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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET CompPAC 2022-07-28ESTES FORWARD 1 AGENDA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CompPAC) TOWN OF ESTES PARK Thursday, July 28, 2022 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Virtual via ZOOM 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from July 14, 2022 3. PUBLIC COMMENT (Please state your name and address). 4. DRAFT POLICIES Continued- Built Environment & Land Use Director Garner 5. DISCUSSION: Upcoming schedule Director Garner 6. ADJOURN Please click the link 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. 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 July 22, 2022 2 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, July 14, 2022 Minutes of a JOINT Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting of the Town of Estes Park. Meeting held Virtually in said Town of Estes Park on July 14, 2022. Committee: Chair Matthew Heiser, Vice-Chair Bob Leavitt, Members David Bangs, Charles Cooper, Eric Blackhurst, 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 McAlpine, Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, Drew Webb, Mike Kennedy, Consultant Jeremy Call, Consultant Taylor Broyhill, Recording Secretary Karin Swanlund Absent: Members Comstock, Bangs Chair Heiser called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES from June 23, 2022 The motion passed with a visual thumbs-up vote. PUBLIC COMMENT. None DISCUSSION: (for full comments, view the meeting recording at engageestes.org) Jeremy Call reviewed the meeting details from earlier in the week with the Town Board and the Larimer County Commissioners. This meeting was conducted in a workshop format focusing on Future Land Use and Built Environment. Questions asked were: 1.Do any of the Land Use Categories need to be reworked or redefined? 2.How do you feel about the Draft Future Land Use Map? 3.Are there any major concerns with the direction of the Built Environment goals and policies? Taylor Broyhill raised the question of do we proceed with caution or courage. Consolidating the Future Land Use categories from 18 down to 10 was discussed at length. Members were urged to study the documents and share their opinions and thoughts with Directors Garner and Ellis. OTHER: There will be a community-wide meeting on August 3 at the High School to discuss the draft plan. The next CompPac meeting is scheduled for July 28. There being no further business, Chair Heiser adjourned the meeting at 11:00 a.m. Karin Swanlund, Recording Secretary dra f t 3 4 ESTES FORWARD DRAFT GOALS AND POLICIES Estes Forward Goals, Policies, and Actions // Page 1 DRAFT VISION The Estes Valley community works together as responsible stewards of our irreplaceable mountain surroundings to welcome visitors and support residents by investing in our quality of life, sense of community, and economic vitality, and health of the natural environment. DRAFT GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1. Responsible access to and protection of wild spaces, scenic vistas, outdoor recreation, and Rocky Mountain National Park. 2. A unified, proactive response to climate change through resilient infrastructure, ecosystem management, protection of biodiversity, and reduced carbon emissions. 3. Balanced and managed growth that enhances quality of life, preserves local character, conserves natural resources and wildlife habitat. 4. Cooperative governance through strong partnerships and fiscal responsibility. 5. Year-round, diversified economy and social services for residents and visitors of all ages and income levels. 6. Housing opportunities sufficient to support a multigenerational, year-round community. 7. Pathways to health, prosperity, and equity for all. 8. Connected community linked locally and regionally by multi-modal transportation options. 9. Recognition and respect for all cultures, sacred lands, and indigenous ceremonial practices. 5 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT GOAL: Maintain Estes Valley’s scenic character and gateway experience to the Valley and Rocky Mountain National Park. Policy: The Town and County encourage the protection and enhancement of key community gateway views to Lake Estes, and Colorado’s first scenic byway, Peak-to- Peak. Policy: The Town and County ensures that new development minimizes the impacts to visual quality within the Valley, including protection of dark skies. • Action: Town to maintain current code requirements for dark skies, obtain grant funding, and develop incentive program to replace non-compliant fixtures. • Action: Town to maintain Ridgeline Protection Zones. • Action: Reduce impacts on viewsheds by strengthening the Town and County’s grading standards to reduce the amount of cut and fill. • Action: Town will work to minimize views obstructed by overhead utilities. Policy: The County encourages development along Highways 34 and 36 and Devils Gulch Road in the unincorporated area to blend in with the natural environment. GOAL: Ensure the provision and preservation of diverse and accessible open spaces throughout the Valley while allowing for contextual development in t he right locations. Policy: The Town and County works with partners to create a perpetual open space network through land acquisition, development agreements, and conservation easements. Policy: The Town and County protect healthy watersheds by minimizing development impacts within riparian areas, wetlands, and floodplains. Policy: The Town and County use a suite of tools to protect conservation priorities that are not conserved and incentivize infill development. Policy: The Town and County encourage cluster residential development to protect wildlife habitat and movement. • Action: The Town to dedicate governmental funding to conservation partners, such as the Estes Valley Land Trust and similar organizations to increase their ability to pursue land preservation and open space acquisition. • Action: The Town to increase river, stream, and wetlands setbacks or buffers. • Action: The Town to identify appropriate locations in Downtown for increase height allowances within context of existing development. 6 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 3 • Action: The Town to work with willing landowners and acquire lands through land swaps for properties that are underdeveloped and build local parks in Town. • Action: Development code change needed? GOAL: Protect wildlife and enhance biodiversity and ecosystems. Policy: The Town protects existing vegetation habitats by minimizing disturbance outside of the building envelope, except as required for wildfire protection. Policy: The Town and County encourage the conservation and protection of connected wildlife habitats. Policy: The Town encourages new development to retain and/or salvage and relocate rare and native plants ahead of construction. Policy: The Town and County plan trails with wildlife preservation and protection prioritized. Policy: The Town and County will limit development in wildlife conservation priority areas as identified in the Estes Valley Open Space Plan. • Action: The Town and County improve wildlife movement by requiring wildlife-friendly fencing on all new development, reviewing setback requirements, encourage removal of legacy barbed wire fencing, seek grant funding, and develop an incentive program. • Action: The Town considers an Environmentally Sensitive Lands Zoning Overlay that would be subject to additional design review. GOAL: Estes Park and Larimer County recognize that wildfire is a growing risk to the community and proactively work to protect the lives, property, and resiliency of the Valley. Policy: The Town and County maintain building code standards to require fire hardened and resistant materials in new development and substantial improvements. Policy: The Town and County proactively mitigate risk through large scale fuel reduction in partnership with Rocky Mountain National Park, US Forest Service and Colorado State Forestry. Policy: The Town and County strive to reduce evacuation time and improve communication in the event of disaster, including an opt out (rather than opt in) for emergency calls and text messages to all residents in both English and Spanish. • Action: The Town and County to evaluate site design standards and landscape requirements, including minimizing vegetation for new development. • Action: The Town to adopt a fire mitigation program in partnership with the fire district to encourage individual property owners to reduce fuels on their property and select landscaping choices and building materials for fire resistance. 7 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 4 • Action: The Town and County to aggressively implement the 2022 Community Wildfire Protection Plan [note: once the CWPP is final, with recommendations vetted, some of them could be elevated here such as “Neighborhood Recommendations”]. • Action: The Town will update mitigation requirements in the Development Code to align with outcomes of Colorado Planning Assistance for Wildfires (CPAW) recommendations. • Action: The Town to review current educational materials and update as needed, ensuring all materials are available in Spanish and provide community education on available resources in Spanish and English. GOAL: Mitigate flood risk through multifunctional infrastructure and recreation improvements. Policy: The Town strengthens development regulations to keep property and people out of high flood risk areas and ensure space for natural flooding to occur, including increasing setbacks and base flood elevations for buildings. • Action: The County maintains strong floodplain regulations for the Estes Valley unincorporated area. Policy: The Town pursues grants to purchase high-risk properties and create public spaces that mitigates flood risk. Policy: The Town and County identify infrastructure vulnerabilities, such as undersized bridges and culverts or critical infrastructure in high flood risk areas and pursue improvements to reduce flood risk. • Action: The Town will implement the flood mitigation projects identified in the Estes Park Downtown Plan and in alignment with the County efforts for River restoration to reduce flood risk. • Action: The County and the Town will support and participate in Larimer Connects. • Action: Adopt the updated floodplain insurance maps. • Action: The Town and County will coordinate on the Larimer County Strategic Plan Improvements for floodplain and drainage projects. 8 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 5 ECONOMY GOAL: Maintain a balance between the needs of local residents, visitors, and protecting the natural environment. Policy: The Town supports diverse economic development and local businesses that can employ residents and serve customers year-round. Policy: The Town supports environmentally responsible economic development and eco-tourism, which relies on maintaining a high-quality physical setting and minimal impact on the environment. Policy: The Town promotes the use of broadband and high-quality technology infrastructure that provide attractive work environments and competitive opportunities for remote workers from a variety of sectors. Policy: The Town encourages environmentally-friendly practices by local businesses, especially for those businesses associated with tourism and/or with environmental degradation. GOAL: Cultivate a strong, stable, and diverse local economy. Policy: The Town encourages increased community workforce preparedness and cultivates an environment to foster innovation and diversity of the workforce. Policy: The Town balances the need for attainable housing for a variety of people to support economic growth and stability of the community. Policy: The Town and County strive to implement holistic approaches to land use, economic development, and environmental management to find solutions that integrate ecology and economy. Policy: The Town works to make Estes Park a more predictable place for companies to do business by reducing impediments to growth and actively planning to provide adequate space for companies to meet long-term growth needs. • Action: Town to encourage and support the renovation and/or redevelopment of existing outdated facilities that have strong linkages to transit and nearby retail and services. • Action: Town to undertake strategic initiatives to attract public and private investment in well-located properties that are currently vacant and/or underutilized. • Action: Town to maintain flexible development standards to accommodate a wide range of commercial space needs and facilitate the adaptive reuse of older properties. • Action: Town to work with property owners to facilitate development of vacant and underutilized properties to achieve the highest and best use. 9 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 6 • Action: Town to encourage economic development that generates diverse tax base revenue that can resist downturns in any one economic sector and is based on broader regional and national/global trends. Goal: Welcome and accommodate visitors. Policy: The Town partners with Visit Estes Park and the Economic Development Corp (EDC) to support the existing tourism industry and works to expand marketing programs to attract visitors year-round. Policy: The Town builds on sustainable outdoor recreation, specifically shoulder and winter seasons, for year-round appeal. • Action: Town to focus on new winter downtown events. 10 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 7 HEALTH & SOCIAL GOAL: Promote a comprehensive and diverse approach to community health and wellness. Policy: The Town and County recognize that community health is a topic that is influenced and affected by local policies and practices and nearly all elements of the Estes Forward Plan identify policies to improve human health, safety, and equity. Policy: The Town continues to create and improve the physical and social environment to enable all people to develop to their maximum potential by understanding local conditions, availability and quality of other determinants of health. Policy: The Town and County ensure that policies and practices for community design and development are inclusive, equitable, and contribute to the health of the whole population. Policy: The Town and County prioritize and measure the effects of planning and transportation decisions on the overall health and well-being of the community and its residents. Policy: The Town and County practice effective leadership to promote and enhance overall health conditions for residents and strengthen community ties and resiliency with all members of the community. Policy: The Town and County consider the overall preparedness of the community to respond to and recover from widespread health emergencies and develop programs and activities designed to increase resilience and self-sufficiency. • Action: The Town to use emerging and existing racial and health equity tools and resources, review all relevant Town programs and policies to ensure the promotion of equal access and opportunity and determine functionality and benefits to the community before implementing new strategies. Transparently engage the community in the dialogue and analysis throughout the process. • Action: The Town and County to advocate for policies at the federal, state, and regional levels that are aimed at improving community health, reducing health disparities, examining environmental justice practices and policies, and elevating social equity. • Action: The Town and County to implement a broad public outreach program, utilizing the Town and County websites, newsletters, multi-lingual outreach, and additional technological mediums to engage with the community about available programs and resources that promote healthy communities. Prioritize expanded outreach efforts to low income and minority communities, and other segments of the community that have been traditionally under-represented. • Action: The Town to utilize homeowner associations, community groups, and business groups as sources of individual volunteers for important appointed positions on Town 11 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 8 commissions, boards, and task forces, and actively recruit underrepresented people to positions of leadership. • Action: The Town to formally incorporate a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach to decision-making, especially as it relates to housing, transportation, and development. Collaborate with the County Health Department to establish metrics and indicators that track legitimate data and share the analysis with the community regularly. • Action: The Town and County to develop and utilize innovative mediums, including social media posts, digital newsletters, information brochures, television programming, tactical urbanism, public and private art, pop-up activities and other creative methods, to broaden the dialogue and collaboration with residents and communicate critical information regarding available programs and resources that promote healthy communities. GOAL: Support mental and physical health. Policy: The Town facilitates the expansion of healthcare and improved social services, including availability, affordability, and access to medical services in Estes Park. Policy: The Town recognize that not-for-profit health care providers, clinics, and permanent supportive housing provide a valuable resource and appropriate medical care for the community, including vulnerable populations. Policy: The Town and County support the proliferation of health education and resources to ensure residents have information and access to nutritious food, exercise, mental health, and more. Policy: The Town and County foster partnerships and collaborate with community groups and other public agencies to implement public health programs. Policy: The Town and County recognize that emotional health and well-being is an integral component to personal and community health. Policy: The Town ensures the equitable creation and distribution of recreation facilities, including smaller neighborhood parks, passive greenspace, and playgrounds. Policy: The Town and County support local community events, services, and programs for seniors, youth, families, and the ESL and Spanish-speaking community. • Action: The Town to create a Parks Master Plan. • Action: The Town to increase park dedication in development standards and/or use of local sales tax to acquire and build new parks. • Action: The Town to evaluate three new parks in underserved neighborhoods in five years. • Action: The Town and County to improve neighborhood connectivity to existing parks. 12 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 9 • Action: Work and promote an active lifestyle that encourages walking, bicycling, and utilizing the trail network to support public health while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants. • Action: The Town to explore budget opportunities to determine fiscally responsible ways to increase resources that support mental health and well-being. • Action: The Town and County to track and monitor local health outcomes to ensure health equity and community wellness. GOAL: Foster an inclusive and respectful environment for all cultures and lifestyles. Policy: The Town partners and collaborates with schools, afterschool programs, and local non-profit organizations to create inclusive programs, events, and educational opportunities for cross-cultural sharing and celebration. Policy: Ensure that there is a diversity of housing types to accommodate all income levels, and provide housing for very low and extremely low-income populations in areas with high accessibility to public transportation. Policy: The Town provides communication and engagement opportunities in languages other than English and for residents with hearing or visual impairments. • Action: The Town considers an official Equity & Diversity Committee that has representation from minority and Hispanic community members. • Action: The Town and County send bilingual text message alerts, especially during emergencies and hazard events. GOAL: Support services, programs, and infrastructure for children and youth to learn and thrive in the Estes Valley. Policy: The Town and County work with community partners to grow infant and toddler childcare capacity in the Estes Valley. Policy: The Town and County coordinate growth expectations and infrastructure needs with local school and service districts for future facility needs. Policy: The Town supports and coordinates with the School District to provide high- quality education, programs, and care for students of all backgrounds. • Action: The Town and County to implement the recommendations from the Workforce Housing and Childcare Task Force Report and Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force Report. • Action: The Town and County to work together with EVICs to pursue grants or provide financial support to early-childhood and youth nonprofit agencies, private childcare providers, and/or the school district to support the expansion of existing childcare programs. 13 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 10 • Action: The Town to continue participation in Larimer County’s Childcare Capacity Team. • Action: The Town to continue funding and the County will continue partnering with the Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success (EVICS) program. • Action: The Town to formalize and fund Safe Routes to School initiatives. 14 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 11 HOUSING GOAL: Ensure new housing meets the needs of the workforce and families. Policy: The Town encourages stable, long-term rental opportunities. Policy: The Town enables opportunities that give the workforce and families a path to homeownership. Policy: The Town prioritizes critical service providers in publicly-supported housing. Policy: The Town pursues sustainable design that reduces life cycle maintenance costs and environmental impact. Policy: The Town and County encourage designs for multigenerational living and aging in place. • Action: The Town and Estes Park Housing Authority monitor community housing need and create a regular (annual or biannual) housing supply plan to strategically address the areas of greatest need. • Action: The Town ensures affordability restrictions support the workforce. • Action: The Estes Park Housing Authority and County create a program to support tenants and landlords in understanding their rights and responsibilities. • Action: The Town explores tenant protections. • Action: The Estes Park Housing Authority create a program to fund livability upgrades in exchange for affordability guarantees. • Action: The Town and County continue limit short-term rental of residential units. • Action: The Estes Park Housing Authority review the application process for publicly- supported housing to prioritize critical service providers. • Action: The Town and Estes Park Housing Authority maintain a list of best design practices that reduce life cycle costs and impacts and model use of the practices in public housing projects. • Action: The Town explores development code requirements that support multigenerational neighborhoods and aging in place. • Action: The Town explores childcare, community gardens, and other livability investments that support denser family living. GOAL: Create new housing opportunities. Policy: The Town and County locate new housing opportunities consistent with the Future Land Use Map. Policy: The Town allows infill and redevelopment that provides more housing with a focus to increase workforce and affordable options. Policy: The Town uses development bonuses to incentivize deed-restricted affordable workforce housing. Policy: The Town requires that development include deed-restricted affordable workforce housing or pay a fee. 15 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 12 • Action: The Town identifies locations for housing opportunities in the Town of Estes where children have safe routes to schools and workers can walk or ride transit to work. • Action: The Town removes density limits in mixed-use zones. • Action: The Town allows large single-family homes to be converted into multiple units. • Action: The Town allows duplex, triplex, cottage court, dorm and other “missing middle” housing types. • Action: The Town explores density increases tied to the creation of deed-restricted housing (e.g. small lot subdivision, reduced lot coverage, additional height) • Action: The County considers property tax relief in exchange for workforce housing provision (e.g. Loveland Fire approach) • Action: The Town invests in infrastructure in areas where housing opportunities are desired in order to catalyze development or redevelopment. • Action: The Town and County explore an inclusionary housing requirement for residential development. • Action: The Town and County explore a workforce housing linkage requirement/fee for residential and commercial development. • Action: The Town and County explore maximum unit sizes to limit cost and maintain future infill potential. Goal: Invest in housing. Policy: The Town maintains a dedicated housing fund. Policy: The Town pursues deed restrictions to preserve the affordability of existing workforce housing. Policy: The Town purchases land to develop or partner with a developer to create housing. • Action: The Town and County secure one or more dedicated funding sources for a housing fund, specifically exploring increasing the lodging tax, a sales tax, or a property tax increase. • Action: The Town explores a vacancy tax or fee like the one recently adopted by Crested Butte. • Action: The Estes Park Housing Authority identifies appropriate land for public housing development or partnership, make land interests known and stay up to date or ahead of opportunities. • Action: The Town and Estes Park Housing Authority explore down payment assistance, “cash buyer” assistance, reverse mortgage, etc. programs to help the workforce get into existing housing in exchange for a deed restriction that preserves affordability. 16 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 13 • Action: The Town and Estes Park Housing Authority explore a purchase-restrict-resale program for preserving the affordability of existing housing (e.g. Breckenridge program). • Action: The Town facilitates a workforce housing cooperative that would allow smaller employers to provide housing. 17 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 14 TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE GOAL: Integrated multimodal transportation options to connect people and destinations throughout Estes Park and the Estes Valley. Policy: The Town will provide a transportation system that efficiently, equitably, and effectively supports the Town’s land use vision, minimizes vehicle miles traveled (VMT), enhances connectivity of the existing network, and supports the use of all modes of transportation throughout the Valley. Policy: The Town supports complete streets that result in a complete transportation network that is safer and better for the movement of people, freight, and goods, regardless of travel mode. (Complete Streets Policy 851, adopted April 2019) Policy: The Town and County establish transportation connections between travel modes that are accessible, efficient, and clearly identified. Policy: The Town provides a robust transportation network with multimodal connectivity between existing and planned activity centers. Policy: The Town and County improve the overall mobility of people, regardless of mode through transportation projects and investments. Policy: The Town and County invest in and support Safe Routes to School efforts – including infrastructure improvements, education and encouragement programs, and enforcement activities – to encourage walking and bicycling to school and to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled, with an emphasis on areas near schools where higher health disparities are present and traffic conflicts are common. Policy: The Town and County coordinate with State, County, and regional partners to plan, phase, and secure funding for transportation investments. • Action: The Town to develop a Streets Master Plan to prioritize key streets and connections by mode (e.g., vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian priority street); expand beyond Downtown area (Downtown Plan). • Action: Design and construct facilities that serve people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientation, genders, income levels, ages and abilities, especially people of color and those disproportionately affected by access to a personal vehicle or systemic transportation inequities. • Action: The Town to require multimodal transportation connections for new developments. • Action: The County to require multimodal transportation connections for new developments in appropriate dedicated service areas. • Action: The Town and County to establish a consistent and thorough wayfinding program that includes signage, printed and downloadable materials, and digital 18 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 15 applications (apps) for electronic devices. (Downtown Plan, Master Trails Plan, Downtown Parking Plan) • Action: The Town and County to continue expansion of the fiber and broadband infrastructure to facilitate Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies and traveler information systems. GOAL: Promote, provide, and maintain an expanded, safe, convenient, and comprehensive network of facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages and abilities to support walking and bicycling as viable modes of transportation, for recreational use, and to promote public health. Policy: The Town and County continue to build out a complete trails network that prioritizes off-street facilities. (Estes Valley Master Trails Plan) Policy: Encourage a shift to active transportation modes by expanding and enhancing current pedestrian and bicycle facilities to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages and abilities Policy: Encourage all users to reduce vehicle trips and utilize active transportation options with an increase in density of pedestrian and bicycle-supportive infrastructure. Policy: The Town prioritizes bicycle and pedestrian circulation. (Downtown Plan) Policy: The Town connects the active transportation network (trails and sidewalks) to vehicle parking facilities and transit and include amenities and infrastructure for secure bike storage. Policy: The Town enhance safety elements at bike and pedestrian crossings, especially downtown and other key intersections. Policy: Seek opportunities to implement and assess traffic calming strategies that reduce vehicle speeds and establish a safer, more comfortable environment for pedestrians and bicyclists. Policy: Prioritize multi-modal infrastructure improvements that improve pedestrian, bicyclist and transit user safety and equity for inclusion in the CIP. • Action: The Town to explore bike share program feasibility, to include electric-assist bikes. • Action: The Town to require bicycle and pedestrian facilities and amenities in new developments. • Action: The Town to seek opportunities to eliminate walking and bicycling network gaps across barriers to mobility, including Big Thompson Avenue, North and South St. Vrain Avenue, Elkhorn Avenue, and Highway 36. 19 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 16 • Action: Provide secure bicycle parking and end-of-trip support facilities (publicly accessible lockers, changing rooms and showers) at centers of civic, retail, recreation, education, and work activity. • Action: Review Town street improvement standards to see if there are ways to decrease high stress walking and bicycling environments and increase walking enjoyment and safety, particularly with regard to increased sidewalk width, landscape buffers between sidewalks, streets and pedestrian lighting, and other amenities. GOAL: Support the development and maintenance of the public transit system to provide integrated, accessible, convenient, safe, equitable, health- promoting, comfortable, and effective mobility options. Policy: The Town ensures transit service frequency and times serve residents year- round. Policy: The Town connects residents to key community services, activity centers, and trailheads by transit. Policy: Ensure that all transit-supportive infrastructure, sidewalks, and bike lanes are adequately maintained to provide high-quality facilities for users. Policy: The Town and County identify and implement workforce transit opportunities and partners to service Estes Valley, Front Range communities, and Denver International Airport. • Action: The Town to identify and study corridors, routes, and vehicle fleet needs for future expansion of Estes Transit. • Action: The Town to invest in bicycle-carry infrastructure on transit vehicles. GOAL: Provide a complete roadway network. Policy: The Town and County create redundancy and alternative access routes to improve circulation and reduce congestion. Policy: The Town and County evaluate the roadway network in terms of emergency access/egress and evacuation routes. Policy: The Town manages parking with free and paid options to strategically balance supply and demand. Policy: The Town incorporates traffic calming measures into roadway projects and along existing corridors as identified. (Town of Estes Park Complete Streets Policy 851, adopted April 2019) Policy: The Town and County incorporate advanced technologies with proven track records of improving traffic flow. 20 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 17 • Action: The Town to identify and prioritize studies of subareas and key transportation corridors with specialized needs (e.g., Downtown, Hwy 7, Agriculture Areas, North End, Tahosa Valley, Fall River, Carriage Hills, and Stanley Park were suggested) • Action: On streets where substandard service levels are anticipated, investigate and implement improvement projects that will enhance traffic operations but not compromise pedestrian, bicyclist, or transit rider safety and accessibility • Action: Provide training in complete streets principles, planning, and design to Town staff in Public Works, Planning, Police, the Fire District and other departments or agencies (as appropriate) to help ensure consistency in the interpretation of Town policies and the routine incorporation of appropriate infrastructure designs to achieve multimodal access, safety for all users, and other Estes Park goals. GOAL: Maintain and improve the existing transportation infrastructure. Policy: The Town dedicates the parking system revenue to parking and transit maintenance and enhancements. Policy: The Town and County prioritize maintenance of existing infrastructure. GOAL: Build a transportation system that is a recognized model of resiliency and sustainability. Policy: The County is committed to ongoing assessment of transportation system vulnerabilities and plan for built-in redundancy. (Larimer County Resiliency Framework) Policy: The Town incorporates transportation-related design elements, such as multi- use trails and trail underpasses, into floodway improvements. Policy: Develop guidelines for the inclusion of green infrastructure in the design of transportation improvements. • Action: The Town to prioritize electric-powered vehicles in transit fleet expansion. • Action: The Town and County to establish an electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure policy to establish charging station requirements and identify providers (government, private enterprise, or combination). Policy: Work with stakeholders to encourage the development of electric vehicle charging stations and other alternative fuel infrastructure at publicly-owned locations, near businesses, and employment sites. 21 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 18 GOAL: Strengthen effective partnerships that enhance the regional transportation network. Policy: The Town and County coordinate local and regional mobility with CDOT and front range communities such as Boulder, Lyons, Longmont, Loveland, and Fort Collins. Policy: The Town and County partner with CDOT to identify, improve, and address regional transportation patterns and challenges that affect the Estes Valley. Policy: The Town and County coordinates regional transportation investments and partners when appropriate. Policy: Maintain up-to-date emergency preparedness and evacuation plans and procedures in coordination with appropriate state, regional, county, and local agencies and departments. GOAL: Incorporate innovative and developing technologies. Policy: The Town and County explore and evaluate emerging technologies to identify appropriateness and feasibility for mobility improvements in Estes Park and Estes Valley. Policy: The Town uses quantitative technology platforms for technical analysis to always be paired with qualitative input from community members. Policy: Monitor the development of new and emerging transportation technologies – such as autonomous vehicles – to enable the Town to prepare for their incorporation into the transportation system if safe and appropriate. GOAL: Support and expand the Town’s efforts to promote economic, environmental, and social sustainability through initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, reduce runoff, promote public health and equity, and engage the community in an inclusive planning process. Policy: Support development of healthier communities through the use of lower- or non-polluting modes of transportation to reduce greenhouse gas vehicle emissions and local air pollution levels. Policy: Encourage walking and bicycling as strategies to promote public health and reduce the long-term transportation costs of owning and maintaining a vehicle. Policy: Prioritize transportation improvements in part based on consideration of benefits to disadvantaged communities. 22 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 19 Policy: Include a robust, inclusive and interactive community engagement and educational process in transportation planning efforts to help ensure that project will address the needs of local stakeholders, especially disadvantaged populations. Policy: Develop impact fees to provide revenues to be used to construct pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that will support new development. Policy: Use repaving projects as an opportunity to cost-effectively implement new bicycle facilities in accordance with Town plans. Policy: Maximize efficient maintenance of transportation infrastructure of all modes, such as coordinating roadway paving or striping projects to include maintenance of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. • Action: Design sidewalks and pedestrian pathways using environmental design best practices principles or other techniques to provide safe and comfortable facilities for pedestrians at all times of day and night. • Action: Develop requirements for new commercial and multifamily residential development to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure GOAL: Identify strategies and funding sources to implement the actions identified in this Transportation and Infrastructure Chapter. Policy: Proactively position the Town to be competitive in pursuing grant funding for planning, design, and construction of transportation improvements. Policy: Consider developing additional local sources of funding for trails and bikeways such as special assessment districts, nonprofit corporations and ballot initiatives. Policy: Seek opportunities to develop public/private partnerships to provide transportation infrastructure and services. Policy: Ensure that construction detour routes provide safe and convenient access for users of all modes of transportation, including people with disabilities. • Action: Adopt a “dig once” policy to require public and private entities to coordinate with local government on the installation of extra fiber or conduit whenever ground will be broken in the public right-of-way and establish if other improvements can be coordinated with construction activities. • Action: Maintain and update a traffic impact fee to require new development to pay its share of street and other transportation improvements based on its impacts. • Action: As part of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), annually update a five-year program of projects required to construct and/or update circulation 23 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 20 facilities and assess viability of older projects in context with new considerations and policies. • Action: Measure and track progress and evaluate success of implementation of Transportation and Infrastructure Chapter actions using a set of performance measures. • Action: Use funds from the Public Works’ Streets budget for bicycle and pedestrian projects as appropriate. • Action: Actively pursue grant funds for planning, design, and construction of transportation-related capital improvement projects. GOAL: Be leaders in energy conservation, renewable energy use and responsible energy delivery in the face of wildfire and wind threats. Policy: The Town supports individual property owners to install and use renewable sources. Policy: The Town and County encourage the use of rooftop and appropriately sited solar energy generation and battery storage. Policy: The Town and County promote existing programs for energy conservation in partnership with PRPA and Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association (PVREA). • Action: The Town and County work with PRPA and PVREA to update and revise public safety power shutoff criteria and decision-making for wind events to reduce wildfire risk. • Action: The Town works with PRPA and PVREA to bury additional overhead power lines to reduce wildfire risk. GOAL: Invest in infrastructure for a healthy water supply and promote water conservation measures. Policy: The Town supports water providers to complete the necessary infrastructure for the second Big Thompson diversion point, making the land and water rights investments accessible for use, ensuring adequate water supply into the future. Policy: The Town incorporates climate change impacts into their water availability planning and update the water plan for this context. • Action: The Town explores conservation measures, such as grey water for irrigation and updating landscaping standards to reduce demand. • Action: The County prepares a Water Master Plan and evaluate Land Use Code to advance water conservation. 24 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 21 BUILT ENVIRONMENT GOAL: Maximize public investment and the efficient delivery of public services by strategically directing growth toward areas of existing development, while recognizing necessary housing solutions will require creative strategies. Policy: The Town and County prioritize redevelopment and infill in identified Opportunity Areas and sites with existing transportation networks and available water/sewer infrastructure. • Action: The Town to audit and amend the Land Development Code (LDC) to reduce barriers to incremental and small-scale commercial redevelopment in order to maximize infill and redevelopment of sites. • • Action: The Town to consider strategies for incentivizing infill and redevelopment of existing buildings. • Action: The County to incentivize conservation developments that preserve open space over traditional large-lot subdivisions. Policy: The Town and County work together, in specified locations of shared impact, to facilitate coordinated land use and development decisions in consideration of transportation, infrastructure, and service capacity. • Action: The Town and County to consider defining a Future Town Service Area Boundary. • Action: The Town to develop an annexation policy and criteria for new annexations. Initial criteria could include conformance to the Future Land Use Map; ability to accommodate 20-year growth projections; urban-level densities and intensities; multi- modal connectivity; water, sewer, and urban fire service; urban road standards; building performance standards for hazard resilience, water conservation, and energy efficiency; and conservation standards for wildlife habitat and corridors. Policy: The Town, not the County, provides the full range of services necessary to support a quality urban environment. To that end, the Town and County coordinate land use and development decisions within the capacity of public services such as water, sewer, stormwater management, recreation, social services, public safety and the transportation network. 25 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 22 • Action: The Town explore potential impact fees for new development to offset the costs of increased demand for public services such as water, sewer, stormwater management, recreation, social services, and public safety. Call-out/Graphic: Role Comparison of the Town vs Rural Areas. The Town is the center of commerce, industry, and civic life. Its contiguous, compact form makes walking, biking, transit, broadband, police, fire protection, water and sewer service both feasible and desirable. Rural areas are naturally suited to protect watersheds and ecosystems; reduce natural hazards and wildfire risks to built environments; and enhance nature-oriented outdoor recreation and tourism opportunities. Almost all forecasted growth is expected to be accommodated within the Town. Policy: The Town encourages new development and redevelopment that prioritizes active transportation such as walking, biking, public transit, and ride-sharing in a pedestrian-scale environment. GOAL: Promote development that is in harmony with its environmental setting. Policy: The Town and County support development that preserves water quality, ecological systems, and the natural features through sensitive site design and minimal disturbance. • Action: The Town to audit the Preferred Planting List to prioritize native, fire-resistant, climate-adaptive, and pollinator species. • Action: The Town and County to limit areas of disturbance for new development in order to protect existing native vegetation, except as required for wildfire protection. • Action: The Town and County to continue to enforce grading requirements and limitations on steep slope and ridgeline development that maintain natural slopes and viewsheds. • Action: The Town and County to continue applying and enforcing floodplain development standards, as well as stream and wetland corridor protection requirements. Policy: The Town and the County advocate for preservation of indigenous cultural landscapes. • Action: The Town and County work with the Ute, Arapaho, and other Sovereign Nations to protect, interpret, and provide access to sacred lands and ceremonial sites. 26 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 23 GOAL: Encourage a balanced mix of uses that meet the diverse needs of residents, businesses, and visitors. Policy: The Town and County implement the Future Land Use Categories to allow a variety of compatible land uses with higher intensity and density uses concentrated within the Estes Park town limits. • Action: The Town and County to amend development codes for consistency with the Estes Forward Future Land Use Framework and Map, including zoning regulations. • Action: The Town to support the adaptive reuse, renovation, or redevelopment of aging centers or commercial uses that are no longer viable due to changing market conditions, demographics, or retail trends into areas that support mixed use and attainable housing opportunities. • Action: The Town to encourage the provision of workforce-serving amenities in non- residential areas, such as parks and plazas, outdoor seating areas, fitness facilities, daycare centers, and bicycle storage. Policy: The Town invests in physical improvements to the built environment and placemaking in Downtown commercial areas to facilitate high quality redevelopment, pedestrian movement, and areas for relaxing, gathering, and shopping. • Action: The Town to continue implementation of the Estes Park Downtown Plan by integrating the recommendations for each Character Area into land use policy and the Land Development Code. Policy: The Town and County provide appropriate transition between varying intensity of uses and scales of development. • Action: The Town and County to conduct regular audits to ensure permitted uses are consistent with the desired future land use mix and account for new uses that result from changes in market forces and technological advancements. • Action: As opportunity presents, the Town to collaborate with property owners to upgrade, beautify, and revitalize existing strip commercial areas and aging shopping centers and focus on street improvements and amenities during utility and transportation improvement projects that improve curb appeal. • Action: The Town to develop design standards for commercial development that integrates affordable and workforce housing strategies in downtown, highway corridors, and gateways to Estes Park. 27 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 24 • Action: The Town to encourage redeveloping commercial centers to create a vibrant public realm though gathering spaces, placemaking features, and focal elements such as outdoor dining and public art. • Action: The Town and County to minimize the visual impact of large parking lots by requiring new development and redevelopment to locate them away from public streets and converting unneeded and underutilized paved areas into neighborhood-enhancing features. • Action: The Town to promote clean, creative, and environmentally responsible industrial, warehouse, or large-scale commercial uses within the designated Industrial Mix areas on the Future Land Use Map. GOAL: Integrate land use and attainable housing objectives. Policy: The Town supports and integrates housing goals, policies, and actions into land use policy and the Land Development Code as needed to provide a variety of affordable, multigenerational housing opportunities. • Action: The Town to incentivize workforce housing development through strategies such as streamlined permitting, reduced application and tap fees, density bonuses, and building height bonuses. GOAL: Respond to the impacts of climate change through adaptation and mitigation techniques in the built environment. Policy: The Town and County encourage energy efficiency of buildings and structures. • Action: The Town and County to implement the recommendations of the Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force Report eliminating barriers to battery storage, photovoltaic (PV) solar and or small-scale wind generators. • Action: The Town to consider utilizing the Land Development Code to incentivize or require performance standards for energy-efficient residential and non-residential construction as recommended in the 2022 Estes Park Environmental Sustainability Task Force Report. • Action: The Town to amend land and building development codes to incentivize or require new residential developments to construct homes and buildings with electric vehicle-ready conduit and wiring for at-home charging. Policy: The Town and County integrate climate change and adaptation planning principles into future development code updates, and other related long-range utilities and facilities planning documents. (See the Natural Environment Theme for additional policies related to climate change and climate action). 28 Estes Forward Draft Goals and Policies // Page 25 GOAL: Coordinate and integrate land use and transportation objectives. Policy: Coordinate land use and development decisions with the capacity of the transportation system and plans for future transportation improvements. • Action: Implement the policies and actions in the Infrastructure and Transportation theme that reinforce and implement land use objectives included within this section. • Action: Promote collaboration between the Planning and Public Works Departments during the Town’s Capital Improvement Plan process to ensure coordination of infrastructure improvements and alignment with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan and forthcoming Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan. Policy: Emphasize efforts to reduce regional vehicle miles traveled by supporting land use patterns and site designs that promote active modes of transportation, including walking, biking, and public transit. Policy: Support conveniently located neighborhood-serving commercial centers that provide desired services to local neighborhoods workers and visitors, reduce automobile dependency, and contribute positively to the surrounding neighborhoods. Policy: Encourage new development to facilitate pedestrian, bicycle and transit access through techniques such as minimizing building separation from public sidewalks; providing safe, direct, accessible, convenient, and pleasant pedestrian connections; including secure and convenient bike storage; and orienting building entrances to transit service. GOAL: Promote the continued evolution of Estes Park’s job-generating commercial land uses to support existing and future businesses Policy: Support the adaptive reuse, renovation, or redevelopment of aging centers or commercial uses that are no longer viable due to changing market conditions, demographics, or retail trends into areas that support mixed use opportunities. Policy: Encourage the provision of employee-serving amenities in workplaces, such as parks and plazas, outdoor seating areas, fitness facilities, daycare centers, bicycle storage areas and showers as a means to reduce vehicle trips, encourage walking and bicycling, and support air quality, public health, and sustainability goals. 29 UV7 £¤36 ELKHORN SAINT V R AIN SAINT VRAIN £¤34 BIG THOMPSON MORAIN E Town of Estes ParkEstes Valley Planning AreaLakesLarimer County Framework CategoriesMountains & FoothillsNatural ResourceEstes Valley Future Land Use (1996)AccommodationsAccommodations Low DensityCommercialDowntown CommercialCommercial RecreationPUD CommercialPUD ResidentialRestricted IndustrialOfficePublic/Semi PublicParks, Recreation & Open SpaceMultifamily 3-8 du/acDuplexResidential 1/4 acre min.Estate 1/2 acre min.Estate 1 acre min.Rural Estate 2.5 acre min.Rural Estate 10 acre min. 0 21Miles ´ Current Estes ValleyFuture Land Uses 30 UV7 £¤36 ELKHOR N N. SAINT VR A I N £¤34 BIG THOMPSON MORA I N E S . S A I N T V R A I N Lake Estes Lily Lake MarysLake Town of Estes ParkEstes Valley Planning AreaLakeProposed Future Land UseIndustrial MixMixed-Use Centers & CorridorsDowntownAccomodationsMixed Residential NeighborhoodVillage NeighborhoodSuburban EstatePublic/Semi PublicMountains & FoothillsNatural Resource Conservation & Parks 0 21Miles Draft Future Land Uses O DRAFTDate: 7/1/2022 31 DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Federal natural resource lands » Public water-access facilities » Primitive campsites and rustic campgrounds » Natural-resource based self- directed recreation » Forestry & grazing » Wildlife Corridors » Private lands under conservation easements (no public access) » Recreation Centers » Parks and Recreation Sports Fields » Multi-Use Paths & Trails BUILT FORM » Buildings & structures (if any) support parks & recreation activities » 1 to 2 story buildings » Vehicle access to parks and trailheads » Off-street trails for bike/ped/ equestrian 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Natural Resource (Larimer Co.) » Parks, Recreation, & Open Space DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Forestry, ranching, agricultural uses » Eco and Agritourism » Single-family Conservation Developments » Hazard mitigation » Watershed protection BUILT FORM » 1 to 2.5 story buildings that preserve open space and viewsheds » Primary Road Setback: 100+ ft. » Vehicles are primary transportation mode » Off-street trails for bike/ped/ equestrian; road shoulders for bicycles 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Mountains & Foothills (Larimer Co.) » Rural Estate 10 Acre Min. » Rural Estate 2.5 Acre Min. DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Single-family residential subdivisions with low to medium density-per-acre averages » Single family homes with Accessory Dwelling Units » Limited neighborhood- serving commercial services BUILT FORM » Single Family Residences » Accessory dwelling units » 1 to 2.5 story buildings » Half acre or larger lots w/ septic » Primary Road Setback: 30+ ft. » Vehicles are primary transportation mode on low-volume streets; wide shoulders for pedestrians 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Estate 1 Acre Minimum » Estate .5 Acre Min. DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Medium to higher density single family » Accessory dwelling units allowed » Duplexes and Triplexes » Low to medium intensity civic and cultural uses located near neighborhood entrances and intersections BUILT FORM » 1 to 2.5 story residential » Lots under half an acre » Accessory dwelling units » Public water and wastewater » Primary Road Setback: 10- 30 ft. » Block Length: 250 – 650 ft. » Low-speed residential streets shared by vehicles and bicycles with interconnected sidewalk system 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Residential .25 Acre Min. » Two-family » PUD Residential » Accommodations Low Density DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Condominium developments » Townhomes » Multi-family complexes BUILT FORM » High Density » 2 to 3 story buildings with density bonuses for workforce housing » Medium to large scale buildings & lots » Public water and wastewater » Primary Road Setback: 10-20 ft. » Block Length: 250 ft. » Multi-modal connectivity 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Multifamily DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Traditional vertical mixed- use with residential, office, institutional, commercial, entertainment » Cultural & civic uses such as museums and performing arts venues BUILT FORM » High Density » Pedestrian-oriented streets » Preservation of historic structures » Small to medium lots » 1.5 to 3 story buildings » Residential in upper stories only » Primary Road Setback: 0 ft. » Block Length: 250 ft. » Continuous street-wall » Public water and wastewater » Multi-modal connectivity » Compact street grid 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Downtown Commercial Natural Resource Conservation & Parks Mountains & Foothills Suburban Estate Village Neighborhood Mixed Residential Neighborhood Downtown123456 PROPOSED FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES Mixed-Use Centers & Corridors9 DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Mixed-Use with residential, office, commercial, entertainment » Medium to high density accommodations such as hotels, motels, short term attached units BUILT FORM » Large lots » Near major thoroughfares » Divided parking: front, side, & rear » Pedestrian-scale architecture » 1 to 4 story buildings » Residential in upper stories only » Primary Road Setback: 10- 150 ft. » Block Length: 250 – 650 ft. » Public water and wastewater » Multi-modal connectivity 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Office » Commercial » PUD Commercial » Commercial Recreation LOW DENSITY & INTENSITY HIGH Industrial Mix10 DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Industrial and flex office » Small scale or boutique manufacturing » Warehouse uses, including those with direct-to- consumer sales and retail hours » Large-scale institutional and office facilities » Existing heavy industry such as: raw materials processing, wastewater treatment, transfer station BUILT FORM » Large lots » 1 to 3 story buildings » Appropriate screening and setbacks from adjacent properties » Primary Road Setback: increases as intensity increases » Public water and wastewater » Vehicles are primary transportation mode; strive for pedestrian and bicycle connectivity 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Light Industrial » Restricted Industrial LARIMER COUNTY INCORPOPORATED ESTES PARK DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Summer Camps » Research facilities » Civic uses » Community/Recreation Centers » Schools » Religious Institutions BUILT FORM » 1 to 3 story buildings » Primary Road Setback: increases as intensity increases » Public water and wastewater dependent on location » Vehicles are primary transportation mode; strive for pedestrian and bicycle connectivity 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Public/Semi-Public DEVELOPMENT TYPES » Rural lodges & resorts BUILT FORM » Large lots » 1 to 2 story buildings » Primary Road Setback: 30+ ft. » Public water and wastewater dependent on location » Vehicles are primary transportation mode on low-volume streets; wide shoulders for pedestrians 1997 FUTURE LAND USE CATEGORIES » Accommodations Public/Semi-public7Accommodations6 32