Planning Month

October is National Planning Month! Take a moment to learn more about the Planning and Community Development Departments at the Town of Berthoud with some answers to our most frequently asked questions below.
Street Sunrise
What is planning?
  • Planning is the method used to guide future growth of Berthoud.
  • While there are many different definitions and aspects of planning, it can generally be defined as process of creating and implementing long-range development plans, managing land use, and ensuring that development aligns with the community’s goals and values.
  • Quite simply, the Town has master plans. The values and vision found in these master plans are used to create rules which all future development needs to follow.
Why do we plan?
  • The American Planning Association outlines three primary purposes for planning:
    1. Helping to create communities of lasting value
    2. Offering better choices for where and how people work and live
    3. Engaging citizens, businesses, and civic leaders to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people’s lives
What do planners do? What are our roles?
  • The Planning Department guides developers on how future developments should look and function.
  • Planners, engineers and landscape architects review project proposals submitted by developers to make sure they have followed the guidelines found in the regulations and master plans.
  • Planners, engineers and landscape architects review project proposals submitted by developers to make sure the proposed project minimizes impacts to the Town infrastructure, roads and adjacent properties.
  • The Planning Department oversees development, annexation proposals, zoning requests, and site-specific development projects.
  • The Department is responsible for creating, reviewing, and administering plans and studies that provide a framework for the future of Berthoud.
What tools do planners use at the Town of Berthoud?
  • We use the Land Development Code, Comprehensive Plan, and Master Plans approved by the Town Board of Trustees. These documents were created with input from thousands of town residents, work from numerous consultants and Town Staff members. Every staff decision is based on the policies established by the Town Board.
In general, how does the land use process work?
  • We always meet with a developer before they apply to help determine if their project is a good candidate for the Town of Berthoud. Many departments are present at these pre-application meetings, from Planning and Engineering to Water Utilities and Economic Development. Developers are encouraged to understand the Town’s vision and goals as well as the application requirements. Berthoud might not be right for every Developer because we do have high standards and expectations.
  • Once they apply, the project is sent out for review to our own Town Staff, as well as referral agencies like Xcel, CDOT, Thompson School District, Berthoud Fire Protection District, and many more. These professionals give comments on the project that the developer must address before moving forward.
  • Sometimes, this process goes quickly, and other times, it may take years and several rounds of review to complete. Once all comments have been addressed, the project is ready for a decision of approval, approval with conditions, or denial by the governing body.
What parts of community development are the Planning Department responsible for, and what parts are they not responsible for?
  • The Planning Department is responsible for evaluating projects and procedures based on the criteria established in the Land Development Code, Comprehensive Plans, and Master Plans and engineering specs and standards. These documents are available on our website any time, here (link).
  • The Town cannot directly dictate what happens on a particular property. We can provide guidelines as to what could be proposed, but we cannot take someone’s development rights away. However, we can guide property owners and developers through our development process and hold everyone accountable for site design such as landscaping and architectural standards