Land Planning & Entitlement

Littleton's Main Street with the Courthouse in the background.

Thank you for choosing Littleton!

We are excited to work with you to help make our City a better place.

Many projects in Littleton require a planning process prior to building permit applications being accepted or issued. New commercial construction, or additions to existing commercial, often require a site plan or plan amendment. New multi-family construction, and new residential development of one or more single-family attached/duplex homes or duplexes, will likewise need a site plan or plan amendment. Some projects require a conditional use or rezoning before development can begin.

Below you will find more information on the plans and regulations that guide development in Littleton, our development process, development applications and required formatting, and current and recent projects in the City. Reach out to a Littleton planner with any additional questions!

Ready to get started?

Most development applications that need a planning review start with a pre-application, and before the first submittal, a neighborhood meeting. You must apply for pre-application meetings in eTrakit; available meeting times are scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis. Find more information on those processes below:

Pre-Application Meetings

Pre-Application Meetings

Pre-Application meetings are required for some cases types, including but not limited to major plan amendments, site plans, and master development plans. A pre-application meeting benefits the applicant by giving them the opportunity to present basic information to staff representatives from the Community Development, Public Works, and Fire Departments. The applicant will receive general comments on the feasibility of the plan, the process(es), submittal requirements and fees required to process and review the plan.

To request a pre-application meeting, applicants should log in to the Littleton eTRAKiT Portal. Staff will review the meeting request and schedule the pre-application meeting. Pre-Application meetings are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Meetings are held on Thursday mornings at either 8:45 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. and are limited to one hour. The applicant and the project contacts will receive an emailed meeting invitation with additional details regarding meeting location or instructions for a virtual meeting.

Include at least the three following documents in your pre-application meeting request

  • Letter of Intent
  • Authorization from Property owner
  • Proposed Site Plan

For more information, or to ask questions about previously submitted pre-application meeting requests, speak with a planner at 303-734-8076, or email DRT@littletongov.org.

 

Neighborhood Meetings

When are Neighborhood Meetings required?  

Presenter at a podium leading a community meeting.

Neighborhood Meetings are required at two different times during the development review process. The first is prior to a formal application and the second is after staff’s first review comments have been received by the applicant . 

What Types of Applications require a neighborhood meeting?

  • Amendment to the Future Land Use & Character Map
  • Annexation 
  • Conditional Use Permit
  • Designation of Historic Landmarks & Districts
  • Major Plan Amendment
  • Master Development Plan 
  • Rezoning or Zoning Map Amendment
  • Site Plan
  • Vacation of Street(s) 

What type of Public Notice is required? 

The only type of notice needed for a neighborhood meeting is a mailed notice which must be postmarked 10 days prior to the Neighborhood Meeting . City staff is responsible for creating and mailing the notice via United States Postal Service (USPS) to all addresses, units, and property owners located within 700 feet of the subject property. If a common interest association has over 10 units, then notification shall be sent to the association's designee. Applicants are responsible for payment of the postcards which is $0.30 per postcard as of October 1st, 2022, in addition to current first-class postage for a 5x7 card.

How do I schedule a Neighborhood Meeting? 

To schedule a Neighborhood Meeting, coordinate with your assigned City Planner or contact planning staff at 303-734-8076 or DRT@littletongov.org. Staff will need to know the following details at least three weeks prior to the proposed meeting: 

  • Date/Time of the Neighborhood Meeting (Staff will help avoid public hearing dates) 
  • Meeting Location or Virtual Link 
  • Proposed project location 
  • A concise, one to two sentence, project description which includes the purpose of the meetings (such as to inform neighbors about your proposal and solicit feedback
  • (Optional and Recommended) Project website with additional information 
  • Important note: neighborhood meetings within 700 ft of residential properties must be held during the week in the evening. Planning staff will work with you to determine a suitable date.

What is required of applicants during and after a Neighborhood Meeting? 

Applicants are required to plan for an engaging neighborhood meeting that invites public input.  Suggested elements include but are not limited to 1) a project overview and general information about the application review process; 2) engage in an interactive question/answer period; 3) provide information on next steps and how to access project information. Applicants are encouraged to use a variety of interactive tools to increase engagement  such as surveys, polls, breakout rooms, etc. The applicant shall prepare a written summary of the meeting that includes a list of meeting attendees, a summary of attendee comments, and a follow up report identifying action items and/or modifications resulting from public input.