The following document is the result of 16 public meetings attended by approximately 350 Custer County residents. The Master Plan group, a committee of the Regional Planning Commission, has prepared this draft. It will be supplemented by statistical and demographic data now under development.
Webmaster's note: So the Community of Westcliffe, Colorado has taken the time to start documenting and publishing a roadmap to their future....
1 - INTRODUCTION
Vision Statement: We are stewards of one of Colorado's most beautiful mountain landscapes. We connect our future with our heritage by managing growth along positive and constructive channels. Mindful of our rural, agricultural and western traditions, we:
- Participate in decisions which affect our region.
- Link development to preservation and stewardship of the natural environment.
- Enhance the lives of Custer County residents by providing quality education, employment, recreation and health opportunities.
What is a Master Plan? The Master Plan is a tool to plan for quality development and to build quality into the county's programs and services. The Master Plan can help maintain the quality of life in Custer County and protect it's natural and scenic resources.
The purpose of this plan is to anticipate the inevitable growth related problems in Custer County and to help shape developed areas within the county. Well-planned, orderly development will have inherently sound economic foundations and will help avoid costly corrective measures in the future.
Although this Master Plan will guide us toward the future, it must also be adapted to changes the future will bring. The citizens of Custer should be prepared to review the Master Plan every five years.
Note from the Webmaster: With the current growth rate in Custer County of 77% per year; we should review the Master Plan once a year for the next five years.
We should also develop our plans around having a maximun population in the Village of Westcliffe of 12,000 people. The population as of January 1st, 2000 is about 1200 people.
II - GOALS AND STRATEGIES
This Master Plan respects the essentially rural character of Custer County. It recognizes the specific aspects of what "rural" means to the lives of the people who make Custer County their home. "Rural" means a slower pace, few displays of economic extravagance, and neighbors respectful of one another - a place where families can live and grow safely.
Growth is inevitable. Although a healthy economic base makes it possible to earn an adequate living, and for our children to remain here, this plan recognizes that growth comes with a price. Fast and inappropriate growth brings crime, too much regulation, and traffic: A loss of what is rural.
Any master plan must set forth multiple goals. When a proposed development involves multiple goals, there will be times when the goals conflict. Land use goals designed to foster economic development may conflict with goals which protect the beauty of the county and agricultural uses. Transportation goals designed to make roads and highways safer may conflict with land use goals designed to limit urban uses.
This Master Plan will serve as a guide to Custer County and its towns and Villages. Their decision makers will recieve many requests to re-zone, to subdivide and to approve developments. They will be called on to draft new land use requlations. They will be pressured to depart from the rules they adopt. Inevitably, their decisions will involve conflicts among the goals set forth here. When the plan's goals conflict, the decision-makers must find a balance which never loses sight of the most important of all goals: maintaining the rural character of the county.
Attaining the goals set forth here will take planning, technical expertise and, most importantly, political will. Technical expertise is available in the current planning staff; but the goals set forth here could be more easily achieved by additional staff and staff training.
The many public meetings which led to development of the goals in this plan should make creation of a regulatory framework implementing the goals easier. The drafters of this plan are confident that this plan's goals have wide public support and that they should be implemented.
In the context of the following material:
- Goals are at the end or final result to be achieved by planning.
- Strategies are achievable and measurable steps needed to reach the desired goal.
III - LAND USE
GOAL:
Preservation of Custer County's rural character; existing ranching economy and culture, open space, scenic vistas, agricultural, forestry and mining heritage.
STRATEGIES:
A. Allow creation of no additional lots of less than 35 acres without a commitment by the owner of the lots to the preservation of substantial open space.
B. Provide for evaluation and modification of development proposals in order to minimize negative environmental, social, cultural and fiscal impacts.
C. Provide a variety of options and incentives to landowners who seek to preserve agricultural and forest lands and open space.
D. Ensure that no use is initiated without adequate evidence that a water supply of sufficient quantity, quality, pressure and dependability is available to support the intended use as well as to provide adequate fire protection.
E. Require new developments to submit economic studies showing the expected capital costs associated with their demands on county services and to pay for those capital costs.
Webmaster's note: Most developers will be more comfortable with letting private industry provide the services needed by the Community.
A Mail Boxes etc. would be a better alternative to expanding the US Post office in Westcliffe. A privately funded medical clinic would be better than funding an expansion to the existing clinic through increased taxation.... and so on..... let private industry provide competative services as needed by the Community.
F. Require new developments to install underground utilities.
G. Encourage lot consolidations to decrease density.
H. Discourage commercial and industrial development in areas of the County where it does not already exist. Areas appropriate for new commercial and industrial development would include the Village of Westcliffe and Silver Cliffe, industrial areas already approved north of Westcliffe on Lake DeWeese Road; North of Silver Cliffe on Oak Creek Grade; adjacent to the County land fill on Rosita Road; and commercial areas already approved or existing in Wetmore, San Isabel, Rosita, Silverwest Road; and commercial areas already approved or existing in Wetmore, San Isabel, Rosita, Silverwest Airport and at St. Andrews Highlands Golf Course.
I. Prohibit the development of strip commercial areas along roadways and entrances to towns, yet recognize that the commercial establishments intended for use by travelers should be accessible to the highway; and encourage the development of compact, rather than sprawling, highway commercial areas. Place other commercial and industrial development in clusters with substantial setbacks away from existing roads and residential areas.
J. Require that new commercial developments be compatible with the surrounding land uses and the character of the area.
K. Discourage any commercial and industrial development adjacent to creeks and riparian areas; on productive ranch lands, particularly on irrigated hay meadows, in areas of demonstrated wildlife habitat; in areas which would cause damage to significant natural features; and along ridge lines.
L. Recognize the need for very limited commercial development to serve the needs of the residents in unincorporated areas such as Wetmore, San Isabel and Rosita, provided the development is within the population centers of those areas, is small in scale, and is designed in such a manner as to minimize its visual and traffic impacts.
M. Encourage quality residential development by:
1. Amending zoning resolutions to allow PUDs only in the Villages' planning areas.
2. Strengthening existing subdivision and development regulations.
3. Encouraging the use of community sewage and water systems.
4. Discouraging sprawl and encouraging cluster development.
N. Identify historic sites and provide incentives to preserve and maintain them.
O. Maintain reasonable access to public lands.
P. Prohibit development in natural hazard areas.
Q. Require new developments to hood street and utility lights.
R. Implement a Geographic Information System (GIS).
Webmaster's note: The only residential development in Custer county that implements on-site clustering of homes, has underground utilities, encourages lot consolidations, hoods street lights and preserves substantial open space is the 1640 acre Sierra Mojada project which is on the Web at:
http://sangre-de-cristo.com/westcliffe/sierra_mojada
IV - ENVIRONMENT
GOALS:
A. Protect the natural environmental and scenic resources in Custer County.
B. Protect wildlife, its habitat and migration corridors.
C. Maintain reasonable access to public lands.
STRATEGIES:
A. Create incentives to maximize preservation of open space and stewardship of both open and developed land.
B. Preserve unique, sensitive or critical natural areas, lakes and streams, scenic vistas, wildlife habitats and aquifer recharge areas.
C. Monitor wildlife diversity and forest health barometers of environmental health.
V - GOVERNMENT/CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
GOALS:
A. Development of good rapport and cooperation between County and Village entities, and their citizens.
B. Recognition that the goals of this plan can only be achieved when the county operates efficiently and responsively, with respect for private property rights.
C. Development of a capital improvement program which establishes funding priorities and specific improvements of public facilities which are viewed as desirable or needed by the citizens.
STRATEGIES:
A. Create joint Village/county planning areas, especially around incorporated Villages.
B. Reach out to all citizens, encourage them to participate and assure them they can make a difference in government decision-making.
C. Disseminate to the public how and why decisions are made.
D. Review policies, ordinances and programs to assure that they are consistent with each other and with community goals.
VI - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
GOAL:
A. Development of a stable, diversified, year-round economic base, realizing that a stable economy is a necessary ingredient for the well-being of the county now and in the future.
B. Establishment of a sophisticated telecommunications backbone that will enable balanced economic growth for the residents of Custer county.
STRATEGIES:
A. Encourage businesses which plan to locate or expand operations within the county to:
1. Avoid air, water, noise and soil pollution.
2. Provide facilities for containment and disposal of all waste products.
3. Follow water and wildlife conservation practices.
4. Minimize visual impacts resulting from all development along state highways.
5. Minimize traffic impacts.
6. Respect the principles set forth in this Master Plan.
B. Encourage energy conservation in all phases of growth and development.
C. Regulate placement, size, lighting, and animation of business signs to avoid visual clutter.
D. Encourage only those economic developments which are consistent with the quality of life Custer county citizens desire.
E. Adopt equitable and rational exaction policies for new developments that affect the services in Custer county.
F. Recognize the vital economic importance of water and protect this resource by vigorously protesting the sale or transfer to interests outside of Custer county.
G. Recognize that a healthy and diverse wildlife population can contribute to economic gain.
H. Encourage telecommunications utilities to provide facilities for high-speed digital data transmission.
I. Pursue inclusion of Pueblo in the local calling area for all of Custer county telephone users.
VII - TRANSPORTATION
GOALS:
A. Promotion of transportation options that are safe, efficient and compatible with Custer county's rural atmosphere.
B. Promotion of safe, expedient access for emergency vehicles in the entire county.
STRATEGIES:
A. Recognize that unpaved roads are an important part of the rural character of the county.
B. Identify roads by name and number with signs in a consistent manner throughout the county.
C. Encourage the creation of equestrian and pedestrian trails and walkways.
VIII -EDUCATION
GOALS:
A. Establishment of cooperative planning between County government, Custer county's school districts, special districts, businesses and citizens.
B. Promotion of partnerships among students, parents, community and schools.
STRATEGIES:
A. Support the use and expansion of libraries as places where people can meet, exchange information and Learn.
B. Promote the creation of additional post high school and adult educational opportunities, including additional academic courses and vocational training through mutual planning by the County, towns and businesses.
C. Allow elected officials to actively promote improvements in education.
Webmasters note: We will be encouraging the Westcliffe Community to use the Ideas in the Strategic Plan when making Tactical Planning decisions on a day to day basis. Disciplining yourself to honor the Strategic Plan will be more comfortable for most people than the creation of some sort of enforcement agency that tries to make the people follow the plan.
As you make day to day decisions, ask yourself, " Is what I am planning on doing in harmony with our Community's Strategic Plan? "