Adopted: November 10, 2010

Transcription

1 Adoptd: Novmbr 10, 2010 Last Amndd: Octobr 9, 2013

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3 Acnowldgmnts Planning Commission Chryl Chandlr Adolfo Gorra John Kurstn Laurn Martindal Michal Sullivan Bob Fullrton Joc Jacobr San Martin Grg McKnnis Philip Vaughan, Chairman Citizns Advisory Committ Bn Bohmfal Cassi Cris Danil Garndr Mary Jan Hangs David Harris Wndy Hasins Kith Lammy Raymond Langstaff Grg McKnnis David Mad Brad Moss Kn Nubcr Yancy Nichols Kvin O Brin Mar Rinhart John Russll Dav Sturgs Philip Vaughan Jason Whit Juanita Williams County Staff Frd Jarman, Dirctor of Building & Planning Tamra Alln, Long Rang Plannr Consultant Tam Winston Associats ForS Consulting BBC Rsarch & Consulting Anchor Point LSC Transportation Consultants RRC Associats Grand Rivr Consulting 3

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5 Crtification Th Planning Commission hrby crtifis th Comprhnsiv Plan 2030, as adoptd by Rsolution on Novmbr 10, 2010 to th Board of County Commissionrs of, and to th planning commissions of all municipalitis within th county and as amndd by Rsolution PC on Octobr 9, Bob Fullrton, Chair As Witnss thrin: Chryl Chandlr, Scrtary to th Planning Commission 5

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7 Acnowldgmnts 3 Crtification Sction 1 - Urban Growth Aras and Intrgovrnmntal Coordination 37 Sction 2 - Housing 41 Sction 3 - Transportation 45 Sction 4 - Economics, Employmnt and Tourism 49 Sction 5 - Rcration, Opn Spac, and Trails 53 Sction 6 - Agricultur 55 Sction 7 - Watr and Swr Srvics 59 Sction 8 - Natural Rsourcs 61 Sction 9 - Minral Extraction 63 Sction 10 - Rnwabl Enrgy of Trms 73 7

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9 is at svral crossroads, litrally and figurativly. Litrally, it contains th conflunc of th Colorado and Roaring For Rivrs. It also contains th intrsction of th Intrstat 70 (I-70) and Stat Highway 82 (SH 82). Figurativly, it is also at a crossroads btwn a largly agricultural county and on that is slowly moving toward a suburban county. Figur 1: A ranch-viw on Taughnbaugh Road. is larg (ovr 3,000 squar mils) and th vast majority of th county is ithr undr fdral jurisdiction or xtrmly rmot and virtually inaccssibl du to trrain constraints. Th rmaining ara, which is subjct to th most dvlopmnt prssur, is also th most accssibl and visibl part of th county. If th lvl of projctd growth matrializs ovr th nxt 20 yars, how it dvlops will hav a dramatic impact on th quality of lif of its rsidnts, and th fiscal wll-bing of its govrnmnt. Th Comprhnsiv Plan (th Plan ) has bn dvlopd to provid a gnral statmnt of dirction for land us planning in unincorporatd. Th Plan provids a foundation for dcisions and policis that guid and dirct th physical, social, and conomic dvlopmnt for th unincorporatd portions of th county. It is dsignd to srv as a tool for citizns, county staff and lctd officials, and focuss on rsponding to both th immdiat and anticipatd long-trm nds of th county. This Plan builds on prvious plans. Many of th issus, policis, and stratgis, idntifid in this Plan can b tracd bac to th 1994 and 2000 comprhnsiv plans, which in turn, chod a numbr of idas and concpts from th county s original comprhnsiv plan of Figur 2: Cntrs wr proposd in th 1968 Comprhnsiv Plan 9

10 Th Plan is long-trm in natur. It projcts land us nds to th yar Th goals, policis, and stratgis of th Plan ar intndd to provid a stady, prdictabl dirction ovr th nxt 20 yars. And yt, as nds and issus continu to chang in th county, th Plan will nd to b rvisitd and updatd to b sur that it continus to rflct th public vision and th plan s ralistic implmntation. How Th Plan Is Organizd Th Plan is dividd into th following sctions: prsnts th lgal basis for comprhnsiv planning, th rol of th comprhnsiv plan rlativ to zoning, th contxt for this Plan updat (assts and issus), and th major thms and dirctions of th Plan. s prsnts th Major Dirctions and Thms of th Plan (a synopsis of th y changs to th 2003 updat), th Map of dsird futur land uss (largr maps ar availabl for rviw at th Community Dvlopmnt Dpartmnt), and a dscription of ach of th uss. has tn sctions that prsnt th spcific Figur 3: Th Futur Land issus, goals, policis and stratgis of ach lmnt of Us Map illustrats th major th comprhnsiv plan. dirctions and thms of th provids spcific dirctions for considring a plan amndmnt and a comprhnsiv updat. plan. In addition, thr ar svral appndics that contain th data sts and maps that support th dirctions of th Plan. Ths can b found in a companion documnt titld Appndics. Appndix A: County Profil is a snapshot of xisting conditions, including various statistical data about county land uss. Appndix B: Court of Public Opinion prsnts th rsults of opinion survys conductd in conjunction with th Plan. Appndix C: Th County Atlas provids a sris of maps of bas data (natural and man-mad conditions) that undrli many of th dirctions of th Plan. Appndix D: Th Economic Rport prsnts th conomic baslin and projctions of futur fiscal conditions facing th County. 10

11 Appndix E: Th Transportation Rport dscribs currnt road conditions and gnral nds to srv futur growth. Appndix F: Th Housing Rport summarizs county-wid housing issus and potntial dirctions. Appndix G: Th Watr Rport dscribs th gnral availability of ground watr throughout th county. Appndix H: Th Implmntation Rport Card is a summary of th goals and policis of th 2000 plan, with an indication of thir implmntation status prior to th start of this Plan. Th Rport Card shows th significant progrss mad on many fronts ovr th past dcad. Th Implmntation Tool Box is a sparat documnt that can also b obtaind from. It is a compndium of tools that may b usd to implmnt various stratgis of th Plan. Figur 4: At ovr 3,000 squar mils, is larg. It contains th crossroads of I-70 and SH 82, th conflunc of th Colorado and Roaring For Rivrs, and is at a figurativ crossroad with rgard to land us issus. 11

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13 County Ovrviw What is a Comprhnsiv Plan? Authority for County Planning Zoning vs. th Comprhnsiv Plan in Th 2010 Comprhnsiv Plan Updat Procss Issus Idntifid By County Rsidnts County Ovrviw has an xtraordinarily divrs gography that rangs from th pastoral filds and madows of th Colorado and Roaring For rivr vallys, to th dramatic foothills and scarpmnts that dfin thm, to th distinctiv msas that includ th Flat Tops Wildrnss Ara. Th county has accss to two major mtro aras (Dnvr and Grand Junction) via I-70, and a rgional airport cntrally locatd within th county. Th stady draw of prmir si rsorts that ar within a on hour driv add to th yar-round tourism draw of th natural stting. Th county gnrally bnfits significantly from a larg natural rsourc industry in trms of jobs as wll as a significant proprty tax bas. Th undrlying conomy of tourism srvics, govrnmnt, rgional rtail and halth car ma this a truly divrs conomy. What is a Comprhnsiv Plan? Figur 5: Madows and dramatic scarpmnts in th Wst El Cr vally. A comprhnsiv plan dvlops a shard vision of what th county will loo li in yars and thn crats goals and policis to hlp achiv that vision. It is oftn usd as a stratgic tool to hlp a county guid dvlopmnt and invstmnt dcisions to achiv a halthy and balancd community. Bcaus conditions chang ovr tim, it is important for a county to rvisit and updat its comprhnsiv plan priodically as significant changs occur. Authority for County Planning Th foundation for comprhnsiv planning at th county lvl is found in th Colorado Rvisd Statuts (CRS) Sction (1977). This statut assignd th Figur 6: Urban, but unincorporatd dvlopmnt on SH

14 Planning Commission th duty to adopt a comprhnsiv plan for th physical dvlopmnt of th unincorporatd trritory. Basd on stat land us law, comprhnsiv plans ar to b dvlopd for th gnral purpos of guiding and accomplishing a coordinatd and harmonious dvlopmnt of th rlvant trritory, which, in accordanc with prsnt and futur nds and rsourcs, will bst promot th gnral wlfar of th inhabitants. Consistnt with this dirction initiatd comprhnsiv planning in 1968, and prpard updatd plans in 1981, 1984, 1994, and Th Plan was last updatd in In prparing a comprhnsiv plan, stat statut dircts county planning commissions to ma comprhnsiv survys and studis of th xisting conditions and probabl futur growth in th dmand for county srvics. Th stat statut includs rcommndations rgarding th contnts of a comprhnsiv plan and rquirs th Plan to includ rcration and tourism lmnts. Th contnts and dirction of a comprhnsiv planning ffort ar lft to th discrtion of th local planning body. Zoning vs. th Comprhnsiv Plan in Garfild County givs spcial importanc to its comprhnsiv plan by rquiring that land us dcisions b consistnt with th comprhnsiv plan. In, th comprhnsiv plan stablishs th broad land uss and dnsity of dvlopmnt (numbr of units pr acr) for a proprty whil th zoning cod (LUDC) stablishs th dtaild standards such as spcific uss, minimum lot siz, stbacs, tc. Th 2010 Comprhnsiv Plan Updat Procss Th Citizns Advisory Committ for this plan updat stablishd th following 2030 vision for citizn participation and public involvmnt: 14

15 has continually word to ngag its divrs citiznry and to provid appropriat opportunitis for thm to b involvd. Th county has ngagd citizns in public participation through mtings, mdia outrach, survys, and focus groups and will continu to implmnt appropriat tchnological solutions to provid opportunitis for th public to b ngagd. Consistnt with that vision, th procss of updating th Plan includd th following componnts: Citizns Advisory Committ - A Citizns Advisory Committ rviwd th procss at various stags and mad rcommndations rgarding vision, goals, policis and stratgis for ach lmnt of th comprhnsiv plan. Figur 7: Citizn participation in Carbondal at a Chip Gam sssion to xprss idas about growth concpts. Random Sampling Survy A random and statistically valid survy was conductd by Vnturoni Survys and Rsarch, in 2008, to hlp th county undrstand th gnral valus and prioritis of th county rsidnts. Analysis of Existing Conditions - Th comprhnsiv plan tam rviwd xisting conditions, which ar includd in th County Atlas and topic rports in th appndics. Implmntation Rport Card - With assistanc from th county staff and officials, th comprhnsiv plan tam cratd a Rport Card that rviwd how wll achivd th goals, policis and objctivs of th prvious comprhnsiv plan (Appndix H). Figur 8: Th rport card masurd how wll Garfild County had achivd th goals and policis of prvious comprhnsiv plans (s Appndix H). Staholdr Intrviws Intrviws wr conductd with ovr 100 individuals rprsnting y agncis and intrst groups in th county to hlp assss issus, concrns, xisting plans, community nds, and fiscal halth of public srvics. Sounding Board A randomly slctd 500 mmbr sounding board was constructd from th original participants in th Vnturoni Survy. Ths mmbrs wr usd to tst continuity btwn th 2008 survy and valus and dirctions rcivd from community mtings. Community Mtings - A sris of public mtings wr hld at thr tims during th procss in six county locations (Carbondal, 15

16 Glnwood Springs, Nw Castl, Silt, Rifl, and Parachut/Battlmnt Msa). At th public mtings, participants rspondd to ypad polling qustions, participatd in a chip gam xrcis to hlp concptualiz and rcommnd typs and locations for futur growth, rviwd altrnativ futurs, idntifid componnts of a prfrrd scnario for futur growth, and wr asd to commnt on th various stags of th plan dirction and major thms. Elctd and Appointd Officials Brifings Throughout th plan procss, th lctd and appointd officials wr ngagd in multipl wor sssions to discuss plan xpctation, y dirctions of th Plan and conduct a rd flag xrcis of th draft. In addition, bi-monthly progrss rports wr providd by staff to inform th county officials of th plan progrss. Figur 9: Ovr 20 public mtings providd opportunitis for input and fdbac on th volving plan Comprhnsiv Plan Wbsit and Onlin Survys A comprhnsiv plan wbsit was constructd and postd for this projct. This sit providd accss to plan documnts, maps, calndar and a plac for submitting commnts. Automatic updats wr snt by rqust. Additionally, this sit was usd to dlivr onlin survys to th sounding board and slf-slctd participants. Planning Commission Wor Sssions Multipl wor sssions wr hld with th Planning Commission to rviw th Plan s y concpts and draft documnt. Planning Commission Public Harings Public harings wr hld to ta input on th final draft Plan and to adopt th Plan. Th Planning Commission votd to adopt th Plan and crtifid it to th BOCC on Novmbr 10, Issus Idntifid By County Rsidnts Figur 10: From public input, svral growth scnarios wr dvlopd and prsntd for fdbac. Th currnt trnd scnario (top) is contrastd against th growth nar towns scnario (bottom). Th comprhnsiv plan has bn dsignd to nsur that land us dcision-maing in th county: Is rsponsiv to community goals and objctivs. 16

17 Figur 11: A projct wbsit pt th public up-to-dat on th progrss and vnts of th plan Rspcts th snsitiv cosystms within th county s jurisdiction. Dos not unduly burdn th county with srvic infficincis. Dos not infring on a privat proprty ownr s right to dvlop his/hr land. Protcts th ovrall public halth, safty and wlfar of county rsidnts. Thr ar a numbr of critical issus facing th county. Most of ths issus ar not nw and many hav bn rcognizd and at last partially addrssd in prvious plans. In 2008, as a prlud to 2009 updat, commissiond a county-wid random sampl opinion survy 1. This survy confirmd many of th issus prviously idntifid and hlpd idntify thir rlativ importanc and public prioritis. In this comprhnsiv plan updat, issus wr idntifid through public mtings, wb-basd survys, and a r-survy of a 500-prson sampl of th rspondnts to th 2008 county-wid survy. This input rconfirmd many of th issus important to county rsidnts and adjustd som of th prioritis a rflct prhaps of th impact of changing conomic conditions (.g., th national rcssion that bgan in 2009). As a compilation of th issus hard through various mthods, blow is a list of th y issus confronting in 2010: Figur 12: A 2008 countywid survy idntifid many of th issus and prioritis of county rsidnts. Jobs/Housing Balanc - A larg job bas xists in th Roaring For Vally, but th most affordabl housing in th county continus to b in th Colorado Rivr Vally which has rsultd in significant commuting and traffic impacts. Nd for Economic Divrsity - Enrgy continus to b a dominant industry with potntial for strong job growth ovr th nxt 20 yars. Howvr, it is also subjct to svr boom/bust cycls whos impacts filtr through th rst of th conomy. To countract th boom/bust cycl of th nrgy conomy, thr is growing fling of urgncy to furthr divrsify th conomy. 1 Th full contnt of th 2008 Vnturoni survy can b found on th County s wbsit at 17

18 Shard Jurisdiction - Significant aras of th county ar undr shard jurisdiction with fdral and stat agncis (.g., fdral lands, subsurfac dvlopmnt and minral xtraction) and th county dos not hav jurisdiction within municipal boundaris of incorporatd citis and towns. Loss of Agricultural Lands and Rural Charactr - Land uss in th unincorporatd aras hav bn convrting agricultural proprty to suburban rsidntial, with pocts of urban dvlopmnt. Th loss of rural charactr impacts on of th assts and appal of. Vacant Lots - has approvd a numbr of subdivisions that ar undvlopd or only partially dvlopd. Approximatly 2,400 vacant subdividd lots xist throughout th county. Cost of Growth - Li most countis, govrnmnt (dpartmnts, srvics, tax structur) is st up to srv rural nds. Th county is not currntly st up to b in th urban businss to provid urban srvics to rsidntial and commrcial aras. And yt, thr hav bn, and could b mor, significant subdivisions in th unincorporatd county. Evn whil bing srvd by homownrs associations (HOA s), proprty ownrs associations (POA s), and spcial districts, rural subdivisions still plac significant additional burdns on county srvics and financs (maintnanc of roads dsignd for rural traffic, public safty at highr lvls, social srvics, tc.). In addition, rsidnts of rural subdivisions oftn bring incrasd xpctations of srvic, which vntually translats into incrasd costs to all. Figur 13: Concrns xprssd by th public includd th dvlopmnt of agricultural land and loss of rural charactr. Uncoordinatd Growth - All of th municipalitis in Garfild County hav stablishd and plannd for aras of growth (Urban Growth Aras). Togthr, ths Urban Growth Aras (UGAs) could absorb 2.5 tims th projctd county growth for th nxt 20 yars. Yt, ths aras lgally rmain in th county jurisdiction until thy ar annxd. Th currnt procss and lac of ffctiv intrgovrnmntal coopration lads to dvlopmnt pattrns in th UGAs that can vntually thwart community growth plans and lad to infficint srvics. Figur 14: Th top illustration shows xisting homs in th Iron Bridg subdivision. Th bottom illustration shows (in blu) th approvd-but- undvlopd hom sits. 18

19 Incompatibl Land Uss - Th bradth of land uss allowd in som county zoning districts hold th potntial for allowing incompatibl adjacnt uss. Environmntal Impacts - includs a multitud of snsitiv cosystms, including riparian and wtlands rsourcs, wildlif habitat and important visual corridors. Thr is a dsir to nsur that futur dvlopmnt balancs th nd for conomic dvlopmnt with policis to nsur minimum impact on snsitiv nvironmnts. Lac of Rgional Coordination - Many of th issus confronting th county such as, transportation, affordabl housing, nvironmntal protction and conomic dvlopmnt strtch byond boundaris. Ths issus rquir a high lvl of coopration btwn affctd municipalitis. Worshop participants voicd th importanc of Garfild County adopting a proactiv rol in addrssing ths issus within th comprhnsiv plan procss. Privat Proprty Rights - rcognizs that ownrs hav an inhrnt right to dvlop proprty as long as th dvlopmnt is in th bst intrsts of th halth, safty and wlfar of th county and dos not advrsly affct adjacnt proprty rights. Th dvlopmnt of land should b consistnt with th gnral land us goals and policis of. Changing Population Cntr - Th population cntr of gravity is moving wstward as th wstrn communitis grow. Th Colorado Rivr Vally has a significant growth potntial whil th growth potntial of th Roaring For Vally is limitd du to gographical constraints. Figur 15: Th rlativ proportion of population in th unincorporatd ara of th county is dclining and th dmographic cntr of gravity is shifting wst. 19

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21 Futur Land Us Purpos and Applicability of th Map Major Plan Dirction and Thms Growth in Urban Growth Aras Growth in Unincorporatd Communitis Growth in Dsignatd Cntrs Growth of Nw Major Rsidntial Subdivisions Chang in Rsidntial Dvlopmnt Dnsitis Th Land Us Tabl Ov ra ll Vi s i on is ddicatd to managing and dircting growth to ddicatd Urban Growth Aras and othr aras that can accommodat growth costffctivly, in ordr to crat thriving communitis whil promoting a divrs, sustainabl and halthy conomy, protcting wildlif, maintaining or improving th quality of our natural nvironmnt, and prsrving th county s rural and wstrn hritag. Purpos and Applicability of th Futur Land Us Map In, th comprhnsiv plan stablishs th broad land uss and th dnsity of dvlopmnt (numbr of units/acr) and th LUDC stablishs th dtaild standards such as spcific uss, minimum lot siz, and stbacs. Th LUDC rquirs that land us dcisions b in gnral conformanc with th comprhnsiv plan. This chaptr contains th Map and dscriptions of th land us catgoris shown on th map. It shows th distribution of rsidntial, non-rsidntial, mixd-us and public lands. Major Plan Dirction and Thms, through this comprhnsiv plan, is charting how bst to accommodat futur growth typs in th community: housing, commrcial, and industrial dvlopmnt. At th sam tim, th Plan addrsss transportation and mobility, opn lands, infrastructur, and othr futur nds of th county through policis that will guid that growth. Th ovrall aim of th Futur Land Us Map is to prsrv th livability of th county in th futur. A livabl county mans diffrnt things to diffrnt popl. For som, it mans rtaining opn spac, for othrs, planning for a rang of dvlopmnt dnsitis and for still othrs, it mans allowing flxibility to accommodat conomic dvlopmnt in th county. This Plan ss to achiv a broad rang of livability in a balancd mannr. Th 2010 updat of th comprhnsiv plan rinforcs a major dirction of th prvious plan: most nw growth should occur in aras that hav, or can asily b srvd by, urban srvics. From this simpl but fundamntal 21

22 RD SILT MESA R D ANT ONELLI LN ODIN D R RIFLE-SILT R D 468 BENDETT I R D S Silt Ara Plan CHIPPER FIELD LN UTE AV S Nw Castl Ara Plan BRU CE RD RIVERBEND DR dirction mrgs fiv major thms for futur land us, which ar mbodid in th Map. Thy ar: i. Growth in Urban Growth Aras. ii. Growth in unincorporatd communitis. iii. Growth in dsignatd cntrs. iv. Growth of nw major rsidntial subdivisions. v. Chang in rsidntial dvlopmnt dnsitis. Growth in Urban Growth Aras Th Plan rcognizs th nd for xisting municipalitis to b abl to gradually xpand into immdiatly surrounding aras. Th county supports and ncourags ordrly xpansion of xisting communitis. This Plan rcognizs xisting municipal plans and strongly supports and ncourags infill and rdvlopmnt of xisting communitis. Ths growth aras ar th prfrrd locations in for growth that rquir urban lvl srvics. Thy ar also th prfrrd locations for commrcial and mploymnt uss that can ta advantag of supporting infrastructur and a clos by clint bas that rducs travl dmands. Th most ffctiv way to ncourag growth in dsignatd and plannd UGAs will b by nsuring th following: i. Each municipality s plan for its UGA is incorporatd into th Figur 16: Th comprhnsiv Comprhnsiv Plan. plan ncourags growth to ii. Urban dvlopmnts in th UGAs ar ncouragd to annx into occur in th Urban Growth th rspctiv municipality. Aras (shadd gray abov) of iii. If thr is a public bnfit to allowing dvlopmnt within a xisting municipalitis. UGA prior to annxation, th County and municipality will cooprativly ndavor to facilitat such dvlopmnt through such mans as: County zoning in th UGAs adjustd to a clos approximation of th municipality s plans. Dvlopmnt in th UGA is rquird to obtain a local rviw with commnt (not approval) bfor submitting for county rviw. A procdur for municipal/county rviw and rcommndation to th Board of County Commissionrs will b dvlopd in an IGA with ach community. Each community is xpctd to xtnd srvics and infrastructur to dvlopmnt in th UGA that substantially complis with thir plan for th UGA (landownrs and th 22 MILLER LN MAM M CREEK RD RAINBOW DR UKELE LN HARVEY GAP RD 1ST ST PAN ORAMIC DR GROFF LN PRETT I LN NORT H CU TOF F RD SMITH DOLL COALMINE RD DAVIS POINT GRASS VALLEY RD PEACH VALLEY R D SLAUGHTER GULCH RD DIVIDE C REEK R D MID-VALLEY LN WEARE LN COLORADO RIVER RD APPLE DR ELK CREEK RD ALKALI CREEK RD GARFIELD CREEK RD COLORADO RIVER RD CANON CREEK RD

23 rspctiv municipality ar strongly ncouragd to ntr into pr-annxation agrmnts that provid commitmnts with rspct to xtnsions of srvics and infrastructur, dnsitis, tc.). Growth in Unincorporatd Communitis Figur 17: Infill and additional dvlopmnt is ncouragd in Battlmnt Msa, on of th xisting unincorporatd communitis with urban infrastructur and srvics. Th comprhnsiv plan acnowldgs th xistnc of svral unincorporatd communitis that hav a dns lvl of dvlopmnt, mix of uss and urban srvics providd by spcial districts. Nw unincorporatd communitis ar discouragd. Howvr, nw (or xpandd xisting)unincorporatd communitis should mt th following guidlins: i. Th dvlopmnt is not locatd within th UGA of xisting municipalitis. ii. Th dvlopmnt is srvd with urban srvics by a spcial district. iii. A contract for polic from county shriff is stablishd. iv. Conncting county roads ar upgradd at dvlopr s xpns (or th county is compnsatd through an impact f or f-inliu) v. Fiscal costs to th public will b considrd in th rviw of nw unincorporatd communitis. vi. Any intrnal commrcial is primarily for th convninc of ara rsidnts (minimiz comptition with xisting communitis) vii. Transit opportunitis ar providd. viii. Rcration and othr public amnitis ar providd. ix. School sits may b rquird (ths locations prfrrd ovr schools in rural aras). Growth in Dsignatd Cntrs Thr ar small concntrations of commrcial and businss uss throughout that primarily srv th nds of surrounding rural rsidnts and rural businsss. Ths cntrs add to th conomic divrsity of th county. Th ongoing viability of ths xisting cntrs, as wll as nw ons, is ncouragd providd thy hav suitabl accss and srvics and that thy mt th gnral guidlins idntifid blow for th various typs of cntrs nvisiond. 23

24 Town Cntrs Town Cntrs ar found in all of th municipalitis (occasionally thr ar multipl cntrs). Ths cntrs contain a mix of uss: rtail, offic, and oftn rsidntial. Villag Cntrs Villag Cntrs ar aras whr thr is a concntration of rsidntial dvlopmnt and commrcial dvlopmnt that is intndd primarily for th convninc nds of surrounding rsidntial dvlopmnt. This mix of uss may includ ducational, institutional and civic uss. Figur 18: Cathrin s Stor is an xampl of an xisting Villag Cntr. Rural Employmnt Cntrs Rural Employmnt Cntrs ar gographically consolidatd aras whr thr is a concntration of light industrial and businss par uss. This includs uss such as construction yards, quipmnt rpair, and storag aras oftn found along I-70 or SH 82. Rgional Employmnt Cntrs Rgional Employmnt Cntrs ar aras that provid conomic bnfit and opportunity to th ntir rgion. Th primary xampls ar th industrial ara nar th county airport, and th havy industrial/nrgy procssing ara on Parachut Cr and Roan Cr. Nw Cntrs In an ffort to ma xisting subdivisions mor slf-sufficint, a nw cntr may b addd to xisting major rsidntial subdivisions or othr urban aras. Additionally, th cntr should b locatd at intrsctions and intrchangs, hav accss to cntral watr and swr through a spcial district, and is compact and dsignd to fully utiliz th land. Growth of Nw Major Rsidntial Subdivisions Thr ar svral major subdivisions (15 units or mor) in Garfild County that provid thir own intrnal srvics (road maintnanc, watr, swr) through spcial districts or HOA. Howvr, ths subdivisions ar 24

25 typically far from commrcial cntrs and rquir travl for vn convninc nds which incrass traffic and rquirs highr maintnanc of county roads. Th Plan rcognizs nw major subdivisions may occur, but ncourags thm to b mor slfsufficint (having, or bing nar, convninc srvics). In ordr to b mor slf-sufficint, nw major subdivisions will rquir: i. Saf, rliabl accss and transit opportunitis. ii. Construction or upgrad xisting off-sit conncting county roads and intrsctions by th dvlopr. iii. Rviw of th fiscal costs vs. fiscal bnfits to th public iv. Intrnal roads to b maintaind by a spcial district or HOA. v. Cntral watr and swr is providd through a spcial district (quasi-public, not privat). vi. Public amnitis, such as trails, opn aras, pars, tc., that mt th nds of rsidnts ar includd. Chang in Rsidntial Dvlopmnt Dnsitis Prviously, thr hav bn diffrnt catgoris for rsidntial dvlopmnt dnsitis btwn th Colorado Rivr Vally and th Roaring For Vally. A significant portion of land within th Colorado Rivr Vally had a dsignation of Outlying Rsidntial with a dnsity of 1 dwlling unit pr 2 acrs, whil in th Roaring For Vally, th comparabl catgory was Rsidntial Mdium High with a dnsity rang of 1 dwlling unit pr 2 to <6 acrs. In addition to th inconsistncy within th county, th 2-acr lot dsignation in th Colorado Rivr Vally prsntd a numbr of challngs: Thy ar too small to farm. Thy ar difficult to maintain (mowing, irrigation.) Thy typically do not gt furthr subdividd - and thrfor inhibit furthr urban growth. Bcaus of th abov, many communitis hav rqustd much lss dns dsignations (1 du/10 and 20 acrs) surrounding thir municipal boundaris. Whn sprad ovr a larg ara, thy do not actually prsrv rural charactr. 25

26 Th 2010 updat convrts th Outlying Rsidntial dsignation in th Colorado Rivr Vally to th county-wid dsignation Rsidntial Mdium High. It also provids guidlins for assigning th dnsity rangs that xist for both Rsidntial Mdium High and Rsidntial Mdium catgoris. For dnsitis that ncompass a rang, th maximum dnsity can b achivd through a combind procss of land consrvation and clustring (s Figur 19) in coordination with th consrvation framwor lands and/or othr significant public bnfit. Th Land Us Tabl Th following tabl dscribs th gnral charactristics and dnsity (or dnsity rang) of th land uss dsignatd on th Map (not that accssory dwlling units ar includd in th ovrall dnsity). Th comprhnsiv plan dos not rgulat th dtaild spcifics of land us, such as allowd uss, minimum lot siz, stbacs, tc. Ths rquirmnts ar found in th LUDC. stp slop a. stp slop b. floodplain floodplain stp slop c. stp slop d. floodplain floodplain Figur 19: Hypothtical comparison of clustring options on a 30-acr parcl with a Mdium High (MH) land us dsignation (1 du pr 2 to 6 acrs). 26

27 Land Us Dsignation Urban Growth Ara (UGA) Dscription Ara dsignatd by adjacnt community for vntual xpansion of srvics and annxation. Compatibl Zoning Annxation with municipal zoning Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Consistnt with th UGA plan of th rspctiv municipality. Exampl: Currnt Rifl City boundary UGA Urban Growth Boundary Land Us Dsignation Public Lands / Opn Spac (PLOS) Dscription Fdral and stat lands and land for which consrvation asmnts prclud or limit furthr dvlopmnt. Compatibl Zoning Public Lands (PL) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Non Exampl: 27

28 Land Us Dsignation Rsourc Production/ Natural (RPN) Dscription Agricultur and grazing land usd primarily for oil, gas, oil shal, coal mining, gravl mining, including support buildings and facilitis ndd for th natural rsourc xtraction industry, and othr businss uss that can b adquatly buffrd from adjacnt incompatibl uss. Also includs aras with significant nvironmntal constraints such as uppr plataus, talus slops, and stp slops (ovr 20%). Privat inholding mostly surroundd by public lands with limitd public accss. Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 1 du pr 35 acrs Compatibl Zoning Rsourc Lands (RLTS, RLE, RLP) Exampl: Land Us Dsignation Rsidntial Low (RL) Dscription Agricultural and rlatd uss as wll as hom occupation uss that can b adquatly buffrd from adjacnt incompatibl uss. Compatibl Zoning Rural (R) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 1 du pr 10 acrs Exampl: 28

29 Land Us Dsignation Rsidntial Mdium (RM) Dscription Small farms, stats, and clustrd rsidntial subdivision; dnsity dtrmind by dgr of clustring and land prsrvd in opn condition: 0% opn land - 1 du pr <10 acrs 50% opn land - 1 du pr 8 acrs 70% opn land - 1 du pr 6 acrs Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 1 du pr 6 to < 10 acrs Compatibl Zoning Rural (R) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: Land Us Dsignation Rsidntial Mdium High (RMH) Dscription Small farms, stats, and clustrd rsidntial subdivisions; dnsity dtrmind by dgr of clustring and land prsrvd in opn condition: 0% opn land = 1 du pr ~6 acrs 50% opn land = 1 du pr 4 acrs 70% opn land = 1 du pr 2 acrs Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 1 du pr 2 to <6 acrs Compatibl Zoning Rural (R) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: 29

30 Land Us Dsignation Rsidntial High (RH) Dscription Critria for dtrmining RH dnsity within th allowd rang will b spcifically dtrmind by th Planning Commission and will b basd on dgr of public bnfit, considring factors such as: amount of affordabl housing including a mix of housing typs, amount of pars/trails/ opn spac, nrgy consrvation, fiscal impacts on th County, prsrvation of viws, providing for schools and othr public nds, tc. Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 3 du pr acr to 1 du pr <2 acrs Compatibl Zoning Rsidntial Suburban (RS) Rsidntial Urban (RU) Rsidntial Mobil Hom Par (RMHP) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: Land Us Dsignation Mixd-us (MU) Dscription Suburban and urban nighborhood including pars and trails and school with mploymnt uss and commrcial uss intndd to srv th surrounding rsidntial aras. Dnsity within th dsignatd rang to b dtrmind by amount of clustring and public bnfit. Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 2 to 12 du pr acr Compatibl Zoning Rsidntial Urban (RU) Commrcial Limitd (CL) Commrcial Gnral (CG) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: 30

31 Land Us Dsignation Villag Cntr Dscription Villag Cntrs ar aras whr thr is a concntration of rsidntial dvlopmnt and commrcial dvlopmnt that is intndd primarily for th convninc nds of surrounding rsidntial dvlopmnt. This mix of uss may includ ducational, institutional and civic uss. Compatibl Zoning Rsidntial Urban (RU) Commrcial Limitd (CL) Commrcial Gnral (CG) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD Rural (R) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 5 du pr acr Exampl: Land Us Dsignation Town Cntr Dscription A compact mix of commrcial, offic, mploymnt and rsidntial uss; usually 25 to 50 acrs in siz. Most town cntrs occur in incorporatd municipalitis. In unincorporatd communitis, thy ar typically anchord by a grocry stor and may contain othr minor rtail and mploymnt uss that ar not intndd to compt with narby incorporatd municipalitis. Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Dtrmind by undrlying land us dsignation Compatibl Zoning Rsidntial Urban (RU) Commrcial Limitd (CL) Commrcial Gnral (CG) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: 31

32 Land Us Dsignation Unincorporatd Community Dscription Slf-containd subdivisions that contain town and nighborhood cntrs primarily to srv thir own populations. Thir infrastructur and crtain govrnmntal functions ar providd by on or mor spcial districts. Compatibl Zoning Rsidntial Urban (RU) Commrcial Limitd (CL) Commrcial Gnral (CG) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Dtrmind by undrlying land us dsignation Exampl: Land Us Ds ignation Commrcial (C) Ds cript ion Com pa tib l Zonin g Commrcial intndd to srv a rgional mart. Commrcial Gnral (CG) Commrcial Limitd (CL) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: 5 du pr acr Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: 32

33 Land Us Dsignation Rural Employmnt Cntr Dscription Small aras adjacnt to major roadways that allow light industrial, manufacturing, quipmnt storag, and incidntal rtail sals. This dsignation also includs rsidntial uss for mploys of th businss on th proprty, such as liv/wor housing. Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Dtrmind by rviw Compatibl Zoning Commrcial Gnral (CG) Industrial (I) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Exampl: Land Us Dsignation Industrial (I) Dscription Indoor manufacturing, outdoor quipmnt storag, businss pars, nrgy procssing and uss that produc odor, nois, light, and/or missions. Compatibl Zoning Industrial (I) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Non Exampl: 33

34 Land Us Dsignation Rgional Employmnt Cntr Ds cript io n Larg industrial complxs such as th industrial ara around th airport. Compatibl Zoning Industrial (I) Rsourc Lands (RL) Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt (PUD) Dnsity of rsidntial uss: Non Exampl: 34

35 Plan Elmnts Vision Issus Goals Policis Stratgis and Actions Sction 1 - Urban Growth Aras and Intrgovrnmntal Coordination Sction 2 - Housing Sction 3 - Transportation Sction 4 - Economics, Employmnt and Tourism Sction 5 - Rcration, Opn Spac, and Trails Sction 6 - Agricultur Sction 7 - Watr and Swr Srvics Sction 8 - Natural Rsourcs Sction 9 - Minral Extraction Sction 10 - Rnwabl Enrgy Each of th following sctions dscribs an lmnt of th comprhnsiv plan (housing, transportation, tc.). Each sction contains th following fiv componnts: Vision Th vision statmnt is a broad dscription of th dsird futur condition achivd btwn now and This vision dscribs s assts and valus and focuss on moving th community toward achiving longr-raching idals. Whil th vision statmnt is th bacbon of th comprhnsiv plan, it is only abl to b ralizd through a wll thought out st of goals, policis, and actions that provid a clar bluprint for whr th county would li to go and how it will gt thr. Issus Each sction bgins with an outlin of th primary issus that hav bn idntifid throughout th procss. Ths issus hav hlpd shap th goals and associatd policis within th Plan. Goals Comprhnsiv plan goals provid concis statmnts of what th community aims to accomplish within th nxt 20 yars. Th goals add spcificity and mor dtail to th vision. Goals ar instrumntal in valuating futur land us dcisions i.. which county goals will this dcision hlp achiv? Th goals ar thn furthr implmntd by th policis and stratgis/actions that follow. 35

36 Policis Policis ar dfind as: a cours of action, guiding principl, or procdur to guid prsnt and futur dcisions. Policis ar stablishd, and thn implmntd through actions, such as lgislation and budgt dcisions. Comprhnsiv plan policis ar important to provid ongoing guidanc for lctd and appointd community ladrs, dvloprs, th public, and th county staff and administrators to nabl consistnt dcisions ovr tim about dvlopmnt, budgting, prioritis, and invstmnts in th county. Stratgis and Actions Stratgis and Actions provid suggstd spcific actions and programs that can b tan to implmnt th Plan. A sparat documnt, th Tool Box, contains a compndium of tools that th county may usd to implmnt various stratgis. Bcaus prioritis and budgts will chang from yar to yar, county staff and officials should considr th potntial actions and draw up an implmntation plan, or spcific tass and assignmnts to b accomplishd ach yar, and modifid on an asndd basis. 36

37 ACH UTE RD SA RD RIFLE-RULISON RD FRAVER T RD W 2ND ST W 2ND ST JQS RD 484 S Rifl Ara Plan NORT H HASSE LN WITTWER LN NORT H GRAHAM RD 289 GREEN LN SHAEFFER RD 259A SILT MESA R D ANT ONELLI LN ODIN D R RIFLE-SILT R D 468 JENKINS CU TOF F BENDETT I R D S Silt Ara Plan CHIPPER FIELD LN UTE AV S Nw Castl Ara Plan BRU CE RD RIVERBEND DR Sction 1 - Urban Growth Aras and Intrgovrnmntal Coordination Vision has word with municipalitis to dirct dvlopmnt to UGAs whr public srvics and infrastructur ar providd in an fficint and cost-ffctiv mannr. Intrgovrnmntal coopration btwn municipalitis and othr public agncis has dmonstratd succssful collaboration and has rsultd in th cration of nw partnrships and collaborativ fforts on bhalf of th rsidnts of th county. LANDF ILL RD ANVIL POINT S RD SPRUCE CREEK RD PORCUPINE CREEK YELLOW SL RD EAVER CREEK RD WEST RIFLE CREEK RD VILLAGE DR PREFONTAINE RD FLE CREEK DOKES LN DOKES LN MESA DR SILT MESA R D MILE PON D RD WEST MAMM CREEK RD PETERSON LN RUNWAY RD JEWELL LN ANT LERS LN HUNTER MESA RD MILLER LN MAM M CREEK RD Figur 20: Urban Growth Aras (gray) and 3-mil boundaris for Rifl, Silt, and Nw Castl. RAINBOW DR UKELE LN HARVEY GAP RD 1ST ST PAN ORAMIC DR LOW RD GROFF LN PRETT I LN NORT H CU TOF F RD SMITH DOLL COALMINE RD DAVIS POINT GRASS VALLEY RD PEACH VALLEY R D SLAUGHTER GULCH RD DIVIDE C REEK R D MID-VALLEY LN WEARE LN COLORADO RIVER RD APPLE DR ELK CREEK RD ALKALI CREEK RD GARFIELD CREEK RD COLORADO RIVER RD BALDY CREEK CANON CREEK RD Issus: Thr is widsprad support in th public for ncouraging a significant portion of futur growth to occur in and adjacnt to municipalitis. A municipality s UGA is actually undr county jurisdiction but dvlopmnt hr can gratly impact city plans. County land us dcisions, particularly thos immdiatly adjacnt to municipal boundaris, hav bn viwd by local communitis, in som cass, as not bing compatibl and maing ordrly xpansion difficult. Bcaus thy ar difficult to rsubdivid onc dvlopd, 1-acr to 5-acr lots will gnrally prclud mor dns dvlopmnt. Thrfor, it is dsirabl to avoid this pattrn in an UGA. Du to th diffrncs btwn county and municipal land us rgulations, it can b difficult to us county land us rgulations to achiv objctivs of th local community. Th county is not wll st up to provid urban srvics organizationally or fiscally. Thrfor, anothr ntity is rquird to provid srvics if and whr urban typs of dvlopmnt occur in th unincorporatd aras - ithr a municipality, a spcial district or mtropolitan srvic district. Th county cannot abdicat its land 37

38 us and rgulatory obligations for th unincorporatd aras. Thr ar svral aras of urban dvlopmnt in th unincorporatd county which ar srvd by stablishd mtropolitan srvic districts. Accss to th policy maing procss must b xpandd to nsur public participation from thos most affctd by land us dcisions. All county-wid planning fforts must b rsponsiv to th divrsity among subaras in th county. To form strong rlationships btwn th county and its municipalitis, it is paramount to rspct, adhr and us xisting adoptd local plans. Goals: 1. Incras coordination and communication btwn th municipalitis and th county. 2. Encourag futur dvlopmnt rquiring urban srvics to b locatd in aras whr ths srvics ar or can radily b mad availabl. 3. Ensur that county land us policis and dvlopmnt approvals ar compatibl with th xisting zoning and futur land us objctivs of th appropriat municipality. 4. Rtain rural charactr outsid of UGA limits. 5. Assur that th comprhnsiv plan is an accurat rflction of currnt county policy and public valus Th opportunity for citizns to b involvd in all phass of th planning procss continus to b an intgral part of th county land us planning procss. 7. Rgional issus should b solvd at a rgional lvl and should includ issus such as housing, social srvics, and watr. Policis: 1. Within dfind UGAs, th County Comprhnsiv Plan, land us cod rvisions, and individual projcts, will b consistnt with local municipal land us plans and policis. 2. Projcts proposd adjacnt to local municipalitis rquiring urban srvics will b ncouragd to annx into th affctd jurisdiction if contiguity xists. 3. Dvlopmnt in an UGA will hav land us and strt pattrns that ar compatibl with th affctd municipality. 4. Within a locally plannd UGA, dvlopmnt applicants will b rquird to obtain projct rviw commnts from th local community prior to submitting for county rviw. Th procss should b dfind in an xcutd IGA. 5. In locating county facilitis, th County will plac futur facilitis in locations that will hlp support, maintain and rvitaliz municipal downtowns.

39 Stratgis / Actions: 1. Entr into an IGA with ach community that stipulats mutual commitmnts to follow th plans, and procdurs for rviw. 2. Rviw th procdur for fficint, coordinatd, local municipal input into Planning Commission dcisions prior to maing rcommndations to th Board of County Commissionrs. 3. Rsrv land ara within UGAs to accommodat growth for th nxt twnty yars, using such tools as URR (s Figur 21). 4. Coordinat rgularly with affctd govrnmnts and agncis as to consistncy of thir plans with th comprhnsiv plan. 5. Progrss toward implmnting th comprhnsiv plan should b rviwd annually. 6. Wor with municipalitis to adopt a Major Strts Plan 1 for its UGA 7. Wor cooprativly within th rgion on issus that transcnd political boundaris such as housing, transit and conomic dvlopmnt. stp slop a. floodplain stp slop Figur 21: Illustration of th Urban Rsidntial Rsrv (URR) concpt. Initial dvlopmnt (4 lots) rsrvs th rmaindr of th proprty for urban dvlopmnt (not opn spac) whn srvics and infrastructur ar availabl. Figur 22: County facilitis, such as th County Courthous, provid important conomic bnfits to th municipalitis in which thy ar locatd. b. floodplain 1 CRS

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41 Sction 2 - Housing Vision has ncouragd a divrs stoc of housing availabl to a varity of incoms and rquirs nw rsidntial dvlopmnt to provid a portion of affordabl housing. Housing is locatd nar xisting infrastructur and amnitis so that familis can liv, wor and play in thir communitis. Figur 23: An affordabl housing unit in th Iron Bridg subdivision, which has cntral srvics but is not nar shopping or schools. Issus: Housing is a highly complx issu that is impactd by all sgmnts of th conomy. A significant amount of th county s mploymnt is found in th uppr Roaring For Vally, whras th most significant supply of lss xpnsiv homs is found in th wstrn part of th county rsulting in long commuts (and attndant tim and costs), traffic congstion (spcially through th constrictd SH 82 corridor in Glnwood Springs) and road impacts. Long-rang commuting affcts not only th wll-bing of th county s worforc, it also affcts th ability of th county to attract businsss that will incras th divrsity of mploymnt and th long-trm stability of th county conomy. Th county rquirs that nw rsidntial dvlopmnt only in th Roaring For Vally provid 10% of homs that mt affordabl guidlins. This inclusionary housing program targts modrat incom, woring familis (80% - 120% AMI). Th County adoptd inclusionary housing in 2000, xpandd th program in 2009, but narrowd th program in In som cass, providing housing in an off-sit location from a rural rsidntial dvlopmnt is logical to hlp with commut, school, and 41

42 shopping concrns. Affordabl Housing anywhr in th Roaring For Vally dos offr th potntial of bing closr to uppr vally wor without having to pass through th traffic bottlnc in Glnwood Springs. Gnrally, dvloprs in th unincorporatd ara do not ta advantag of opportunitis to locat rquird affordabl homs off-sit in aras clos to urban srvics. Thr is a significant invntory of undvlopd lots in Garfild County. Whn a significant portion of a subdivision rmains vacant, costs of infrastructur maintnanc ar significantly incrasd for th rmaining lots, or for th county as a whol. This invntory of vacant lots could mt a portion of th dmand for futur growth, rducing th nd for mor dvlopmnt. Housing affordability is a rgional issu and should b addrssd on a rgional basis. Goals: 1. To bring about a rang of housing typs, costs, and tnancy options, that nsur for our currnt and futur rsidnts affordabl housing opportunitis in saf, fficint rsidntial structurs. 2. Mixd us Rural Cntrs ar ncouragd in locations that can b srvd by transit. 42 Policis: 1. is committd to ta appropriat, cost-ffctiv masurs to assur that nw dvlopmnt contributs its fair shar to providing housing affordabl to thos that liv and wor in th county. 2. Accssory Dwlling Units ar includd within th ovrall land us dnsity as dscribd in th Land Us Tabl shown on th Map. 3. will considr xpanding th currnt inclusionary housing rgulations to addrss affordabl rntal housing. 4. Encourag providing affordabl housing in aras whr cost-ffctiv transportation xists (as appropriat to incom scal). 5. Encourag provision of affordabl housing closr to whr jobs ar locatd. Stratgis / Actions: 1. Wor with municipalitis and Garfild County Housing Authority (GCHA) to allow sal/transfr of affordabl units to urban locations. 2. Encourag dvlopmnt within Urban Growth Aras that can bst provid affordabl living. 3. Coordinat fforts with th GCHA and municipalitis to fostr rgional housing goals. 4. Wor with GCHA to dvlop mchanisms to monitor th ffctivnss of th county s

43 affordabl housing rquirmnt, and adjust as ncssary. 5. Wor with municipalitis to xplor allowing rquird affordabl housing to b constructd whr urban srvics ar availabl to lowr th ovrall cost of living of affordabl housing rsidnts. 6. In aras dsignatd or appropriat for Villag Cntrs, allow and ncourag subdivision of xisting larg lots into smallr lots (with nighborhood input and support). 7. Explor as an incntiv for small clustr dvlopmnt subdivisions, a highr thrshold for rquiring affordabl housing. 43

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45 Sction 3 - Transportation Vision has a saf, fficint, wllmaintaind and balancd transportation ntwor that accommodats multi-modal uss and ffctivly lins all communitis throughout th Colorado Rivr and Roaring For Rivr corridors. Figur 2 Projctd Wday PM Pa Hour Northbound Travl Tims Sourc: Sourc: Adaptd from th SH CCA CCA (2005). (2005). Travl tims masurd for vhicl trips btwn 32 nd Strt and I-70 (Exit 116) Existing is Figur 24: Traffic on SH 82 is projctd to dramatically incras by Figur 25: Havy truc traffic causs rural county roads to dtriorat much fastr than normal. Th oil/gas industry has voluntarily mad significant financial contributions to th County for maintnanc and construction of county roads. Issus: Larg numbrs of county rsidnts commut from th Colorado Rivr Vally to mploymnt in th Roaring For vally. This forcs a significant amount of traffic through Glnwood Springs. By 2030, SH 82 through Glnwood Springs is projctd to xprinc 40,000 trips pr day, far abov it s comfortabl carrying capacity as a main strt. This will also hav significant implications for othr communitis that dpnd on worrs to gt fficintly through Glnwood Springs. Givn th physical limitations, and costs, of altrnativ routs, traffic solutions nd to b addrssd on many fronts (location of housing rlativ to jobs, alt. transportation mods, tc.) and on a rgional basis. Dvlopmnt in unincorporatd aras of th county will continu to plac dmands on roadways initially dsignd to carry traffic rlatd to agricultural uss. Colorado Dpartmnt of Transportation (CDOT) procdurs allow dvlopmnt proposals to avoid contributing to intrsction improvmnts by showing lss than 20% incras in traffic. This may rsult in th lac of funding for improvmnts to many inadquat intrsctions on a county-wid basis. Land us dcisions (such as th approval of projcts placing rsidntial 45

46 46 and commrcial/industrial traffic on th sam transportation corridors without appropriat mitigation) hav placd incompatibl traffic mixs on som roadways. Approximatly on-third of th county roads ar in fair or poor condition. Havy truc traffic rlatd to oil and gas drilling causs th roads to dtriorat much fastr than normal. Th roads wr not built for havy truc traffic and th lif of th road is svrly shortnd du to th truc volums. Road and Bridg rvnus ar adquat to provid continuing maintnanc, but not sufficint to rconstruct roads du to th truc damag, to corrct safty dficincis, or to provid additional capacity. A 2006 traffic plan stimatd th funding shortfall to b about $18 million ovr 20 yars. Th currnt road impact f program is st up by individual county roads, but th program dos not covr th ntir county and fs collctd for dvlopmnt within th spcific corridor must b spnt only for improvmnts in that corridor. Th f rvnus ar not sufficint to pay for any significant improvmnts and cannot b poold from th diffrnt corridors to fund a major improvmnt on any on corridor. Without additional funding, th county should anticipat that road conditions will gradually dtriorat and congstion will incras. Many county/stat intrsctions will nd improvmnts to accommodat futur dvlopmnt. Concntrating futur dvlopmnt will rduc th improvmnts ndd on county roads and allow improvmnts to b concntratd on thos roads dirctly impactd by dvlopmnt. As a rsult, it may b possibl to maintain som county roads with littl or no major improvmnts. Bicycl transportation in th Roaring For Vally is providd by RFTA via th havily-usd Rio Grand trail that xtnds from Glnwood Springs to Aspn. Th Colorado Rivr trail is also plannd to provid intr-city bicycl travl options from Glnwood to Nw Castl and potntially byond. Bicycl travl is also possibl on many county, stat and local roads ithr via shard lans or pavd shouldrs. Th County currntly rquirs 8 shouldrs on artrials and 6 shouldrs on scondary accss roads. contracts with th Roaring For Transit Authority (RFTA), to provid srvic from Glnwood Springs to Rifl. RFTA srvics also xtnds from Glnwood Springs to Aspn/Snowmass. Th Rgional Airport nar Rifl is an uncontrolld airport (no local towr control) with a 7,000- foot runway that can accommodat up

47 to a 737 airlinr. It currntly handls approximatly 20,000 taoffs/ landings pr yar. Th oil/gas industry has voluntarily mad significant financial contributions to th County for maintnanc and construction of county roads. Goals: 1. Ensur that county roads ar constructd and maintaind on a saf, and fiscally sustainabl basis. 2. Support public transit srvics as wll as altrnativ mods of transportation, whn and whr fasibl. Policis: 1. will participat and cooprat with rgional/statwid transportation planning to promot accss to all availabl mods for county rsidnts. 2. will ncourag rgional public transit systms. 3. All nw and xpandd dvlopmnt must b consistnt with applicabl IGA s rgarding accss control. 4. County road xtnsions will b prioritizd basd on th following critria: o Logical xtnsion of xisting roadway. o Prsnc of xisting land uss adjacnt to th projct. o Consistnt with futur land uss basd on th comprhnsiv plan and th county zoning rgulations. Stratgis and Actions: 1. Assur th intrconnctivity of th county roadway systm, to provid multipl routs to rduc congstion and provid for mrgncy accss. 2. Focus infrastructur improvmnts (and road maintnanc) in a costffctiv pattrn, in aras whr growth is appropriat. 3. Crat and maintain a map of xisting road conditions and ownrships, and stablish road standards. 4. Adopt a Road Mastr Plan to hlp guid th Capital Improvmnt Plan. 5. Convn a wor sssion of rgional staholdrs (countis, RFTA, CDOT, municipalitis, tc.) to shar information about currnt plans, projctions, issus and potntial solutions. 6. Wor with RFTA, or othr transit ntitis, to addrss transit throughout and how to connct with Eagl County s ECO-Transit systm. 7. Explor mchanisms for th County to addrss incrasd traffic from nw dvlopmnt. 47

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49 Sction 4 - Economics, Employmnt and Tourism Vision Th county has ncouragd conomic opportunity and divrsity to dvlop in stratgic locations by dsignating a varity of aras as mploymnt and commrc cntrs. Dsignatd aras hav ncouragd businss clustrs to dvlop and incubators, ntrprnurial and xisting businss hav xpandd into ths aras. Th county has playd a y rol in providing traditional and communications infrastructur to spcific commrc cntrs. Light industrial and commrcial uss ar stratgically locatd within and adjacnt to citis and towns by ncouraging growth and mploymnt cntrs to b dvlopd within plannd urban growth boundaris. Mixd-us rsidntial and commrcial dvlopmnt has bn ncouragd and th county has rquird dvlopmnt to pay for a fair shar of its impacts. Issus: Th county has a divrs mploymnt bas, th most significant sctors bing: o Construction (17%) o Rtail sals (12%) o Oil/Gas (10%) 1 o Accommodations, food tourism (10%) o Wholsal trad (8%) o Halthcar (8%) o Education (8%) o Information/financ,/ral stat (6%) Ovr th last dcad, th biggst chang in rlativ importanc has bn th incras in Mining (2000=1%, 2008=10%) and th slightly rducd rol of many of th othr sctors. o Notwithstanding th rol of mining, thr is also a ralization that mining mploymnt is subjct to strong xtrnal forcs (pric of oil, gas/oil tchnology, tc.) that ma it vulnrabl to variations that can occur suddnly (as has rcntly happnd), and that in th long run, oil and gas ar finit rsourcs that gradually diminish. o At th sam tim, thr is a possibility that prics and tchnology could ma oil shal xtraction practical, which would rsult in xtraordinary growth in mploymnt and all th attndant impacts. o As a rsult, thr is a strong dsir to continu to divrsify th county conomy. 1 S Sction 9: Minral Extraction 49

50 Th county is currntly analyzing potntial businss sctors that could b attractd to th Airport Industrial Par. Ky factors that affct businss rcruitmnt includ: o Transportation accss (air, highway, rail). o Availability of an appropriat worforc (ducation, training). o Availability of housing for worrs. o Quality of lif that appals to worrs. o E-commrc and accss to tchnology infrastructur. Commrcial dvlopmnt in unincorporatd aras can rduc th sals tax rcipts of incorporatd communitis, and constrain thir ability to provid srvics and amnitis on which th majority of county rsidnts dpnd. Th growth of tourism in Garfild County continus to divrsify th county conomy. Tourism basd commrcial activitis ar an important part of th commrcial conomic sctor, and tourism basd mploymnt provids jobs for Garfild County rsidnts. Goals: 1. Maintain a strong and divrs conomic bas (for both mploymnt and incom gnration). Policis: th convninc shopping nds of county rsidnts. 2. Th county will discourag commrcial dvlopmnt in th unincorporatd aras that would significantly rduc sals tax rvnus in incorporatd municipalitis. 3. will ncourag th dvlopmnt of a divrsifid industrial bas rcognizing physical location-tomart capabilitis of th community, and th social and nvironmntal impacts of industrial uss. 4. Ensur that transportation mods and nods ar dirctly lind with xisting conomic cntrs through dvlopmnt rviw procss and inspction. 5. Th county will dirct industrial dvlopmnts to th airport cntr and othr appropriatly dsignatd aras. 6. Th county rcognizs that th tourism industry is an important part of th rgional conomy and th County rcognizs that th tourism industry is nhancd by (1) opn spac and scnic vistas (2) public trails and othr rcrational opportunitis (3)public accss to public lands (4) a halthy nvironmnt and habitats for hunting and fishing (5) grn blts and opn ara btwn communitis (6) clan air and watr (7) local foods and local produc. 1. will ncourag th rtntion and xpansion of modst, viabl commrcial uss that mt 50

51 Stratgis and Actions: 1. Ensur that adquat land is rsrvd for th typ, siz and scop of industrial/commrcial dvlopmnt that is consistnt with long-trm conomic dvlopmnt objctivs. 2. Continu to dvlop th Airport Industrial Par as a major rgional mploymnt cntr. 3. Explor with municipalitis thir intrst in participating in an xpandd vrsion of th Airport Industrial Mart Analysis (with financial participation). 4. Ensur that commrcial/industrial dvlopmnts ar compatibl with adjacnt land uss and prsrv th visual quality of th county. 5. Whr appropriat, ncourag divrs tourism rlatd dvlopmnt in ordr to sustain it as an conomic and mploymnt bas in. 6. Ensur that tourism dvlopmnt is compatibl with adjacnt land uss and prsrvs th natural nvironmnt of th county. 7. Encourag commrcial/tourism dvlopmnt in aras whr xisting infrastructur (watr /wastwatr facilitis) ar currntly availabl and whr affordabl housing is convnint. 8. Initiat a Transportation Impact Assssmnt procss for rviw of proposd commrcial/industrial dvlopmnts to addrss: o Traffic gnratd. o Contribution to capacity incrass and incrasd maintnanc ndd. 9. Employ altrnativ uss of th xisting rsourc bas, spcifically including natural gas. 10. Facilitat th growth of institutions that ducat th county worforc. Figur 26: A havy industrial complx nar Parachut. Th Map dsignats significant aras for futur industrial dvlopmnt. Figur 27: Th Airport Industrial Par is an important part of th County s conomic dvlopmnt stratgy. 51

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53 Sction 5 - Rcration, Opn Spac, and Trails Vision Opn spacs, rcrational trails and pars ar availabl throughout th county and accss to public lands and rivr corridors hav bn prsrvd and nhancd. Rcration and tourism industris ar ncouragd and supportd in appropriat locations throughout th county. Figur 28: Th Sunlight Si Ara is an important rcration amnity for local rsidnts. Figur 29: Th Rio Grand trail along th Roaring For Rivr is an important rgional rcration and transit amnity. Issus: Th County has traditionally supportd (contributd to) th fforts of othr organizations to crat trails in th county. A rgional trail alrady xists in th Roaring For Vally. County policy rgarding trail systms should rflct rgional goals and b consistnt and complmntary with othr jurisdictional fforts. Zoning, Subdivision and Plannd Unit Dvlopmnt rgulations must b consistnt with gnral county opn spac and rcrational objctivs. Th Fairgrounds ar currntly locatd in th cntr of Rifl, a location that has much highr potntial for othr uss that will contribut to th vitality of Rifl. A numbr of consrvation asmnts xist in, and ar undr th ovrsight of non-profit organizations. In comprhnsiv plan public mtings and a 2008 survy, strong public support was indicatd for th County to ta a mor activ rol in both trails and opn spac. In a 2010 public opinion survy, th rspondnts again xprssd strong support for opn spac prsrvation, howvr, thy did not support public funding. Acquisition of opn spac (land and/ or asmnts) is th surst mthod of compnsating land ownrs fairly. 53

54 Rcrational opportunitis ar an important part of tourism in Garfild County. dos not currntly hav an opn spac and/or trails program. Goals: 1. Assur that nw rsidntial dvlopmnt provids rcration opportunitis for county rsidnts that ar appropriat to th dnsity and typ of dvlopmnt or that contribut land and/or funding to a county-wid trail and rcration systm. 2. Ensur public accss to fdral lands is prsrvd, consistnt with Burau of Land Managmnt and U.S. Forst Srvic policis. 3. Provid opportunitis for th tourism industry to utiliz rcrational rsourcs as wll as to prsrv rcration rsourcs for local accss. 4. Support th dvlopmnt of a continuous trail systm within Garfild County and along both major rivr corridors. 5. Support th dvlopmnt of a county wid land consrvation program to provid tools for land ownrs and th public to consrv proprty. Policis: 1. Th county supports th cration of an intrconnctd trail systm in th Colorado Rivr Vally. 2. Any actions rgarding opn spac 54 and trails must rspct th proprty rights of land ownrs in th county and must b basd on th concpts of just compnsation or mutual bnfit for landownrs, rsidnts and visitors. 3. Opn spac ddications must includ provision for maintnanc. 4. Proposd dvlopmnt adjacnt to strams/rivrs with rafting or fishing potntial ar ncouragd to ddicat asmnts for public accss to ths aras, whr compatibl with wildlif habitat. 5. Encourag dvlopmnt that contributs to th continuation and nhancmnt of commrcial tourism in or nar rcration aras. Stratgis and Actions: 1. Wor with municipalitis, and othr organizations to collaborativly dvlop a Colorado Rivr trail and prsrvation plan. 2. Wor with Rifl to dtrmin th appropriat location for th fairgrounds. 3. Updat th subdivision rgulations to spcify appropriat rcration rquirmnts and/or fs in-liu. 4. Crat incntivs, such as dnsity bonuss, for th provision of public accss to rivrs and strams. 5. Rsarch, and prsnt for public considration, options appropriat to rgarding fasibl/ lgal mans to acquir opn spac/ rcrational asmnts.

55 Sction 6 - Agricultur Vi s i on has prsrvd rural charactr and agricultural hritag by ncouraging th rtntion of important agricultural lands, woring farms and ranchs whil prsrving rural charactr and agricultural hritag. Th county has ncouragd consrvation of lands that protct important wildlif corridors, natural habitats, important viwshds and othr critical opn spac. Figur 30: A ranch nar Nw Castl xmplifis th rural imag and wstrn hritag that contributs to s imag and conomy. Issus: Agricultur accounts for approximatly 2% of county mploymnt, and contributs $22 million to th county conomy. Agricultur is strongly associatd with th wstrn hritag and rural imag of th unincorporatd aras of th county. Farm and ranch oprators hav bn dilignt stwards maintaining th most significant landscaps, njoyd by rsidnts and visitors. Th rollovr of agricultural land into mor intns uss is acclrating in th County Th prim agricultural lands in th county ar also thos lands which prsnt th last dvlopmnt constraints (gology, topography, watr availability, and floodplain). Som ownrs of larg acrags dpnd on th valuation of dvlopmnt capacity as collatral to lvrag capital that prmit thm to farm/ranch. For many, thir land is thir savings account. Th ability to asily sll portions of land for incom and to family mmbrs is an important survival rsourc. Th County currntly offrs a varity of tools that allow a landownr to bypass (via xmptions) onrous subdivision rgulations in subdividing rural lands. Rsidntial subdivisions oftn caus conflicts with agricultural practics, 55

56 which can vntually discourag farming/ranching. For many ownrs of small-tointrmdiat acrags, thir agricultural incom is subsidizd by othr sourcs. As th rural aras of th county continu to dvlop, th nd to nsur compatibility btwn ths uss and activ agricultural lands will intnsify. Agricultural land provids important habitat for wintr gam as wll as non-gam spcis and also provids dsird opn spac. In, th xisting Rural zon district allows a wid rang of uss. This bradth of allowd uss mans that potntially two adjacnt proprtis that hav th sam (Rural) zoning can hav inhrntly incompatibl uss. Tchnically this is offst by th rviw critria stablishd for th Rural zon (major and minor Impacts), howvr in actual practic vry littl limitation has bn applid. With national disruptions in th food supply, costs of transportation, and dsir to prsrv agricultural lands, thr is a growing awarnss of th bnfits of having a local food supply. Goals: 1. Promot th continuation and xpansion of agricultural uss. 2. Prsrv a significant rural charactr 56 in th county. 3. Prsrv scnic and visual corridors in th county. Policis: 1. Agricultural land will b protctd from infringmnt and associatd impacts of highr-intnsity land uss with buffr aras btwn th agricultural uss and th proposd projct. 2. Discourag dnsitis gratr than th undrlying zoning if th proposd dvlopmnt would advrsly affct th adjacnt agricultural oprations. 3. Encourag clustrd dvlopmnt in aras that prsnt potntial incompatibility. 4. Encourag th us of rural clustr dvlopmnts, rural land subdivision xmptions, and consrvation subdivision, and dnsity bonus to promot prsrvation of woring ranchs and land consrvation. Stratgis and Actions: 1. Crat and maintain a tool box of mthods for agricultural protction. Considr: o A program for th purchas/ transfr of dvlopmnt rights. o Land trusts and consrvation asmnts (alrady availabl). o Clustr dvlopmnt incntivs. o Exmptions from subdivision rgulation for small land partitions. 2. Facilitat farmrs and ranchrs woring togthr in an ongoing ffort to dvlop stratgis to prsrv

57 agricultur, including addrssing stat issus to p land holdings togthr. 3. Ensur activ agricultural uss ar buffrd from highr-intnsity adjacnt uss. 4. Rquir all Final Plats to carry a not that notifis prospctiv lot ownrs that has adoptd a Right to Farm Policy. 5. Rviw and rvis county land us rgulations as appropriat to incras thir ffctivnss for land consrvation and agricultural protction. 6. Rsarch and prsnt for public considration options appropriat to rgarding agricultural protction. Figur 31: Ranchs clos to municipalitis hav bn subdividd into various sizd farms, ranchtts, and stats. 57

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59 Sction 7 - Watr and Swr Srvics Vision High watr quality has bn prsrvd and nhancd through stringnt rgulation of wast watr tratmnt and disposal as wll as rgulation of dtrimntal surfac uss. Issus: Watr is ssntial to all lif in th watrshd. Potntial thrats to watr supply includ, but ar not limitd to, climat chang and drought cycls, oil shal production, urban dvlopmnt prssurs, rsrvoirs and intrbasin transfrs. Th prolifration of On-sit Wastwatr Tratmnt Systm (OWTS), prviously nown as Individual Swag Disposal Systm (ISDS), if not carfully monitord and maintaind, has th potntial to pollut surfac and ground watr. has an xtnsiv supply of ground watr, spcially in th Flattops Wildrnss Ara and in th alluvial dposits of th Colorado and Roaring For Rivrs. Howvr, outsid of ths aras, in th aras whr growth is lily to occur, ground watr has only a modrat probability of bing found, and whn it is prsnt, thr ar lgal and rgulatory rstrictions on its availability for us. Thus, watr will continu to b a significant considration in dtrmining whr dvlopmnt should occur. Goals: 1. Ensur th provision of lgal, adquat, dpndabl, cost-ffctiv and nvironmntally sound swr and watr srvics for nw dvlopmnt. 59

60 5. Highr dnsity dvlopmnt1, with xcption of consrvation subdivision in rural aras, should b locatd in aras whr cntral swag tratmnt facilitis ar ithr currntly availabl, or fasibl in th futur. Policis: 1. Dvlopmnt locatd adjacnt to municipalitis or sanitation districts with availabl capacity in thir cntral watr/swr systms will b ncouragd to ti into ths systms. 2. County will strongly discourag th prolifration of privat cntral watr/ swr systms. Spcial district or mtro districts should only b considrd in rar circumstancs and only aftr othr option with municipal govrnmnts ar dtrmind unfasibl aftr an objctiv rviw procss. 3. Dvlopmnt proposals in rural aras without xisting cntral watr and/or swr systms ar rquird to show that lgal, adquat, dpndabl and nvironmntally sound watr/swag disposal facilitis can b providd. 4. Rquir nw dvlopmnt to mitigat impacts on xisting watr/swr systms. Stratgis and Actions: 1. Wor with xisting spcial districts to coordinat thir plans with county policis and plans. 2. Encourag spcial districts to xpand srvics to dvlopmnt of any nw cntrs in th unincorporatd aras. 3. Dvlop standards for OWTS that will nabl thm to b usd in clustr dvlopmnts in rural aras. 4. Includ in LUDC watr-consrving practics for dvlopmnt of 3 DUs or mor pr acr. Figur 32: has significant Map Lgnd ground watr rsourcs, but it s accssibility is Lgal Watr Supply Availabl through Approvd Rgional Augmntation Plans gnrally limitd in aras whr dvlopmnt is Aras Typically High Quality & Quantity Groundwatr Rsourcs lily to occur (s Appndix G). Aras Known Quality & Quantity Groundwatr Issus, although High Quality Rsourcs can Occur n Cab i C r Aras Typically Poor Quality & Quantity Groundwatr Supplis D r Cr Aras County Roads Cr H ors El t s C n r r C Gr u D C r s Ut a C r M ad ow Clar Cr s Cro s Cr Hac C r r Co ral C r Cl Ea C r p C r ch tr C r p Sh Gulch Ba r S tu mp r C r a W GVC Cr s if l C l Gu Cr r or st F W Lins D p Mo El r in Mai n r or p C r l Mi d dl R if C h Ea s t C ny a on Bo w Cr B ob Cr C r I is s C z riz ly C r l l C r lan Do G u lch n il C Fou rm Ca t t l C r Bu i l C r l D vi i d C r m an Bl u Cr C r rm CARBONDALE Fo u Cr G Cr C a t t l Cr F G ul c h Cr Sa r to n C r g Cr Gu h lc C l a r Eas Fou rm i l C r Ed r r l G Dry H al l ow C r Dry Ma mm C nt Mi d dl Mamm C r h Ra ms y G ul c Ga Oas v y G a p Ha r C r i fl C r h R a Cr r C r B a v ol Spruc C r Po rc u pin Cr C ad o FIGURE 1 Prliminary Assssmnt of Groundwatr Availability, Colorado C r K n di g Yan Mor than on (1) dwlling unit pr on (1) acr. Bar b r s r i ra W an t Ma mm lc h Gu s Ha y h Gu lc y c a sh Bl oa Sp Cr Cr r r E G u lc h D p t tl sc ad Ca ny o n Conn C r ch Gu l Cr Par l C r l ch G Gu l c h lch r G u Gi b l Hop p l ch ul c G ul t on Li ld B Gu lc i ll wm S Wa rd G ul c C r S ch ut t ts C r Tom Cr Po t C r Wi ss Gu lch s C r T GUL CH ch Wa v r Gl R lc h Gu r Cr ys l Kim ba h Eas t Gu l ch Ca yo v ar Co W s Was r B i g S al a Do n s Ca nyo on S a yl Ca h ut n y rd Canyo n r a Ho w l Cr t Sa t lc r C a tt i l Sl tr M a C s Ba Eas C n M sa Ca yon W ash Cr Dr y am o Ca mp Gu l c h G C i nn n C ar Cr r dy Cr J C l r Ba l d y Cr u C Cr v R r ul c h fil d Ga l dy F o r h d h ng Roa r i B Cr Tar Ga r ul c h l d rf i Wa Co t t o Gu s on G Gu l c h n ch C r Bl u Nam Cr r Cr o a Dr y Can y Gu ado R i v n Lan d i C al i yon Cr No C Al Ea st Gu lch bs Cr m Cr lc GLENWOOD SPRINGS r C an C r Co l n oo ac J ai p Ti Fr nc h i zz l y l i D iv i d Cr Wst am t M d C as c a C r Ala l n ch r Ea st D iv id u M itc h Cr C r P G Cr C r r Gi amm C r Ea s t M W t s al Cr p D Cr D Na Al d C Cr Dr y t COLLBRAN 25 mi a li a do R i v olor Div r lt 1 Cr Po s s i o ld Gar f i Dr y C r y C DEBEQUE 0 C r t Mamm Cr Cr Dr lo R v Cr nt m tl D ry do Dr y For 60 i y l ch v t G u lch av r C r G r C ach C n umn Ba Lo g lc h Gu n W a sh i th Sm Fo r L oga h t r Kl l I r r awa d dy Cr Griz z ly Cr r o NEW CASTLE SILT Dr B v Ri Mo u u D ry pl y or Ri ol r a do Ri do R i v r o Ba l z ac Gu lc h n o C PARACHUTE R h G lo r Co do or a t M G r Fo olo r T ou r i s yo n an y C y l D r idd i f l C r r o Co lo r a d R i vr c r Ri v G ar vy C a nyo n a R RIFLE u B owd i s h Gu l h t r Cr Y llow S l i d Gu c C Cr l lc h Gu G r an Sou t h Cr m Do rcl r h t n Cr th n c at H l Nor t h Dry Fo r N ig r C a C K i mba M Bu n ny on ta t ul r dn G h Ga n Can y o st Eas l il nt E Ca l o m Li G u lc h t n v r n Bar Ru n Ci Scot Ro an P h as p Gu l ch C am an yo W Dr y C on P ar ri i Ca n D on mar ny Ca o ul h p G c Cam S yo n n s ny a C o n Ca ny o y an th C S ou ri C o in Sp r n n RoanCr r B a C Cr R Hay Can yo n S pi n Cany on Lo n g s u Go C r Jac C r on ny Cr Wi E DE S Cr For p Ca l rr a C r pp Tra dl Mi d r g C Cr N as t D ri n g lch r El Gu oa C r S Cr ar Cr p B C r f t F or Br u sh Ca rr L y Fo r r n So r D o rr r C r C r C C a ny Ca l f C anyon g on ny h r rris C W Pa D Ri l f ow C r us a Wa C W il W B yon Cr s t E l lh Gu Ha rr i s s st l Qu a l Ca n Big r Cr Cr B ru Cr Cr i ll ow st W Ea C l ar C B r ush h M a dow G g C or r c r N Dat: January 7, 2010 Map By: M.P. Fil Nam: GARCO.map W E S BASALT

61 Sction 8 - Natural Rsourcs Vision Th county has prsrvd and nhancd th habitat for wildlif, nativ vgtation, riparian corridors, scnic and othr important faturs of th natural nvironmnt. Th county has succssfully word to minimiz light pollution and has protctd and improvd air and watr quality for th halth of its citizns. Figur 33: Many of th natural rsourcs in th county, such as th Grass Vally Rsrvoir, ar managd by multipl agncis. Issus: Tourism is an intgral componnt of th conomy of. Thrfor, it is important, for conomic dvlopmnt, to rspct th natural nvironmnt that brings rsidnts and visitors to th county. Many of th natural rsourcs in th county ar also undr th jurisdiction of othr agncis and xtnd byond county boundaris. Thrfor, a cooprativ approach is rquird. Th continuity of wildlif corridors, prsrvation of riparian and othr wildlif habitat, and protction of nativ fish spcis, such as th Cutthroat Trout, ar all important to watrshd halth. Thrats includ dvlopmnt prssur in snsitiv aras from industry, land us, and roads. Th county maintains high air quality standards, howvr thr may b a propnsity for air pollutants to xist in th wstrn part of th county. Goals: 1. Ensur that natural, scnic, cological, and critical wildlif habitat rsourcs ar protctd and/or impacts mitigatd. 2. Prsrv natural drainag pattrns so th cumulativ impact of public and privat land us activitis will not caus storm drainag and floodwatr pattrns to xcd th capacity of natural or constructd drainag 61

62 ways, or to subjct othr aras to an incrasd potntial for damag du to ELK: Ovrall Rang Lgnd flooding, rosion or sdimntation or rsult in pollution to strams, rivrs or othr natural bodis of watr. 3. Protct xisting accss to natural rsourcs. 4. Ensur th appropriat rclamation of land aftr xtraction procsss. 5. Cooprativly manag drainag that ELK: Summr Rangth communitis. impacts Limitd Us Ara Ovrall Rang Rsidnt Population 2. will ncourag th MULE DEER:protction Ovrall Rang of watrshds, flood plains, Lgnd and riparian aras. Ov Ovrall Rang Su Fa Stratgis and Actions: B 1. Th county will ncourag and cooprat with th protction of critical habitat including stat and fdrally protctd, thratnd, or ndangrd spcis. ELK: Wintr Rang MULE DEER: Wintr Rang NEW CASTLE SILT RIFLE GLENWOOD SPRINGS 82 PARACHUTE 70 CARBONDALE 133 Lgnd Lgnd Rsidnt Population 1. Continu to intgrat an nvironmntal rviw procss throughout th county. 2. Evaluat th LUDC s ffctivnss in rgards to th nvironmntal rviw MULE DEER:procss. Summr Rang Lgnd 3. Wor with Colorado Pars and Wildlif (CPW) and CDOT to addrss highway/wildlif crossing issus. 4. Continu to monitor air quality issus within th county and rspond, if ncssary, if ngativ trnds ar dtctd BLACK B NEW CASTLE RIFLE SILT GLENWOOD SPRINGS PARACHUTE CARBONDALE BIGHORN Lgnd Big Mul Dr, Migration Pattrns El, Migration Pattrns Policis: Big Mul Dr, Summr Rang Summr Rang El, Summr Concntration Aras NEW CASTLE SILT RIFLE GLENWOOD SPRINGS 82 PARACHUTE 70 CARBONDALE 133 Lgnd Big Big NEW CASTLE RIFLE SILT GLENWOOD SPRINGS PARACHUTE CARBONDALE LYNX, KITF Lgnd Lgnd El, Migration Pattrns Mul Dr, Migration Pattrns El, Wintr Rang Mul Dr, Svr Wintr Rang W Mul Dr, Wintr Concntration Aras Ki Mul Dr, Wintr Rang Ri El, Wintr Concntration Aras El, Svr Wintr Rang NEW CASTLE 139 RIFLE NEW CASTLE 70 SILT RIFLE GLENWOOD SPRINGS SILT GLENWOOD SPRINGS 82 PARACHUTE PARACHUTE 70 CARBONDALE CARBONDALE 133 MULE DEER: Highway Crossings BALD EA ELK: Production Aras and Highway Crossings Lgnd Lgnd Lgnd Ba Mul Dr, Highway Crossings El, Highway Crossings Ba El, Production Aras Ba NEW CASTLE NEW CASTLE RIFLE SILT RIFLE GLENWOOD SPRINGS SILT GLENWOOD SPRINGS PARACHUTE PARACHUTE CARBONDALE CARBONDALE Figur 34: A sampling of wildlif maps showing conflict aras with big gam in th dvlopabl portions of th county Wildlif Habitat Profil,, Colorado (sourc: GIS). 62 g:\plan\mapst\26wildlif Rvision 14: This map shall b considrd to b 1 inch quals 13.7 mils Mils 40 ONLY Garfild ADVISORY County

63 Sction 9 - Minral Extraction Vision Rsourc xtraction, including oil and gas dvlopmnt, has bn ncouragd to rmain in th county du to thir contribution thy ma to th county s ovrall goal of having a divrs and stabl conomy. Whil rsourc industris ar wlcomd in th county, thy hav bn xpctd to fairly mitigat ngativ impacts that might hav rsultd du to thir oprations. Figur 35: Wstrn has xprincd a significant lvl of oil/gas dvlopmnt. Issus: has significant minral rsourcs that hav, and will continu to hav, a considrabl bnfit to th conomic halth of th county. Mining and xtraction oprations may hav significant visual impacts on th scnry of th county. Primary rgulatory control of minral xtraction rsts with Stat agncis: th Division of Rclamation and Safty (sand and gravl) and th Oil and Gas Consrvation Commission. Goals: 1. Ensur that minral xtraction is rgulatd appropriatly to promot rsponsibl dvlopmnt and provid bnfit to th gnral public. 2. Ensur that minral xtraction activitis mitigat thir ffcts on th natural nvironmnt, including air quality, watr quality, wildlif habitat or important visual rsourcs. 3. In woring with minral xtraction projcts, th county will protct th public halth, safty and wlfar of its citizns. Policis: 1. rcognizs that surfac and minral ownrs hav crtain lgal rights and privilgs, including th right to xtract and dvlop ths intrsts. Privat proprty ownrs also hav crtain lgal rights and privilgs, including th right to hav th minral stat dvlopd in a rasonabl mannr and to hav advrs 63

64 impacts mitigatd. Th proprty rights of minral lsss must b balancd with th rights of privat proprty ownrs and th gnral public. 2. Minral rsourc xtraction activitis will protct critical wildlif habitat as idntifid by stat and fdral agncis. Dvlopmnt within ths dsignations that cannot b dsignd, constructd and conductd so as to hav a minimum advrs impact upon such habitat or ths wildlif spcis, shall b discouragd. 3. Natural drainag pattrns will b prsrvd or mitigatd so th cumulativ impact of minral xtraction activitis will not caus storm drainag/floodwatr pattrns to xcd th capacity of natural or constructd drainag ways, or to subjct othr aras to incrasd flooding, rosion or sdimntation or rsult in pollution to strams, rivrs or othr natural bodis of watr. 4. Facilitis that ar appurtnancs to oil/ gas dvlopmnt activitis (comprssors, tc.) ar considrd appropriat in all land uss so long as thy mt th rspctiv mitigation rquirmnts of th LUDC to maintain compatibility with surrounding land uss. Stratgis and Actions: 1. Adopt a Minral Extraction Mastr Plan consistnt with CRS Maintain and nhanc coopration 64 with oil/gas industry to maintain rlations and monitor mart conditions. Th objctiv is to forwarn th County of impnding changs in mploymnt and or wll drilling activity. 3. Maintain an invntory of viabl sand and gravl rsourcs in th county using information availabl from th Colorado Gological Survy and prmit data from. 4. Ensur that dvloprs of nrgy or minral xtraction projcts contribut proportionatly to th construction and opration of any public improvmnts which ar, or will b, rquird by thir projcts. 5. Maintain and nhanc coopration with th oil and gas industry, proprty ownrs, stat and fdral agncis, such as CPW and CDPHE, in rgard to rgulating activity and mitigating impacts. Figur 36: Oil/gas dvlopmnt can co-xist with agricultural opration and scnic valus.

65 Sction 10 - Rnwabl Enrgy Vision has ncouragd th dvlopmnt of rnwabl nrgy sourcs throughout th county and has nsurd that gnrating facilitis ar locatd in appropriat placs in th county. Th county has also nsurd that county rgulations ar not unduly burdnsom or difficult to ngotiat in rgards to th dvlopmnt and location of nw rnwabl nrgy rsourcs. Issus: Thr ar incntivs to xplor altrnativ sourcs to convntional nrgy for th bnfit of individuals, communitis, and th county as a whol. Thr is potntial that altrnativ nrgy is a tool for conomic divrsification. It is lily that th individual and largscal us of altrnativ nrgy will bcom mor prvalnt in Garfild County and th county nds to anticipat visual and othr impacts. Goals: Figur 37: Th windmill rminds us that rnwabl nrgy was a part of s hritag. Nw tchnology holds promis for futur gnrations. 1. Promot and ncourag th dvlopmnt of rnwabl nrgy rsourcs within th county. 2. Encourag th implmntation of nrgy fficint sit dsign and building orintation in dvlopmnt proposals. 3. Ensur that rnwabl nrgy activitis mitigat thir ffcts on th natural nvironmnt, including air quality, watr quality, wildlif habitat, and visual quality. Policis: 1. Th county ncourags th dvlopmnt of nrgy fficint building dsign and th us of altrnativ nrgy sourcs. 65