HomeMy WebLinkAbout20000526.tiff From: jmfolsom <jmfolsom@ecentral.com>
To: <charding@co.weld.co.us>
Date: 2/28/00 7:27am
Subject: Comments on Del Camino & MUD district
2/28/00
To: Weld Board of County Commissioners:
Dear Commissioners:
The following are some comments in response to a request from a reporter
from the Daily Times Calls for some information and views about Del
Camino for a forthcoming article.
What is Del Camino? What is Weld County*s Mixed Use Development [MUD]
district of which it is an inseparable part [DC-MUD below]? It is not a
municipality, that is, a town or city. However, with continued
residential, commercial and industrial development, it is becoming like
one in appearance. However, DC-MUD has no mayor, city council or board
of trustees to handle its affairs. It is governed by the Weld Board of
County Commissioners in Greeley.
The Colorado state statutes call for urban areas and their growth to be
controlled by municipal and not county governments [CRS31-12-101].
County government powers, granted in the Colorado constitution, do not
include those necessary to administer and provide the services necessary
for an urban area. It provided for the administration of rural,
unincorporated parts of the state by county government. Weld County has
a home rule charter which still doesn*t address all the needs of an area
such as DC-MUD is becoming. The result is the DC-MUD area not having all
the services necessary for the functioning of a town being provided by
Weld County. Instead, they are provided by [1] an assortment of special
districts [Left Hand, Longs Peak, Central Weld and Little Thompson water
districts for water, St. Vrain Sanitation District and various small
treatment plants for sewer, etc.], [2]using facilities in the City of
Longmont [library, recreational and shopping facilities, etc.] or [3]
are not provided at all [public transportation, etc.].
The name, Del Camino, originated as Ringer*s Del Camino Texaco truck
stop and lounge which was built after US 87 became the four laned 1-25
around 1960. The interchange also became the site of a Stuckey*s pecan
shoppe, the River Valley Village mobile home park and a Road Runner gas
station which were typical types of development at interstate
interchanges at the time. There was no interest from the surrounding
municipalities, [Longmont, Firestone, Frederick or Mead] to annex in the
direction of Del Camino. From time to time incorporating it as a new
municipality was suggested.
As new businesses appeared waste disposal became a major problem, as
primitive treatment systems were only available. A sanitation district
to remedy this problem and permit further development would be
economically feasible if Weld County government cooperated in permitting
extensive growth in the area.. In spite of Weld County*s dedication to
the preservation of agriculture in the unincorporated parts of the
county so important to the county*s economy, it authorized the Mixed Use
anizawut
° talst
2000-0526
6;2-0127-Acsxo
Development [MUD]district plan. This plan provided for commercial,
industrial and residential growth on approximately 35 square miles
surrounding Del Camino at the sacrifice of agricultural use. Urban
densities were permitted as in any city, however administrative and
legislative control would remain with the Weld Board of County
Commissioners.
Under this MUD plan - what you see is what you have today - haphazard,
sporadic, intermixed commercial, industrial and residential development
with no local government structure. At this point in time, there still
doesn*t appear to be any interest in annexation of the area into one of
the surrounding municipalities or creation of a new one. A new
municipality would require majority vote by property owners who see for
themselves only an increase in taxes and restrictive controls resulting
from incorporating the area..
So county government has a tiger by the tail. It is not structured to
provide municipal government services such as provide by the City of
Longmont for its residents. Area residents do not have control of the
governing of the themselves in their own interests, as the Commissioners
are elected to represent the interests of the county as a whole. The
MUD plan is at odds with development policy in the rest of the county
for the preservation of agriculture. Growth permitted by the county in
the MUD district continues to put pressures on the services provided by
the City of Longmont, in particular, without providing any compensating
financial assistance. Boulder County is presently seeking to have Weld
government develop an appropriate plan for that part of MUD area
contiguous to Boulder County by action under section 1041. However, Weld
government continues to approve projects that serve to aggravate this
anomaly in planning and government administration detrimental to its
residents and the surrounding municipalities.
John S. Folsom
See TC 9/9/83 P9, 9/5/85, 7/87 [Market Place] Pps 3-9, 9/29/87 P5B,
10/88 [Market Place] Pps 6-7.
Hello