Community Development Department
Reference: Parks & Open Space Land Use and Development Code Amendments
To: Mayor Gregory Mills, Members of City Council, and Members of the Planning Commission
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Shawn Weiman, Affordable Housing Coordinator
Kyle Sylvester, Asst. Director of Parks and Open Space
Date Prepared: May 27, 2026
PURPOSE
To introduce conceptual amendments to the City of Brighton (the "City") Land Use & Development Code (the "Code") regarding regulations of parks and open space that will clarify the various parks and open space types, design requirements, and dedication requirements.
BACKGROUND
While drafting the Code amendments that were introduced during the City Council and Planning Commission study sessions on October 14, 2025 and November 13, 2025 respectively, Staff found further potential Code amendments specific to parks and open space.
The Code identifies parks and open space as "open and civic space," which is inconsistent with the commonly accepted term "parks and open space" and confuses developers and new staff members. Also, "open and civic space" often gets conflated with "site-specific open space," which is the area of a lot free of structures and certain other improvements. Additionally, the parks and open space requirements in the Code are not fully aligned with those in the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. Lasty, in response to reoccurring developer feedback and considering ongoing housing affordability initiatives, the amount of required open space dedication was examined.
STAFF ANALYSIS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Code amendments could be drafted that address the identified issues by renaming, rewriting, and reorganizing regulations related to parks and open space. Specifically:
1. "Open and Civic Space" can be renamed "Parks and Open Space" to align with City signage, the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, the Comprehensive Plan, and to the industry standard;
2. "Site-Specific Open Sp...
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