Potential Code Amendment for Temporary Conditional Use Permits

A recent meeting document Idaho Springs - Planning Commission Meeting and Work Session Packet - 2026-06-04 indicates a future potential acquisition The Planning Commission is discussing a potential change to Sec. 21-105 of the Idaho Springs Municipal Code (ISMC) concerning Conditional Use Permits (CUPs) to establish standards to approve a temporary conditional use. Staff have had conversations with multiple property owners over the past few months who are looking to engage in a temporary use on their property for a particular term, rather than establishing a permanent use on the property that runs with the land. The city’s attorneys have suggested that the city modify Sec. 21-105 to create the ability for the governing body to determine whether an approved use should run with the land, is personal to the applicant and would expire if the property were to sell, is transferable (or not), or of a definite duration. This would give the city express authority to determine whether a conditional use is appropriate forever, or only for a set period as conditioned in the approval. If adopted, this code amendment could create opportunities for consulting services to assist with drafting, legal review, and implementation of new code language, as well as technology solutions for tracking and managing temporary permits.