Form Based Code

Department of Planning & Community Development
124 10th Street, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 (970) 871-8258
We are here to serve you Monday-Thursday 7:30 A.M. - 5:30 P.M.

As the Steamboat 700 project moves forward towards a request for annexation, discussions have begun as to what type of zoning regulations might be appropriate. One option being explored is a Form Based Code. Form based codes differ from traditional zoning regulations in that they place greater emphasis on building form, placement and street layout than use. One advantage of a form based code is the combination of the flexibility it provides the developer with the predictability it provides the community. A Smartcode is a specific template of a form based code that was created by Duany, Plater-Zyberk and Company (DPZ), designers of over 250 new and existing communities including Seaside, in Walton County, Florida, Prospect, in Longmont, Colorado and Three Springs, in Durango Colorado. To review this template please visit the Department of Planning and Community Development Steamboat 700 is working with Opticos Design Inc., a Berkeley, CA firm that specializes in form based codes. Please contact Senior Planner Jonathan Spence for additional information or to learn more about form based codes.

Below please find links to important documents related to form based codes and the City’s review of the proposed code.