Land Use Entitlements And Municipal Disconnection

Under the act, no later than the effective date of the disconnection of a particular tract of land from a municipality, any vested property rights affecting the land that have been established by law prior to the date that are possessed by the owner of the tract are expired or relinquished.

The act makes any tract of land that has been disconnected from a municipality, whether by means of an ordinance or a court decree, subject to the applicable county's zoning resolution and map and other land development regulations within 90 days after the effective date of the disconnection. The act specifies that any provision of the county's zoning resolution, zoning map, or zoning plan automatically applying a uniform zoning classification to all land that may be disconnected in the future is void and of no effect as to any particular tract of land. The county may institute the procedure specified in the Colorado Revised Statutes in its zoning resolution or zoning plan, or in its other land development regulations to allow the particular tract of land to obtain the necessary land entitlements at any time after the county receives the notice from the municipality regarding enactment of an ordinance disconnecting the tract from the municipality; except that the act prohibits any such zoning resolution, zoning plan, or other land development action from being enacted and made effective until the tract of land has been disconnected from the municipality.

During the 90-day period, or such lesser time as is required to satisfy such requirement, the county may elect not to issue any building or occupancy permit for all or any portion of the land area that is the subject of the disconnection application.

The act permits a county to commence the procedure specified in its own subdivision regulations to subdivide the tract of land that is the subject of the disconnection application at any time after the disconnection has been completed and the ordinance has been filed with the county clerk and recorder; except that the act prohibits the county from making a final decision approving the subdivision until zoning affecting the particular tract of land has been enacted.

In connection with the disconnection process by court decree for statutory cities and statutory towns, respectively, the act requires any disconnected land to be made subject to the applicable county's zoning resolution and map and other land development regulations within 90 days after the effective date of the disconnection.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)