Department of Community Development
Reference: Comprehensive Plan Update
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Chair Mark Rawlings and Members of the Planning Commission
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared by: Summer McCann, AICP, Senior Planner
Amanda Diaz, Associate Planner
Hampton Moore, Planning Technician
Date Prepared: April 28, 2026
PURPOSE
Update the City Council and the Planning Commission on progress made on the Comprehensive Plan’s Future Land Use Map draft before community engagement window three begins.
PROCESSES
Per the Land Use and Development Code Section 1.03B, the Planning Commission is responsible for overseeing long range planning and the Comprehensive Plan decisions and recommendations. The Comprehensive Plan is also subject to ratification by City Council. For long range cooperative purposes, there may be joint planning sessions to understand all recommendations and decisions pertaining to the Comprehensive Plan.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
A major component of a Comprehensive Plan is the creation of a future land use map. This map guides development throughout the city for the next 10 to 15 years and is utilized with all land use applications in the City of Brighton. Staff conducted meetings with the Development Review Committee (DRC) directors, the Economic Development Corporation and City Management to ensure plan coordination.
In previous discussions with the City Council and the Planning Commission, guidance was provided to create a plan that is flexible to fluctuations in market conditions, new technologies, and other unforeseen future developments. To this end, many of the proposed changes in this future land use map draft are designed to add greater flexibility and ensure that property owners are not overly restricted by this plan. Below is a list of larger changes that were made from the existing future land use map. Additional details and further justification of these changes will be discussed at the June 9, 2026, Joint Study Session.
Major changes in this future land use map draft:
• Most undeveloped sites within the City are now designated as “Mixed Use.” This category is intended to provide maximum flexibility to respond to market demands, demographic shifts, and evolving housing needs over time. Parameters will be established to ensure that higher-density housing is located adjacent to arterial and collector roadways, while lower-density housing is located near established neighborhood areas. Employing these flexible parameters within one “Mixed Use” designation rather than multiple distinct future land use designations will allow for each property to develop without being constrained by strict categories. This designation also allows commercial development at locations with high visibility.
• Existing residential developments where significant change is not anticipated will now be designated as “Neighborhood Residential.” These areas represent the foundation of Brighton’s housing stock and are intended to maintain neighborhood character while allowing for gradual evolution over time.
• North Brighton is transitioning primarily to an industrial designation. This area is intended to support industrial production, logistics, and other employment-generating uses that build upon existing development patterns while leveraging access to Highway 85 and existing rail infrastructure.
• Northwest and southeast Brighton will be classified under a “Special Study Area” designation. There has been interest in developing these areas of Brighton for years, but expanding utilities and road systems to this area may prove challenging. Additionally, with the changes proposed in the future land use map, Brighton will have an abundance of unbuilt residential, commercial, and industrial land within reasonable extension of utilities, excluding these “Special Study Areas.” As a result, development proposals in these areas will be considered only if an applicant can demonstrate the ability to meet Brighton’s development standards and provide the necessary utility and infrastructure connections. Applications that satisfy these requirements may then be reviewed by the applicable elected bodies.
• The two previous Industrial designations have been consolidated into a single Industrial category, and the two previous Commercial designations have been consolidated into a single Commercial category. This provides more simplicity and flexibility within these land use categories to better support a range of industrial and commercial uses. This approach allows for review to be more focused on the specific conditions of each site and similar to the Mixed-Use category, includes additional parameters to guide development.
• The existing Agricultural category will remain but will be limited to areas of existing farmland or areas where development is not anticipated within the next 10 to 15 years. Staff is proposing parameters that would allow for some flexibility in development based on infrastructure availability; however, this designation would generally limit development to farmland. Staff is working with the District Planning Commission (DPC) in order to ensure the intent behind the agricultural land use category still aligns with the mission of the District Plan.
• There is a Rural Estate designation proposed for large lot subdivisions that are not annexed into the City. These areas consist of established rural residential subdivisions where staff does not anticipate significant change. Given that these subdivisions exist throughout the City’s growth area, staff has applied a designation that aligns with the existing development pattern but could allow for potential changes if the subdivisions are later annexed into the City.
• A future transit-oriented development (TOD) station is planned north of Bridge Street and 27th Avenue. This area represents an opportunity to support a diverse mix of land uses and housing densities centered around a future transit facility (i.e., bus rapid transit (BRT) station). The intent is to encourage a more connected development pattern that supports transit access and nearby services.
• Similar to the last Comprehensive Plan, South Brighton remains an area of opportunity where staff is encouraging additional housing types and a broader variety of land uses. With new infrastructure connections improving overall access, this area is poised for additional growth. Much of South Brighton has been given a Mixed Use designation to allow for maximum flexibility.
ATTACHMENTS
● Future Land Use Map Draft
● Staff PowerPoint Presentation