HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Estes Park Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee 2022-02-10Page 1
CompPAC – TOWN OF ESTES PARK
TO BE HELD VIRTUALLY
Thursday, February 24, 2022
9:00 am.
Estes Park, CO 80517
The Estes Park Board Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee will participate remotely due to the
Declaration of Emergency signed by Town Administrator Machalek on March 19, 2020, related to
COVID-19 and provided for with the adoption of Ordinance 04-20 on March 18, 2020. Procedures for
quasi-judicial virtual public hearings are established through Emergency Rule 06-20 signed by Town
Administrator Machalek on May 8, 2020, and outlined below.
Please click the link below to join the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/92672524563
Or Join by Telephone:
1. Dial US: +1 833-548-0276 (toll free)
2. Enter Meeting ID: 926 7252 4563 followed by #
The meeting will also be live-streamed on the Town’s Youtube Channel and recorded and
posted to YouTube and www.estes.org/videos within 48 hours.
Public Comment
When the moderator opens up the public comment period for an agenda item, attendees
wishing to speak shall:
1. Click the “Raise Hand” button, if joining online on the Zoom client, or
2. Press *9 and follow the prompts if joining by telephone.
3. If you are watching live on YouTube, please call the number listed above, and mute your
computer audio for the duration of your remarks.
Once you are announced, please state your name and address for the record.
To participate online via Zoom, you must:
• Have an internet-enabled smartphone, laptop or computer.
• Using earphones with a microphone will significantly improve your audio experience.
The Town of Estes Park will make reasonable accommodations for access to Town services, programs, and activities and
special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call (970) 577-4777. TDD available.
Prepared February 17, 2022
AGENDA
JOINT MEETING
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CompPAC)
ESTES VALLEY PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EVPAC)
TOWN OF ESTES PARK
Thursday, February 24, 2022
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. AGENDA APPROVAL
3. CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL
A. Minutes from February 10, 2022
4. PUBLIC COMMENT (Please state your name and address).
5. DISCUSSION
A. Facilitated Discussion on Community Choices and Priorities Logan Simpson
6. OTHER
A. Upcoming dates to remember: Director Garner
1. Spanish Speaking Visioning Session, February 24, 6:00 Community Center
2. March/April- Community Choices Engagement Series (including Earth Day
event)
7. ADJOURN
Prepared 02/17/2022
Updated 2/18/2022
Page 4
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, January 13, 2022
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory
Committee of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting
held via ZOOM in said Town of Estes Park on January 13, 2022.
Committee: Chair Matthew Heiser, Vice-Chair Bob Leavitt, Members
David Bangs, Charles Cooper, Eric Blackhurst, Kirby Nelson-
Hazelton, John Schnipkoweit, Frank Theis, Karen Thompson,
Rose Truman, David Wolf, David Shirk, Matt Comstock
Also Attending: Community Development Director Jessica Garner, Larimer
County Community Development Director Lesli Ellis, Trustee
Barbara MacAlpine, Planning Technician LauraJane Baur,
Recording Secretary Karin Swanlund,
Absent: none
Vice-Chair Leavitt called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Chair Heiser noted that he
would be leaving the meeting early.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
The motion passed with a visual thumbs-up vote.
PUBLIC COMMENT.
None
CONSENT AGENDA:
Approval of Minutes from December 16, 2021
The motion passed with a visual thumbs-up vote.
VISIONING (for full comments, view the meeting recording)
Director Garner presented questions being considered to ask the public. These topics
include: Growth and Planning Area (3-mile radius), Design Guidelines (residential and
commercial), Commercial and Employment Areas, Economic Development, Year-Round
Employment, Education and Childcare, Seasonal Traffic Issues, Bikability/Walkability,
Short-Term Rentals, Housing Needs, Climate Change, Hazards and Natural Resources.
The Committee agreed that all of these topics are important to the Comprehensive Plan,
keeping in mind that it is an Advisory document and not the Development Code. Care
should be taken with open-ended terminology. What else should we be thinking
about/focusing on?
OTHER
In 2022, meetings will be on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month.
The Spanish-speaking community engagement event will be on January 27 at the
Community Center.
There being no further business, Vice-Chair Leavitt adjourned the meeting at 11:00 a.m.
Karin Swanlund, Recording Secretary
dra
f
t
Page 5
Page 6
Estes Park Board of Trustee Study Session
February 8, 2022 @ 5:00 PM
Page 7
What is Estes Forward?
Joint planning process for the Town of
Estes Park and surrounding
unincorporated Larimer County area
Comprehensive Plan to establish
policy direction for the Town, Estes
Valley Planning Area, and 3-mile Study
Area
“If you don’t know where you’re going,
you might not get there.”
-Yogi Berra
Page 8
Estes Forward Process
Phase 1 Deliverables (Completed):
Engagement Strategy
Issue Summary
Comprehensive Plan Audit
Existing Conditions and Trends Analysis
Phase 2 Deliverables (Ongoing):
Visioning Outreach Summary
Vision Document
Community Choices Analysis and Outreach
Page 9
Estes Forward Organization
Organized around 6 resiliency themes:
Natural Environment (watersheds, forests, ranching, and
recreation areas)
Built Environment (governance and land use)
Economy (workforce and adaptive economy)
Health & Social (services, amenities, equity, and community
well-being)
Housing (supply, affordability, vulnerability)
Infrastructure & Transportation (critical infrastructure, utilities,
facilities, and transportation)
Page 10
Estes Forward Organization
Page 11
Phase 1 Milestones and Progress
Engagement Strategy
Stakeholder Interviews
& Listening Sessions
Comprehensive Plan
Audit
Existing Conditions
and Trends Analysis
CompPAC, EVPAC,
Board/Commission
input & updates
Page 12
Phase 2 Visioning Outreach
Page 13
Draft Vision and Guiding Principles
What is a Vision?
An aspirational statement for the future
of the community that articulates core
values, priorities, and assets.
What are Guiding Principles?
Set of shared community values that
capture specific elements of the Vision
that provide additional direction for the
Comprehensive Plan.
Page 14
Draft Vision
“The Estes Valley community
works together as responsible
stewards of our iconic mountain
home to welcome residents and
visitors of all backgrounds by
investing in our quality of life,
sense of community, and
economic vitality.”
Page 15
Draft Guiding
Principles
Responsible access to wild spaces, scenic vistas,
outdoor recreation, and the Rocky Mountain National
Park.
A unified response to climate change through proactive
and resilient ecosystem management, protection of
biodiversity, and reduced carbon emissions.
Balanced growth that enhances quality of life, preserves
local character, and conserves natural resources.
Cooperative governance though strong partnerships.
Year-round, diversified economy and supporting services
for visitors and residents of all ages and income levels.
Accessible and affordable housing for all.
Diverse, engaged, and healthy community that
champions social, political, racial, and economic equity.
Adequate and available social services that meets the
needs of all ages.
Resilient and environmentally responsible infrastructure,
utilities, services, and structures.
Connected community linked locally and regionally by
multi-modal transportation options.
Page 16
Phase 2 Community Choices & Priorities
“Different ways to accomplish the vision”
Purpose
Identify and analyze policy priorities and choices that
help us reach the Vision and Guiding Principles
Provide educational information about each choice,
allowing the public to learn about the tradeoffs and
potential benefits that could result from each choice.
The outcome of the choices analysis, workshops, and
online activities will identify community-supported
strategies and direction that we can then translate into
goals, policies, and implementation actions for the
Comprehensive Plan, later this Spring/Summer.
Process
Development
•Review public and committee input to-date and
results from Plan Audit
•Identify policy and strategy Choices
Outreach
•Package Community Choices as questions with
context
•Workshop Choices with the community
Synthesis
•Review feedback and identify desired policy and
strategy direction
Page 17
Upcoming Meetings and Next Steps
February 24 –Joint CompPAC/EVPAC meeting to review/refine the Choices
Early/Mid March –release online Choices activities on EngageEstes.org
March/April –Community Choices Engagement and Earth Day event (April 22).
Page 18
Thank You
We can answer any questions you have on the Comprehensive Plan Update
Page 19
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Page 21
Environmental Sustainability Task Force
Final Report
Respectfully Submitted to the Town Board
by the Appointed Members of the
Environmental Sustainability Task Force
Gordon MacAlpine, Chairperson
Thomas Keck, Vice-Chairperson
Thomas Beck
David Diggs
Patricia Donahue
William Fryer
Lisa Hutchins
Douglas Sacarto
Barbara Werner
January 31, 2022
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments, iii
Sustainable Energy, 1
Opportunities to reduce GHG pollution through adoption of renewable energy sources, energy
efficiency in buildings, electric vehicles and multi-modal transportation, and outdoor
equipment electrification. Recommendations 1-20 (20)
Prepared by:
• Thomas Beck
• William Fryer
• Thomas Keck
• Gordon MacAlpine
Solid Waste Management, 14
Policies and actions to reduce environmental contamination and GHG pollution due to solid
waste disposal in landfills: through community-wide source reduction, increased recycling, and
composting of organic waste. Recommendations 21-43 (23)
Prepared by:
• Patricia Donahue
• Lisa Hutchins
• Barbara Werner
Institutional Factors for Sustainability, 21
Sustainability policies and programs in Town operations; Town planning, budgeting, and capital
improvements; and delivery of Town services. These institutional reforms concern the entire
range of sustainability best practices, as outlined in Appendix 5. Recommendations 44-51 (8)
Prepared by:
• David Diggs
• Douglas Sacarto
Endnotes, 30
Appendices (separate documents)
1. ESTF Public Engagement
2. Lakes Computation
3. Colorado Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (HB 21-1162)
4. Strategy for Early Implementation of Colorado Plastic Pollution Reduction Act
5. American Planning Association Sustainability Scorecard
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Preface and Acknowledgments
The Estes Park Town Board of Trustees created the Environmental Sustainability Ad -Hoc Task
Force (ESTF) under Town Policy 102 through Resolution 55 -21 on June 22, 2021, to provide a
detailed exploration and evaluation of options for Town involvement in env ironmental
sustainability initiatives. Its scope is limited to developing recommendations for the Town
Board regarding the Town’s role in initiatives, strategies, and tactics to advance
environmental sustainability, with those recommended strategies and ta ctics having
proposed timelines for implementation.
The Town Board established "Public Safety, Health, and Environment" as Outcome Areas in
the 2021 and 2022 Strategic Plans. It is committed to promoting policies that encourage
environmental stewardship and making data -driven decisions to improve and protect the
quality of the environment in the Town and surrounding areas, as well as evaluating ways
that the Town can advance the cause of environmental sustainability.
The ESTF consisted of nine members appointed by the Town Board, with support from the
Assistant Town Administrator. The group met regularly (usually virtually) every other
Tuesday, beginning on August 17, 2021. All meetings were open to the public, with
supporting materials made av ailable in advance by the Town Clerk’s Office.
Broad public input was solicited in various ways, including widely noticed opportunities to
submit comments on the Town’s ESTF web page, two public listening sessions held on
October 14 and November 16, and an online survey with responses from 221 residents and 22
commercial businesses. Detailed results from all public engagement processes are contained
in Appendix 1 of this report.
The scope of environmental sustainability is broad, and with a limited timefram e and
resources the task force divided into three subgroups to work in parallel on specific
recommendations for the Town to p romote environmental sustainability and resiliency, with
particular focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution to combat clim ate change—the
most pressing environmental threat of our time.
The report's recommendations range from straightforward and immediate to complex and
long-term actions. Each report section was researched and written by the subgroup
members; sections and reco mmendations are not listed in a prioritized order:
Sustainable Energy—The report's first section spotlights many opportunities to reduce
GHG pollution through adoption of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency in
buildings, electric vehicles and multi-mobility, and outdoor equipment electrification.
(Thomas Beck, William Fryer, Thomas Keck, Gordon MacAlpine )
Solid Waste Management —The second section outlines a large catalog of policies and
actions for the Town to reduce environmental contamination and GHG pollution due
to solid waste disposal in landfills: through community -wide source reduction,
increased recycling, and composting of organic waste. (Patricia Donahue, Lisa
Hutchins, Barbara Werner)
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Preface and Acknowledgments iv
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Institutional Factors—The last section addresses sustainability policies and programs
in Town operations; Town planning, budgeting, and capital improvements; and
delivery of Town services. These institutional reforms concern the entire range of
sustainability best practices. (David Diggs, Douglas Sacarto)
There are many environmental challenges not explicit ly discussed in this report that require
additional actions by our community --wildfire, flooding, threats to water supplies and air
quality, loss of wildlife corridors, noise and light pollution, invasive plant species, and more,
where the challenges often are becoming more extreme due to climate change. Some of
these may be in the purview of other governmental organizations. A comprehensive catalog
of sustainability concerns and ongoing efforts to promote sustainability would provide a basis
for coordination and cooperation . The task force calls respectfully on the Town Board to
address t hese problems with an ongoing strategy and practices for environmental
sustainability.
The Environmental Sustainability Task Force expresses its sincere gratitude to Jason
Damweber, Assistant Town Administrator, who provided the essential administrative support
for the task force, and whose experience and judgment benefitted every stage of our work.
Some individuals made special efforts to advance the work of the task force, and we wish to
acknowledge them personally: Matt Allen, Cathy Alper, Bunny Beers, Reuben Bergsten, Chris
Bieker, Sarah Clark, Marina Connors, Christy Crosser, Kimberly Disney, James Duell, Kara
Franker, Jessica Garner, Beth Headley, Randy Hunt, Greg Muhonen, Duane Penney, Rex
Poggenpohl, Alice Reuman, Gary Rusu, Brian Schaffer, Don Sellers, Judi Smith, Vanessa
Solesbee, Liz Spalding, and Jeff Woeber.
The task force also thanks each person who attended a taskforce meeting or listening session,
responded to a survey, or submitted comments. Your ideas and recommendations have
helped importantly to identify problems, opportunities, and priorities in strengthening the
sustainability of our community.
Cover background photo courtesy of Visit Estes Park.
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Sustainable Energy
Introduction
Environmental sustainability requires steep and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
which are the major causes of global warming and climate change. As illustrated in the left diagram
below, burning of coal and gas has caused a rapid and un precedented rise in atmospheric CO2 levels,
which are much higher than in the past 800,000 years. The vertical axes represent temperature
changes on the left and CO2 in parts per million (ppm) on the right. The measurements were made
using oxygen isotopes and CO2 in ice cores, as well as direct methods. The CO2 level in 2021 reached
420 ppm, as compared with pre -industrial levels near 270 ppm.
Credit: World Economic Forum 2018 Credit: Scott Denning 2020
The roughly periodic atmospheric CO2 fluctuations in the past are understood as resulting from
Earth's orbital characteristics (Milankovitch cycles) coupled with the natural carbon cycle. Relative
temperature fluctuations directly mirrored the CO2, with low levels representing past "glacial periods"
(also called ice ages) and high levels representing warmer "interglacial periods." We are currently in
an interglacial period, and our fossil fuel burning is disrupting the natural functioning of the planet.
Trends in tropospheric and stratospheric temperatures, measured using satellites, demonstrate
conclusively that the increasing CO2 and other increasing greenhouse g ases are responsible for
currently rising global temperatures.
The right diagram above (by Scott Denning, Monfort Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado
State University) illustrates projected global temperature increases, compared with pre -industrial
levels, from climate models. The shaded area denotes 1.5 –2.0 degrees Celsius (2.7-3.6 deg. F), above
which effects of climate change will become so catastrophic that vulnerable countries and many
people will not survive. The red line projects the situation for continued, business-as-usual carbon
burning; the orange line indicates dramatic improvement if electricity were no longer derived from
fossil fuels; the light green line shows even more improvement for proposed ambitious GHG emission
reductions world-wide; but only the dark green line for prompt cessation of all fossil fuel burning stays
below 2 deg. C. If we were to stop burning carbon right now, the temperature would continue to rise
for a decade or more, flatten out, and then decline. That represents the best (perhaps only) hope for
future generations.
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Sustainable Energy 2
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Greenhouse gas emissions in Fort Collins, Larimer County, and Colorado result primarily from
electricity generation, buildings with natural gas, and internal combustion engines. Fort Collins and
Larimer County monitor CO2 emissions, and their most recent reports show percentages indicated on
the left above. In Fort Collins, electric energy at 46% is the worst offender.1 It combines with natural
gas use and travel to account for roughly 90% of emissions. In Larimer Count y, vehicles and buildings
(with electricity and natural gas) account for 97% of emissions.2 The right-hand diagram from the new
draft Colorado GHG Metrics Dashboard indicates that the largest con tributors to Colorado’s GHG
emissions are electricity generation, transportation, and buildings.3 Estes Park’s Strategic Plan
includes adding more renewable energy generation and storage for residential and public buildings, as
well as improving building efficiency and design, along with cleaner transportation.
Climate models for Estes Park and vicinity are consistent with measured temperatures here having
increased by about 2 deg. F since the 1980s.4 The same models project roughly an additional 3 deg. F
increase during the next 25-30 years, with associated impacts on soil moisture, flora, fire, smoke, and
water. All of this will affect our quality of life and tourism. As recent fires testify, the situation is
already dire. How bad it will get is up to us. With fossil -fueled inertia and general lack of political will,
municipalities like Estes Park must play a role if global temperatures are to be held close to 1.5 -2.0
deg. C. In this section of the report we make recommendations for reducing our GHG emissions from
electricity, buildings, and engines.
Electric Energy
The Sun’s energy striking the Earth is more than 10,000 times the total energy used by humanity.
Under the Infrastructure Key Outcome Area in the 2022 Estes Park Strategic Plan, Objective 3.A.1.
states: "Consider implementing the recommendations of the Environmental Sustainability Task Force
to support renewable energy and storage sources for use by the Town and by individual residents."
Also, "solar incentives" have been identified in Planning Commission discussions as important issues
to be addressed prior to completion of the new Comprehensive Pl an. Such distributed energy
generation should be emphasized for sustainability, economics, and resiliency, the latter in case there
are problems with the primary grid as has been happening in California, Texas, and Louisiana.
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Sustainable Energy 3
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Residential Solar Generation
According to a report published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), roughly 75% of
residential structures in Estes Park may be suitable for solar energy generation .5 As of Nov. 10, 2021,
only 1.47% of electric services in the Estes Park Power and Communications service area had solar or
wind net-metered systems (158 net-meters out of 10,742 registered electric meters). There are
excellent opportunities for improving our sustainability and resiliency by adding more clean solar
generation, which is significantly under -utilized here.
Ways of encouraging and facilitating solar generation on residences, as well as bringing desirable
recognition to Estes Park, could include the advantages of becoming a solar “high achieving
community” under the auspices of an organization like the Colorado Solar & Storage Association 6 or
the Solsmart program.7 Estes Park could also streamline permitting processes, thereby reducing so -
called soft costs, by adopting available software packages like NREL’s SolarAPP+ or Solsmart’s similar
application, which is already being successfully employed in 29 other Colorado communities. For
example, Steamboat Springs significantly increased residential solar generation by attaining a
Solsmart “silver” designation, while reducing their solar permitting fee to $0 and limiting the
permitting process to five working days. In addition, if Solar United Neighbors were to select Estes
Park for a “solar co -op” with organized buying power,8 that opportunity for residents should be
supported by the Town.
According to NREL, the costs for residential solar installations declined an additional factor of roughly
three over the past 10 years, while solar panels have become more efficient and r eliable.9
Furthermore, 26% federal tax incentives have been extended through 2022, and low -cost loans are
available through the State of Colorado. The RENU program is a statewide residential loan program
sponsored by the Colorado Energy Office in partnership with Elevations Credit Union. It makes home
energy upgrades affordable by offering low -cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency and
renewable energy improvements. With existing incentives, installed and operating first -rate
residential 5 -6 kW photovoltaic systems may now cost in the neighborhood of $12,000-$13,000. It
would also serve our sustainability goals if Estes Park were to follow examples set by Fort Collins,
Nederland, and Boulder County by making available $1 ,000 solar installation grants for those with
qualifying financial status.
Recommendation #1: Educate the public about solar opportunities on residential buildings,
and encourage solar development by becoming a solar high achieving community and adopting
programs for reducing soft costs. Offer local incentives for those with qualifyin g financial status.
Recommended timeline: 2022 -2023/ongoing.
Commercial Solar Generation
On Nov. 10, 2021, there were only eight commercial net-metered systems in the area serviced by
Estes Park Power and Communications. This is a small fraction of the many businesses that could
benefit from cleaner, less expensive energy, along with associated good will of customers. Other
destination communities like Breckenridge and Durango give special recognition to establishments
deriving a significant fraction of their electric energy from the Sun.
Routt County also participates in the State of Colorado’s C-PACE program, which enables owners of
commercial and industrial buildings to finance up to 100% of eligible energy efficiency, renewable
energy, and water conservation improvements. Another related grant, called the MainStreet Open for
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Sustainable Energy 4
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Business Grant, is funded by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) as a response to helping
local businesses recover from COVID -19 and transition to greener energy.
Recommendation #2: Provide information to businesses about solar generation and funding
opportunities. Also, give recognition to solar -generating business establishments, with displayable
certification placards. Recommended timeline: 2022-2023/ongoing.
Residential or Commercial Battery Storage
Energy storage batteries associated with residential or comme rcial buildings can be valuable for
making energy available during what would otherwise be electricity interruptions. In addition, they
can shift excess energy from midday, when there may be more solar generation, to late afternoon or
evening when there is peak energy use. In the latter case, “time -of-use” electricity rates may make
utility-provided energy cost significantly more. Multiple batteries can also be beneficially accessed by
a utility, with permission of the owners, and used as a microgrid. Micro grids are gaining favor for
providing localized emergency energy or for shifting of available energy to level -out or stabilize the
main power grid.10 The solar 26% tax incentive applies to battery purchases, as long as they are used
for storing solar energy.
Battery storage makes the most sense for three scenarios: 1) for areas where there may be primary
grid electricity interruptions ; 2) for regions with mandatory time -of-use rates; and 3) for customers
with utilities that significantly subsidize battery costs in exchange for potential access to the batteries.
Examples of utilities that cooperate with customers on beneficial battery access and use include
Green Mountain Power in Vermont and Holy Cross Energy in Colorado.
Recommendation #3: Provide information on battery storage to all electricity customers. If
mandatory time-of-use rates go into effect, then revisit this issue. Encourage electricity providers to
consider the potential benefits of subsidizing residential or commercial batterie s for grid resilience.
Recommended timeline: 2022 -2023.
Solar Generation on Public Buildings and Land
Estes Park has Town-owned and operated buildings or structures that could beneficially accommodate
significant amounts of solar generation. Examples inclu de the Event Center, the Pavilion, the Museum
Annex, the Water Division facility on Fish Creek Road, the Visitor Center, and the Visitor Center
Parking Garage. In the cases of the Event Center and the Pavilion, considering azimuth orientations of
both sides of the buildings, roof slopes, roof areas, and using NREL’s solar potential analysis program ,
solar installations on those two buildings could generate as much as 800,000 kWh of energy over the
course of a year. That would supply about 100 homes using an average of 8,000 kWh per year.
With its primary roof orientation slanted toward the south an d slightly west (ideal for solar generation
during prime-time usage), the Parking Garage is an outstanding opportunity for solar generation as
well as sustainability recognition by visitors. If the available upper story space were equipped with
raised solar panels, the energy generation could be of order 560,000 kWh per year, which could
provide energy for 70 homes using 8,000 kWh per year.
A question that comes up often is "Why doesn’t Estes Park have a shared community solar garden?"
That was considered several years ago on a website called “EVSolarGarden”, with the conclusion that
Estes Park does not have necessary available land space. Having solar panels on public buildings or
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Sustainable Energy 5
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
structures could actually function in a similar manner like a shared solar garden. In addition,
community solar gardens are being successfully deployed on closed landfills that do not serve any
other purpose.11 A highly regarded company called Sandbox Solar in Fort Collins has previously
pointed out the potential for a beneficial solar garden that could power 100 homes at the closed
landfill site on Elm Road.
With changes to the Organic Contract between the Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) and the
municipalities it serves, a customer or a town can contract with a third party for installation of solar
facilities and purchase power from that third party. A variation of this cou ld be Utility Owned
Distributed Solar (UODS), which has been successfully employed by the largest public utility in the
country, CPS Energy in San Antonio. UODS is especially suitable for applications with larger arrays on
public buildings, parking structu res, or landfills. An important advantage would be having energy
produced locally, as opposed to being dependent completely on a distant source. In this regard, the
PRPA has recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), a portion of which calls for the creation of up
to 250 MW of new solar generating capacity. With a solar “capacity factor” of 0.25 (the useful fraction
of peak capacity), this would result in about 62.5 MW of average available power or about 550,000
MWh of available energy per year. The RFP specifically solicits proposals for distributed-energy solar
installations and storage in the owner communities . Since the total energy for the specific projects
mentioned above would be only about 2,120 MWh per year, there are numerous opportunities here.
For projects like those discussed in this section , associated generation and storage could function as
back-up microgrids in the event of disruption or a need for smoothing of the main grid. In that regard,
it is noted that recently-introduced bi-partisan Colorado House Bill HB22-1013 (“Microgrids for
Community Resilience Grant Program”) specifically targets municipal utilities and remote communities
like Estes Park. It is an integral part of efforts to establish a smarter, safer, and more reliable grid.
Recommendation #4: Request proposal information in a timely fashion and give strong
encouragement for PRPA RFP proposals for solar generation and battery storage involving our public
buildings and parking structure, as well as the unused landfill on Elm Road. The RFP proposals are due
by February 18, 2022, with projects selected in 2022, so timing is critical. Also, investigate state-
supported opportunities for establishing resilience microgrids in Estes Park. Recommended timeline:
2022/as soon as possible.
Solar Generation on Schools
As another example of how solar generation can be advantageous, more than 7 ,000 schools across
the country are benefitting from reliability and cost savings by hosting solar facilities, including
schools in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale .12 Furthermore, a report in EcoWatch illustrates how a
school district in Arkansas was able to provide substantial raises to teachers by going solar.
Fortuitously, some of the Estes Park schools have ideal southwest -facing roof space, angled at roughly
20 degrees. Solar facilities can also be advantageously installed on our schools’ flat roofs.
Two groups of local high school students and their instructors, supported by the Estes Park Education
Foundation, are currently considering a “feasibility study” for putting solar generation on Estes P ark
school buildings. In addition to possibly facilitating cleaner, more sustainable and less expensive
energy, the students will learn about solar technology and terminology.
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Sustainable Energy 6
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Financial support may be available for school projects. The City of Steamboat S prings and its Routt
and Moffat County partners received a $2.1 million grant award from the Colorado Department of
Local Affairs Energy Impact Fund for regional solar projects on government facilities as well as for the
Moffat County School District.
Recommendation #5: Although the Estes Park schools are not included in Town governance, we
recommend that their sustainability efforts be encouraged and supported as much as possible.
Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
Wind Energy Generation
Another abundant source of renewable energy for residential or commercial use is wind power.
Whereas people generally envision “horizontal -axis” wind turbines with propellers, “vertical axis”
turbines are becoming more common, especially for residential use.13 They are less conspicuous,
rotate more slowly, and can generate at lower wind speeds. As with solar panels, there are options for
different amounts of power generation; and the electricity can be used, stored in a battery, or net-
metered to function in coordination with the local utility. Current regulations for wind power
generators may be found in the Estes Park Development Code, Chapter 5, Paragraph 5.2.B.2.g. These
regulations do not adequately take into consideration vertical axis wind generators.
Recommendation #6: Reconsider the Development Code regulations for wind generators, taking into
consideration vertical axis configurations. Recommended timeline: 2022-2024.
Use of Existing Generating Stations and Lakes for Emergency Power and Storage
Colorado communities like Gunnison are taking advantage of local lakes for hydropower .14 In that
regard, several informed citizens have proposed utilizing stored or pumped energy potential in our
local lakes. In 2021, a representative for the Western Area Power Administration acknowledged the
Estes Power Plant on Lake Estes as a viable back -up electricity resource if there is an interruption
during future replacement of power lines from the Front Range to Estes Park. Correspondingly, it is
also reasonable to consider locally generated hydropower as a back -up resource in case the regional
grid is interrupted by natural disaster s, which may be increasingly common with climate change.
There are two Estes Valley hydroelectri c power plants, at Lake Estes and Mary’s Lake. Characteristics
of the Estes-Power-Plant: installed generation capacity = 45,000 kW (three 15 MW turbines); plant
factor = 26.2 % (ratio of average power load to generation capacity, so average operation is about a
fourth of rated capacity). Characteristics of the Mary’s-Lake-Power-Plant: installed generation
capacity = 8,100 kW (one 8.1 MW turbine); plant factor = 58 %. Mary’s Lake and Lake Estes constitute
part of the Colorado-Big-Thompson-Project. Water from Grand Lake passes through the Alva A dams
Tunnel to Mary’s Lake. Then, the Prospect Mountain Conduit and Tunnel carry water from Mary’s
Lake to the Estes Power Plant penstocks. After entering Lake Estes, the water flows further down for
multiple uses along the Front Range.
Either of the above generation resources could provide emergency power if necessary. As an example,
the Sustainable Energy subgroup members considered the Estes Power Plant utilizing Mary’s Lake
water. We can ask how much water needs to pass through the Es tes Plant turbines in order to
generate 10 MWh of energy (enough to power more than 400 average homes for a day). This may be
compared with the Mary’s Lake surface area in order to estimate how much that lake level might drop
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in order to supply the emergen cy energy. The answer is about 6 inches, which could be compensated
by adding water from Grand Lake. See Appendix #2 for Lakes-Computation physics and math details.
This is just one example of how emergency energy could be produced and utilized if necessary. The
Mary’s Lake Power Plant could also provide additional emergency generation with water coming
directly through the Adams tunnel from Grand Lake. Furthermore, it ma y be possible to modify
existing facilities to pump Lake Estes water, back through the penstocks and the Prospect Tunnel, to
Mary’s Lake. This could provide storage of energy during peak power production, for later release to
the Estes Power Plant during peak power load. Estes Park should consider significant resiliency
opportunities involving existing lake and generation facilities.
Recommendation #7: Arrange with our local utility to have preparations in place for using water in
Mary’s Lake to provide up to 10 MWh of electric energy in case of emergency. This can be done in
coordination with the Western Area Power Association when the new electric lines are being brought
up from the Loveland area, and the old lines are being removed. Also, investigate the use of Lake
Estes and Mary’s Lake for pumped energy storage. Recommended timeline: 2022-2024.
Building Sustainability
As indicated in the GHG emission diagrams above, buildings and related uses of natural gas rank
among the top two or three GHG emitters i n Fort Collins, Larimer County, and the State of Colorado.
This is a situation that can be substantially improved by educating the public on how to optimize
building energy use practices, by facilitating energy audits and making existing buildings more ene rgy
efficient, and by requiring or incentivizing sustainable practices in new or remodeling construction.
Behavioral Energy -Saving Practices and Improved Energy Efficiency in Existing
Buildings
According to the Colorado State University (CSU) Extension, beneficial behavior and making a house
more energy efficient can reduce energy bills and associated emissions by upwards of 20 -30%. This
may include simple things like turning off electrical appliances when not in use, employing LED
lighting, dialing down the heating temperature in winter or dialing up the cooling temperature in
summer, and washing clothes in cold water. The above CS U reference contains a relatively short,
useful energy-saving checklist for homeowners, and a more comprehensive list has been made
available by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory .
Initial retrofitting steps toward significantly improving sustainability in existing buildings should
involve building energy audits or assessments . In that regard, a program called “Efficiency Works” is a
collaboration between the Platte River Power Authority and the utility departments of its four owner
municipalities. Funded by each participating utility for its respective customers, services include
affordable home energy assessments (various levels, $60 cost for in -person assessments) and
information on available rebates for products and retrofits (eligibility criteria apply).
Homeowners can begin the process by contacting a call center in Utah, where by scheduling
arrangements can be made to have an auditing crew travel from Fort Collins, Loveland or Longmont.
The process would be more convenient and sustainable if someone here in Estes Park were available
to carry out energy audits. The trained auditors follow standard procedures like putting a blower fan
in the front door and depressurizing the house , so air comes into the house through any leaks around
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windows, electric outlets, or a fireplace. Then the auditors can use an infrared camera to document
temperature anomalies showing locations of potentially wasteful leaks. Other important procedures
can include checking for insulation around heating pipes or ducts. The auditors prepare a report which
homeowners may use for their own modifications or for co nsulting with associated businesses. Once
an audit takes place, a homeowner can access a list of approved Efficiency Works consulting
businesses in places like Fort Collins, Loveland, or Longmont, whereby the resident may qualify for
rebates that may not be available in Estes Park. Unfortunately, there are currently no registered
Efficiency Works consultants in Estes Park, and these valuable opportunities are under -utilized here.
Recommendation #8:
A. Ask a local group, such as students in the high school sustainability class, to take ideas from existing
lists of home energy -saving practices and prepare a short energy -use pamphlet, which the Town could
make widely available to residents, either in print or electronic format.
B. To increase the effectiveness of Efficiency Works for customers of Estes Park Power and
Communications (EPPC), the Town should hire or designate and train an employee of EPPC with
expertise in energy efficiency . This individual would be compensated from EPPC enterprise funds.
Duties would include:
(1) promoting Efficiency Works by educating customers about the program and available rebates.
(2) Carrying out energy audits or inspections as requested by EPPC cust omers.
(3) Recruiting and incentivizing local contractors to take part in the Efficiency Works program.
Recommended timeline: 2022 -2023.
New Building Construction
Whereas behavioral practices and retrofitting an existing building can save considerable amounts of
energy, money, and pollution, new building construction or remodeling is also very important. As
indicated in the Estes Park Adopted Building Codes and Local Amendments , Estes Park has adopted a
number of widely recognized building codes, like the International Building Code, the International
Residential Code, and the International Energy Conservation Code. These codes, as amended, are well
regarded, but there is considerable room for improvement. The Town of Basalt, in coordination with
Holy Cross Energy, has been emplo ying highly sustainable, high -performance, all-renewable-electric
building practices15; and Estes Park in coordination with our utility and PRPA should consider similar
initiatives. Furthermore, Fort Collins has been working with three residential projects that are
exploring the intersection between “Zero Energy Ready Home” efficiency standards, solar
generation/storage, and distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) in very creative
ways.16
Recommendation #9: The Estes Park Community Development Department in coordination with the
Planning Commission and the Town Board should require or incentivize the following construction
practices. Recommended timeline: 2022 -2024.
This section includes practices that are also important for retrofitting existing buildings to make them
more energy efficient.
1. Sustainable, high-performance houses built here should be required to have the highest
standards for tight envelopes, insulation, windows and doors. Well-sealed houses will take
optimal advantage of the best energy -efficient heating or cooling practices, while fresh, healthy
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air in the living environment is provided by “energy recovery ventilators.” The latter use
“waste” exhaust air to warm incoming “make -up” air by utilizing air -to-air heat exchangers.
What are other cities and states doing to promote sustainability in the built environment? A
search of incentives revealed this interesting resource – dsireusa.org – which is funded by the
US Department of Energy. Denver is supporting these much -needed affordable housing and
sustainable built projects by providing incentives that could include a fee reduction, an
enhanced site development plan process which will reduce the overall number of required
submittals and associated review cycles, and dedi cated resources to expedite reviews of
construction plans.17
Locally, how do we encourage the use of more efficient, innovative products in new homes and
remodels? Incentives such as reduced permit fees and rebates on efficient water heaters and
other appliances can be a good start. We need to make it as easy and affordable as possible for
homeowners, architects, designers, and builders to choose sustainable materials, lighting,
appliances, and finishes in new and remodel projects.
2. All new houses should take advantage of beneficial electrification and eliminate new gas
hookups. Building sustainable homes means moving away from appliances and equipment that
would otherwise burn natural gas, and installing cleaner and higher -efficiency electric
appliances. All-electric homes are healthier, safer environments, and they significantly reduce
environmental harm if the electricity is derived from clean, renewable sources like solar or
wind.18 Cities in California have been leading the way toward limiting or barring new gas
facilities, and more recently Denver19 and New York City20 are phasing out or banning new gas
hookups.
3. New construction should involve modern, highly efficient heat pump technology for heating
homes during the winter and cooling during the summer .21 Heat pumps have improved
dramatically in recent years in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, cost, and availability.22 They
provide more energy -efficient heating than any sort of direct, conventional method because
they function by extracting heat from the environment (a ir, ground, or water) and moving it
into the desired space, rather than creating heat from fuel. By reversing the operating process,
the same equipment provides cooling, thereby reducing the reason for having energy -wasteful
air conditioning. Air-source heat pump systems can transfer two to five times more thermal
energy than they consume in electrical energy, for a “coefficient of performance” (COP) of two
to five. The equipment optimized for cold climates like the Estes Valley, can provide heat down
to temperatures of -20 F (with somewhat lower efficiency).23 The most affordable heat pumps
are air source, and they are becoming very popular in Colorado. The homes in the Basal t Vista
development use only air-source heat pumps for heating water as well as heating the indoor
environment. Larger heat pumps can be used for entire houses, and mini -split ductless window
units can be added to heat or cool individual or multiple rooms .24 Ground or water-source heat
pumps are more expensive, but they can serve multiple homes.
Regarding another alternative to air conditioning, a new special white paint absorbs less heat
than it reflects. A roof surface coated with this paint can be cooled below the surrounding
temperature without consuming power. Information about developments like this should be
made available locally.
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4. All new homes should take advantage of clean renewable energy as much as practical. They
should make use of opportunities for passive solar heating, and they should be ready for solar
PV installation and EV chargers with electrical pre-wiring or electric capacity.
5. All new construction should be equipped with at least a 200A electric service, which will allow
for beneficial practices like EV charging and the use of heat pumps.
6. It has been stressed repeatedly that there should be some means to incentivize developers
away from building wastefully oversized homes, which are bad for the environment, wildlife,
and affordable home availability.25 In the City of Boulder, homes with larger square footage
have more stringent energy rating index (ERI) requirements.
7. New construction should have low-flush toilets, as well as low-flow shower heads and faucet
aerators.26 The existing water supply to the Estes Valley is currently sufficient and of very good
quality; but, in the face of climate change, continuation of that supply is not assured.
8. Estes Park should require a permitting review process for acquiring new hot tubs for both new
construction and existing homes . Hot tubs are particularly wasteful of electric energy. The
amount of energy expended depends on use, climate conditions, hot tub size, hot tub
construction, and hot tub coveri ngs. In the Denver area, hot tub contributions to electric bills
can range from $50/month to more than $100/month.27 Considering an average of $75/month
and an electricity cost of $0.11/kWh computes to more than 8000 kWh/year, which is higher
than the entire energy use for many homes. This should be recognized and addressed as a
serious sustainability issue.
Vehicle and Equipment Electrification
Fossil fuel internal combustion engines (ICE) not only generate GHGs but also emit multiple harmful
air pollutants. Small two-cycle motors emit much more harmful air pollutants and noise pollution than
larger four-cycle motors on a per unit basis .
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
The Town should convert its fleet to electric vehicles as rapidly as is feasible.
Recommendation #10: Replace the Town's ICE police vehicles with electric vehicles because of the large
amount of idling and high mileage usage that police vehicles incur. EVs also have superior acceleration
compared to ICE vehicles which would be valuable for police patrol cars. The Boulder County Sheriff's
Department has already begun converting their vehicles to EVs. Boulder's experience shows their Tesla
Model Ys’ operating expense is only $0.03 a mile versus $0.18 (one sixth of the cost) of the Ford
Explorers they will be replacing. New York City is also ordering nearly 200 EVs in 2022 for police and
first responders.28 Recommended timeline: as soon as possible.
Furthermore, an EV's lifetime is much greater than an ICE vehicle. Model Y motors are rated for 1
million miles, and the battery pack is rated for 300,000 -400,000 miles. Brake pads shouldn't need to
be replaced because they're only used for emergency, lay -down-rubber braking. Normal braking is
regenerative, with the motors recharging the battery. The only recurring replaceable parts are tires
and windshield wipers. There are no belts, hoses, or fluids (except windshield washer) to be regularly
replaced.
Over several years, this would result in large cost savings for the Town of Estes Park because of the
very low maintenance and significantly longer operational lifetimes for EVs and per mile fuel
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(kilowatts) cost which are only half to one-fifth of ICE vehicles. With a nationwide gas price at $3 .40
per gallon when this report was written and Estes Park Power & Communications/PRPA electricity at
$0.11 per kWh, the cost per mile for an average ICE car is two to five times more than the cost for an
EV, depending on the charging source.
Recommendation #11: Include requirements in vendor contracts establishing a date for converting
the contract vehicles used for Town projects to electric vehicles. Recommended timeline: 2022-2023.
Recommendation #12 : Establish incentives for residents to convert to personal electric vehicles
sooner rather than later , by offering the following incentives. Recommended timeline: 2022 -2023.
1. Charging incentives: Create substantially reduced year-round residential late night (~1AM-4AM)
electricity rates to further increase the operational savings of EVs versus ICE vehicles. This could
also be used for delayed appliance operations such as clothes dryers and dishwashers which
would also have the benefit of reducing peak electrical usage and therefore reduce th e use of
the greenhouse gas generating PRPA “peaker” plant.
2. Parking incentives: Allow longer summer free parking and reduced parking rates for local EVs
than for ICE vehicles. Make a small percentage of the most desirable Town parking spaces EVs
only.
Public EV Charging
Alternating Current (AC) Level 2 (8kW) J -1772 Charging: Maximum AC charging speed is limited by the
capacity of the car's internal rectifier, which is typically no more than 11 kW. There are two free
ChargePoint J-1772 8kW dual port chargers at the EP Visitor Center Parking Garage entrance and one
dual port ChargePoint charger in the Town Hall/Library parking lot. This charger is free for three hours
but has a $25 fee after that. There are two Blink dual-ported chargers at the National Park V illage
shopping center. There are three J-1772 chargers opposite the “The Pavilion at the Stanley" for a total
of 13 J-1772 Level 2 charger plugs in Town. There are also three Tesla Destination Chargers at the
Sweet Basilico Restaurant.
Recommendation #13 : Install an additional three Level 2 dual ported J -1772 chargers in three of the
larger Town parking lots and a dual ported charger in the Estes Valley Community Center parking lot
to provide eight additional charging ports which would bring the Town total level 2 ports to 21.
Suggested timeline: 2022 -2023.
Level 3 Direct Current (DC) Fast Charging : There are two Combined Charging System (CCS Type 1) and
CHAdeMO ChargePoint 125kW DC fast chargers and two medium speed (62kW) ChargePoint DC
chargers at the EP Visitor Center. Rates are $0.45/kWh and a $15/hr parking charge after 30 min of
free parking. There are two FreeWire (EVConnect) DC chargers (that share 120kW) at the National
Park Village shopping cen ter. There are seven Tesla version 2 (150 kW) Superchargers at the Stanley
Hotel. Tesla is in the process of making their Superchargers available to non -Tesla vehicles.
The Sustainable Energy subgroup members believe that the 13 DC fast chargers in E stes Park are
probably adequate for the near term (~next 18 months) and possibly for a longer term if the opening
up of the seven Stanley Tesla Superchargers to other EVs and availability of Tesla's CCS Type 1 adapter
happens by then.
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However, a major concern is that there is no charging available in Rocky Mountain National Park
(RMNP). Many EVs do not have enough range to drive a Trail Ridge Road round trip without charging.
There are two free ChargePoint 62kW DC medium speed chargers in Grand Lake, but that wil l not be
adequate as EV adoption grows.
Recommendation #14 : Initiate discussions with RMNP about adding charging stations in the middle
(Alpine Visitor Center) and west side (Kawuneeche Visitor Center) of the Park. One concern is that the
Park may not have the electrical infrastructure for direct DC fast charging. Possible solutions for this
are the FreeWire chargers that are in National Park Village or Electrify America's chargers that use
Tesla's PowerPacks. These internal batteries can be charged at rela tively low power AC levels and then
use the internal batteries to charge EVs at a relatively high (120 kW) DC power level. As EV adoption
grows, the lack of fast charging in RMNP may substantially impact EP tourist visitation and therefore
Town revenue. Because of the importance of this, the Town should fund all or part of the RMNP DC
chargers’ cost if the National Park Service does not have enough funds available to implement th e
proposal. Suggested timeline: 2022-2024.
Residential EV Charging
Recommendation #15 : Include installation of a NEMA14 -50 AC garage outlet in the building code for
new single family residential homes. At the time of construction, this should add less than $100 in cost
to the house if the breaker panel is in the garage. Recommended timeline: 2022-2023.
Recommendation #16 : Require installation of one Level 2 AC charger for every three housing units for
multi-unit rental housing. Ideally, this would not only apply to new construction but also retrofitting
existing multifamily housing. Recommended timeline: 2022-2023.
Power Tools
Recommendation #17 : The Parks Division should convert from 2 -cycle ICE power tools to battery
powered electric tools. This applies to both vegetation maintenance tools such as weed trimmers,
edgers, lawn mowers, snow blowers and to forestry tools such as chainsaws and pruners. Heavy duty
commercial electric versions are available for all these types of tools. This video link (starting after the
2-minute mark) gives specific examples of available heavy duty commercial electric tools and
information on how extremely polluting 2 -cycle ICE motors are. Recommended timeline: as soon as
possible.
Recommendation #18 : Follow California's lead and prohibit sales of new 2 -cycle power tools and also
make the citizenry aware of the Colorado state incentive ($150) to replace existing ICE 2 -cycle lawn
mowers with electric versions. This incentive is only available spring through fall.29 Recommended
timeline: 2022-2023.
Recommendation #19 : Hold a widely advertised electric vehicles, electric chargers, and electric
equipment exhibition each year in the Event Cen ter. This could be highly useful not only for residents,
but also for visitors. Many people in the Estes Valley are not adequately informed about what is
available in the rapidly changing market for electric vehicles and chargers. In addition, there is a lack
of information in terms of evolving electric power equipment. Recommended timeline: 2022-
2023/ongoing.
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Multi-Modal Transportation
A multi-modal transportation network is an essential feature of an environmentally sustainable
community. It reduces climate -warming greenhouse gases by providing safe and accessible alternative
transportation options for both residents and visitors to get around town. With commendable
foresight and direction from the Transportation Advisory Board and Public Works Department, the
Town Board approved Public Works Policy 851 in April 2019. Policy 851 requires data collection and
progress reporting:
1. The Town will periodically collect, review and report performance data and benchmark
measurements to demonstrate the effectiveness of this policy. This will include the number of
projects completed, number of projects incorporating Complete Streets infrastructure, actual
infrastructure added, number of transit and non-motorized users, and community attitudes and
perceptions.
2. The Transportation Advisory Board and the Shuttle Committee are encouraged to provide
ongoing feedback and act as a conduit for public participation on the implementation of
Complete Streets practices.
The Public Works Department finished the 4th Street project using Complete Streets principles and
has proposed a similar plan for improving Moraine Ave nue from Davis Street to Mary ’s Lake Road.
Recommendation #20: The Public Works Department should submit a full multi-model transportation
report to the current Town Board for review . Further, we encourage the Town to keep the community
informed about ongoing implementation of Policy 851. Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
Concluding Considerations and Recommendations Related to
Sustainable Energy
In order to gauge the success of the above sustainability efforts to reduce GHG emissions from
electricity use, natural gas use, and gasoline engines, Estes Park and the surrounding area will need to
be monitored for estimated GHG emissions on a monthly or yearly basis. That can be done indirectly
by tracking the electricity we receive from the PRPA and by tracking the natural gas we receive from
Xcel. Keeping track of emissions from motors and transportation will be more difficult.
Taking advantage of existing data along with continued monitoring can lay the groundwork for a
“Climate Action Plan” (referenced later in this report along with a recommendation) whereby
emission reduction targets are set. An example could be reducing electricity and natural gas
associated GHG emissions by 25% in 2025, compared with 2020, and by 80% in 2030. Many other
municipalities in Colorado (e.g., Aspen, Boulder, Breckenridge, Carbonda le, Colorado Springs, Denver,
Edgewater, Fort Collins, Frisco, Golden, Lafayette, Lakewood, Longmont, Manitou Springs, Telluride,
Vail, Westminster, and Wheat Ridge) have Climate Action Plans. Invariably, they have well intentioned
goals or targets, but those goals may be unattainable in cases where there is inadequate
understanding of future developments. For instance, Fort Collins’ Climate Action Plan calls for GHG
emissions reductions of 20% by 2020, compared with their 2005 monitoring baseline. However, they
did not adequately take into account issues like increasing population and land development, so their
GHG reduction as of 2019 was only 7% compared with 2005. Este s Park would be well advised to wait
until after the Comprehensive Plan is completed be fore developing a Climate Action Plan with realistic
emissions targets.
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
Solid Waste Management
Introduction
With respect to solid waste, the Solid Waste Management subgroup members focused on fo ur broad
areas for preserving existing natural resources and reducing litter and methane: 1) increasing Estes
Park’s recycling rate; 2) reducing the amount of trash the community sends to the Larimer County
Landfill; 3) eliminating the worst single -use plastics from sale and use; and 4) conducting a program of
ongoing recycling education. The Solid Waste Management subgroup members believe the
recommended measures will go a long way toward helping our community be more sustainable, do its
part to lower GHG emissions, and protect our area’s natural beauty. These measures will also position
the Town to be more environmentally friendly in the eyes of residents and visitors, which in turn will
contribute to a continuing and robust tourist economy.
While the Solid Waste Management subgroup recommends that the actions outlined below be
adopted as soon as possible, there is acknowledgement that in some cases there are budgetary,
contractual (such as the county’s contract with Waste Management), or other constraints,
necessitating a longer time frame.
Increasing the Community Recycling Rate to 40% by 2025
Although recycling has been available in Estes Park for a remarkable 32 years (and is in fact the
longest-running recycling program in Colorado30), today less than half of respondents to the 2021
National Community Survey (NCS) indicated a belief that Estes Park’s recycling was adequate.31
Despite the longstanding local program, many residents apparently do not even realize they can
recycle here.32
Recycling reduces the staggering amount of refuse sent to landfills. It keeps taxes lower by conserving
expensive landfill space, preserves natural resources like timber, water, and minerals, saving energy,
and decreasing pollution.33 While Larimer County has established a target county -wide recycling rate
of 40% by 2025, Estes Park is starting way behind that goal with a dismal rate of only 7%.34 According
to Larimer County Solid Waste staff, single -stream curbside recycling throughout the Estes Valley
would substantially increase the area’s recycling rate.35 Using other towns as a model, the Solid Waste
Management subgroup recommends that free, unlimited curbside recycling be paired with volume -
based landfill/trash fees. For example , volume -based fees have worked extremely well in Loveland,
which has the highest recycling rate in the state at 58% (the city says it ’s closer to 60%).36 Their “pay
as you throw” program has been successful in funding Loveland’s recycling program and increasing
community participation.37 Volume-based landfill/trash fees would allow haulers to offset the costs of
offering free, unlimited curbside recycling, and train the public to think first about composting and
recycling before pitching everything into the garbage can.
As confirmation of these recommendations, a recently-released 2021 report by Ecocycle and the
Colorado Public Interest Research Group found five factors that determine high recycling rates:
1. A universal curbside recycling program, where every resident is provided with a recycling bin;
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
2. Volume-based pricing for landfill trash (“pay as you throw”) as opposed to flat rates for all
trash;
3. Drop-off centers or curbside programs for disposal of yard debris;
4. Clear guidelines on what can be recycled; and
5. Dedicated staff and funding for recycling programs.
As for businesses, commercial operations in Estes Park find recycling to be a challenge. An informal
survey conducted by the League of Women Voters’ Community Recycling Committee (CRC) in spring
2021 revealed that some mid- and low-priced lodging establishments in the Estes Valley have
encountered obstacles to recycling such as time constraints, lack of staff, and fees nearly as high or
higher for recycling versus landfill disposal.38 Through Doering Disposal, the cost to empty a two cubic
yard (2 CY) dumpster of trash for businesses is $85, while the cost to empty a 2 CY recycling dumpster
is $65. Waste Management charges $163 per month for trash picked up weekly and $198 per month
for recycling picked up weekly.39 If it is to work and be successful, recycling must be made free and
convenient for both residents and businesses.
Recommendation #21: Work with Larimer County and waste haulers to achieve the following.
Recommended timeline: see each item.
1. Expand the Estes Park Residential Recycling Center days and hours of operation to Monday -
Saturday, 8AM-4PM with no lunch closings, and increase recycling center staff as necessary.
Recommended timeline: 2023.
2. Expand recycling at the Residential Community Recycling Center to include plastic film, plastic
clamshells (such as for berry containers) and other plastic containers, block polyethylene
(Styrofoam), durable plastics, and scrap metal. Recommended timeline: 2025.
3. Adjust prices so that sending trash to the landfill or transfer station is more expensive than
recycling. Recommended timeline: 2022.
4. Provide a cardboard compactor for businesses to make cardboard recycling easier for them.
Recommended timeline: 2024.
5. Prohibit customers from putting any recyclable materials into the transfer station landfill
section, including mattresses, electronics, appliances, and other recyclables. Recommended
timeline: 2023.
Recommendation #22: Working with waste haulers, create ordinances to achieve the following.
Recommended timeline: see each item.
1. Require waste haulers to provide recycling bins to all residents in the Estes Valley (and bear -
proof landfill/trash bins to residents who do not yet have them) and offer unlimited curbside
recycling pickup at no charge. Recommended timeline: 2023.
2. Require all residential and business waste haulers operating in the Estes Valley to provide
curbside (or dumpster/alley) recycling at no charge for multifamily complexes, businesses,
organizations, and institutions, paired with volume -based landfill/trash hauling fees.
Recommended timeline: 2023.
3. Require lodging facilities, including vacation and short -term rentals, to provide recycling cans or
bins next to the landfill/trash cans or bins a s a condition of their operating permit, and make
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the operators responsible for guests using those services properly. Recommended timeline:
2023.
4. Require that any trash hauler operating in the Estes Valley not allow recycling to be put into
landfill trash and monitor compliance. Target: 2025.
Recommendation #23: Work with the Chamber of Commerce, Visit Estes Park (VEP) and the CRC to
achieve the following. Recommended timeline: see each item.
1. Provide illustrated materials for lodging establishments that instruct guests on how to recycle
and be “bear aware.” Operators would conspicuously post this signage near the front desk,
inside the vacation home, and in individual hotel rooms. Recommended timeline: 2023.
2. Expand special collection events throughout the year for recyclable materials such as
mattresses, paint and stain, electronics, paper shredding, hazardous waste, batteries,
microwaves, textiles, CDs/DVDs/VHS tapes, and appliance salvage, among others.
Recommended timeline: 2023.
3. Assist businesses in finding better, easier, and cheaper ways to recycle. Recommended timeline:
2023.
4. Make recycling the norm for VEP, the Chamber, and the Estes Park Visitors Center.
Recommended timeline: 2022.
Recommendation #24: Regularly update the Town website to include information on where and how to
recycle, as well as composting information, a list of licensed trash haulers, a map of water refill station
locations, and other sustainability information. Recommended timeline: 2024/ongoing.
Recommendation #25: Lead the way in making recycling of office paper, cans, bottles, and plastic (and
later, green waste) the norm throughout the Town of Estes Park organization. Recommended timeline:
2022/ongoing.
Recommendation #26: Make it a requirement to purchase paper products (office paper and stationery,
toilet paper, paper towels, etc.) with at least 80% recycled content (or alternatively, made from 100%
bamboo) for Town use by officials and staff. Recommended timeline: 2023.
Recommendation #27: Create zero-waste guidelines for event organizers holding an event on Town
property, and work with private groups and event venues to implement zero-waste practices into their
own activities. For example, the Town could require event organizers on Town property to provide
reusable or recyclable drinkware, cutlery, napkins, plates, and bowls; single-use items that are recyclable
within the Larimer County recycling system; and provide a sufficient number of side-by-side
landfill/trash and recycling bins for the event. Recommended timeline: 2023.
Recommendation #28: Increase the number of waste disposal bins in the downtown area and require
that all public waste disposal bins on either public or commercial property within the Estes Valley be
wildlife-proof and include side-by-side landfill and recycling sections along with illustrated, state-of-the-
art instructional signage. Recommended timeline: 2023.
Recommendation #29: Repaint trash bins with different colors to differentiate between trash and
recycling, making sure to relabel the “trash” section as “landfill” and to clearly label what is accepted in
the recycling container. Recommended timeline: 2023.
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Recommendation #30: Place a state-of-the-art landfill and recycling bin (as noted above) at the Estes
Park welcome sign installed by the Rotary Club on Highway 36. Recommended timeline: 2023.
Reducing Methane Emissions from Landfilled Food Waste and
Yard Debris by 90% by 2023
Methane, almost identical in composition to natural gas, is at least 80 times more powerful
than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.40 One of the biggest landfill emitters of
methane is rotting material from green waste41—that is, uneaten or spoiled food, kitchen scraps, and
yard debris. By making compost from green waste that would otherwise emit methane, we can create
a carbon sink—materials that actually absorb carbon dioxide gas emissions from the atmosphere.42
Although methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas, fortunately it’s short -lived compared to carbon
dioxide. That means we can achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gases within the next decade
just by cutting off sources of methane leaks into the atmosphere .43
All of Estes Park’s trash, whether picked up by Waste Management or Doering Disposal, or taken to
the transfer station, ultimately ends up in the county landfill. (L ikewise, anything that goes down the
garbage disposal ends up in the landfill t oo.) According to Larimer County officials, the current landfill
is scheduled to close in 2023 -2024. A new landfill site has been selected north of Wellington, 80 miles
from Estes Park. To lower methane gas and the increased CO2 emissions that will be generated by
trash haulers taking garbage to a site farther away, the best solution for the Town is to reduce the
amount of community -wide trash destined for the landfill, particularly methane -producing food
waste. One way the community can do this is by compo sting all green waste and yard debris. Duane
Penney, Larimer County’s Solid Waste Director, has encouraged Estes Park to go forward with creating
its own composting center.44.
Yard debris such as branches, pine needles, pinec ones, and leaves are another potential source of
compost material. Sadly, these materials are usually put out with curbside trash or tossed into the
transfer station landfill section. Even the much -touted Christmas tree collection taking place each year
in Estes Park fails to help the environment. Most residents assume the trees are recycled into mulch.
Unbeknownst to them, the trees are simply shredded and dumped into the landfill.
Routine food waste is an appalling practice—economically, environmentally, and from a social justice
standpoint. Even with rising food insecurity, American homes, grocery stores, and restaurants toss a
third of their perfectly edible, nutritious food into the landfill.45 To reduce this waste, the Solid Waste
Management subgroup recommends the community continue to donate uneaten but still good,
prepackaged food to Crossroads Ministry and determine whether Crossroads is capturing all the
uneaten food it can handle from restaurants , institutions, and stores. We also recommend the Town
work with CRC and the Chamber of Commerce to capture unsaleable food stock that cannot be
donated to Crossroads and explore ways to use it before it spoils, as well as assisting food
establishments in learning how to efficiently separate green waste. It is in the best interest of food
service businesses to adopt anti-waste measures, since they can save $7 for every dollar invested .46
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Recommendation #31: Establish a Town-operated, wildlife-inaccessible composting center (possibly
with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment grant funds) where residents, institutions,
and businesses can drop off green waste at no charge. The resulting compost can be sold to the public
for use in gardening and landscaping to build healthy soil. Recommended timeline: pilot in 2023; scale
up in 2024 and 2025.
Recommendation #32: Create a Town-operated chipper/shredder facility, where residents, institutions,
and businesses can drop off their yard debris and Christmas trees at no charge. This material would be
added to the composting material. Recommended Timeline: 2023.
Recommendation #33: For residents who want curbside service, invite a private hauling service to
provide fee-based community curbside pickup of green waste year-round, and yard debris and
Christmas trees on a seasonal basis. Recommended timeline: 2024.
Recommendation #34: Ensure that food establishments have a private service to pick up fats, oil, and
grease to reduce or eliminate that material going into the landfill. Recommended timeline: 2024.
Recommendation #35: Require that any trash hauler operating in the Estes Valley not allow green
waste, yard debris, or compostable materials to be put into landfill trash. Recommended timeline: 2026.
Recommendation #36: Have Public Works monitor the old Estes Park landfill at Moraine Avenue and
Elm Road for methane emission and research the feasibility of capturing methane gas for energy use.
Recommended timeline: 2022.
Eliminating the Worst Single -Use Plastics by 2024
Up to half of all plastic products are made for one-time use, and are used for mere minutes or even
seconds before being tossed in the garbage.47 Two of the most pernicious single-use plastics are
plastic bags and plastic water or beverage bottles. More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to
meet the American public’s demand for single -use plastic water bottles.48 At 3,000 times the cost of
tap water,49 bottled water is a ridiculous waste of funds. Contrary to popular belief, bottled water is
almost never safer to drink than water from the tap.50 In fact, plastic beverage bottles can leach toxic
chemicals into the liquid they contain.51 A long and growing list of states, communities, and
countries—particularly those that are tourism -dependent—are environmentally so far ahead of Estes
Park that they have moved beyond simply banning plastic bags and bottles and are now focusing on
phasing out other harmful items such as single -use cups, stir sticks, straws, six-pack rings, and
cutlery.52 Make no mistake: these bans are the wave of the future.53
That is because the environmental cost of single-use plastics is steep. The production of these and
other plastic products creates greenhouse gases,54 with a whopping 91% of plastics ending up as litter
or landfill trash rather than being recycled.55 In fact, plastic bags, cups, lids, bottles, straws, packaging,
and the like have become the most common forms of trash found in the American landscape.56 Once
plastics are in the landfill or out in the landscape, t hey emit methane as they decompose.57 Worse yet,
as plastics degrade they break down into microplastics 58 that are eaten by wildlife, pollute the water,
soil, and atmosphere, and even enter our own human bodies, causing cancer, birth defects, lowered
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immunity, and endocrine disruption.59 Microplastics now pollute every corner of the globe, including
the Arctic and Antarctic.60 In 2019, microplastics were even discovered in the rain falling on Rocky
Mountain National Park.61
Recommendation #37: Regulate some single-use plastics by doing the following. Recommended
timeline: see each item.
1. Accelerating the phase-in of the 2021 Colorado Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (see Appendix
#3), which manages plastic bags and polystyrene (Styrofoam) containers, with the Town
accepting the revenue the fees generate. Recommended timeline: 2022.
2. Not purchasing water or beverages in plastic bottles with municipal funds. Recommended
timeline: 2022.
Recommendation #38: Work with the Chamber of Commerce and CRC to achieve the following.
Recommended timeline: see each item.
1. Research and provide a list of sup pliers for Estes Park businesses to help them comply with the
new state (and possibly local) laws related to solid waste disposal. Recommended timeline:
2022.
2. Set up convenient “bag banks” at key points around town, where visitors and residents can pick
up a clean, donated reusable bag for shopping at no charge . (See Appendix #4) Recommended
timeline: 2022.
3. Make straws an upon-request-only item in food establishments. Recommended timeline: 2022.
Recommendation #39: Direct fees associated with Colorado Plastic Pollution Reduction Act toward the
following. Recommended timeline: 2024.
1. Funds to help retailers and food establishments transition away from the sale of single-use
plastics over to reusables or recyclables.
2. Funds to set up locked dumpster cages to keep wildlife away from business dumpsters.
3. Installing water refill stations at the Visitor’s Center, the Town Hall, the Library, each floor of
the Community Center, at outdoor public restrooms, and throughout the downtown area.
4. Creating a reusable traveler’s souvenir takeout dining set for sale at the Visitor’s Center and
online through VEP, consisting of metal “tiffins” (containers for holding takeout or picnic food),
reusable cutlery, straw, lid and drink cup, cloth napkin, and reusable bag to hold it all, with the
Estes Park logo on the bag and on larger items in the kit.
5. Environmental, wildlife, and nature interpretive signage.
6. Conducting robust and ongoing environmental public education campaigns.
Public Education
Changing community norms require reminder and education. An ongoing program of public service
information will support the community as it moves toward greater mindfulness and sustainability.
Recommendation #40: Encourage the public to carry a reusable water bottle or cup with them instead
of relying on bottled water and nonrecyclable cups. Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
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Recommendation #41: Encourage the Library continue to offer free sustainability classes on topics such
as how to recycle correctly, home composting, how to reduce junk mail, information on home energy
efficiency and heat pump installation, repair “café” nights, where to apply for free energy upgrades or
low-interest energy-efficiency loans, how to reduce household food waste to save money, etc.
Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
Recommendation #42: Run weekly ads in the Estes Park Trail-Gazette and Estes Park News with
sustainability tips and remind community members and visitors what can and cannot be recycled.
Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
Recommendation #43: Offer age-appropriate recycling and composting projects for children at Estes
Park public and private schools, as well as the Library. Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
Concluding Considerations Regarding Solid Waste
Management
The recommended actions outlined above would put Estes Park in the forefront in Colorado and
nation-wide, although it’s important to remember that in time these measures are destined to come
for all American communities, not just ours. Even so, these actions are only a starting point. As U.S.
communities move toward sustainability and phase out disposables, even more steps than the ones
outlined here will be needed at the local level. By taking the initiative now, Estes Park can show
visitors we care about the environment and are prepared to act—ensuring that we’re a fit community
to act as gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Institutional Factors for Sustainability
Introduction
Estes Valley’s environmental sustainability is under threat from increasingly severe drought, wildfires,
flooding, and habitat degradation due to climate change, compounded by pressures on our
community from exponential growth in tourism with overuse of resources.
Town government has responded to these growing threats with a range of important actions. But
lacking a comprehensive sustainability plan and coordinated climate action policy, these actions have
been piecemeal and limited compared to the sustainability programs of other p remier Colorado
mountain communities.
Comprehensive Sustainability Planning and Programs
A core feature of sustainability policies is their systematic concern with community, economy, and
environment. All three of these aspects of a Town's goals, policie s, and programs must be addressed
in balance for sustainability. This multi-level framework, sometimes called the "triple bottom line " or
the "pillars" of sustainability , is essential for effective, sustainable responses to the problems we face.
Models for Estes Park
Other mountain towns and county governments in Colorado have seen the importance of
sustainability as the core of their planning and development frameworks. Many premier mountain
destination communities have had sustainability plans and programs for more t han a decade. These
include Aspen and Pitkin County, Breckenridge and Summit County, Durango, Steamboat Springs and
Routt County, and Vail and Eagle County.
These towns and counties have detailed sustainability plans, climate action policies, permanent
community sustainability advisory boards, staff managers for their sustainability plans, and the towns
have (or are pursuing) Sustainable Destination certifications. Their institutional policies and extensive
program experience provide a rich resource for Estes Park to rapidly construct its own frameworks for
sustainability.
Recommendation #44: Create a permanent Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board.
Recommended timeline: 2022-2023.
An Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board would provide community guidance and
recommendations to the Town, as requested by the Town Board or the Town Administrat or, regarding
climate action policies, sustainability policies and programs, annual Strategic Plan recommendations,
and environmental sustainability recommendations to the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Board will coordinate with other Town advisory bodies, such as the Transportation
Advisory Board and the Parks Advisory Board, on energy or environmental aspects of issues that may
pertain jointly.
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Members should include residents from the Town and adjacent county areas within the scope of the
Comprehensive Plan or within the service area of Estes Power and Communications. Staff designated
by directors of Community Development, Power and Communications, Public Works, and other
appropriate Town departments may participate in board meetings as ex-officio members.
The Estes Park Sustainability Coordinator (see below) should serve as the primary liaison to the Advisory
Board and provide staff support for board meetings. Other staff support should be provided, as
required, by Town departmental staff as assigned by the Town Administrator.
Recommendation #45: Establish sustainability as a core feature of the Comprehensive Plan.
Recommended timeline: 2022.
For Estes Park to realize the benefits of a comprehensive sustainability plan, like those adopted by
other destination communities, sustainability principles need to be applied throughout Estes Park's
new Comprehensive Plan.
Currently under development, with funding from DOLA, the Comprehensive Plan is incorporating
resiliency principles in alignment with DOLA's resiliency standards. Resiliency is only a subset,
however, of sustainability principles.
DOLA has, in fact, made American Planning Association (APA) guidelines, titled Comprehensive Plan
Standards for Sustaining Places (Sustaining Places), its reference standard for local community
development and planning, and these standards are built on sustainability principles.
The APA sustainability standards do not prescribe plan provisions. Instead, presented as a
"scorecard," they comprise a reference standard of sustainability principles and best practices. The
scorecard is used during plan development to assess ("score") plan elements for their strengths and
gaps in building sustainability. To that end, the Town should:
1. Use the APA sustainability standards "scorecard" in development of Comprehensive Plan, and
provide the APA scorecard (see Appendix #5) to each member of the Comprehensive Plan
Advisory Committee and other interested parties for their individual use in assessing the many
provisions of the new plan as they are formulated and to identify sustainability principles that
have not yet been incorporated in the plan.
2. Use the APA scorecard to create a sustainability index for the final Comprehensive Plan. Use of
the APA scorecard during plan development will provide deep transparency regarding the goals
and standards used in the plan's development. Used systematically, the scorecard also
automatically "indexes" provisions of the final plan according to the principles of sustainability
that they address or implement. This "sustainability index" will provide a roadmap to the plan's
sustainability provisions. The sustainability index also can establish an important link between
annual Strategic Plan goals and specific provisions of the Comprehensive Plan, a s outlined next
under Recommendation #46.
Recommendation #46: Fully integrate sustainability into the Town’s annual strategic planning.
Recommended timeline: 2022/ongoing.
The annual Strategic Plan is a lynch pin between Town Board policies and specific programs and
investments to address community needs. It also is where the vision, goals and sustainability
principles of the Comprehensive Plan can systematically support and guide actions in the Strategic
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Plan (and in the Capital Improvement Plan because each CIP project lists goals in the Strategic Plan
that it supports).
To be fully effective, sustainability plans also require performance measures, ongoing project
performance assessments, and project realignments: "You can't manage what you don't measure ."
The Strategic Plan is perfectly suited for this function if performance measures and baseline data are
defined for its goals and objectives. To that end, and related to the preceding recommendation, the
Town should:
1. Align goals and objectives in the annual Strategic Plan with sustainability principles and ground
them on provisions in the Comprehensive Plan. Use the APA Sustainability Standards scorecard
(as adopted for the Comprehensive Plan) to specify the sustainability principle(s) and
practice(s) that are aligned with individual Goals and Objectives in the Strategic Plan. This
alignment can be presented in the Strategic Plan matrix by adding, under each "Outcome
Area," an initial "Sustainability Principle" column and then a "Practice" column.
By using the same sustainability standards reference, the provisions of the Comprehensive Plan
and the goals/objectives of the Strategic Plan (and CIP projects) are linked through their shared
alignments with specific sustainability principles/practices.
2. Establish performance measures for each Goal/Objective in the Strategic Plan. Performance
metrics and review periods (for example, one, three, or five years) should be set for each goal in
the Strategic Plan. Performance measures may derive from the Comprehensive Plan or be
developed in response to changing circumstances. Prescribed review periods will "schedule" a
future Strategic Plan objective to review performance for that goal based on objective
measures.
3. Require baseline data for key performance measures in the Strategic Plan. Baseline data should
be collected, in many cases as an initial phase or objective for goals in each year's Strategic
Plan. In some cases, however, collection of baseline data may be complex, requiring an
extended effort to assemble. In these cases, the activity should have performance measures,
but may need to commence while baseline data are still being compiled.
Climate Action Policy
When Colorado adopted the statewide "Climate Action Plan," it also called for new initiatives in every
community for rapid reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to secure a sustainable future. To
help guide this shared campaign, th e state then prepared the Colorado 2020 GHG Pollution Reduction
Roadmap (Roadmap).
The "Climate Action Plan" sets three important deadlines for GHG emission reductions r elative to a
2005 baseline: 26% by 2025; 50% by 2030; 90% by 2050. The Roadmap analysis confirmed that
current technologies can carry these goals forward, but additional actions and supporting policies are
needed to achieve the timelines. The Roadmap states:
State government cannot do this work alone. It is going to take the commitment, expertise,
and engagement of Coloradans from diverse perspectives and from across the state to further
refine, mobilize and implement key actions identified in this Roadmap.
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The Roadmap also spotlights the important role of local government in reducing GHG emissions from
the largest sources in Colorado: transportation, electricity generation, buildings, and methane from
landfills and sewage plants.
Recommendation #47 : Develop Climate Action Policy. Recommended timeline: 2022 -2023.
Suggested provisions in a community -wide Climate Action Policy include the following:
• Assign high priority to concerted response by Town government to the imminent and seve re
dangers of wildfires, flooding, and habitat degradation due to climate change.
• Adopt provisions of the Colorado Climate Action Plan as sustainability goals for Town
departments and commit to close cooperation with Larimer County in its Climate Smart
initiatives.
• Direct Town departments to expedite initiatives aligned with the Roadmap that reduce GHG
emissions in transportation, electricity usage and generation, buildings, and waste
management.
• Establish an Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee. (See Recommendation #44)
• Direct creation of two staff positions: Environmental Sustainability Manager and Grant
Development Manager. (See Recommendations #48 and #50.5)
• Direct adoption of sustainability policies and practices for Town operations and facil ities. (See
Recommendation #49.2)
• Direct Estes Power and Communications to adopt a clean energy, sustainability, and GHG
pollution reduction plan (Clean Energy Plan). (See Recommendation #51)
Estes as a Sustainable Community
Residents and visitors alike are drawn to Estes Park by the natural beauty of the Estes Valley and the
wild majesty of Rocky Mountain National Park. The ESTF community surveys and listening sessions
(see Appendix #1) confirm a broad-based desire for strong leadership by the Town in preserving and
enhancing the area’s environmental sustainability .
Recommendation #48: Create an environmental Sustainability Manager position. Recommended
timeline: 2022-2023.
Many Colorado communities, including the mountain destination towns that can serve as models for
Estes Park, have established a position of sustainability coordinator or manager to direct their
sustainability programs, engage and support their community sustainability council/advisory board,
and coordinate programs across their town government. The sustainability manager role is considered
essential for accomplishing the Town's sustainability goals.
Suggested responsibilities for an Environment al Sustainability Manager position include:
• Serving as liaison to the Town's environmental Sustainability Advisory Board; provide support
for the board's meetings.
• Coordination and outreach with Town departments concerning sustainability policies,
programs, and new initiatives; organize and support staff training in sustainability principles.
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• Collaboration with the Town's grant development manager in identifying and formulating
sustainability initiatives and funding opportunities.
• Liaison to Visit Estes Park, Estes Park Chamber of Commerce, and other community
organizations regarding sustainability and managed destination programs. (See
Recommendation #49)
• Liaison to sustainability offices/programs of Estes Valley schools and special districts, Lari mer
County, state offices, and other governmental jurisdictions.
• Collaboration with Town departments in development of sustainability performance measures
and baseline inventories. Participation in program performance reviews related to
sustainability me asures.
• Serve as a staff resource regarding sustainability principles and practices for the Town Board's
annual Strategic Plan.
• Preparation of annual sustainability progress report.
The Sustainability Manager's extensive management responsibilities, ongoin g interdepartmental
functions, and high-profile community engagements recommend a manager -level position that is
located centrally in the administration.
Recommendation #49: Reposition Estes Park as a Sustainable Destination. Recommended timeline:
2022-2025/ongoing.
To help make Estes Park a sustainable community for visitors and its own residents, the Town should:
1. Support the sustainability initiatives of Visit Estes Park. With a realignment of staff and
addition of a sustainability manager position, VEP is working to establish the Estes Valley as a
sustainably managed tourism destination. The Town should cooperate fully in these new
initiatives.
2. Adopt sustainability policies and practices for Town operations and facilities. In consultation
with VEP, identify the Sustainable Destination standards for Town operations and facilities for
implementation to the extent feasible. Integrate sustainability awaren ess and skills into staff
training.
3. Conduct sustainability education campaigns for residents and visitors that:
• Raise awareness in the community and with Estes Park businesses about the value of
sustainability practices, explain the Town's sustainability p lanning, and spotlight current
accomplishments. Use Town newsletters, have displays and literature at the Visitor
Center and at events, host a sustainability tent at festivals.
• Create a sustainability portal on the Town website to educate residents and vi sitors about
resources and Town policies and programs for sustainability.
• Cooperate with VEP's Sustainable Destination educational outreach to Town partners and
stakeholders and its information campaigns for current visitors and values -based tourism
markets.
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Funding for Sustainability
Adoption of sustainability principles and practices in Town policies and programs often can yield
ongoing benefits at modest expense. But more substantial costs are associated with new staff
positions and training, heightened community outreach, baseline data inventories, matching funds for
sustainability grants, and investments for renewable energy and beneficial electrification projects.
Funding mechanisms or sources therefore must be aligned with recommended actio ns for greater
community resilience and environmental sustainability. Principal funding mechanisms for the Town
and the broader community include grant funds, tax funds, and municipal or district bond funds, plus
revenue sources from Town enterprise fund departments, specifically Estes Park Power &
Communications. (See Recommendation #51 regarding Estes Park Power & Communications)
Recommendation #50 : Strengthen the framework for funding sustainability. Recommended timeline:
2022/ongoing.
Suggestions for how to strengthen the framework for funding include:
1. Coordinate all funding mechanisms by aligning them with shared sustainability principles. In
addition to identifying sustainability principles and practices for Strategic Plan goals/objectives
(see Recommendation #46), sustainability practices should be a feature of grant proposal
workplans, sales tax funds, and bond issuances.
Bond Funds
2. Make sustainability a management principle in all bond issuance s. A $114 million general
improvement bond issued in 2021 for a school district demonstrates how the terms of
municipal and district bonds can infuse sustainability into project execution. The bond 's
mission statement explicitly establishes sustainability as a guiding principle. Environmental,
social, and economic sustainability will be examined in planning and design for every project
financed. And following principles of sustainability for communi ty engagement, residents will
rank their sustainability priorities for the different projects. This strategy builds sustainability
into the projects funded, whether by grant funds, tax funds, or bond funds; it also can
strengthen community support for the funding proposal.
Grant Funds
Greater grantmaking capacity is a key tool for financing new sustainability initiatives and accelerating
reductions in GHG pollution. This is especially true with the availability of state funding under the
Colorado GHG Pollution Reduction Framework and pending dispersal of $1.2 trillion in federal funding
through the states and directly in federal grants under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (Infrastructure Act).
The Town of Estes Park has a track record of successful grant awards to launch major community
investments, achieved through skilled staff grantsmanship and relationships with key funders,
combined with Estes Park's stature as a world -class tourist destination. These past successes justify
expanding the Town's internal capacities for concurrent grant development, preparation of technically
and organizationally complex proposals, and coordination for multi -jurisdiction projects.
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Investments in these capacities can return far greater benefits to the Town, as shown by the awards
issued in 2020 from the Colorado Renewable & Clean Energy set aside. Estes Park can be praised for
securing a $15,000 EV planning a ward from this source. That was, however, the smallest award;
twenty-seven recipients received awards totaling almost $10.7 million —an average greater than
$395,000. Crested Butte, Breckenridge, and Creede received $250,000, $650,000, and $650,000,
respectively. Estes Park's track record shows the Town's competitiveness for major awards; with
greater priority placed on grants planning, coordination and preparations, Estes Park can be better
prepared to undertake major projects through new funding opportun ities in the future.
3. Promote grant development as a strategic investment.
4. Create an interdepartmental Grant Development Team. Team members would include Town
department directors (or senior designees), the Environmental Sustainability Manager, and the
Grant Development Manager who serves as Team coordinator. The Team functions to match
Town Strategic Plan goals/objectives and the programmatic needs of Town departments with
grant award opportunities and requirements, to prioritize grants, and to coordinate
interdepartmental grant proposals.
5. Establish (or reclassify) a position as Grant Development Manager. The position would have the
following suggested responsibilities:
• Research federal and state grant opportunities that align with the Comprehensive Plan
and are supportive of Strategic Plan goals. Maintain cooperative relationships with
funding agencies.
• Serve as a staff resource for the Town Board's Strategic Plan development process.
• Serve as coordinator for the Grant Development Team and interdepartmental grant
development.
• Guide proposal development to meet grant submission specifications and deadlines.
• Help identify opportunities for interjurisdictional projects and participate in related grant
development efforts.
• Prepare progress reports and an annual report for the Town Board on grant
opportunities, development goals, timelines, and status.
The Grant Development Manager's extensive management responsibilities, ongoing
interdepartmental functions, intergovernmental relations, and complex project development
responsibilities recommend a manager -level position that is located centrally, e.g., Finance
Department or Administrator's office.
Estes Clean Energy Plan
Estes Power and Communications (Estes Power) is one of the Town's most powerful tools for
community sustainability programs and reduction of GHG emissions, but that potential has had
limited development. A comprehensive clean energy, sustainability and GHG pollution reduction plan
(Clean Energy Plan) should be implemented by E stes Power that incorporates industry best practices.
A comprehensive plan is needed to cut GHG pollution in alignment with the Colorado Roadmap. It also
can be an essential tool in minimizing network costs to supply rapid growth in electric demand with
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widespread adoption of electric vehicles, building electrification, and distributed energy sources, as
discussed in other parts of this report.
Recommendation #51 : Establish an Estes Clean Energy Plan in accordance with industry standards as
outlined below. Recommended timeline: see each item.
The American Public Power Association (APPA) Smart Energy Provider program delineates benchmark
standards and evaluation guidelines that Estes Power should adopt, and the following recommended
measures to initiate a Clean Energy Plan correspond to just a subset of benchmarks in APPA's
standards of industry best practices.
1. Compile a baseline "catalog" of clean energy incentive programs. Recommended timeline:
2022.
A reference catalog of incentive measures should be compiled as a baseline for development of
a Clean Energy Plan by surveying the diverse programs of other electric utilities that promote
renewable energy and beneficial electrification. The APPA information clearinghouse is one
resource for this effort.
Closer to home, incentive programs of an electric distribution co -op in Colorado may be a good
starting point. La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) has an extensive program with building
efficiency audits and rebates for building efficiency improvements and for beneficial
electrification, including HVAC heat pumps, hot -water heat pumps, and induction
ranges/cooktops. It provides rebates for electric outdoor equipment (e.g., snow blower, lawn
mower, leaf blower, chainsaw + battery), to help replace serious air pollution and noise sources.
For electric mobility, it has rebates for e-bikes and provides free home level-2 electric vehicle
smart chargers (or rebates if purchased); rebates also are offe red for commercial and public -use
EV charging stations. These programs reflect sustainability's "triple bottom -line." For example,
their rebate for conversion of a gas range to induction electric is more than for electric -to-
induction conversion because gas conversion will remove long-term costs of GHG pollution.
2. Implement a portfolio of incentive programs from the catalog. Recommended timeline: 2022 -
2024/ongoing.
Measures in the portfolio should be selected following sustainability principles, with comm unity
participation and "triple bottom -line" performance measures, including GHG reduction
effectiveness. How specific incentives affect network peak demand will be an important
consideration. LPEA provides smart EV chargers for free because their chargers enable central
control of one of the fastest growing demands on their network; limiting charging to real -time
off-peak periods yields a three -year payback on their incentive costs.
3. Prepare a GHG emissions inventory for the Estes Valley. Recommended timeline: 2023.
In consultation with other Town departments, compile baseline inventories for the Estes Valley
of GHG emissions from major sources, including transportation, electricity usage and
generation, buildings, waste management, and out door gas equipment. These data provide a
basis for performance measures to continuously improve GHG emission reduction programs.
Resources are available specifically to assist local governments (e.g., ICLEI—Local Governments
for Sustainability ; Mountain Towns 2030 ).
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Institutional Factors 29
Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
4. Organize and invest in distributed energy generation and storage. Recommended timeline:
2022-2027/ongoing.
Estes Power should take leadership in development of distribut ed energy generation on its
network to spur develop and to help manage network demands. That role requires
interjurisdiction collaboration (i.e., Estes Valley School District and Upper Thompson Waste
Management) and joint initiatives with its counterpart utilities in partnership with PRPA.
Working with the Estes Valley School District, for example, Estes Power can facilitate solar
installations that supply a school's entire electrical consumption and cut total costs over the life
of the equipment. Almost every respondent to the ESTF residential survey said that adoption of
solar energy by the school district is important; nearly half gave it the highest level of
importance.
With recent innovations, Estes Power also can partner with the school district to r eplace
polluting diesel buses with electric, which then serve as dispatchable electric storage for the
network, while cutting school bus operating costs —a significant item in school district budgets.
Electric school buses recharge during off -peak periods, when they are idle, and then supply
power to the utility grid during on-peak periods, yielding net cost reductions for the school
district and savings for the utility, as well as health benefits by eliminating GHG and other
pollution in diesel exhaust.
A pilot program that employs electric school buses as DERs is now underway for Durango School
District 9-R and the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA), with grant support from the regional Air
Quality Control Commission. LPEA has led development and contributed $130,000 to the pilot
project. LPEA identified a crucial grant opportunity, designed the proje ct, secured school
district participation, provided grant matching funds, engaged the vendor, and purchased the
equipment to connect electric buses as a dispatchable power source for the utility's distribution
network. Having confirmed 60kW/bus dispatchabl e power, LPEA now expects payback of its
costs in eight years.
Estes Power should evaluate a similar pilot project with the Estes Valley school district. With at
least $50 billion designated by the Infrastructure Act for electrification of school buses, su ch a
project might well be expanded to include all four municipal utilities and their school districts
on the PRPA grid, providing a large shared distributed resource, as well as pollution reduction
on a major scale.
More generally, however, the LPEA proje ct demonstrates the diverse roles that Estes Power
should be prepared to undertake in fostering distributed energy resources, such as those
spotlighted in other parts of this report, and achieving key goals in an Estes Clean Energy Plan.
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
30
Endnotes
1 https://ftcollinscap.clearpointstrategy.com/
2 https://www.larimer.org/sites/default/files/uploads/2021/cslc_public_brochure_final_12.7.2020.pdf
3 https://cohealthviz.dphe.state.co.us/t/EnvironmentalEpidemiologyPublic/views/DRAFTGreenhouseGasMetricsDashoard -
MGH/GreenhouseGasMetricsDashboard?:showAppBa nner=false&:display_count=n&:showVizHome=n&:origin=viz_share_lin
k&:embed=y&:deepLinkingDisabled=y
4 https://www.rockymountainclimate.org/images/extremes/LarimerExtremesFinal.pdf
5 https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy16osti/65298.pdf
6 https://cossa.co/solar -and-storage-friendly-communities/
7 https://solsmart.org/how -we-help/what-is-solsmart/
8 https://coops.solarunitedneighbors.org/coops/denver -solar-co-op-2/
9 https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2021/documenting -a-decade-of-cost-declines-for-pv-systems.html
10 https://www.energy.gov/oe/activities/technology -development/grid-modernization-and-smart-grid/role-microgrids-
helping
11 https://cleantechnica.com/2021/11/24/a -bright-future-for-landfill-solar-yes-landfill-solar/
12 https://www.asumag.com/green/sustainability -initiatives/article/20856800/solar -array-in-colorado-district-will-
completely-offset-electricity-use-at-elementary-school
13 https://www.panparks.org/vertical-axis-wind-turbines/
14 https://www.gunnisontimes.com/articles/taylor -park-dam-may-soon-produce-hydropower/
15 https://www.holycross.com/basalt-vista-affordable-housing-project/
16 https://revivefc.com/
17 https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/mayors -office/newsroom/2020/new-pilot-program-encourages-
more-sustainability-and-more-afford.html
18 https://rmi.org/insight/gas -stoves-pollution-health/
19 https://www.naturalgasintel.com/denver -looking-to-phase-out-natural-gas-in-commercial-multifamily-buildings/
20 https://news.yahoo.com/in -significant-climate-change-action-new-york-city-bans-new-gas-hookups-
173727046.html?guccounter=1
21 https://www.energysmartcolorado.com/take -action/beneficial-electrification/
22 https://sealed.com/resources/winter-heat-pump/
23 https://rmi.org/heat -pumps-a-practical-solution-for-cold-climates/
24 https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/ductless -mini-split-heat-pumps
25 https://www.npr.org/2021/09/04/1033585422/the -housing-shortage-is-significant-its-acute-for-small-entry-level-
homes?utm_source=pocket -newtab
26 https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/blog/how-to/home-water-conservation/
27 https://moneyning.com/shopping -smart/what-does-buying-a-hot-tub-really-cost-6-hidden-expenses-to-consider/
28 https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/30/22860068/nyc -police-car-electric-ford-mustang-mach-e
29 https://raqc.org/program/mow -down-pollution-residential/
30 Started by the late Jean Weaver, a longtime Estes Park resident. See: https://www.lwv -
estespark.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=706933&module_id=390961
31 2021 National Community Survey commissioned by the Town of Estes Park.
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/polco.nrc/viz/TheNCSReport -EstesParkCO2021/About?publish=yes%C2%A0
32 ESTF Public Comment Listening Session, October 14, 2021, and informal polling conducted by CRC in May 2021
33 “Recycling Basics” (see “Benefits of Recycling”), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling -basics
34 Virtual meeting between Lou Perez, former project director with Larimer County Solid Waste Department and CRC, May
2021. In 2020, Waste Management reported to Larimer County that they hauled 63,544 cu bic yards of trash and 4,386 cubic
yards of recycling from Estes Park. This includes the amount of both trash and recycling that Doering takes to the transfer
station, as well as recycling from the Estes Park Residential Recycling Center.
35 Ibid.
36 https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local -news/colorado-remains-one-of-the-20-worst-states-in-the-nation-when-
it-comes-to-recycling
37 Ibid.
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
31
38 Informal polling conducted by CRC in May 2021
39 Per research by Marina Connors of CRC, sent by email December 13, 2021. Thanks to Marina Connors for obtaining this
information.
40 “A Crucial Opportunity in the Climate Fight,” Environmental Defense Fund, https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-
opportunity-climate-fight See also, “The Importance of Methane,” US EPA https://www.epa.gov/gmi/importance -methane
41 “Sustainable Management of Food Basics,” US EPA https://www.epa.gov/sustainable -management-food/sustainable-
management-food-basics
42 Judith D. Schwartz, “Soil as Carbon Storehouse: New Weapon in Climate Fight?” Yale Environment 360, March 4, 2014,
https://e360.yale.edu/features/soil_as_carbon_storehouse_new_weapon_in_climate_fight
43 “Methane Emissions Are Driving Climate Change. H ere’s How to Reduce Them.” United Nations Environment Programme,
August 20, 2021, https://www.unep.org/news -and-stories/story/methane-emissions-are-driving-climate-change-heres-how-
reduce-them
44 Conversation between Duane Penney and ESTF member Barbara Wer ner; October 17, 2021.
45 “Food Waste FAQs,” US Department of Agriculture. The USDA estimates that 30 -40% of perfectly good food goes to the
landfill, based on estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service of 31% food loss at the retail and consumer level s,
corresponding to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. This amount of waste has three
far-reaching impacts on society: 1. Wholesome food that could have helped feed families in need is instead dumped in
landfills; 2. L and, water, labor, energy, and other inputs that are part of producing, processing, transporting, preparing,
storing, and disposing of discarded food are completely wasted; and 3) Needlessly discarding food contributes to methane
production and global clim ate change. https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs
Those who need further convincing may want to explore the shocking videos posted on TikTok by Dumpsterdivingfreegan,
showing examples of the wanton food waste practiced daily by food stores across the nation.
46 Lauren Manning, “Restaurants Can Earn $7 for Every $1 They Invest in Fighting Food Waste,” AgFunder News, February
13, 2019 https://agfundernews.com/breaking -restaurants-can-earn-7-for-every-1-they-invest-in-fighting-food-waste-new-
report.html#:~:text=AgFunder%20Network%20Partners -
,Restaurants%20Can%20Earn%20%247%20for%20Every%20%241%20They,Fighting%20Food%20Waste%20%E2%80%93%20
new%20report&text=February%2013%2C%202019 -
,Restaurants%20can%20earn%20%247%20for%20every%20%241%20they%20invest%20in,Resources%20Action%20Program
me%20(WRAP).
47 https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/
48 Courtney Lindwall, “Single-Use Plastics 101,” Natural Resources Defense Council, January 9, 2021
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101
49 “Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water ,” Harvard University https://green.harvard.edu/tools -resources/green-tip/reasons-
avoid-bottled-water
50 Ibid.
51 Jenny L. Carwile, Henry T. Luu, Laura S. Bassett, Daniel A. Driscoll, Caterina Yuan, Jennifer Y. Chang, Xiaoyun Yee, Antonia
M. Calafat and Karen B. Michels, “Polycarbonate Bottle Use and Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations,” Environmental Health
Perspectives, National Institutes of Health, May 12, 2009 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2737011/
52 Kevin Forestieri, “Mountain View Bans Plastic Food Ware for All Restaurants Starting in 2023,” Mountain View Voice,
November 16, 2021—this is just one of the growing number of tourist locations going beyond bans on plastic bags and
polystyrene takeout containers. https://mv -voice.com/news/2021/11/16/mountain-view-bans-plastic-food-ware-for-all-
restaurants-starting-in-2023?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202021 -11-
19%20Waste%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:38141%5D&utm_term=Waste%20Dive
53 “Banning Single-Use Plastics,” Environment America, https://uspirgedfund.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/US%20Single -
Use%20Plastics%20-%20Coastal_1.pdf. In the United States, nine states (one de facto) and five territories have banned
single-use plastic bags. A list of the 157 countries that have banned single -use plastics like bags can be found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_lightweight_plastic_bags. A list of the 29 countries that have banned single -use
takeout polyethylene (Styrofoam) can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase -out_of_lightweight_plastic_bags.
Canada will ban all plastic bags, straws, stir sticks, six -pack rings, plastic cutlery and food takeout containers by the end of
2021 ( https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/520071 -canada-is-banning-all-plastic-straws-
cutlery-by). The United Kingdom will ban all polystyrene cups and plates, plastic straws, plastic earbuds, and plastic utensils
by 2023 (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk -politics-58360064). And France has had a total ban on plastic bags, cups, plates,
and cutlery since 2020 (https://www.globalcitizen.org/fr/content/plastic -bans-around-the-world/).
54 Brooke Bauman, “How Plastics Contribute to Climate Change,” Yale Climate Connections, August 20, 2019
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/08/how -plastics-contribute-to-climate-change/
55 Laura Parker, “A Whopping 91% of Plastic Isn’t Recycled,” National Geographic, December 20, 2018
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic -produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment
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Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force - Final Report January 31, 2022
32
56 “Litter in America: Results from the Nation’s Largest Litter Study,” Keep America Beautiful Inc., January 2010
https://kab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/LitterinAmerica_FactSheet_LitterOverview.pdf
57 “Greenhouse Gases Linked to Degrading Plastic,” University of Hawai’i News, August 1, 2018,
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/01/greenhouse -gases-linked-to-degrading-plastic/
58 Microplastics Wikipedia entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microplastics
59 Claudia Campanale, Carmine Massarelli, Ilaria Savino, Vito Locaputo, and Vito Felice Uricchio, “A Detailed Review Study on
Potential Effects of Microplastics and Additives of Concern on Human Health,” National Institutes of Health, US National
Library of Medicine, February 13, 2020 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7068600/
60 “Impact of Plastic in the Polar Regions,” British Antarctic Survey, National Environmental Research Council, October 1,
2017-October 1, 2020 https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/impact -of-plastic-in-the-polar-
regions/#:~:text=Microplastics%20have%20been%20found%20in,a%20variet y%20of%20marine%20species
61 George Wetherbee, Austin Baldwin and James Ranville, “It Is Raining Plastics,” U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S.
Geological Survey, 2019 https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2019/1048/ofr20191048.pdf
Page 57
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COMPAC meeting, Thursday, 01.13.2022
1.Should the Comp Plan consider a Growth Management Area to help prioritize and plan for
future annexation areas, or future service areas? How should the Estes Valley Planning Area be
used in the future?
-Important topic to include – can’t expand into federal lands
-Imperative for future of the valley, aligns w/state law
-Need strong communication with Fed partners
-Benefits of utilities & growth boundaries; good utility plan necessary
-Protect the Valley, good & bad with density
-Like looking outside, important for conversations with partners
-Agree with Utility comments
-Density – fire mitigation (issues to contend with…)
-Good for communication, includes Pole Hill area
-Desire for discussion to happen.
2.Design Guidelines were a controversial topic during stakeholder interviews (i.e. some people
want consistency and a common feel, while others think that the eclectic mix of architectural
styles creates character). How should the Comp Plan direct decision-makers in future design
decisions? How far should the Comp Plan go versus leaving it up to Code updates or separate
design standards?
-Consistency with surrounding development is important
-Support design – HOAs often do it. Commercial yes, especially downtown. Benefit to similar
style.
-Slippery slope – tie to practical issues like fire mitigation.
-In Comp Plan now, but advisory
- Inappropriate use of Comp Plan time, should use it for other items.
-Agreed – 20-year plan and styles and bldg. materials will change and evolve
-Some areas need it more than others and developers will want to improve design
-Don’t feel strongly about it, but want to avoid bad design
3.What intensities and types of commercial and employment uses should be located outside of
Downtown Estes? Would some non-residential uses be appropriate in unincorporated areas of
the Valley? If yes, what and where?
-Much debate about Town Hall and if it should stay in its current location
-There should be commercial uses outside of Town, including industrial, as the backbone of
the community and help to support the commercial base here.
-It’s necessary, things are changing and we need to include it, but it’s hard to answer
-Small pockets of zoning around the perimeter were removed, but there should be a
possibility for commercial services outside of the main area of Town in limited quantities
-No, they should be in Town except accommodations and commercial uses
-Maybe limited industrial uses
-Residents outside this area look at this from a different perspective- invasive
4.How aggressively should the Comp Plan exert a hand in economic development and attracting
new industries (“if you market them they will come”)? Or is the Town’s role more in creating an
attractive and desirable community w/ reliable infrastructure, services, housing options, and
amenities (“if you build it they will come”)?
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- No, it shouldn’t be used for ED, EDC should do this
- Commercial property is very limited here
- Don’t target specific industries, but should look at the economic base and what should be
included or not
- Can outline percentages or square footage to allocate
- Broomfield has a good section on ED focused on what’s needed to sustain facilities
- What are we intentionally excluding from the Plan, own our decisions and accept the
outcome
5. What opportunities for year-round, living-wage employment do you wish were available in
Estes?
- We should have more, helps with sense of community and place and a more stable
economy
- This is significant, helps to be strategic and talk about limitations for businesses, and should
be broader
- Living wages and affordability are critical
- Employment, economy, living wages are linked and affordability is crucial
- What do we want that the market can’t provide?
- Workforce is shrinking and blue-collar jobs out of season are hard to find- we need to
balance the economy and include this in housing and ED considerations.
6. This normally is left to the educational system, but there may be important ways the
Town/County can support K-12 and higher education through land use, social services, and
infrastructure. What should the Town’s role or Comp Plan’s role be in education? Similarly, what
is the appropriate role in providing childcare?
- We should take an active role, hope is not a strategy
- This is linked; we should discuss the implications for how people can stay in the community
without it
- Housing is needed- land donations or leases?
- Need infrastructure to get students to school- sidewalks and regulatory barriers need to be
reduced.
- Need more resources in the community- the community center was supposed to have a
center, and still doesn’t…
7. Are there thoughts on ways to address summer traffic? Ideas to consider could be exploring
additional parking solutions, adding more parking, educational campaign for visitors/signage,
invest in alternative transportation facilities, etc.
- Plan should offer guidance and not be political- keep expanding the trolley schedule to keep
traffic out of Town
- Helps to secure grants and funding if included
- Health benefits for expanding service
- Coordinate with RMNP, west-side parking areas should be considered if more shuttles are
provided in the park
- Environmental effects should be taken into account
8. Where is it difficult to walk or bike in the Estes Valley?
- Highway 7, infrastructure needed near Graves and schools generally, and downtown
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- Address where trails end and how to connect them, create loops and expand the trail
system
- Commuting is dangerous, especially on the west side of town
9. Are there thoughts on how to best address short-term rentals to balance economic benefit with
the negative effects of short-term rentals (STRs)?
- Should be part of the conversation, need to better understand the guidelines
- Here to stay, concern over corporate ventures that buy houses, are they going to take more
homes?
- STRs in residential areas should be more dispersed and limited in scope
- History of these in town, limiting is short-sighted, maybe they should be recognized as
businesses and managed consistently
10. Does the current housing in Estes Valley meet your needs? How could housing better meet the
needs of the local workforce? What are some opportunities or strategies to consider? How
aggressive should the solutions be?
- Unsustainable community model, people have nowhere to live. Untenable and blue-collar
people are leaving
- Need to subsidize with funding, land code changes for height variances, etc.
- Major issue for the Plan
- Private enterprise has done a lot, especially with the density bonus. They need incentives
and we need more public/private and creative solutions (real estate transfer tax, deed
restrictions, cash, market solutions needed)
11. There is growing awareness, acceptance, and advocacy regarding climate change, and we have
heard support that the plan address climate change head on. We can respond to climate change
in two fundamental ways: By changing our lifestyle to reduce carbon emissions and increase
carbon sinks (so that the climate doesn’t change as much), and bracing for and mitigating the
potential impacts that will continue (because the climate has unavoidably changed already and
may change more). How far should we go in both directions? What solutions would not be
supported?
- Address it head on, our impacts are minimal overall
- Mitigation for what’s coming is needed
- Equal emphasis on both questions, we can have an effect
- Recent fires are a reminder of this, we need to embrace mitigation and encourage
sustainable practices and lifestyles and be leaders as a community
12. Would you support stronger development regulations and/or ordinances that protect natural
resources and improve preparedness for environmental threats such as wildfires and flooding?
- Hazard identification could also complement where the growth boundaries may need to be
- Be clear with terminology
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