Brookmark Financial in Sterling, Colorado wrote this guide for owners planning a lease, a build-out or an expansion inside city limits. Confirm every step with the city before relying on it.
Sterling, CO building department: a checklist for contractors
Under the city's zoning ordinance, the Director of Public Works or a designee receives, reviews and issues building permits, zoning compliance permits and certificates of occupancy, and conducts inspections. For a contractor working inside city limits, the Public Works Department is the building department.
- Confirm the zoning district for the parcel on the Official Zoning Map.
- Get a zoning compliance permit for a new use, a change of use or new construction.
- Apply for the building permit; it can be issued together with the zoning compliance permit.
- Schedule the inspections the permit requires.
- Get the certificate of occupancy before the space is used or its use changes.
Sterling Colorado building code: records a lender may ask a contractor or shop owner for
The zoning ordinance says no building or structure may be erected, moved or structurally altered without a building permit from the Public Works Department, and no land or building may be occupied or changed in use until a certificate of occupancy is issued. The building code editions the city has adopted are set by city ordinance; ask Public Works which editions apply to a project.
A business putting up a shop or an office building inside city limits may be asked by a lender for the building permit, the approved plans, inspection records and the certificate of occupancy. Outside city limits, Logan County handles planning and building questions; confirm with the county office.
Business for sale Sterling, CO and a retail store loan request
Buying an existing business in Sterling, CO usually means taking over its building or its lease. Before the purchase, check that the current use matches the zoning district and that the building has a certificate of occupancy for that use. A store that has operated for years may be a legal nonconforming use, which the ordinance treats under its own rules; expanding it can raise questions.
The 2023 County Business Patterns count 89 retail employers in Logan County, CO. A buyer's loan request reads better with the zoning and occupancy questions answered.
Zoning questions to settle before a Sterling, CO contractor signs a lease
- Is the intended use permitted in the district, or is it a conditional use?
- Does the building have a certificate of occupancy for that use?
- What parking, signage and fence rules apply to the lot?
- Will any change of use or structural work need a zoning compliance permit and a building permit?
- Who pays for work the city requires, the landlord or the tenant?
A contractor storing equipment and materials on a lot should ask how the district treats outdoor storage. The Light Industrial district requires operations, including storage, to be enclosed; the Heavy Industrial district allows outside storage (Sterling zoning ordinance, Chapter II).
Permit-file documents a lender may ask an accounting office for
- The lease, with the permitted use stated.
- The zoning compliance permit and building permit for the build-out.
- The contractor's bid and the approved plans.
- The certificate of occupancy once work is done.
- Any conditional use approval and its conditions.
An accounting office build-out is a modest project, but a partner pricing it may still ask for these papers to confirm the space can be used as planned.
The eleven zoning districts on the Official Zoning Map of Sterling, CO
The ordinance establishes these districts: R-1 Low Density Residential, R-2 Medium Density Residential, R-3 High Density Residential, MH Mobile Home, MS Medical Services, NB Neighborhood Business, CB Community Business, CBD Central Business District, LI Light Industrial, HI Heavy Industrial and OS Open Space. District boundaries on the Official Zoning Map follow lot lines or the center lines of streets, alleys and railroads, and changes to the boundaries are made by ordinance.
Neighborhood Business areas provide for administrative and professional services and limited personal services oriented toward residential neighborhoods (Sterling zoning ordinance, Chapter II).
Conditional uses and rezoning: Planning Commission and City Council steps in Sterling, CO
Some uses are conditional: they may or may not fit a district depending on the site. Conditional use requests go to the Planning Commission, which holds a public hearing and sends a recommendation to the City Council, which also holds a hearing and decides. The ordinance asks for ten copies of the application, filed with the Director of Public Works at least 30 days before a regular Planning Commission meeting, with a statement of intent, a site plan and a time schedule. A fee set by the City Council is paid at application.
Rezoning, an amendment to the zoning map or text, is filed with the Public Works Department; after staff review, the Planning Commission holds a public hearing no later than 30 days after receiving a complete application and makes a written recommendation to the City Council. The Board of Adjustment, made up of Planning Commission members, hears variance requests. Build these steps into the timeline before a loan closing date is set.
By Brookmark Financial · Updated