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<br />land use unit staff urges plann;ng shifts
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<br />ny UICII.-\RD !'nl:lit:IJIt:J:
<br />Rock"MounI6;nNr!WsWrit..r
<br />The staff of the state Land Use Com-
<br />mission. conduding that present "un-
<br />conlrolled" growth trends will result in
<br />a <.;ubstantial decay in Colorado's (luali-
<br />h.'of life, has calli-d for major changes
<br />in the way planning is conduded.
<br />Thl." staff ootlinoo its recommended land u,;('
<br />~licies in a -II.page- report to the members of
<br />the governor-appointed commission. The re-
<br />port. titled "Review ~[alerial ror Interim Plan
<br />Including Assuml'tions and Polici~." is thO;'
<br />near.final result of $200,000 work of staff re-
<br />search. summer wurkshop.... and special 0011'
<br />sullanB'reports.
<br />Commission dUl.irman John Crowlt')' stress-
<br />"i\. cd that tbe report is merely a workinr; doeu.
<br />U ment. Th(' l'Ommission is trying to adol'l an in-
<br />~ b>rim rim!. for state'\Oo'ide land use planning to
<br />he presented to the 1913 session or the Legisla-
<br />......... ture.
<br />111e- interim 1.lan ...",s originally due by state
<br />1> law in S('plember or this ycar, but commissitm
<br />'- !l1embers anrllegL~lati\"l' lealler!; met ....ith Gov.
<br />_ ""'-...LDVE' during the last session and agreed to ex.
<br />ten:1 the deadline until Dec. 1.
<br />Crowley has indicated another postp:me.
<br />nwnt may be> forthcoming from Love and legis-
<br />zlath'clp.adeM'.
<br />The llu!&<,stl.'l;1 land use policies, and the
<br />i. underlying assumptions and objectives, are
<br />broken drn\Tl into s~irlc areas: urbanizing
<br />')j. areas of the state, Front Range, recrealion,
<br />ll~irulturnl rural and T'E'Strkted use areas,
<br />transportation. watcr and !llanning-implemen-
<br />tatkm PfO('Cl\Sf'S.
<br />ll1e o\'erridlnl( a.o;sumption of the re-port Is
<br />that the pre;;t'nt growth trends are simply
<br />un{'ontroll('d, primarily beeause of fragmented
<br />fX7\\-ers spread out among many governmental
<br />agendt'll at state and local levels.
<br />",\ OOI1tinuation or an unoootmlled gt{1>,-th
<br />willlne",,'itably produce economic and social de.
<br />clin(>S for most J>f"OPle and degradation and de.
<br />stmction of our mountain f'nvlronment," the
<br />staff report si3id. "Ahhough a smaU segment of
<br />society will continue to prosper as a result, the
<br />Rencral p::'lpUlore \l,iH suffer from cyclical
<br />trt'nds."
<br />
<br />Those trends Included a "sharp rise" in go'--
<br />~rnment cost and a dedine in the quality of life
<br />and the environment.
<br />The "small segment" which ....."OOld cootinuc
<br />to prosper indudes a \'ariety of public ~nd pri--
<br />,,'ate interests. such as the real estate industry
<br />or utility finns.
<br />"11\(' moml'ntum of the current trend is
<br />strong, however, and certaln vested interests
<br />have rclied heavily on this momentum," there-
<br />port said. "Re,,'ersal of the trend and Imple-
<br />mentation of the plan, therefore, will command
<br />all the po....-er and creative capacity of our state
<br />and local governments."
<br />nle staff also re<:ognb:ed the sUggCllled poli.
<br />des would likely cause "short-term disloca-
<br />tions in some af('i1S for some people," but con-
<br />tendL>d that continuation of present trenm un-
<br />checked ...."OOld cause "tar more severe disJotoa-
<br />tions for many people and over a longer period
<br /><,ftime."
<br />nll~ commissioners aecepted the ba.'lic no-
<br />tion that land developers have a tmdcncy to
<br />disrt'gilrd the "presence of hazardous circum-
<br />stances sUl,h as nood plains, firectlUtes, land
<br />slides and 8\-alanche areas on tlevelopment
<br />si~."
<br />TIle policy to pre\'ent subdivision develop-
<br />mcnt in su("h pro,'.m danger areas also was
<br />adopted .
<br />The stalf report called for a major effort
<br />!{) divert growth in the state a.....ay from the
<br />crowrled Joront Range area. The commission
<br />bought that argument and settled on divertinJi:
<br />~rowth to the lower Platte and Arl..-ansas River
<br />\'alleys, which have transportation s)'stems
<br />similar to the urban areas, as w('1I as to the
<br />WE"Stcrn Slope where practicable.
<br />The staff pnlposed and the commission ac-
<br />cepted the goal to encoorajl;e the estahlishment
<br />of new cities out..side the Jo'ront Runge to dis.
<br />perse population. These new dUes would be
<br />intcreonne<:tf'd by some type of limited access
<br />transportation system.
<br />The staff report also caUed for a halt to
<br />annexation by cities and towns without permis.-
<br />sion from the state. Presently, charter cities
<br />ha\"e little trouble annexing adjacent areas.
<br />Coupled with the anti..annexation policy Is a
<br />PJ"OIlOSed fuwre WO"-ih pattern inside exi!;t1ng
<br />city limits either by better use of the land or by
<br />intensifioo use of it,
<br />
<br />Othrr major policies considered and adopt-
<br />ed by the commission were ~
<br />. Where poIi~lble, de\.elopment should be in
<br />high density areas so as to preser....e prim.
<br />agricultural land.
<br />. Creation of new employment concentra-
<br />tions due to business activities should be con-
<br />troUed b)'the!<tate.
<br />. Go\'emmental invE'stment should go only
<br />to &reas where needed in the state.
<br />. Future mountain de\'elopment should be
<br />N!stricted to existirlK activity centers and.
<br />mountain areas should, when practicable, be
<br />limited to ret'reatlonal use. Nonrecreational
<br />de-.'elopment In the mountains should be dis-I
<br />couraged. I
<br />. GfO\\ th and dcvelopment should occur
<br />ootside of prime agricultural areas.
<br />. Recreational resources of the state, deem-I
<br />ed important to most. should be maintained
<br />"..'here possible_ Scffik \"ista~ and mulliple use I
<br />recreation areas should be presen:ed.
<br />Some major policies proP<lsed by the staff
<br />and yet unc(ln.~idered by the commissioners
<br />are: I
<br />. :\Iajor coonges In water use and waterl
<br />div(>rsions should be measured al!:ainst the
<br />state land use plan and local planning. This 1'('0-1
<br />verses the present trend of de,-eloping .....ater
<br />reMUrcesforthelong.rangefuture.
<br />. 111(' state should reser\"e the authority tol
<br />approve t'reation or e"lpansion of utility service
<br />districts ora.;sociations. I
<br />. Front Ranlo:e transportation should be de-
<br />sl~ed as a total system reinforcing the state
<br />plan, rather than based on projected d('mands I
<br />-al'iO a reversal from presMlt trends.
<br />. Highway deslpl should include eooskler--I
<br />ations for the addition of future supplemental I
<br />ma"l's tran.~it systems.
<br />. Automobiles llhould be taxerl on the baSisl
<br />of mileage rather than value,
<br />. The state shoold encourajl;l' policies whkh:
<br />WQuld cut dov.n the use of ('ars, such llJl cllr~
<br />pools and the licensing of hitchhikers. I
<br />. ;\fOtOri7.N "ehicll!!> ~hould be more harsh-
<br />ly restricte'tl in the lltate's limited access re-
<br />giOOll.
<br />. Local gmemments should haw powers to
<br />halt specuJll.tive land sales schemes and minj.:
<br />mue their effeH in recreatiun areas.
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