion Associates and DJ Enderle of the City of Monte Vista. Please come prepared to discuss your community’s land use code or development related topics.
Register Now

Previous Meetings

October 2024: Transit and Mobility Outside the Urban Core

• The Alto in Westminster
• Fraser Workforce Housing and Multimodal Transportation
• Resource Notes

September 2024: Fast Tracking Affordable Housing through Zoning Policies recording

• Presentation featuring the Town of Erie and City of Trinidad

August 2024: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) recording

• Grand Junction Presentation
• Summit County ADU Program

July 2024: Incentive Programs recording

• Colorado Springs presentation
• Longmont presentation

June 2024: Housing Authorities recording

• Southeast Colorado Regional Housing Authority

May 2024: Software Solutions for Expedited Review recording

Webinars and Trainings

The Community Development Office has a series of recorded webinars on land use and community planning topics.

2018 Planning for Hazards Webinar Series
Logan Sand (DOLA)

Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places: Taking Action in Colorado
Anne Miller, David Morley, Darcie White, and Erin Fosdick
1 hour

Why Planners are Critical to Achieving Resilience
Andrew Rumbach
1 hour and 23 minutes

Chairing and Participating in Public Meetings
Gerald Dahl
20 minutes

Planning for Hazards
Anne Miller &, Tareq Wafaie
42 minutes

Integrating Hazards into the Comprehensive Plan
Logan Sand, Tareq Wafaie, Rachel Bacon, and Karen Berchtold
58 minutes

Additional Online Training Resources

Planetizen Courses offer a wealth of online planning and community development training topics to choose from. If you want to round out your planning knowledge, this is a good place to start.