Intergovernmental Agreement with Larimer County

The City of Loveland and Larimer County have had an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) since 1980.  The IGA is principally used to govern development within the City’s Growth Management Area (GMA), which is the area the City anticipates annexing and providing with urban services.  Late in 2008 the Community & Strategic Planning Division of the City contacted Larimer County to begin the process of updating the IGA.

Planning Areas and Summary of IGA

Below are the three planning areas and the major provisions of the IGA that apply in each area.  These Planning Areas are defined and mapped in the City's Comprehensive Plan which can be viewed through the following link:  Land Use Plan Boundaries.  Final negotiations have included changes to the adopted GMA boundary in the Southeast region to better reflect Larimer County's expectations regarding areas that will be urbanized.  These areas, though, may still be included as future areas for annexation in the City's Comprehensive Plan.

Growth Management Area:

• Development proposals with any contiguity are referred to the City to determine eligibility for annexation.

• City’s Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Plan applies as the guide for development. 

• If not annexed, supplementary regulations based on the City’s Land Use Plan are used to determine permitted uses, and development standards, based on the City's Zoning Code, are applied to bridge the “gap” between City and County standards.  This is done to ensure future compatibility when the area is eventually annexed and surrounded by urban development.

• The IGA sets the stage for possible coordination of ACFs/CEFs, after additional study.

Cooperative Planning Area: 

CPAs are areas of special concern that the City and County will cooperatively plan.  Until a cooperative plan is developed, the County’s Master Plan applies in this area and any development proposals are referred to the City staff for comment.

Community Influence Area: 

Development in the CIA may influence development in the City, and the IGA requires that development proposals within this area be referred to the City staff for comment.