Montrose County Land Use Department.
161 South Townsend
Montrose, CO 81401
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are an apolitical, non-partisan, non-profit organization - representing
numerous Montrose County residents who are concerned about the significant growth
that our county is experiencing. As such, we are writing to provide public input
for the Land Use Planning process. Consistent with our previous submissions,
we would like to highlight the following points:
- We believe that the Montrose County Master Plan was created
- with wide public support - as a guiding and directive document,
whose intent & policies should be used as a basis for our county's rules,
regulations, and ordinances- consistent with its clear theme of "maintaining
our rural heritage by strengthening and enhancing agriculture." While
imperfect, and in need of some revision, it provides a rough vision of what
we value, and what we want our county to be like for our grandkids...
- The Master Plan's "Planning Policies" & "Implementation"
sections provide numerous recommendations and possible tools for achieving
its vision- including urban growth boundaries, adequate public facilities,
performance zoning, clustering, density bonuses, and incentives for farmers
& ranchers to keep their land in agriculture (attached in actual letter).
- We believe that it is important for the county to formally adopt
the Master Plan as its guiding land use document - thereby acknowledging its
intent and principles - before creating or revising other
regulations that may or may not be consistent with its tenets. If we don't
acknowledge our plan, then there is little chance that we will accomplish
its goals... What "plan" will our county be following, if we don't
acknowledge and adopt the only one we have?
- We encourage the county to continue to solicit public input,
and to make the process "user friendly." All input should be given
reasonable and genuine consideration; in the interest of saving time, and
serving everyone involved, specific criteria should be established and published
for the use and evaluation of public input in the decision-making process.
- Density requirements should be incorporated into land use regulations- recognizing
the basic expectation that density should decrease as one proceeds away from
town (thereby preserving our "rural agricultural heritage" in our
county's outlying areas).
- In the interest of being consistent, and fair to all concerned parties,
we believe that a brief and temporary suspension of subdivision approvals
should be considered- so as to allow for the orderly and comprehensive creation
of regulations that comply with our Master Plan. Numerous contradictions and
inconsistencies currently exist. [For example, the South Valley Projected
Land Use Detail Map (attached in actual letter)- while only general and conceptual-
depicts Bostwick Park as solely agricultural and public use; yet there is
a proposal to create a 110 lot subdivision on 438 acres there. Also, part
of the South Valley Land Use Policy recommends "maintain the rural character
of the approach route to the National Park (Highway 347)." (attached
in actual letter). Many other current practices conflict with Master Plan
guidelines.]
Please include these comments in the public record. Thank you for the opportunity
to comment.
Sincerely,
John Cossick
(sec./tres.- Montrose Citizens for Responsible Growth)
cc: Montrose County Planning Commission