In any event, that was then and this is now. Today I received the following in an email and figure I might at well document it here. Let folks know that our local government is functioning. Perhaps not as good as it could, but improvement would require greater public awareness and involvement in the process, boring and mundane though it might be.
La Plata County Community Development Services update
March 2019
Greetings from the La Plata County Planning Department! Below you will find a news update on the projects, plans and processes afoot in our department, at the Planning Commission, and at the Board of County Commissioners. Thank you for your interest in La Plata County!
Click below to go directly to a topic:
- District Plan Updates: Animas Valley, Florida Mesa, Fort Lewis Mesa, Bayfield kickoff meeting
- Land Use Code revision process overview
- Land Use Code policy topic update: Areas of state interest ("1041 powers"); zoning
- Planning Commission meetings
- Board of County Commissioner meetings
- Joint Planning Commission meetings
District Plan Updates
The Planning Commission is working with community residents to update the county's area/district plans, which build off of the goals, objectives, and policies that were developed in the Comprehensive Plan that the Planning Commission adopted in April 2017.
There are 12 district (area) plans that have been revised as recently as 2012, while some have never been developed. In order to ensure that the growth management goals for each area/district are current, the Planning Commission has begun a district-by-district update of the plans, with county planning staff convening citizens from each district to weigh in on their area/district plans.
The Planning Commission discusses district plan updates at its meeting on the first Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. in the Board Room of the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave. in Durango. On March 7, the Planning Commission will discuss the District Plan update process, and specifically:
- Clarifying district plan update processes & functions
- Florida Mesa District Plan update
- Animas Valley Land Use Plan update
- Fort Lewis Mesa District Plan update
To date, revisions to the Durango area and North County district plans are complete, and work is under way on the La Posta, Junction Creek, West Durango, Florida Road, and Florida Mesa district plans. Each plan:
- Identifies the unique characteristics of a particular district
- Captures key growth-related issues within each district
- Establishes goals, policies and objectives to guide growth in each district
- Assists the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioner in evaluating the density, type, location and compatibility of land uses in each district
These advisory documents, which were first established in the early 1990s, provide district-specific growth management recommendations to the Planning Commission, as framed by the goals, policies and objectives in the La Plata County Comprehensive Plan.
Get involved in your plan!
Each of the 12 planning area/district in La Plata County has a web page full of area/district plan update resources! Check it out here:
Visit the District Plan Update webpage for an overview of the update process. Not sure what your district is? Use this tool to find out!
Land Use Code Revision Process
The land use code revision project is continuing as an internally led effort that draws on staff resources, reviews of land use codes from similar counties in Colorado, existing work products, statutory review, and public input to craft a code that works for La Plata County.
Planning staff and the Board of County Commissioners values public input, and has been pursuing a process that seeks widespread and targeted input to help inform the Board of County Commissioners in giving staff direction on how to address specific policy issues in the land use code - either in the code revision or as a standalone chapter in the code.
Policy Topics
There are a number of outstanding policy issues that the Board of County Commissioners is giving staff direction on how to address each of these topics in the code revision process. The Board of County commissioners is providing staff direction on how to each of the issues considering best practices from a staff review of land use regulations in seven other Colorado counties, statutory requirements and allowances, and through public input.
The Board of County Commissioners is considering and providing policy direction on the following topics (tentatively in the following order):
- Portable storage
- Special events
- Zoning
- Areas & activities of state interest: 1041 powers
- Sensitive lands
- Roads
- Water
- Site-specific compatibility considerations
- Modifications to existing Transitional Area Development Standards (TADS)
- Subdivisions
- Additional policies to encourage growth in desired areas
- Affordable housing
- Short-term rentals
For details and background materials on all of the policy topics visit the Land Use Code Revision project page
The Board of County Commissioners has been holding a series of work sessions with staff to discuss the policy topics, receive background information, as well as staff recommendations and public input. Some of these sessions have been reserved for background information and education regarding a policy topic and its related issues. Culminating each policy topic has been a work session during which the commissioners provide staff direction on how to address the relevant policy topic when drafting the land use code. All related materials have been distributed to the public in advance of the work sessions.
Work in progress
While these policy discussions occur, La Plata County staff is also working on technical elements of the code, including:
- Crafting clear and concise code language
- Organizing structure to flow more logically
- Outlining a detailed Table of Contents so that it is clear what is in the code and where to find it
- Drafting cogent development standards
- Developing an easily navigable process for land use permit applications and approval
Land Use Code policy topics update
- Areas & activities of state interest regulations
- Colorado statute allows counties to enact regulations regarding areas & activities of state interest ("1041 powers") that establishes a system to identify types of projects with impacts beyond their immediate scope and establish criteria for local governments to use in planning for and regulating such projects. This authority is intended to allow local government to retain and increase regulation of projects with statewide impacts.
- In January, the Board of County Commissioners held a work session that provided introduction to the areas & activities of state interest ("1041 powers") concept, the context in which it can be used, as well the advantages and challenges of utilizing this authority. The presentation is available here. On Feb. 26, the Board of County Commissioners gave staff direction, based on background and recommendations, to draft and develop regulations as a stand-alone chapter of the county code pertaining to the following areas & activities of state interest:
- Domestic water & sewage treatment systems
- Solid waste disposal sites
- Airports
- Highways & interchanges
- Public utility major facilities
- New communities
- Municipal & industrial water projects
- Mineral resource areas
- Natural hazard areas
The BOCC directed staff to develop these regulations for adoption independent of the revised land use code as they apply only to very specific uses; the vast majority of potential projects will not be impacted by these regulations, and separating them from the land use code will increase usability of both chapters. The draft areas & activities of state interest regulations will be circulated for public input prior to adoption.
- Zoning: Development pressure mapping
- In December, the Board of County Commissioners asked staff to develop a map identifying the unincorporated areas in the county that have experienced the highest concentrations of land use permit applications over the last 10 years. Staff is nearing completion of those maps, which will prompt further board discussion regarding how the revised land use code contemplates zoning. There will be a work session scheduled for this discussion, and the maps will be circulated to the public in advance.
Planning Commission Meetings
All meetings are held at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, unless otherwise noted.
March 7
- District Plan Update
- The Planning Commission dedicates the first Thursday of each month to the District Plan update process In addition to general discussion of the process and opportunity for public comment, the commission will particularly focus this month on:
- Distinguishing processes & activities related to district plan updates
- The Planning Commission will discuss and clarify the district plan update process and how citizen input is being gathered and considered in the process.
- Florida Mesa District Plan Update
- The Planning Commission will review the existing Florida Mesa District Plan and discuss changes as part of the overall updating of the district plants. There will be discussion of edits to the plan based on existing conditions, public meetings, survey comments, and matrix comments. The public is encouraged to attend and provide comment.
- Animas Valley Land Use Plan update
- The Planning Commission will discuss updating the Animas Valley Land Use Plan as part of the overall updating of the district plans. There will be discussion of the plan based on existing conditions, public meetings, survey comments, and matrix comments. The public is encouraged to attend and provide comment.
- Fort Lewis Mesa District Plan Update
- The Planning Commission will review the existing Fort Lewis Mesa District Plan and discuss changes as part of the overall updating of the District Plans. There will be discussion of edits to the plan based on existing conditions, public meetings, survey comments, and matrix comments. The public is encouraged to attend and provide comment
Board of County Commissioner Meetings
All meetings are held at 10 a.m. in the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, unless otherwise noted.
March 19
Joint Planning Commission Meetings
All Joint Planning Commission meetings are held at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, unless otherwise noted.
March 21
Stay informed
Thank you for your interest in planning and community development issues in La Plata County. We will use this list to keep you informed of upcoming projects and processes, so please forward to those who might be interested. Feel free to contact us at La Plata County with any questions: Planning Department, (970) 382-6263, or Megan Graham, public affairs officer, (970) 382-3265.
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