Change of Use / Conditional or Special Use Permit (Table of Allowed Uses) in Town of Carbondale, Colorado

Town of Carbondale requires a change of use / conditional or special use permit (table of allowed uses) for: No standalone change-of-use permit, application, checklist, or fee line was found anywhere on carbondalegov.org or in the full text of the UDC (Chapter 17, Amended January 2025) — the phrase 'change of use' does not appear anywhere in the UDC, checked directly via full-text search of the Town's own published UDC PDF; this is a genuinely confirmed gap after an active chase, not an unexamined assumption; A change limited to a commercial space's IBC occupancy classification (e.g., retail converting to restaurant use) for construction purposes is instead captured within the ordinary Town Building Permit process — this file's own commercial-remodel-tenant-finish-permit entry already documents that new/remodeling restaurants must obtain Garfield County Public Health plan approval before a Town building permit is submitted; A genuine change to a use not otherwise allowed by right in the applicable zone district is governed by UDC Table 4.2-1, Table of Allowed Uses (Chapter 17.04): each use is classified per zone district as 'P' (Permitted by right, subject to all other applicable regulations), 'C' (allowed only if reviewed and approved under UDC Section 2.5.1, Conditional Use Permit), 'S' (allowed only if reviewed and approved under UDC Section 2.5.2, Special Use Permit), or a blank cell (prohibited in that zoning district); Conditional Use Permit (UDC Section 2.5.1): submitted to and decided by the Planning Director (not the Planning & Zoning Commission), following an optional pre-application meeting (UDC Section 2.3); the application must include proof of ownership, a site plan showing the footprint and proposed use of all buildings, proposed parking configuration, and location of all utilities and easements, plus any additional information requested at the pre-application meeting; the Director may require a site/building inspection; Special Use Permit (UDC Section 2.5.2): a parallel Director-level review and approval process for uses classified 'S' rather than 'C' in the applicable zone district; Conditional/Special Use Permit approval criteria (UDC Section 2.5.1.C): the site, building(s), and use must meet all criteria specified for the use and the zone district; the proposed use must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan; any nonconforming site conditions must be brought into conformance if required under Chapter 17.07 (Nonconformities); the use must be planned to minimize adverse traffic/neighborhood impacts; and it must be compatible with adjacent uses in scale, site design, and operating characteristics; Per UDC Section 4.2.4 (Classification of New and Unlisted Uses), a use not specifically listed in Table 4.2-1 at all triggers a Planning Director interpretation (considering the use's nature, impacts, and utility demands) rather than a direct Conditional or Special Use Permit filing; the Director's interpretation is appealable to the Board of Adjustment under Section 2.7.2 and becomes effective 14 days after written notice to the applicant, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Board of Trustees; Per UDC Section 4.2.3 (Use for Other Purposes Prohibited), approval of a use listed in Table 4.2-1 authorizes only that specific use — development or use of a property for any other use not specifically allowed in Table 4.2-1 and approved under the appropriate process is itself prohibited. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Carbondale Building Department at 970-963-2733 (Town Hall); Inspection line 970-510-1210 (call by 5:00 PM the business day prior to the requested inspection) before starting work.

The fee depends on the use's classification in the applicable zone district: $300 for a Conditional Use Permit, $500 for a Special Use Permit, or no separate zoning fee if the new use is Permitted ('P') by right in that district (though ordinary building/site-plan-review fees may still apply). No numeric review-timeline SLA is published for either the Conditional or Special Use Permit process — confirm current queue status directly with the Planning Department (970-963-2733).

Town of Carbondale does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Carbondale Building Department at 970-963-2733 (Town Hall); Inspection line 970-510-1210 (call by 5:00 PM the business day prior to the requested inspection) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Conditional Use Permit Application; Special Use Permit Application; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Town of Carbondale requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / conditional or special use permit (table of allowed uses), in order: Site/Building Inspection (Director's discretion). Schedule each through Town of Carbondale Building Department (970-963-2733 (Town Hall); Inspection line 970-510-1210 (call by 5:00 PM the business day prior to the requested inspection)).

Apply through Town of Carbondale Building Department at 511 Colorado Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623. Phone: 970-963-2733 (Town Hall); Inspection line 970-510-1210 (call by 5:00 PM the business day prior to the requested inspection), email: msikes@carbondaleco.net (Mary Sikes — submit all application documentation in one email as PDF attachments, with the property address in the subject line). Office hours: Town Hall: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Fax: 970-963-9140.. Official information: https://www.carbondalegov.org/departments/building/.

Town of Carbondale, Colorado has adopted: 2021 IBC (International Building Code), adopted by Ordinance No. 3/2025 amending Chapter 18 of the Carbondale Municipal Code, effective 7-1-2025, per the Town's Building Department page (carbondalegov.org/departments/building/).; 2021 IRC (International Residential Code), effective 7-1-2025, per the same ordinance.; 2021 IPC (International Plumbing Code), effective 7-1-2025.; 2021 IMC (International Mechanical Code), effective 7-1-2025.; 2021 IECC (International Energy Conservation Code), effective 7-1-2025.; 2021 IEBC (International Existing Building Code), effective 7-1-2025.; 2021 IFGC (International Fuel Gas Code), effective 7-1-2025.; 2021 ISPSC (International Swimming Pool and Spa Code), effective 7-1-2025.; The most current electrical code adopted by the State of Colorado (Carbondale does not maintain its own separately-numbered local electrical code amendment; electrical permitting and inspection in Carbondale is handled by the Colorado State Electrical Board, not the Town — see the 'electrical-permit' entry below).; 2021 IFC (International Fire Code) and the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (rendered 'CWFC' on the Town's own Building page, elsewhere labeled 'CWRC' and cross-referenced to Municipal Code Article 14) — both became effective 7-1-2026 per the Town's Building Department page, which as of this file's verification date is already in effect (the page's own text is still phrased as 'WILL BE EFFECTIVE 7-1-2026', but that date has now passed).. Local amendments apply — see the Town of Carbondale overview page for the full list.

No. The phrase 'change of use' does not appear anywhere in the Town's Unified Development Code. A change to a building's IBC occupancy classification for construction purposes is handled through the ordinary Building Permit process. A change to a new zoning-level use is handled through a Conditional Use Permit ($300, UDC Section 2.5.1) or Special Use Permit ($500, UDC Section 2.5.2), depending on how the specific use is classified for that zone district in the UDC's Table 4.2-1, Table of Allowed Uses.