What should I do when I receive a public hearing notice?
 How do I find my property line?
 What is planned for the vacant property near my residence?

A: A public hearing is a process that is intended to provide members of the public an opportunity to bring information to the attention of the Planning Commission and/or the City Council on matters concerning land development or other public interests.  If and when you receive a public hearing notice or see a public hearing sign posted on a property you may:  1) call the phone number listed on the public hearing notice to speak directly with the staff contact for additional information on the project;  2) you may review the application materials on file at the Community Development Department, or other appropriate city department;  3) you may mail, fax (303-665-2153), or email (planning@cityoflafayette.com) your written comments concerning the project or issue to the Community Development Department, or; 4) you may appear before the Planning Commission and/or the City Council to give oral testimony on the day of the public hearing.

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A: There may be surveying stakes or pins on you property which will help locate your properties boundaries.  Subdivision plats show the shape and dimensions of your lot and where survey pins were placed on the ground in your subdivision and are available for review or purchase in the Community Development Department at City Hall.  Surveying pins are usually located at the corners of your property.  In recent years, they typically are ½ inch diameter rebar buried into the ground so you may not find them on the surface of the ground.  The City does not locate property boundaries in the field for residents.  People often ask if their fence is on their property line or how far from the center line of the street is their property.  While fences and center lines of streets may give you a general idea of where your property line is, they are not accurate indicators.  The only accurate way to find property lines is to hire a land surveyor to locate your property’s boundaries.  Land surveyors are listed in the Yellow Pages.

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A: 

The City of Lafayette maintains two (2) maps that guide and direct development. 

The first map, the Comprehensive Plan’s Land Use Plan Map, includes land use designations for property both within the city limits and outside of the city limits within the city’s Urban Growth Boundary.  The land use plan map designates the existing or potential future use of the property as residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, existing or proposed open space, floodplain, etc.  This map is used as a guide by the city in making land use and zoning decisions.  A copy of this map can be viewed online.  A paper copy of the map can be viewed at the Community Development Department at City Hall.  Both the map and the Comprehensive Plan are available for purchase from the Community Development Department or can be downloaded for free from the city’s website. 

The second map, the Zoning District Map, includes zoning district designations for all property within the city limits.  A property’s zoning dictates allowable uses and certain building restrictions.  A copy of this map can be viewed online. This map can also be purchased from the Community Development Department at City Hall.

By using these two maps one can determine what type of land uses are, or might be, allowed on property within the city limits, or on property outside of the city limits but within the Urban Growth Boundary if and when the property was annexed into the City of Lafayette.  For additional information about a specific piece of property, or potential development, please call the Community Development Department at 303-665-5588 extension 3329.

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