Opinion ID: 2636718
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The PUD Act's Platted Public Land Change Provision

Text: The General Assembly has specifically addressed circumstances involving PUD land platted for public use and owned by another political subdivision but no longer necessary for the political subdivision's governmental purpose. See § 24-67-106(3)(b.5). Added by the General Assembly in 2005, subsection (3)(b.5) details the applicable procedure where PUD land has been set aside for a governmental use or purpose as specified in the plan and a governmental entity that holds legal title to the land wishes to subdivide the land, remove or release it from use limitations, or sell it. Ch. 200, sec. 1, § 24-67-106(3)(b.5), 2005 Colo. Sess. Laws 695. The governmental entity may take such actions only after a public hearing and upon approval by the county or municipality and a finding that all or any portion of the land is not reasonably expected to be necessary for a governmental use or purpose or that the governmental use or purpose will be furthered by disposal of the land. § 24-67-106(3)(b.5). Because this provision clearly requires county approval for a change from public ownership and use to non-governmental ownership and/or use within a PUD, the County argues that the General Assembly also must have intended that public entities be subject to county approval for new public projects, such as the new fire station in this case. We disagree. Subsection (3)(b.5) clearly addresses only that circumstance where land owned by another political subdivision within a PUD is no longer needed to serve the public purpose for which the General Assembly created that political subdivision. The legislative history of subsection (3)(b.5) demonstrates that its enactment had nothing to do with the application of the PUD Act's provisions to public entities such that it would negate the location and extent review statutory procedures. Instead, the provision was a direct response to the difficulty faced by public entities in disposing of land within PUDs. See Hearings on H.B. 1032 before the H. Local Gov't Comm., 65th Gen. Assemb., 1st Sess. (Jan. 18, 2005). Representative Ray Rose, the author of the bill adding subsection (3)(b.5), explained the problem as follows: In a planned unit development, if you have [government] land that's designated for a school, or a fire station, or an emergency response entity, within that planned unit development, that land is designated for that and can't be changed, nor moved, nor manipulated in any way, shape, or form, as it is now. And in some cases it becomes apparent or mandatory that that land become moved or traded or other disposal of that land [sic]. Id. (testimony of Rep. Rose). The General Assembly did not intend county approval to be a significant grant of additional authority, but, rather, one of the checks and balances included in the provision to safeguard against its misuse. Id. If anything, the General Assembly intended this provision to limit county authority with respect to PUDs. See Hearings on H.B. 1032 before the S. Local Gov't Comm., 65th Gen. Assemb., 1st Sess. (Mar. 15, 2005). At the sponsor's direction, Pat Ratliff of Colorado Counties Inc. testified in support of the bill before the Senate Local Government Committee: [County authority to amend PUDs] is so broad, and it is so open-ended, that we believe it needed some good-government parameters  like public hearings, like finding that there is a need, like trying to give safeguards to people who buy in that PUD.... I want you to understand, we are not in this legislation, authorizing the [county] commissioners to [amend a PUD].... The court is authorizing this; we're trying to contain it a little bit. Id. (testimony of Pat Ratliff, Colorado Counties Inc.) ( citing Whatley v. Summit County Bd. of County Comm'rs, 77 P.3d 793 (Colo. App.2003), cert. denied No. 03SC387, 2003 WL 22283858 (Oct. 6, 2003), for the broad authority given to counties to amend a PUD).