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Home My WebLink About730668.tiff WES ' ),' 1 elli ifir -Zig: -__\ WI 'Mk a�a i'iIIIf�� _ rii i , es. a`' -illHI iii--- 11r2- le. ....14 : ...„ iiiiii„ _'ill, ,, ,� a� lira ICI _ II _ :"-:, -..0*�, y co N, y ,: ��1 aunm:. ...----- „ , , ,I i j ' assarasvir inlay 1)L// 7306x8 " ' SSD f1® TT aiiiiitPASITIMOSVIE PUN JANUARY , 19'73 kie1i te,oc6,1cC(^ icyt ('ACC L %,p (c/y)) ,67L, 7� BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Glenn K. Billings , Chairman Harry S . Ashley Roy Moser Marshall H . Anderson (former member ) WELD COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Glenn E . Anderson , Chairman Donald Clark Bill Elliott Ronald Heitman J . Ben Nix Elmer Rothe John C . Watson John Weigand PREPARED BY MEMBERS OF THE WELD COUNTY PLANNING STAFF Burman Lorenson , Director Dorothy Chlanda Allen Jost Gary Eastman Carol Lee Gary Fortner Bill Neal Linda Jose Jim Ohi TABLE OF CONTENTS i List of Tables List of Illustrations iv v Preface Chapter One Introduction Nature of the Plan 1 Geography 3 4 History Population 8 Chapter Two Trends and Alternatives 11 Chapter Three Resource Management Policies Agriculture 23 Urban Development 38 Water and Other Natural Resources 51 Environmental Protection 58 Open Space 65 Transportation 70 Utilities , Public Goods and Services 75 Chapter Four Implementation Information Systems 79 Regulations 93 Other Public Agencies 100 Maintenance of Agricultural Resources 104 Chapter Five Summary and Conclusion 109 Bibliography 117 ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 - Population 10 Table 2 - Agricultural Statistics 26a-26b Talbe 3 - Agricultural Employment 27 Table 4 - Farm Income and Expenses 30 Table 5 - Soil Associations (General ) 86-88 Table 6 - Soil Types (Specific ) 88a Table 7 - Soil Survey Interpretations 89-90 iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Weld County Colorado 2a Population Distribution Map 10a Colorado Generalized Land Use Map 12a Airphoto Number One 91a Airphoto Number Two 91b MAPS IN BACK COVER POCKET Agricultural Capability Classifications Transportation Aquifer Recharge Areas Weld County Generalized Land Use Map iv PREFACE A comprehensive plan is one of several primary documents that are commonly used to guide and regulate physical develop- ment and land-use changes . All of us are familiar with zoning regulations . The Weld County Zoning Resolution sets up var- ious zoning districts and limits the uses allowed in these districts to separate incompatible uses , to prevent undue pop- ulation congestion , to protect areas that are unsuitable and even dangerous to build upon and to protect land values by en- suring citizens that land-use changes will be made in a coher- ent and logical way . Once an appropriate type of land-use for a given parcel of land is determined through zoning , the further division and development of that parcel must meet certain standards . These standards are set forth in subdivision regulations . The County Subdivision: Regulations establish procedures and standards to ensure that lands developed for urban uses have adequate water , sewer , access , utilities and other improvements . It also en- sures that the division of land into parcels less than 35 acres is properly surveyed , platted and recorded . Zoning and subdivision regulations primarily attend to specific standards of land-use and development applicable to a specific parcel of land . Zoning and subdivision regulations however , cannot be properly administered without a general guide or framework in which the long-term effects of specific land-use decisions can be analyzed . The comprehensive plan provides this framework . v The Weld County Comprehensive Plan is a general guide to future development of the County . It makes a broad evaluation of the County ' s assets and the forces of growth and change that may irreparably alter these assets . The Plan presents the likely results of these forces if they are not guided and accomodated in a logical and coherent way . The Plan then dis- cusses the choices that are available to the County as it en- ters an era of unprecedented growth and development . As a re- sult of this analysis of assets , the forces of change that are acting upon these assets , and the alternatives open to the County ( including that of allowing what may happen to happen ) , the Plan proposes a direction of growth and development that the Planning Commission staff feels will protect the assets that make Weld County a desirable place to live and , at the same time , accommodate and direct urban growth in a way that will lead to coherent communities . The direction of growth is embodied in the two fundament- al principles of this plan : the protection and enhancement of our agricultural way-of-life , and the development of co- herent urban communities based upon the existing municipal - ities of Weld County . The body of the Plan consists of more explicit policies as related to agriculture ; urban develop- ment ; water and other natural resources ; environmental pro- tection ; open space ; transportation ; and utilities , public goods and services . If this Plan is adopted by the Board of County Commissioners , the Board will not be adopting merely policies , but a logic of land-use based on a thorough eval - uation of a course of action that will lead to growth and de- vi velopment that is , in the opinion of the Planning staff , in the best interests of the citizens of the County. Adoption of the Plan means that the policies as an inter- related body of thought are being adopted . The Plan must not be thought of as a regulatory document , but as a document that gives coherence and overall direction to the administration of land-use regulations . The Plan fulfills the requirements of a comprehensive plan as defined by State law : The county . , master plan shall be made with the gen- eral purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated , adjusted and harmonious development of the county . . which , in accordance with present and future needs and resources , will best promote . . . efficiency and econ- omy in the process of development , including such dist- ribution of population and uses of land . . , as will tend . . . to reduce the wastes of . . . resources which will result from either excessive congestion or excess- ive scattering of population ; and will tend toward an efficient and economic utilization , conservation and production of the supply of food and water . . . and other facilities and resources . From Section 106-2-6 , CRS . 1963 , as amended The Plan will be supplemented by detailed studies to pro- vide the informational base needed to facilitate the applica- tion of policies in a specific land-use decision . Some of these studies are now in progress as discussed in various parts of the Plan . These supplemental studies will not be parts of the Plan itself but are an important part of the overall plan- ning program of Weld County . To reiterate , the Weld County Comprehensive Plan provides a logic of land-use which will give perspective to the day-to- day administration of County land-use regulations . The vii Comprehensive Plan can and should be amended as the need arises , but it should also be read as a document which , for the time present , enunciates a coherent set of land-use policies that will enable Weld County to accommodate urban growth without sacrificing its agricultural character and the community ident- ities of its existing municipalities . viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION NATURE OF THE PLAN GEOGRAPHY HISTORY POPULATION CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A . Nature of the Plan The Weld County Comprehensive Plan is a guide for the future development of the County . The Weld County Planning Department staff , after assessing current con- ditions , evaluating trends , and weighing alternatives has developed a set of policy recommendations to guide day-to-day land-use decisions that must be made by the elected and appointed officials of Weld County . These policy recommendations form the body of this Plan . The Plan is comprehensive because the policies were derived from a consideration of development within the context of total resource management in Weld County. The resources were considered in terms of their national , state , and regional and county significance . The many ramifications of these development policies are discuss- ed under separate headings in Chapter 3 of the Plan . It must be emphasized that the Weld County Comprehen- sive Plan is not a set of dicta but a direction for devel - opment based on two fundamental determinations : first , that agriculture should and can be maintained as the basis of Weld County ' s economic and ecological well -being , and , second , that urbanization can best be served by existing municipalities . Our agricultural lands can be protected -1 - only if urban growth is planned and controlled for the benefit of existing towns and cities . Protection of our agricultural lands will benefit both rural and urban seg- ments of Weld County . If total urbanization of the County is the desire of its citizens , this Plan has little val - idity and less significance . However , if the citizens of Weld County desire to retain the agricultural character of their County , a course of action to guide and control urb- an growth must be carefully considered and implemented . Further urban development and growth will almost inevit- ably occur in Weld County. This Plan outlines a course of action to assure that this urbanization will have a mini - mal negative impact on the environment , be most economi - cally served by utilities and public services , and lead to coherent , well -planned communities . In time , the Plan will be amended and updated as re- quired of all working documents , but the Plan will be a valid guide to development until agriculture and sound , planned growth are no lonaer a vital concern for the citi - zens and officials of Weld County . -2- B . Geography Weld County occupies 4 ,004 square miles of the Colorado piedmont section in the Great Plains Physiographic Province . The topography is level to rolling uplands with stream valley lowlands . It is underlain by gently dipping beds of sediment- ary rock . The surface drainage is dendritic , and the streams have uniform gradients . This pattern of drainage means that the many small watershed basins are closely linked to one an- other in a large network of streams and tributaries . The South Platte is the largest river in this system . The Big Thompson , Cache la Poudre , St . Vrain rivers and Boulder Creek are the main tributaries of the South Platte . There are also many small drainage areas in the form of streams , canals and draws that flow intermittently throughout the year. Land-use deci - sions in these drainage areas are very important and should be carefully considered since they can affect the entire drainage basin . The County ' s climate is semi -arid steppe with moderately cold winters and warm summers . The area has low relative humi - dity and less than 15 inches of precipitation a year . The pre- cipitation is mainly in the form of thunderstorms occasionally accompanied by hail and strong winds . Most of the precipitation falls during the 140 day growing season . This amount is suffic- ient to support native grasses and shrubs , but successful cul - tivation of most crops depends upon irrigation . Natural resources include coal , oil , gas , sand , and gravel . The most important natural resource , however , is the land . It has allowed the farmers and ranchers of the County to be ranked ninth in the United States in crop and livestock production . -3- C . History Since the time Cheyenne warriors roamed the piedmont , living on its abundant game , prosperity in Weld County has invariably been tied to the land . Later , Spanish explorers came in search of a different kind of wealth , the illusive "Seven Cities of Gold" . Although the quest was futile , the Spanish heritage has survived . The Spanish and Indian cultures have contributed greatly over the past century to the character of the area . The French established commercial fur trading in the Platte valley during the 1830 ' s . Trappers and fur traders found northern Colorado a rich source of raw materials for the "civilized world ' s " fur markets . The French trappers ' settle- ment was transitory in nature , however . Interested as they were in harvesting furs and then moving on , the French left little evidence of their settlement in the area except for such his- toric trading posts as Fort St . Vrain . The French presence is evident in such names as LaPorte , Colorado ( in neighboring Larimer County ) , and the St . Vrain , South Platte and Cache la Poudre Rivers . The fur traders , however , had an enormous in- direct influence on the development of Weld County , for they established a trail between Santa Fe , New Mexico , and Laramie , Wyoming , that present-day U . S . 85 in Weld County roughly follows . By the mid-nineteenth century , the expansive grasslands of the County were used to graze vast herds of cattle . The cattle industry provided the first evidence of the agricultural wealth that would characterize Weld County in the twentieth century . It was also during this period that Weld County was organized -4- as a political entity . Weld County was one of the original seventeen counties established by the first legislature of the Territory of Colorado on November 1 , 1861 . The County was named for the territory ' s first secretary , Lewis Ledyard Weld , an appointee of President Abraham Lincoln . The development of agriculture in the second half of the nineteenth century insured the area ' s future wealth . Settlers in the Greeley Colony introduced the concept of scientific and intensive agriculture to the territory in 1870 . Through care- ful planning , the Greeley Colony survived to prosper . To sup- plement the sparse annual rainfall , the colonists diverted the waters of the Poudre River onto needy farmlands and applied the science of irrigated farming . The early settlers planned and dug canals and designed fields to maximize the benefits of irrigation water. The Colony had much to do with the develop- ment of the elaborate network of canals and irrigation structures that are a prominent part of Weld County ' s present-day landscape . The urbanization of Weld County began along the route estab- lished by the Union Pacific Railroad . The first recorded town plat was filed by Evans on November 22 , 1869 . Others followed : Erie , 1870 Greeley and Platteville , 1871 Fort Lupton and Windsor , 1882 Hudson , 1887 Eaton , Keota , Grover , and Raymer , 1888 Stoneham , 1889 The remaining towns of Weld County were incorporated after the turn of the century : Johnstown , 1902 Ault and Kersey , 1904 Severance and Dacono , 1906 -5- Firestone and Frederick , 1907 Mead and Nunn , 1908 LaSalle and Milliken , 1910 Gilcrest , 1912 Pierce , 1918 Keenesburg , 1919 As the present population increased , the northern Colorado area began to diversify agriculturally . By 1900 , the matrix for extensive agricultural development was established . Many small municipalities existed , linked together by the Union Pacific and the Great Western Railroads . The Greeley colonists and others had demonstrated the feasibility of irrigated agri - culture . The great rangelands of the County had successfully supported large herds of cattle . During the last 50 years , a multi -faceted agriculture has developed to its present-day scale . The diversification in crops includes dryland wheat and barley , irrigated sugar beets , corn ,onions , and potatoes . Livestock operations range from small farms to huge feedlots producing and processing tons of beef , pork and lamb . More recently , a number of large poultry ranches have been established . The Colorado-Big Thompson Project , diverting a designed 310 ,000 acre-feet of additional water from the western slope of Colorado ' s Rocky Mountains , has provided an enormous boost to the area ' s economy since its completion in 1957 . The pro- ject was originally designed in the face of crop losses and water shortages in years when supply from mountain streams was deficient . A dependable supply of water has drastically re- duced crop losses . -6- Owing partially to this availability of water , Weld County is currently experiencing a rapid conversion of land to new uses . The land in the northern front range area , long recog- nized as a prime location for agricultural investment , is now being subjected to pressures for urban development and growth . The IBM installation near Boulder and the Eastman-Kodak operation near Windsor exemplify this new demand of modern industries for flat agricultural land with a view of the Rocky Mountains . Urbanization and population growth impose pressures upon us today . Land prices are rapidly inflating . People are migrating to the area from other parts of the country . Govern- ment agencies at all levels are expanding to meet the increasing demand for services and facilities arising from growth . The capabilities of the land to support this conversion from agri - cultural to urban uses are sometimes disregarded . There is a growing recognition that the same planning which characterized the success of the Greeley Colony must now assume a larger and more meaningful role in Weld County ' s government . -7- D . Population The size , distribution and characteristics of population along with growth trends are fundamental factors in planning the County ' s future . These factors greatly influence the amount , location and the significant features associated with growth . The western boundary of Weld county is only five to ten miles from the foothills of the Rockies . Its southern boundary is approximately fifteen miles from metropolitan Denver . This proximity to the mountains and to Denver is very convenient for Weld County residents , but is also greatly responsible for a rapid population influx in recent years . The U . S . Census showed that the population of Weld County was 89 ,297 in 1970 . Recent surveys by the State Planning Office , the Regional Transportation District , and Alan M . Voorhees all agree that this figure is expected to nearly double by 1990 . Table 1 shows the 1970 popu- lation for the County , the individual towns , and unincorporated and rural areas . Table 1 and the Population Distribution Map reveal that the largest concentration of population is in the Greeley area . Nearly one-half of the County ' s population is situated in this region . The Windsor area is expected to develop rapidly due to its proximity to the Kodak plant and its location within the Greeley-Fort Collins-Loveland triangle . The next largest group of people live in the unincorporated and rural areas . Persons living in towns in the County comprise the third largest block of population . Very few people live in the east and northeast parts of the County . — 8 - The rapid population growth in the County will create increased pressure for residential , commercial , and industrial development . This population growth will require a corresponding increase in public facilities and services . These facilities and services can be most economically and efficiently provided if development occurs in or near the existing towns which have or can provide the facilities for the expected growth . These towns are planning for growth , have comprehensive plans and can be viable centers for future growth . Weld County will encourage the planned growth of viable towns and not "bedroom communities " for nearby metropolitan areas . Table 1 is included to provide general information about the population of Weld County . It is arranged according to town population . Although they have small populations , Garden City and Rosedale are included in the Greeley group because they are definitely urban in nature . The towns of less than 1 ,000 people are considered rural . The existing facilities and size of a town will help determine how much new development a town can accommodate . Development around towns should be accompanied by corresponding development of town facilities . Most of the towns have adopted comprehensive plans to guide growth to a desired level . -9- TABLE 1 Greeley 38 ,902 Ault 841 Evans 2 ,570 Milliken 702 Garden City 142 Frederick 696 Rosedale 66 Platteville 683 Subtotal 41 ,680 Firestone 570 Hudson 518 Ft . Lupton 2 ,489 Kersey 474 Windsor 1 , 564 Pierce 452 Eaton 1 ,389 Keenesburg 427 LaSalle 1 ,227 Gilcrest 382 Johnstown 1 , 191 Dacono 360 Erie 1 ,083 Nunn 269 Subtotal 8 ,943 Mead 195 Grover 121 Raymer 68 Severance 52 Keota 6 Subtotal 6 ,816 Unincorporated Areas 31 ,858 TOTAL 89,297 -10- -U w 1- N d "N c C On IMIIIMIIMIIIMM GM inEMI.MMIlmlml. o. � 1 O ci le fe o fe c r c d co =, W& E - m �cc c Y' A c p O 'F N o Qgcc U u z o .. a \. ' U y _ W O FT- O mta U AC J eci o z p CO A N c D O Y �� c o a3 ;) O J CO I 2 - Ina �- en --� m _i 1 v o w- - W 20 I �� D cg _ J v' — 1 V- �� ma '•$ r =a' I W n ( CO d in i/> �o Q'Q �, W`- ct "' W a) Z x 4 W _ Y r W o � _ Y ir, in c l� W N cc.T J = —� C 2 vd o alp —a W WW2 tea ��. J Z 1 `o Zs a �� wa J_ F,n .wi �.+_ e. CI _an,..._ S H >4. a.; E allaya O aS C: Lac ,� _I s �- l-g 1 U N W O1 a O Y:a Y Ca £l� � d U .1 0- _ v—r—ra o--wa; W .y �"' Q �t Z Z— o � q Di 3 Z` C O yo_ d :: r Ka WO 3g ; F. e _ co MO 4IIINIIM MS MIIIIIIIIMM, _ T 2 Z -1i a — �- m (1 C 2 �0,.r WN a - 1`' O r �� MI6 1 r Jc L CHAPTER TWO TRENDS AND ALTERNATIVES CHAPTER 2 TRENDS AND ALTERNATIVES The land of Weld County has been bounteous to its farmers and to the people of Colorado and the United States . It ranks first in Colorado and ninth in the United States in total agri - cultural productivity . The 1969 United States Census of Agri - culture shows that the value of all farm products sold in Weld County in 1969 totalled $317 ,410 ,295 and accounted for almost 30% of all farm products sold in Colorado . Weld County has long been a breadbasket for the people of Colorado and the United States . Recently , Weld County has become a receptacle for an unpre- cedented population influx which has occurred all along the Front Range between Pueblo and Fort Collins . According to the 1970 U . S . Census , the population of Colorado increased 25 . 8% between 1960 and 1970 , a rate twice that of the nation . Some cities along the Front Range have grown at an extraordinary rate during this ten-year period . For example , the population of Longmont increased 102% , Littleton 93% , Loveland 66 . 6% , Fort Collins 73 . 7% and Greeley 47 , 8% . Counties along the Front Range have also grown at an ex- plosive rate during these ten years as the following examples show : Adams 54 . 4% , Arapahoe 42 . 9% , Boulder 77 .6% , Douglas 74 . 6% , E1 Paso 64 . 2% , Larimer 68 . 5% and Weld 23 . 4% . It is interesting to note that Denver , the hub of this popula- tion growth spiral , had a population increase of only 4 . 2% between 1960 and 1970 . While adjacent cities and counties grew at a rate from three to four times that of Colorado , Denver ' s growth rate was only one-sixth of the state average . The population of adjacent cities and counties grew twenty to twenty-five times as fast as Denver . -11 - While this disparity can be accounted for in some degree by Denver ' s large population and the relatively little undeveloped land available in Denver , it does show that growth along the Front Range , as in other metropolitan areas in the nation , can be more accurately characterized as a process of suburbanization rather than urbanization . Suburbanization is a national phenomenon and is becoming a national concern , for much of it h?s come about at the expense of agriculture . The depletion of farmland in the nat- ion has reached an alarming rate of nearly in million acres pe- year . Colorado alone lost 1 ,661 ,368 acres of farmland between - 1964 and 1969 , a rate of over 332 ,000 acres per year . Counties along the Front Range have seen their farmland extensively deplet- ed during these five years . Boulder County lest 103 , 519 acres ; Arapahoe 83 ,876 acres ; Adams 130 ,236 acres nd Larimer ' 2 ,J! acres . In contrast , Weld County actJaliy gained 292. , 232 acres cr tarmlana between 1964 and 1969 , but a more telling statistic 13 the loss of 2 ,854 acres of irrigated farmland in held County darinc this five- year period . (Statistical Abstract of U . S . , 1972 , ,n6 Ccnrus of Agriculture , 1969 ) . This loss of farmland is ominous , particularly the loss of irrigated farmland in Weld County . The Gencralizc,, ' ° .d -Usc Map of Colorado shows that only two major irrigat•: ; cropland areas ex- ist in the state--the San Luis Valley and the Upper Platte River Valley , most of which lies in Weld County . 4d County - S by far - the richest agricultural county in the Stat? . '-ne total value of all agricultural prniucts sold in 'veld Cnunt:, 195° ayes three times as great as its nearest competitor , Mrr] in Cngnty . The rich agricultural land of Weld Cn. rty = s „ .:ttr and -12- U W N Z m m _ S 6 il v w Sam i ill a c z w a of - y •a a d E °Fi u c v '> s ❑ gA'r"c�x°¢> U A a U .. Cl w' j kO OW W a ; .. . . ,y _LIE \f nn, •n LnJ_•crt-r g s StlSNtlN .'--1'.�=M�� ,F � N � INAN■6 iii f r likagE�l!■�■ �►. „� �1�1�1■© 71' o a.�'17.. arlI iLr ,`'� 11� ", r�11�11ntlia {:- P3111.�TF l.) t:TAINIIIll)�Y" SSMICIII a .,:to `■■N.._` '�1 7:11Mi■Ia■ �' Pi Wei■ li■(�[ IA -, z . ■n I ■Litr■iialli�■► [r .Aft .n:�l 11.E i ce! V'!!■1 , >!�� :' ,41111111111.��, �4 _ ■L11Iii k /1r ��■k1 1x�Mi■ allallepr1 , _.� ■■■■■L A 414 SO NE ■r a SW WRIMII■ � �'a �''; -- *alp ' A� ttill .41f \ 1■fI r�l i L%■G119 w ROIL,:-`-'7 Ilt ■ s ti ego .' a .Pr f L``' mif■■■■� 1. itilla Aar ' ■iC:L' 4. I I��■n a Il ingar ■■■■■� "! idiE 1'r;` 'I llfi■ Ia�■w■fs�i.i� i �t■■■muiR o �s mpLi i 1��l1 i uIIIIPN■VA ar m■-:.SEIMElli■r�t i■�■�✓��i■■■■It-:4 ► IT ED � 1. 'AL�.!�3i!i, � � A ■■iiu.■■r��■L.t1r■ L� ._'�:��A■�[1AIL" � ,,�riy■■■ �■■!� "'■�■RIl■■ �,I/■■ laiEllMrliK 1Nliiii R dfi■ ■E 78,01, .o■■ Arta■�_ ■■. i■�\ A■■e"..;'li�71r1i11� 1 ■■Ili 160"1"..mark � Q�; . i■. �■ i aim- :agar 1 l• . r!riiiiIIII Oc 14 21 ,4• <4 '• lArr V i 117741, 11‘rjr°71147-'r '4 riffilreilIge li'r ' ?4:HI . cn• d Al AL �� 1. o w ro O FBI 'Il.. *A i w.., > i'1�A "�E 1 iF� saii-.. * h � -_ Q• N ( ii .JILL; '`^�` �t, '� /r... ilharArr �' 1�''�.,,,idE 1111��1 "t ,i x 1 .]0 4 .-`(2 ‘.. l 4,14S2 'A'faMi11` ■OPP I. 11i rtvg '^tr ,t'4,,a pit.a,E• w qr ;- .now Irma'-iir.*''^ Arir, 1114 4101r 146 46 j. ;_g - r - �, -_:.jr 3 i -�` J .� ..6dL � �`i 7` �. .. ,„ ,$° - .. ILl►� L, 1, � M `-!, a�•.rr -s "1 � t :`ll) a n +q14y+ '''':„k 4,1,,,n1-, l �•y i, R �" �1 �tt 'it " 1 � yam` .O - 114,'it l,: ;VE� .� t x ; v t�P; ,'a;ri d 'N. t;.*' a�^ 3 1" i�- A( _1)." �� w - w ,, 4' r 00 x :1 � ,. '� \ it , � y .A. , 4 1 ,. � � e� , 465 % , it .. �. �,., " a 1 % - *w/ 9■i� ail AO �1 � At ' - ' N, z 'f �� a \ IliMow _ � ` N national resource that must be valued as an irreplaceable asset. The loss of the best of this farmland in Weld County must be viewed as a potential danger to both the State and nation as well as to the County. Agricultural products could become a major export for the United States as the recent sale of wheat to Russia may portend . (See Chapter 3 , "Agriculture" ) . It is essential , then ,to protect this valuable and limited resource . Weld County has been fortunate , so far , in that it is on the periphery of the Denver-based impact area of population explosion . The growth rate of Weld County between 1960 and 1970 was a little lower than the state rate , and Greeley has not grown nearly as fast as Loveland or Fort Collins . According to the 1970 Census , the "rural " population of Weld County increased only 3 . 9% between 1960 and 1970 (compared to an increase of 57 . 6% in urban population ) . In contrast , the rural (outside of towns 2 ,500 or larger) population of Larimer , Boulder , and Douglas increased 63 . 3% , 63 . 6% , and 74 . 6% , respectively . However , most of this comparatively small "rural " growth in Weld County has been at the expense of our best farmland , the irrigated croplands , a trend that must be controlled . We must take heed of the warning signs from nearby counties and exer- cize beneficial control over the suburbanization process that has already depleted so much farmland in the State and nation . The population growth pattern in Weld County has been just as disbalanced as has been that of Colorado , where 90-95% of the growth during the last ten years has occurred along the Front Range . In Weld County , the city of Greeley accounted for nearly 75% of the County ' s growth between 1960 and 1970 . Approximately 87% of the population lives in the southwest portion of the County which comprises less than 25% of the County ' s total area . This area -13- also contains our richest agricultural land . It is in this area that the speculative demand for agricultural land must be viewed with alarm by all citizens of Weld County . According to one report , "rapid population growth and recent industialization in the area have affected speculation, so that the agricultural productivity value of the land has virtually no influence on the purchase price of a parcel " (McPhail , 1972 , p . 50 ) . It is ironic that the bounti - ful farmlands of Weld County has itself become a commodity , an item to be sold and consumed . It is becoming more and more obvious that sound land-use planning in Weld County is closely tied to the provident protection of our farmland . The land that has been so bountiful can unlock the curse of uncontrolled urbanization . The history of urban-agricultural land- use conflict is not an encouraging one . The examples provided by California , which has benefited and suffered most from post-war suburbanization , are ominous . The orchards of Santa Clara County near San Francisco were once the most fruitful in all the world . Today , those orchards are only memory to the people who moved away from "The City" to enjoy the open land and the fragrance of the blossoms in the spring . Orange County which lies just south cf Los Angeles was once a vast citrus grove . The post.-war invasion of suburbanites soon forced farmers to evacuate , and many began; citrus farming in neighboring San Diego County to the south . Now the farmlands of San Diego County are facing the same urbanization pressures created , in part , by people wanting to escape the popu- lation congestion of Orange County . If agriculture is to be main- tained , neither acquiescence to market pressures nor evacuation to another county is the answer . -14- The premises behind the Weld County Comprehensive Plan are : 1 ) that agriculture should and must be protected , and 2 ) that pressures for urbanization must be recognized and growth that occurs must be guided so that any negative impact can be mini - mized . The challenge before the citizens of Weld County is to accommodate urban growth without destroying the agriculture that has been synonymous thus far with prosperity . Unlimited growth can only bring unending problems and costs to all the citizens of Weld County , both living and yet unborn . The opposite extreme , absolute growth limitation , has been seriously considered by the City of Boulder and has received attention in Longmont . The zero population growth movement has developed out of the recognition that growth in itself , whether planned or unplanned , is uneco- nomical and , when allowed , amounts to a subsidy for developers provided by the citizens of the community . Many studies have been done showing that development may be unprofitable for the taxpayers . The Princeton (New Jersey) Township Citizens ' Ad- visory Commission received testimony from the former Chief Administrator of the City of New York and currently President of the Institute of Public Administration , Lyle Fitch , that servicing the typical single-family subdivision costs about $1 ,005 for each house and the city would have to have the house and lot assessed at about $53 ,000 , just to break even ( Bartlett , 1971 ) . Officials of the city of Closter , New Jersey , in 1965 made a cost-revenue analysis of a proposed residential develop- ment of 80 acres into 1 /2 acre parcels and determined that the development would result in a net deficit of $56 ,000 per year for the city ( Bartlett , 1971 ) . -15- Closer to home , the Denver Planning Office conducted a cost- revenue study in 1965 of a one-mile square residentially developed area five years after annexation . The study disclosed that costs exceeded revenue by approximately $400 ,000 per year ( Bartlett , 1971 ) . Another relevant study , this one done for the County of Ventura , California , a rich agricultural county facing rapid urbanization spilling over from Los Angeles , showed that residential , commercial and industrial uses of land all resulted in more costs than benefits to the citizens of the County in strictly financial terms (Lamm , 1971 ) . The study showed that residential use of land was the most costly , for although it brought in $40 million in tax revenue , it cost the County $97 million to provide services . Agricultural use was the only profitable use of land , costing only $380 ,000 in services while bringing in $16 million in tax revenue . The study concluded that maintaining agricultural use of the land was the only justi - fiable and responsible course of action . That growth is not always something devoutly to be wished is a realization that is slowly but surely overcoming nearly 200 years of habit and ignorance . The economic feasibility of zero population growth has been established by many studies in many places . In November 1972 , the citizens of Boca Raton , Florida , voted to limit the city ' s population to about 105 ,000 by amending the city charter to prohibit the issuance of building permits for more than 40 ,000 dwelling units . A no growth policy would , however , be very diffi - cult for a County to enact and would be impossible to enforce with- out extraordinary agreement and cooperation among federal , state , county and municipal governmental agencies as well as special dis- tricts and a host of other quasi -public entities . Although zero -16- population growth should be considered at all governmental levels , short of federal and state policies and regulations absolute urban growth limitation is not a practicable alternative for Weld County . The remaining alternative is some kind of accommodation of urban growth at minimum cost to the public and to agricultural lands . Two "patterns " of growth that are often discussed are dispersed growth and the "new town " . Dispersed growth is often regarded as a low-density pattern through which the greatest number of people can have at least a little elbow room . This is the pattern that Los Angeles has followed (or become ) to such an extent that dispersal has led to displacement of any sense of community . Such a growth pattern is what certain growth trends in Weld County would lead to if allowed to continue without control . Such growth could swallow up the southwest portion of our County as an extension of the Denver megalopolis and could create a megalopolis of our own in the Greeley-Loveland-Fort Collins triangle . The megalopolis is the American dream become nightmare ; it is based on the assumption that if bigger is better , biggest must be best . Recent studies show that an increase in population means an increase in crime rates , that per capita public costs rise with population increase (Lamm and Strang , 1971 ) . Smog nearly shut down the city of Los Angeles one day last September when federal officials were on the verge of seeking an emergency court order to stop gasoline sales , to close the airport and to order cars off the freeways because air pollution approached an extremely hazardous level (Rose , 1972 ) . California officials are contemplating drastic action to curb runaway growth . The State Planning and Research Director has suggested that "California may have to withdraw support from schools and from sewer , transportation 17 and water projects to help limit growth " ( Rose , 1972 ) . The California Attorney General has declared that he is "prepared to file law suits to prevent housing projects from going up in areas where population increases would harm the environment. " In the Attorney General ' s words , California is "reaching the end of the trail . . . " ( Rose , 1972) . New towns have recently received much publicity as a cure for the nation ' s urban ills . New towns like Columbia , Maryland , and Reston , Virginia , have become showcases for new concepts in community planning . However , new towns , no matter how successful in themselves , are admissions of failure in solving our urban problems . They represent an extension of the flight to the sub- urbs . New towns for Weld County could hardly be called a solution to our urban ills unless Greeley is somehow thought of as a Balt- imore , Maryland , or a Washington , D . C . Our urban problems have not reached the point where abandonment is a feasible alternative . There are already 27 incorporated towns in Weld County , and the creation of a 28th is not the answer to the two fundamental con- cerns of land-use planning in Weld County , the protection of its agricultural livelihood and the development of coherent urban communities in its existing municipalities . New towns in Weld County would only serve to relieve congestion in the Denver met- ropolitan area , perhaps an escape for weary Denverites , but hardly a solution for the problems faced by the people of Weld County . A third alternative is to utilize the existing towns of Weld County to accommodate urban growth to the degree that these towns are willing and able to absorb growth . There is a substantial -18- investment of public funds in these towns for public services and facilities . Any further expenditure of public funds for urban services and facilities should be used to upgrade and expand existing services and facilities . The alternatives are to start over with new facilities in new towns or to extend facilities wherever the growth may go . Dispersed growth would require creation of a multitude of water and sanitation districts and would create a demand for services that county government was never intended to provide . It must be remembered that counties were established by the states to carry out state functions on a decentralized basis , and the powers of the counties are rigidly circumscribed by the states . Counties have no legislative powers other than that allowed by the states . In addition to serving as a local branch of state government by collecting taxes , recording title and deeds , issuing licenses , administering health and wel - fare programs and so forth , county government has always had a rural character by providing such services as agricultural ex- tention programs . County government was never intended to pro- vide municipal -type services , and , in Colorado , is specifically excluded from involvement in water and sewer services . In Con- necticut , the high degree of urbanization caused the state to abolish county government in 1960 . At the other extreme is Los Angeles County where urbanization has necessitated a budget that exceeds that of thirty-one states and a 1963 employment roll of 40 ,000 people (or more than the entire 1970 population of Greeley) . Neither those two extremes are desirable for Weld County , for both presume the destruction of agriculture . -19- The Weld County Comprehensive Plan is based on two deter- minations : first , that agriculture must be protected and en- hanced for the benefit of the people of Weld County , Colorado and the United States ; and , second , that growth must be dir- ected so that it can be accomodated at least cost to agricul - ture and to the public treasury and to the greatest benefit to the present and future urban population in the County . Al - though many of the towns of Weld County are located in prime agricultural areas because of their original function as agri - cultural service centers and growth of these towns would nec- essarily mean depletion of prime agricultural land , the long- term effect would be the maximum protection of agriculture at minimum cost to the public . Furthermore , by directing the pressures for urbanization to existing municipalities , new growth is provided with a sense of community and identity , rather than being a small part of some sprawling , uncontrolled process . Almost all of these towns have expressed a desire to control growth and retain the essential character of the town as it now exists . These towns have prepared comprehensive plans to guide their growth , and these plans will be major re- ference documents for planned growth in Weld County . After consideration of these problems and possible altern- atives , the Weld County Planning Commission adopted the follow- ing Land Use Policy on September 21 , 1971 : The lona-range land-use policy of Weld County , Colorado is composed of three fundamental components . -20- First - Retain prime agricultural land for agricultural use . Since the character and economy of the County depend upon this agricultural base , the County ' s prime agricultur- al way-of-life are to be protected . The expansion of agri - business land-use will be encouraged throughout the County while other type land-use will be limited to urbanized areas . Second - Retain and build upon existing communities . Nor- mal residential , business and industrial uses will be en- couraged to develop in the 27 Weld County incorporated towns , but only to the extent to which the town wishes the growth . These towns will serve as the seeds for the future urban growth in the County . Third - Create built- in agricultural green belts around and between communities . Allocation of our resources is required to accomplish these goals . The main resources are water , land and utilities , and all are inter-related . Water usage must not be transferred from agricultural to residential or industrial where agricultural uses are to be retained . Utility line expansion should be controlled and not be allowed to expand in areas where urban growth is not wanted . New service districts will not be allowed to develop unless there are provisions for absorption in an existing district . Contiguous residential Growth increases the capacity and the efficiency of the service district which provide the residential communities with basic fac- ilities . The consolidation of the existing service districts is supported , while the proliferation of new service dis- tricts is opposed . The residential growth of the County ' s towns is the peroga- tive of these municipalities . Any urban expansion -- whether it takes the form of normal outward growth or "New Town" de- velopment must receive the approval of these local juris - dictions . The creation of " New Towns " is permitted only if they are built around the existing seed town . The expansion and prosperous Growth of the agricultural sec- tor , agriculturally oriented industrial sector and residen- tial sector are inevitable . Although this growth is cer- tain , it need not be chaotic or uncontrolled . It is the policy of Weld County to control and guide the growth of all of the sectors , The Weld County Comprehensive Plan is based on this land-use policy . The following chapters of the Plan investigate the -21 - many ramifications of this policy and enunciate more explicit policy recommendations for comprehensive resource management in Weld County. -22- CHAPTER THREE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICIES AGRICULTURE URBAN DEVELOPMENT WATER AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OPEN SPACE TRANSPORTATION UTILITIES , PUBLIC GOODS AND SERVICES CHAPTER 3 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICIES A. Agriculture Weld County is one of the richest agricultural areas in Colorado and the nation . As noted before , it is agriculture which has historically dominated the economy of the County . Many factors contributed to this emphasis on agriculture . Among the most obvious are the physical features of the land which lend themselves to the conduct of agriculture . Most of the County is flat , marked only by gently undulating to rol - ling topographic features . The gentle topography is broken only by such features as the Cache la Poudre Valley northwest of Greeley , which is lined by steep bluffs , and the valleys of St . Vrain Creek and the South Platte and Big Thompson Rivers which are delineated by terraces with slopes of 8-15% ( RTD , January 1972 ) . Such topographic features allow agricultural crop production with minimal erosion and drainage problems . Soil features also add to crop productivity , as one finds significant amounts of Class I , II , and III soils in the County , particularly in the southwest quadrant , where agri - cultural production is most intensive . The lands in this area are irrigated by a system of reservoirs and ditches supplied from the Cache la Poudre River , Big Thompson River , Little Thompson River , St . Vrain Creek , and South Platte River . The supply from these sources is augmented by waters brought from the western slope by the Colorado - Rig Thompson Project . -23- The flat topography of the County has also made the develop- ment of water wells less difficult . Wells are most easily de- veloped in the South Platte River Valley . According to the 1964 "Colorado Ground Water Basic Data Release No . 17" , there were 3 ,810 wells in the County considered to be active in 1964 . Their total rate of yield was estimated at 2 ,273 , 210 gallons per minute in 1964 . Included were 2 ,786 wells being used for irri - gation purposes which yielded a total of 2 ,222 ,571 gallons per minute . Also included were 269 wells yielding a total of 6 ,971 gallons per minute that were used strictly for stock purposes ( State Planning Office , 1972 , p . 38) . The semi -arid climate of the County also has a significant effect on agriculture . The climate is generally one of low humidity , low annual precipitation , and clear skies . The average annual rainfall in central Weld is 11 . 96 inches , and the average annual snowfall is 32 . 3 inches (State Planning Office , 1972 , p . 6 ) , Groundwater and surface water sources thus play a significant role in maintaining high agricultural production levels in the County. Climate plays an even more significant role in the eastern portion of the County where dry-land farming is practiced . In dry years , the lack of moisture may cause acute problems in this area . Also , during the summer months , there is the threat of hail and tornadoes which are capable of causing severe crop damage . (MacPhail , 1972 ) . Tornadoes also cause damage in the southwestern part of the County , although the threat of such is not usually as great in this area . In general , the physical characteristics of the County pro- -24- vide an excellent environment for agricultural pursuits , and nearly 90% of all available water is presently employed for agricultural purposes . Irrigated and dry-land farming togeth- er with livestock production have played significant roles in the economy of the County . As a result , Weld County has been a leader in agricultural production in the State of Colorado . The value of agricultural goods produced in Weld County has increased steadily over the past twenty years (See Table 2 , pp 26a, 26b). In 1969 , the market value of all agricultural prod- ucts sold in the County reached a new high of $317 ,140 ,295 . The value of livestock , poultry and their products in Weld Coun- ty increased $161 ,488 ,728 during the period 1964 to 1969 ( Cen- sus of Agriculture , 1969 ) . In 1971 , out of sixty-three Colo- rado counties , Weld County was ranked Number 1 in the State in the production of barley , dry beans , and sugar beets , and , in 1970 , Number 1 in the production of oats , and all hay . In 1970 , it was ranked Number 2 in the State in the production of corn grain , and Number 4 in the production of winter wheat ( Colorado Agricultural Statistics , 1972 ) . These figures alone give Weld County a significant place in agricultural production in Colo- rado . In 1960 , 25 . 5% of the civilian work force in Weld County was employed in the agricultural sector (Table 3 , o . 27 ) • BY 1970 , this figure had decreased to 14 . 2% . The total number of persons employed in agriculture decreased from 6 ,445 in 1960 to 4 ,958 in 1970 . This decrease was caused by several factors : ( 1 ) a larger civilian work force ; ( 2 ) new centers of employment being created such as the Eastman Kodak plant at Windsor ; and -25- ( 3) new technology , which reduced the labor force needed to carry on agricultural activities . The latter fact is quite significant when it is noted that during the same period , the value of all agricultural products sold in the County increas- ed . This in essence means that as the number of individuals requiring services in the agricultural sector has decreased , the tax value of that sector has increased . Highly capital - ized industries which require a small labor force are of econ- omic benefit to the County . The cost of providing services to that labor force will be less than the revenues received through taxation of the particular industry . This net revenue has enabled County officials to improve and increase services where needed . This puts the farmer in the position of sub- sidizing urbanization which in turn causes conflicts with his way of life . If urban growth is kept in concentrated areas , this inequity in taxation and distribution of services can more feasibly be corrected . Tax levels in agricultural areas could be reduced to more closely reflect the cost of services needed by the farmer , and the urban areas can be levied by rates which will pay for the services demanded by the urban population . In summary , agriculture is a valuable resource in the Coun- ty and an important factor for consideration in the day-to-day decisions which guide and influence the County ' s growth and development . In making such decisions there are various pro- blems facing agriculture which must be dealt with if agricul - ture is to continue as a viable part of the County ' s economy . -26- TABLE 2 AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS WELD COUNTY , COLORADO Number of Farms 1949 4 ,418 1959 3 ,730 1964 3 ,419 1969 3 , 295 Total Acreage in Farms 1949 2 ,180 ,463 1959 2 ,157 ,885 1964 2 ,158 , 550 1969 2 ,450 ,882 Proportion of Total Land Area in Farms (%) 1949 85 . 1 1959 84 . 2 1964 84 . 2 1969 95 . 2 Average Size of Farms (acres ) 1949 493 . 5 1959 578 . 5 1964 631 . 3 1969 743 . 8 Market Value of All Agricultural Products Sold ( dollars ) 1949 78 ,049 ,617 1959 130 ,266 ,062 1964 158 ,875 ,000 1969 317 ,140 , 295 Market Value of Crops Includino Nursery Products and Hay (dollars ) 1949 31 ,877 ,924 1959 36 ,860 , 725 1964 40 ,091 ,055 1969 36 ,874 ,606 Market Value of Livestock , Poultry , and Their Products (dollars ) 1949 46 , 171 ,673 1959 93 ,405 , 337 1964 118 ,776 ,961 1969 280 , 265 , 689 -26a- TABLE 2 con ' t Percent of Tenancy - All Farms 44 . 2 1949 40 . 8 1959 36 . 9 1964 26 . 8 1969 Average Age of Farm Operators - All Farms NA* 1949 NA* 1959 47 . 3 1964 48 . 7 1969 Number of Irrigated Farms 3 ,361 1949 2 ,836 1959 2 , 594 1964 2 ,258 1969 Proportion of All Farms 76 . 1 1949 76 . 0 1959 75 . 9 1964 68 . 5 1969 Farms with Irrigated Land - Number of Acres 879 ,062 1949 1 ,009 ,864 1959 1 ,006 ,000 1964 958 ,801 1969 Number of Acres Irrigated 367 ,067 1949 379 ,316 1959 370 ,345 1964 367 ,491 1969 * Not Available -26b- TABLE 3 AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT WELD COUNTY , COLORADO Amount Percent of of change change 1960 1970 1960-70 1960-70 Civilian Workforce - Total 25 ,911 34 ,807 8 ,896 34 . 3% Unemployed 982 1 ,466 484 49 . 3% Percent employed 3 . 79 4 . 21 0 . 42 Percentage Employed 24 ,929 33 ,341 8 ,412 33 . 7% Agriculture 6 ,445 4 ,958 -1 ,487 -23 . 1 % ( 25 . 5% )* ( 14 . 2%)* Non-agriculture 18 ,484 28 ,383 9 ,899 56 . 6% * Percent of Total Civilian Workforce Employed in Agriculture From State Planning Office Report , 1972 . -27- Weld County has many attributes which make it an attractive location for future development . It offers a rural environ- ment , a clean atmosphere , a fine view of the mountains , and proximity to recreation areas ( RTD , 1972 , p . P-1 ) . As a result , the County is feeling the pressures of population growth which must be carefully guided if agriculture in the County is to survive . In 1972 , studies by the Regional Transportation District recognized two conflicting settlement trends in the County in recent years : ( 1 ) The predominant trend has been the development of land in or around the existing population centers , particularly the city of Greeley , and now the town of Windsor which is recognized as a potential major growth center. ( 2 ) The subordinate trend has been the settlement of rural areas which are not contiguous to the existing cities or towns . This dispersed penetration into rural , undeveloped land has focused at two locations : (a ) Within the Greeley-Loveland-Fort Collins tri - angle ; and ( b) the southwest corner of Weld County along Interstate 25 and U . S . 85 ( RTD , 1972 , p . P-1 ) . It is the latter trend which threatens the County ' s rich agri - cultural lands . Many of the same characteristics which make the County a leading agricultural producer also make it an at- tractive area for extensive residential development . Flat agricultural lands reduce engineering costs . The mild climate of the area is attractive to persons who would live in such develop- -28- ments . The area ' s proximity to the Denver metropolitan area also make the amenities of large urban centers accessible with minimal accommodation of urban inconveniences . Factors such as these have led to inflationary land values in rural areas . However , even with such inflated values , the price of land in these areas is still below that found on land which is conti - guous with the major population centers . The developer is thus attracted to these lands before he is attracted to lands border- ing cities . The cost of providing public services and facilities for residental development in agricultural areas is shared by the farmer and has resulted in higher taxes being placed on the agricultural community . Higher taxes , coupled with rising production expenses in recent years , have nearly driven the small farmer out of business . The resulting trend has been toward large corporate agri -business , at least on those lands which have been retained for agricultural uses . In other cases , the farmer has found that the inflated prices which he can obtain for his land from developers is difficult to refuse since he is being driven out of business by high taxes , caused partly by development on other agricultural land , and rising production costs . Under such economic hardship , it is difficult to continue farming no matter how attached he is to his basic way of life and to the land . This economic trend applies through- out the state of Colorado . As indicated in the following diagram and table from Colorado Agricultural Statistics , 1972 , though gross farm income has increased significantly since 1950 , realized net farm income has shown only a comparatively small increase . -29- TABLE 4 HARE Shams - cOL0RADQ - 1950 - 1970 Million Dollars 1400 I I i 1200 • Realiz d Gro s Farml j+, come . I I CO wa 1000 ---f-- .•4g+ C..0 CO .....! :•:'r4:1 :••y4--:t:414: 800 I �-. .w• . .••••',m�.* 600 .::.::':'3':a:: eC.:; 400 `...�� -.•-. .zA�r1_xp v,,......"...Y. •74. Farm •roduction E • •nro, 200 :-:-**:-:-:-a-:-: ,-.:. .�. *.alt-;•,, ••:.;.:•:.•-- 7 . . .. Realized Net i Farm Y"acome .:i 1950 1955 19601965 1970 EXPENSES: FARM PRODUCTION EXPENSES , COLORADO 1966-70 Item 1966 967 ` 1968 1969 I 1990 Million Dolla s Current operating expenses 138.9 1 `1,3— 134.s 1 161 .8 193.8 Feed 224.2 255.6 233,9 1302.7 382.6 Livestock E seed 7.s 46 15.9 14.5 13.8 Fertilizer and lime 12.7 1 . I Repairs and operation of cap. 73.0 77.7 i 84.5 86,9 9p•6 i items 76.4 78,2 ! 87.1 96.7 110.8 Miscellaneous 57.0 75.2 � 78.0 90.9 93.4 Hired Labor 589.2 662,1 1641 .8 762.3 896.1 Total Depreciation and other con- 86.9 ! 94.7 101 ,4 108.5 112.4 sumption of farm capital Taxes on farm property 35.6 I 29.2 zp,7 35.6 38.4 Interest of farm Mort. debt. 26.4 Net rent to non-farm land- 21 . 18s5 1_9. 5 20 2 24.0 lords 8 — -843.3 -836.1 i 9 9.7 1117.4 Total production expenses. . 759. (Individual items may not add to totals becauseof rounding. ) 0 Another relevant fact is that the average age of farm operators has risen in recent years . It is no longer the case that children return to the farm to continue the family business . They have found that their futures are more certain if alternate opportunities are pursued . As a result the farmer has come to view his land as an investment he can rely upon to secure a sizable income in his retirement years . The effect of all these forces has been a tendency toward uncontrolled urban sprawl into rural areas and increasing conflicts between rural and urban land uses . Although rarely recognized by urban people , the conflict between agricultural and urban land uses is a two-way street . A recent proposal for a feedlot expansion 21/2 miles outside the city limits of Greeley nearly precipitated a political crisis , while the location of a large subdivision within an agricultural area creates little concern except from adjacent farmers whose livelihood is threatened . It is obvious to everyone that a feedlot must be located with careful consideration of its impact on adjacent and , in some cases , distant residential uses . Re- sidential and other urban uses must be located with as much consideration of their impact on adjacent and nearby agricultural uses . The incursion of residential uses into an agricultural area creates numerous problems for the farmer that are not obvious to the suburbanite who lives in the country but works in the city . For example , a subdivision will always increase run-off of storm waters . Where this water collects is not just a matter of rip- -31 - pearance or avoidance of discomfort but a matter of income and livelihood for the farmer . Certain pests appear only after crops are approaching maturity and are too tall to allow mechani - cal spraying . The farmer must rely on aerial crop spraying , but Federal Aviation Administration regulations forbid cropdusters from flying any closer than 500 feet from residences . People must be protected from the dangers of agricultural chemicals , but is it fair to deprive the farmer of an essential service because people want to live in the country and enjoy the open space provided by the farmer ' s fields ? Another source of conflict is the irrigation ditches that are vital to the farmer and to agriculture but are merely at- tractive ( and dangerous ) play areas for the children of sub- urbanites . A problem of safety immediately arises and this usually means fencing of the ditch . Fencing requires main- tenance and makes cleaning of the ditch each spring more diffi - cult and more expensive . The ditch also becomes an attractive target for all sorts of games involving the throwing of objects into the ditch . The siphon tubes used to irrigate crops from the ditch which are vital to the farmer are playthings to children . The irrigation which must be carefully controlled to gain maximum benefit from the specific amount of water owned by the farmer can easily be disrupted by children , as has happened on the westside of Greeley where subdivisions have encroached onto farming areas . All of these problems must be recognized and are just as important to the well -being of the citizens of Weld County as the potential odors from a feedlot 21/2 miles away from the city limits of Greeley. -32- r Scattered development in rural areas has other impli - cations . Residential development in rural areas necessitates an increase of public service to that area . More people in the area demand greater expenditures for educational facilities , for sewer and water facilities , for police and fire protection , and for other services . If the services and facilities in the area are not capable of accomodating the increased population , capital construction costs for new facilities and services are involved . The costs of such expansion will in the end be placed upon the taxpayer , for , as shown by many cost-benefit studies , it is unlikely that the increased tax base resulting from the development of the land will increase revenues to the point of paying for the required new facilities and services . In this regard it is felt that such costs can best be re- duced if development is encouraged around existing population centers which already have a base for extending such facilities and public services . Development around existing population centers also lessens the conflicts which arise between urban and rural land uses . It discourages the break-up of large blocks of agricultural land which are necessary to carry on viable farm operations . Thus increased population is looked upon as an im- pending reality in the County , but also as a factor which must be controlled and encouraged only in those areas where problems and costs to the taxpayer are kept to a minimum . Other benefits are also realized by policies of guided growth . It is the basic agricultural or rural nature of the County which now make it attractive for development . If these characteristics are destroyed , it will become much like any other - 33- sprawling urban area with the problems which people are now trying to escape by moving to rural areas . The entire community stands to lose a great deal if this occurs . The argument has been put forth that we really need not worry about the loss of our agricultural lands to urban pres- sures , that new methods of farm production and technology will make it possible to produce all the food which is needed on a significantly smaller portion of our agricultural lands . It should be realized , however , that unless we can control our population growth in this nation , we will eventually need all of the food products which can be produced on a depleted agri - cultural landscape . The time to realize the significance of such possibilities is now , and not after a major portion of our agricultural resources and land have been lost . The lands held back in the soil bank provide little security against such possibilities , for they are not the best lands . The farmers of this area , like many others in this nation , continue to operate on their most productive soils . In summary , a 1972 study by the University of Colorado Geography Department , entitled Land Use Patterns , Practices and Problems in the Poudre Triangle of Northern Colorado , defines well the comparative social and environmental costs related to both urban-industrial land-use and the adjacent sector of in- tensive rural production . These are delineated as follows : 1 - Urban - Industrial Uses a ) High land values with higher potential governmental income from property taxes . b) High population density with a large number of en- -34- vironmental disfunctions and high costs of control and abatement . c ) High-cost transportation-utility infrastructure . In the dense , built-up areas , the square feet de- dicated to roadway tends to rise by a rough factor of ten with population increase (Lamm and Strang , 1971 ) . d ) High costs of schools , police , courts , fire protection and other public services . e ) A rapid rate of urban growth can be counter-productive in terms of social costs beyond a critical size of cities . 2 - Intensive Rural Production a ) Lower property base as source of potential revenue for local government . b) Need for low taxation as an incentive for continued operations . c ) High aesthetic environmental and open-space amenities . d ) Less complicated and lower level of pollution risks . e ) Lower costs of development and maintenance of trans- portation-utility infrastructure . f) High-quality food-producing reserve for future population increases ( MacPhail , 1972 , pp . 89-90 ) . Other considerations should also be taken into account . First , agriculture adds diversity to the economy of the County , as well as to the economy of the State . A more homogeneous economy is likely to be more susceptible to the rise and fall of govern- ment spending programs or fluctuation in the marketing system . -35- Second , from the national viewpoint , the agricultural economy is likely to be stimulated as our national policies allow greater export of food surpluses to underdeveloped nations . If we sacrifice our agricultural lands now , we will not be able to take advantage of such opportunities ( Ibid . , pp . 90-91 ) , for the transfer of agricultural lands to urban-industrial uses is an irreversible step . In light of such considerations and factors and the growth pressured which the County now feels , policies have been de- veloped to guide and direct growth and development in such a way as to provide and maintain a quality living environment in the County for all its citizens . The following is a state- ment of those policies and their objectives . 1 . Agriculture is looked upon as a valuable resource in the County which could be lost if uncontrolled growth is allowed to occur . In order to maintain the most important segment of the County ' s economy , and the cultural and human values associated with farm life , any uses other than agricultural uses of prime agri - cultural lands will be discouraged . 2 . The expansion of agri -business industries will be en- couraged . 3 . In order to minimize conflicting land uses and mini - mize the cost of new facilities and services to the taxpayer , industrial ( other than that associated with the agricultural sector) , commercial , and residential development will be encouraged only around the 27 ex- isting incorporated towns in Weld County , and only to the extent to which the town wishes the growth . 4 . Because adequate water supplies are essential for ag- ricultural production , transfer of water from agricul - tural to industrial , commercial or residential uses will be encouraged only if such water is considered non-essential to the maintenance of agricultural pro- duction in a particular area . In support of this con- cept , highest priorities will be given to those indus- tries that have low rates of water consumption . In -36- pursuit of these objectives , it will be the policy to develop strong lines of communication between the County and those agencies which control water resources in the County . 5 . In order to enhance and maintain the quality of life and environment in Weld County , and to realize the multiple benefits inherent in agricultural land use , efforts will be made to incorporate farm uses and farm land into overall open space planning . -37- - - __ B. Urban Development It is unfortunate that when the term , developer , is used , it is the subdivider , the industrialist or the real estate - agent who usually come to mind . The farmer is rarely thought of as a developer , but the transformation of a semi -arid land into one of the richest agricultural areas in the nation is certainly development in the highest sense . The development of agriculture as practiced today in Weld County is the result of over 100 years of public and private investment in land , - water and machinery. The largest single investment , however , has been the labor of four generations of farmers . The subdivider , then , can more precisely be called a re- - developer . This redevelopment is very much unlike the develop- ment of agriculture , for it takes a relatively short time , and , once done , is irreversible . We are caught in a vicious circle ,for , as the population grows , the demand for housing depletes farmland while more food to feed this increased population is required . As an urban population invades an agricultural area , more and more services are demanded by this new kind of dweller who wants to live in the country and work in the city . More schools must be built , and more roads must be paved and main- - tained , for the suburbanite loves the country but hates the dust . Part of the cost of providing these facilities and services is passed on to the farmer who does not need them but must help — pay for them . This additional tax burden cuts further into the farmer ' s slim profit margin and increases "rural blight" , the -38- run-down farm that is helping to pay for bright new school rooms and freshly oiled roads . As mentioned before , county government was never intended to provide urban services usually provided by municipalities . The tax burden for urban services can more equitably be distri - buted throughout a town or city , for uniformity in the level of demand and service provided tends to be directly proportional to the compactness of the service area . County services should be reserved for those functions that overlap municipalities , such as licensing and tax collection , and services for the true rural dweller , the farmer. Urban development should be confined within existing cities and towns while the redevelopment of agricultural lands should be carefully controlled in amount and location . This control can be efficiently exercised through cooperative action between Weld County and the municipalities . The municipalities should control growth through , among other things , the use of water and sewer facilities , facilities county government has no authority to provide or maintain . Urban services properly should be under the control of those jurisdictions created for urban life , the towns and cities . If this proposition is accepted , limiting urban growth to the existing towns and cities is the most logical and economical way to accommodate urban growth . Such beneficial control would minimize the cost of urbanization for everyone , including the farmer . All municipalities have the legislative power to service urban needs . Nearly all of the 27 municipalities in -39- Weld County have prepared comprehensive plans to guide their future development and growth . Many of these municipalities would like to accommodate some growth as long as the growth does not put an undue load on facilities and an unfair burden on the taxpayers of the town . Urban development in Weld County must be directed to where the facilities , services and appropri - ate governmental structure already exist , the municipalities . Such direction can only be beneficial for the municipalities and all the taxpayers of Weld County . - The Future Land-Use Map ( in back pocket ) shows the general distribution throughout Weld County of areas proposed for eventual urban development . These areas are based on - comprehensive plans prepared by individual municipalities in the County . A more detailed picture of proposed urbanization within the planning areas of each of the towns can be found in the comprehensive plan for the town in question . Planning for urban development at the county level must be closely coordi - nated with planning for each of these municipalities . At the same time , in order for these towns to guide their future growth successfully , they must make their goals and objectives known to the County and to each other . The Proposed Land-Use - Map for the County should be updated to reflect alterations in the planning areas of the individual towns . Residential Most existing residential development in Weld County is confined to that portion of the County lying along the South -40- Platte Valley and its tributaries flowing in from the West . Within this area of the County , there are two smaller areas which are receiving strong pressure for new residential de- velopment , the Poudre Area , dominated in Weld County by Greeley and influenced by Ft . Collins and Loveland in Larimer County , and the Southwest corner of the County . The Poudre Area can roughly be defined by the following boundaries : on the North by a line parallel to and about 5 miles north of Colorado Highway 14 ; on the South by a line parallel to and about 4 miles south of U . S . Highway 34 and extending about 3 miles further south in the Greeley area to include LaSalle and the Lower Latham Reservoir ; on the West by the foothills of the Rockies ; and on the East by a north-south line just east of the Greeley municipal airport . This entire area is feeling strong pressure for urban development . The greatest concen- tration of existing development in the Weld County portion of the Poudre Area is in the Greeley- Evans area . As noted in Table 1 , page 10 , this area had a population of 41 ,680 in 1970 , or 47% of the Weld County population . The town of Windsor had a population of 1 ,564 in 1970 . The recent location in the Windsor area of a labor intensive industry ,Eastman Kodak , will continue to strongly influence Windsor and the entire Poudre Area . The second portion of Weld County that is feeling strong pressure for residential development is the Southwest corner . This area can be defined as that land within Townships 1 and -41 - 2 of Ranges 66 , 67 and 68 . Here , the influence of the burgeon- ing Denver metropolitan area is causing land to be platted and developed primarily for residential use . Residents in this area are largely employed in the Denver area . This part of the County does not contain a large population concentration such as Greeley , and the on-going residential development tends to be more scattered than in the Weld County portion of the Poudre Area . In 1959 , Weld County appointed its first Planning Commis- sion . One of the first tasks of this Commission was to set up procedures to adequately process and keep records on subdi - vision of land . By looking at those records , we can see how the pressures for development in the County are acting . Al - though some residential development occurs without subdivision , a good picture of residential development can be seen by looking at subdivision records . The assumption is that , in general , the same pressures influence all residential develop- ment so that subdivision is a good indicator of overall resi - dential development . Between November 1960 and November 1972 , there were 67 subdivisions recorded in Weld County . A total of 2 ,851 lots were created by these subdivisions . (These figures and those that follow do not include land which was annexed into a town prior to platting . They include only subdivisions which were platted while the land was in an unincorporated part of the County . Some of the subdivisions included here have been -42- annexed into a town after they were platted . ) Of these 67 sub- divisions , only 5 with 204 lots (7 . 2% of the total ) were located in neither the Weld County portion of the Poudre Area , nor in the Southwest corner described above . In the Weld County portion of the Poudre Area , there were 36 subdivisions with a total of 1 ,312 lots platted during this 12 year period . This represents 46 . 0% of all lots platted in the County during this period . Of these 36 subdivisions , 30 with 1 , 176 lots were located within the planning areas of existing towns . Most of these , 29 , were within the City of Greeley ' s planning area . The 6 subdivisions platted during the 12 year period which were within the Poudre Area , but not closely connected to an existing town , had a total of 136 lots or 10 . 4% of the new lots in the Poudre Area . Development in the Southwest corner presents quite a different picture . During the 12 year period there was about the same amount of platting as in the Poudre Area . A total of 26 subdivisions with 1 ,335 lots or 46 . 8% of all lots platted in the County were located in the Southwest corner . However , only 2 of these subdivisions with 23 lots or only 1 . 7% of all lots in the Southwest corner , were located within the planning areas of the 5 existing towns in that area . The remaining 24 subdivisions with 1 ,312 lots or 98 . 3% of the total in the South- west , were not closely connected to any existing development . Figures for the County as a whole show that 33 subdivisions with a total of 1 ,214 lots or 42 . 5% , were located within the -43- planning areas of existing towns . The other 34 subdivisions with 1 ,637 lots or 57 . 5% , were not closely connected to exist- ing development in the towns . If each of these 1 ,637 lots had - a single-family home built on it , there would be housing avail - able for some 5 ,240 persons , a population greater than any town in Weld County other than Greeley. A town of 5 ,000 people would require a sizeable investment for such facilities as domestic water , sewer and other utilities as well as public services such as fire and police protection . The problems and costs of pro- viding these public goods and services to over 5 ,000 persons can only be magnified if the population served is dispersed rather than concentrated around the sources of the goods and services . Also , the conflicts between the basically urban subdivision and agricultural land are magnified many times when development oc- curs in a dispersed manner . This scattered residential development may represent the desires of people to escape from the problems of the city to a simpler rural atmosphere . However , it must be recognized that this effort to escape urbanization will in the long run be self- defeating . As more and more urbanites flee to rural areas , they will only succeed in creating urban problems as severe as those - from which they fled . The present spot development trend repre- sented by these scattered subdivisions , if allowed to continue , will lead eventually to urban sprawl . Rather than having well - defined communities with which people can identify and which have the ability to plan for and provide urban services , the -44- present trend towards urban sprawl will lead to an ill -defined sea of low density housing with no borders and no centers , served by an overlapping tangle of special districts , and with no rural atmosphere left to comfort the urban refugees . The growth areas of the existing municipalities in Weld County provide ample room to accommodate residential growth . These areas lie within the yellow portions of the Future Land-Use Map , which are based on comprehensive plans prepared by the munici - palities to guide their future growth . The towns should serve as nuclei for urban growth within the County , and , as such , will provide the community identity and the governmental structure to provide and manage the urban services which residential development requires . Weld County recently adopted a new set of subdivision regulations pursuant to the requirements of legislation at the State level . These new laws give the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners increased powers and responsi - bilities with respect to the platting of new subdivisions . In particular , the external effects of development which will follow platting must be taken into account . Subdivision of land must be shown to conform to the overall development goals and policies embodied in the comprehensive plan and conform to all resolutions and regulations in effect in the County (Weld County Subdivision Regulations , 1972 , Section 7-1 ) . Thus , the subdivision regula- tions play a key role in implementing basic development policies of the County. However , they must be supported by a -45- sound , well -conceived comprehensive plan which includes basic guiding policies to plan and guide new residential development in the County . The following policies shall apply to residential develop- ment : 1 . New residential developments which are not closely connected to existing towns shall not be permitted . 2 . Proposals for new residential development around existing towns shall be encouraged only if such proposals conform to the desires of the towns as expressed in their comprehensive plans . 3 . Existing municipalities are the best sources of the public goods and services which are necessary to serve new residential development . These munici - palities shall be given complete support and en- couragement in any efforts to improve their ability to provide basic utilities and services . Commercial Commercial development in the unincorporated area of Weld County has not been extensive thus far . However , almost all of this development has occurred along the major highways , I -25 , U . S . 34 , and U . S . 85 . This trend should not be allowed to continue , for such commercial development works against the primary purpose of transportation arteries , the rapid and safe movement of large volumes of traffic . Land along major arteri - als cannot be used for commercial use without disrupting the controlled access which is such an essential aspect of the -46- proper functioning of arterials . Even along I-25 , which is a grade-separated , controlled-access highway , extensive commercial development will disrupt the functioning of the interchanges , which were not designed to provide commercial crossroads . The motivation to lure traffic from high speed , controlled-access roads conflicts with the very purpose of these roads . Commercial development should be restricted to the incorpo- rated areas of municipalities unless necessary to provide abso- lutely essential highway services . Gasoline stations , restau- rants , motels and other auto-oriented services should be lo- cated with care at areas where problems of access and traffic conflict can be minimized . Location of commercial use outside of existing municipalities will encourage dispersed growth and will be of little aid to the economic well -being of the munici - palities . The public has a right to control development along these major transportation routes , for it is the investment of public treasure in these roads that makes them attractive for commercial use . Commercial land-use in the County should be limited primarily to those agri-business functions that cannot be located in a municipality . Commercial development in Weld County shall be guided by the following policies : (1 ) Commercial development will not be permitted in the unincorporated area of the County unless it can be shown by the developer that the proposed commercial use is impossible to locate within a municipality. -47- ( 2 ) Commercial development that will enhance the agricultural base of the County will be encouraged as long as such development cannot be suitably located within a municipality . (3 ) Auto-oriented commercial uses shall be carefully restricted to minimize problems of traffic con- flicts and shall be allowed only upon demonstration by the developer that the services to be provided are absolutely essential and cannot be located with- in a municipality . (4 ) Detailed development plans shall be required before any rezoning for commercial use will be considered by the Weld County Planning Commission . Industrial Industrial development , like commercial development , should be integrated within a community and not located in the County without regard to its potential impact on adjacent municipali - ties and on County facilities and services . Industrial land use is a vital part of community development . It provides a foundation for a self-sustaining community and prevents the for- mation of " bedroom" towns and the attendant problems created by a commuting citizenry : the lack of tax base for community im- provement and the lack of community identity . Industrial land use in the County should be limited to industries that cannot suitably be located within a municipality . Industries should be encouraged only if they are agriculturally -48- oriented and are not labor intensive . The Weld County Zoning Resolution requires submission of development plans prior to consideration of a zone change for industrial use by the Weld County Planning Commission . This requirement must be strictly enforced . The example of Eastman Kodak near Windsor deserves study . In this case , 4 1 /2 square miles of some of the best agricultural land in the County have been zoned industrial . Less than one-fourth of this area is being utilized for in- dustrial purposes , and no plans for the remaining industrially zoned land have been presented to County authorities . The Eastman Kodak industrial land is contiguous to the Town of Windsor in some places and is four times as large as the Town in area . Here is an example of urban-land use in the County looming over an adjacent town without the town having any power to tax or control the industry . The Weld County Land-Use Policy specifically applies to industrial as well as residential use . The possibility of annexation to a municipality should be a criterion of judgment in any industrial rezoning application . There are examples of industrial zoning granted in the County on land adjoining municipalities . The following policies shall guide industrial development within the unincorporated area of Weld County : (1 ) Zoning for industrial use in areas outside of the planning areas of towns shall be permitted only for low-employee , agriculturally related industries . -49- (2 ) Zoning for industrial use shall be permitted only for those industries that cannot be located within a municipality or within the planning areas of municipalities . (3 ) High-yield agricultural lands shall not be rezoned to industrial use . (4 ) All applications for industrial zoning shall be accompanied by detailed development plans . (5 ) Industrial zoning within the comprehensive planning area of a town shall be allowed only if the pro- posed use is consonant with the comprehensive plan of the town and an agreement to annex is reached between the town and the developer prior to the rezoning . - 50- C . Water and Other Natural Resources The natural resources of an area are an important input in the formation and sustenance of that area ' s economy . In the broadest sense they are the sum of the natural physical endowments of the land which make some activities possible and others impossible . They are the raw materials which man has available to him to him to use for his benefit and well - being . The soils and topography of Weld County may be considered to be its most important natural resource . They sustain an extensive , well -developed agricultural economy which is the principal cornerstone of the overall community . However , since agriculture has been extensively discussed above , this section will omit further discussion . Instead , this section concentrates on an equally vital resource for agriculture and _ all other human activities , water . Part ( 1 ) is devoted to a discussion of water , and part ( 2) is concerned with mineral resources . Water As noted in Chapter 1 , Weld County lies in a semi -arid region . Where water is readily available , it is the result of rather extensive develooment . Over the years there has been a large public investment in facilities to trap , store , and distribute water from mountain snows to the level plains where it can be efficiently used . The intensive agricultural development in the broad valleys of the South Platte River and its tributaries which flow into Weld County from the West -51 - is based on irrigation from this water system. The development of water resources has allowed more than agriculture to prosper in Weld County . Industry and commerce and homes are also water users , and the cities and towns in the County are all dependent on an adequate water supply . The total supply of water available to the County is an im- portant limiting factor on the amount and type of man ' s act- ivities which can be supported . This total supply is limited ; it may be increased to a small extent through the development of local water projects or the development of new ground water resources , but large transmountain diversion projects are monuments of the past . The total water supply in the state has largely been developed and appropriated , and significant increases to the supply in Weld County are unlikely . At present nearly 90% of water usage in Weld County is - by the agricultural sector ( RTD , Weld County Profile , 1972 , p . P1 ) . However , between 1964 and 1969 the amount of irrigat- ed farm land in Weld County decreased by 2 ,854 acres . Current forces for urbanization will continue to deplete the present allocation of water for agricultural useage in the County . Colorado Water law has been designed to allow water to be al - located by the market . There is no requirement which ties water rights to the land . It can be bought and sold and trans - ferred in manner and place of use with a minimum of legal re- quirements being met . The only legal requirement on the use of water is that it be " beneficial " . The state Constitution -52- does set an hierarchy of preference in the way in which water is to be used beneficially . Domestic use has the first pre- ference system has been interpreted by the courts to mean that a higher preferred use can condemn water being used for a lower preference , not that water must be available to all higher preferences before a lesser preferred use can be made . Furthermore , since most industrial water is supplied by mun- icipal systems which are classed as domestic , agriculture tends to be the least preferred use , and the most likely to be on the losing side of condemnation suits . Since nearly all of man ' s activities are water using , and since the total supply is limited , increases in any one type of water use can only be accomplished by decreasing the use of another type . Thus , if municipal water use increases , this in- crease will be met largely by decreasing other uses , princi - pally agricultural use . Felix Sparks , head of the Colorado Water Conservation Board , has noted that this trade-off exists for Colorado as a whole , and his statement of the problem is certainly pertinent to Weld County : Much of the water being used today in Colorado cities was originally decreed for agricultural purposes . It was either condemned or purchased by the cities . Virtually all future municipal increases in water useage will come about at the expense of the agricultural community . ( Lamm and Strang , 1971 , p . 19) . As with other limited resources , the allocation among com- peting users is accomplished primarily through a market mech- anism. Traditionally , water has moved to those uses which pay -53- the highest price . A good illustrative example is offered by a recent sale of water in Las Animas County . Water owned by a ditch company was sold to a land development firm. However , a second ditch company and the State Department of Game , Fish , and Parks also tried to buy the water. The price was bid up from $300 per share to $750 per share over a period of one and a half years . The sale of water by the ditch company affected the entire community , but only a few people actually made the decision ( Myers , 1971 ) . That the benefits of some water uses are not fully reflected in dollar returns , and that the free market will not allocate water by itself in a way which is best for the community was the lesson learned by this particular sale of water in Las Animas County . The importance of water , the irreversibility of some com- mitments of water use and the fact that practically all uses of water are eventually interconnected , make the allocation of water on something more than an auction basis an imperative necessity for planned growth in Colorado . Governor John Love has described allocation of water as Colorado ' s "ultimate weap- on " in future planning . He indicated that water is the major means by which the State can control and direct growth . Accord- ing to the Governor , Colorado must develop a comprehensive water plan which would allocate water to agriculture , municipalities and industries on a statewide basis and enable the State to make conscious decisions about water use . -54- The ownership and control of water can be quite complex . Various types of organizations , public and private , control most of the water in Colorado . In Weld County the predominate water controlling entities can be classed as follows : 1 . Ditch and reservoir companies ; 2 . Special districts ; 3 . Municipalities ; and 4 . The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District . Although the County has a responsibility to insure that new development is adequately supplied with water , it has no actual ownership or control over the water supply . However , the public does pay a part of the cost of supplying domestic and industrial water through financing of public water systems . The County has an obligation as an agent of the public to keep these costs down . The County ' s water resource shall be managed according to the following policies : 1 . In all land-use decisions , the broad effect of transfers of water useage which may result from the proposals at hand shall be taken into account . 2 . An adequate water supply shall be a primary prerequisite for any new land land development . 3 . Strong communication lines between the County and the various agencies which control the water supply shall be developed and maintained . 4 . The public cost of providing domestic and industrial water shall be minimized . -55- Mineral Resources Several mineral resources have been extracted from various areas of Weld County . The primary minerals are sand and gravel , coal , petroleum and gas . Although these operations form a rel - atively minor part of the County economy at present , they poten- tially could have a strong impact on the County . The present building boom in the Front Range Corridor will cause an increasing demand for sand and gravel deposits in Weld - County . The extraction of sand and gravel causes a drastic im- pact on the land being mined . Since sand and gravel deposits frequently are found in or near floodplains , extraction must follow a rehabilitation plan and not vice versa as is the usual case . The increasing use of energy in the country may lead to a regeneration of coal mining in the County . Coal mining , too , must be a planned process to reduce the impact on lands in the County which are underlain by coal deposits . All mineral resources are fixed in location . The mineral extraction industry is therefore restricted in its operations to those areas where the resources lay. Residential , commer- cial or industrial development over those areas will reduce or remove the feasibility of ever developing the minerals in aues- tion . The following policies shall apply to mineral resources : 1 . Access to future mineral resource development shall be considered in all land-use decisions . The location of mineral deposits and their importance shall be deter- mined in cooperation with the Colorado Geological Survey . -56- 2 . Lands shall not be mined unless a rehabilitation plan is approved by the Board of County Commissioners . -57- O. Environmental Protection Throughout history man has struggled to overcome environ- mental adversities . Today , the struggle is one of undoing what man has done to the environment . In North America , the de- struction of the Indian cultures meant the replacement of a deep , abiding respect for the balances in nature with an ethic of exploitation . After decimating entire species of animals and poisoning even the ocean and the very air we breath , we are slowly coming to the realization that man as master of all animals must also master himself . In photographs taken from Apollo spacecraft , the activities of man show up as gray blotches amidst the blue and green of nature . We are led to ask , as did Loren Eiseley , " Is not man but a planetary disease?" Fortunately , concern by an aroused public has led to the enactment of many state and federal laws that attempt to protect the environment . One of the most significant of these laws is the National Environmental Protection Act of 1969 . It proved that environ- mental protection is a national concern as well as a political and legal reality . This law requires environmental impact studies on all federal projects . These studies must determine : 1 . Any adverse environmental effects that could not be avoided should the proposed action be undertaken . 2 . Alternatives to the proposed action . 3 . Any other anticipated , direct environmental impacts . 4 . Irreversible or irretrievable commitments of resources that would be involved should the proposed action be implemented . -58- - 5 . The relationship between short-term use of the envir- onment and its long-term productivity . This kind of environmental assessment must be incorporated in- to the long-term planning process in Weld County . Such assess- ment will measure the short-term advantages against the long- term , permanent effects on the environment and the depletion of the natural resources that are critical for the ecological well -being of the County . With the help of Federal and State agencies , Weld County hopes to protect the quality of the environment through con- trol of land use and pollution sources . It must be realized that all uses of land by man are environmentally disruptive . The task is to minimize this disruption . Urban uses of land are among the most disruptive and always displace less disrup- tive uses , usually agriculture . Although there are degrees of disruption depending on the type of use and the characteristics of the land proposed for the use , certain lands must be totally protected . Two areas where any building of structures can be catastrophically disruptive are flood plains and over aquifer recharge areas . Most streams and creeks in the County are subject to flash flooding by spring and summer storms and to major floods in extremely wet years . As noted in Chapter 1 , the drainage pat- tern of the County is dendritic and , therefore , intricately interrelated . The disruption of a small gully or draw has con- sequencies far greater than its local effect in time of flood . A -59- report done for RTD , An Ecological Planning Study , puts the matter succinctly : Floods may be acts of God , but buildings in flood plains are follies for which men alone are responsible , while flood relief is a cost which all society is obliged to bear (RTD , 1972 ) . If the flood plain is to be protected , it must first be delineated . The width of the flood plain of the Cache la Poudre River between Fort Collins and Greeley is being determined by the Larimer-Weld Regional Planning Commission . A similar study will be done so that the flood plain of the South Platte River in Weld County can be delineated . The flood plains as shown on the Future Land Use Map were determined through soil association data . Delineation of the flood plains will be updated as soon as data from engineering studies become available . The major aquifers are located in alluvial valleys , " in the sand and gravel which make up the subsurface portion of our major streams . . . " (Colorado Geologic Survey , 1969 , p . 40 ) . These aquifers must be protected for they are " locally re- charged and are hydraulically linked to the streams flowing over them" (RTD , 1972 ) . Pollution of aquifer recharge areas will in many cases mean pollution of streams . Aquifer recharger areas also occur miles away from any flowing streams . All aquifer recharge areas must be protected , for pollution in or near these areas will have severe consequences for ground water users miles away , and any building or paving over these areas will diminish -60- their capacity to resupply water-bearing strata that provide domestic and agricultural water .for many users (See Chapter 3 , Agriculture ) . The areas that must be protected are identi - fied on the Aquifer and Aquifer Recharge Area Map . Our major aquifers are the sole water source for many towns . Pollution of rivers (and other aquifer recharge areas ) is not just a matter of our concern for fish and wildlife but a concern for the health and safety of many citizens of Weld County . Considering the serious consequences of polluting our rivers , it is appalling to see the junk autos and every kind of debris in the South Platte , Big Thompson and Cache la Poudre rivers . For example , the Cache la Poudre River as it travels from the Rocky Mountains to its confluence with the South Platte River , is transformed from a live , trout stream into one that supports primarily algae , slime molds and coliform bacteria . How human negligence and unwise land-use can change a unique natural resource into a health hazard is the lesson here . Recent federal legislation indicates that the days of environmental laissez-faire are over . Eventually , our rivers and streams will have to be protected from all sources of pollution under federal and state law. They must also be protected from those land uses that would alter the stream and river channel . Such alteration worsens silt and erosion problems , destroys wildlife habitat and drastically alters downstream flow char- acteristics . All flood plains should be so zoned , and the provisions of the zone should protect streams and rivers from any channel alteration . -61 - There are other areas that , along with flood plains , a- quifers and rivers , must be kept free from the activities of urban man . These include areas of steep slope , unstable geo- logy and soils , and unique natural scenery . The impact of any proposed land use on these areas must be considered as part of the long-term planning process in Weld County . Once those areas that must be kept free from urban develop- ment are determined , the development that takes place must be planned and designed to minimize its environmental impact . After proper location , proper design and operation must follow. The cattle feedlot provides a good example of how proper design can minimize its environmental impact . Cattle generate considerably more organic wastes than a comparable number of people . Also , the services associated with feedlots may con- tribute to biochemical oxygen demand and chemical pollution through the use of pesticides for dipping and spraying . How- ever , if feedlots are properly located and planned , they can be operated as efficient , non-polluting industries . Feedlot pollution can be minimized through a total -system approach . All effluent is retained on the lot , and drainage from storms is not allowed to pass through the lot . Feedlot discharges are not treated as wastes , but rather as natural resources capable of being "recycled " on farm land as fertilizer to enrich the land and increase its ability to produce feed and silage for the feedlot . Therefore , through proper site location and proper management , feedlots are an asset to the County , for they generate surrounding agricultural activity , create tax revenue and require -62- few expenditures from local government for public services . Just as feedlots have optimum sites for best land use and protection of the environment , so do housing developments , industries and other urban uses . As discussed earlier , the general policy of Weld County concerning urban development is to encourage growth around the existing towns . Many specific points have been made through- out this plan that are supportive to this urban development policy . Prime agricultural land should be preserved so man can feed himself , but also because agriculture creates the least environmental impact of any kind of land-use in Weld County . If urban development is controlled and located in a coherent manner , the impact of urbanization will be less detrimental to the environment than if urban growth were allowed to proceed without this control . One of the most visible and noxious forms of pollution in the entire Front Range area is caused by the automobile . Scattered development can only make the situa- tion worse . Scattered development will mean more people driving from greater distances to job sites and market centers and more air pollution . It also makes public transit less feasible , for scattered , unrelated packets of population cannot be connected in a transportation network without enormous expense to the public . Location of new urban development in and around existing towns will also make quality sewage treatment facilities more economically feasible. Since urban land-uses create enormous environmental dislocations , it makes sense to minimize the area of such dislocations . Adequate pollution control requires large -63- expenditures of public funds for facilities and is possible only where the tax revenue is available . Scattered development not only diffuses this revenue but also increases the costs of providing adequate treatment facilities . With the foregoing in mind , the following policies shall be implemented to protect the environmental quality of Weld County : 1 . Flood plains , and other areas unsuitable for development shall be kept open . 2 . Any land-use that will pollute any body of water , aquifer or aquifer recharge area shall be prohibited . 3 . All proposed changes in land-use will be evaluated for its potential environmental impact before such changes are allowed . -64- E . Open Space As urban growth pressures continue to increase , the need for effective planning for our open space and recreation areas also increase . The crowded conditions of many of our nation ' s urban areas give warning that any urban development must be accompanied by sound open space planning and acquisitions . The human need that open space fulfills is difficult to define , but the great migrations of people from urban areas to parks and recreation areas during holiday , weekend , and vacation per- iods provide ample evidence that open space and recreation areas are a critical part of man ' s environment . The people of Weld County are fortunate in having mountain recreation areas within a short drive from the most-populated portions of the County . They are also fortunate in having sev- eral major streams and rivers . The river and stream channels and their flood plains form natural open space corridors through the County and provide an open space gift that we must cherish and protect . These areas must be kept free from any activities of man that will damage their natural functions , such as pro- viding drainage and habitat for fish and wildlife . If these nat- ural functions are protected and simply allowed to go on , we will gain the gift of open space without expenditure of a single dollar . The flood plains of the major streams and rivers of the County as delineated on the Future Land-Use Map must be left open to allow these natural processes to continue as they have ages before the arrival of man . -65- Another asset that the people of Weld County are fortunate in having is agriculture . The vast fields of crops and pas - ture provide a large proportion of the citizens of the County with open space free of charge and maintenance . This open space , like our rivers and streams , will continue to confer many benefits upon us if we recognize and protect it . Too many agricultural areas have allowed this asset to be destroyed only to realize that farms provide more than physical nourishment . The Land-Use Policy of Weld County in protecting agriculture will also protect this asset that fulfills such an important need for the people living in cities and towns . Agricultural use of lands , particularly along streams and rivers , also has potential for recreational use that is now re- ceiving more and more attention . Weld County is one of five counties in Colorado participating in the 1972 Pilot Public Ac- cess Program established by the U . S . Department of Agriculture , Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service . This pro- gram is designed to test the feasibility of paying farmers to open their land for public hunting , fishing , hiking , and trap- ping uses . If the pilot studies are successful , it is possible that more private lands can be opened for public recreation act- ivities of this nature . Such a program will benefit both the farmer and the urban dweller through wise multiple use of land . Open space and green belts , whether they are in the form of - developed parks , river flood plains , or agricultural lands , serve another important function besides satisfying human needs -66- for recreation and esthetic purposes . This other function is community identity . If urban development is concentrated around the existing towns in the County , open space and green belt between the urban areas can be maintained to give defini - tion to those areas . For example , open space in the form of the Poudre River and agricultural land-use allow us to per- ceive the difference , for example , between leaving Greeley and entering Windsor , Eaton or Kersey . If these open areas are lost , and these towns become merely parts of sprawling , scattered urban development , the towns will lose their identity , and their residents will lose a valuable sense of community . In Weld County , we still have a choice . We still have large areas which can be protected to meet our need for open areas . We still can enjoy the benefits of our largely rural environment within a few minutes drive from our towns and cities . We are fortunate in that our towns and cities are for the most part still clearly defined communities . However , as population increases , and more and more land is converted to residential , industrial or commercial uses , our open space land and the many benefits they afford us will be lost forever unless we protect them. Weld County realizes that now is the time to consider our open space needs . At this time studies directed at developing a comprehensive open space program are being conducted under the auspices of the Larimer-Weld Regional Planning Commission . -67- r This study is directed at researching , analyzing and accomp- lishing the following : ( 1 ) An inventory of all publicly-owned open space now existing in the two-county area ; (2 ) Definition of standards and criteria to be used in identifying open space deficiencies and projecting _ future open space needs ; ( 3) Identification of those lands best suited as open space areas , and exploration of methods available for acquiring or preserving these lands ; (4 ) Identification of the relationship of open space to existing policies , objectives , and land use practices ; ( 5 ) Delineation of recommendations , based upon communica- tion with the various jurisdictions in the area , on how needed open space can best be acquired or pre- served ; and ( 6 ) Encouraging citizen participation in identifying open space and recreation needs and potential open space and recreation areas in the two-county area . This study is scheduled for completion on May 30 , 1973 . At that time , open space and recreation needs , as well as policies and objectives associated with meeting these needs , will be more precisely defined . Current policies aimed at providing open space areas for future needs are identified as follows : ( 1 ) Maintain the flood plains of rivers , creeks and -68 gulches in an open state through the adoption of flood plain and resource conservation zoning . Development in these areas shall not be allowed because of the poten- tial damage over a large area in times of floods (See Chapter 1 , "Geography" ) . Such areas should be retained for agricultural uses which will not subject surround- ing lands to such risks . (2 ) Protect other lands defined as suitable open space areas through such methods as : a ) Acquisition of open space areas on the natural bound- daries of communities ; b) Acquisition of open space easements and other partial interests in open land ; c ) Acquisition of areas containing usual geological formations , scenic areas and historic sites ; and d ) "Legacy of Parks " planning . ( 3 ) Maintain the integrity and soundness of existing commun- ities by encouraging permanent open space "green belts " around them. Current policies directed at the retention of agricultural land uses in the County can go far to- ward providing such open space areas . -69- F . Transportation An analysis of existing highways and future urban growth in Weld County has pointed up several important areas of con- cern . There is a serious need to upgrade several existing State and County highways to major arterial status ( including some controlled and/or limited access highways ) in order to improve continuity of travel , alignment , capacity and safety . Improved access to the Eastman Kodak plant , especially from existing major population centers ( i . e . , Greeley , Ft . Collins and Loveland ) must be provided . Transportation planning must also recognize the long-range urban development possibilities of the extreme southwest corner of Weld County , which is al - ready feeling the pressures of the expanding Denver-Boulder- Longmont region . Additional high-capacity highway facilities in the Greeley area (e . g . , a north-south facility on the west side of Greeley and an east-west facility on the north side ) is needed . Additional travel capacity between Greeley , Love- land and Ft . Collins must be provided as these cities grow from the present total population of about 150 ,000 to over 300 ,000 as projected by 1990 . Finally , improved access and upgrading of existing highways in rural portions of eastern and northern Weld County is needed . The Thoroughfare Plan that has been developed should not be construed as a detailed plan that is fully documented with traffic volume forecasts , engineering costs and benefits , and land-use impacts . It does not have this detailed background . -70- Rather , the Thoroughfare Plan has been prepared after an examination of the present systems of highways in Weld County and after considerations of known deficiencies and anticipated future development patterns . The Northern Colorado Area Transportation Study , under joint preparation by the Larimer-Weld County Regional Planning Commission and the Colorado State Highway Department , will supply the details and refine the Thoroughfare Plan into a working document as the information becomes available and the details are worked out . The Thoroughfare Plan is based on a previous "preliminary highway plan " prepared by A . M . Voorhees and Associates in 1971 . The Voorhees ' plan was prepared as a separate document and not as an element of the Comprehensive Plan . The Thoroughfare Plan is a compilation of town highway plans , adjacent county highway plans and the interconnecting State and Weld County road system. The Plan indicates the approximate routes for existing and proposed major roads . These roads are specifically shown to facilitate acquisition of adequate right-of-way and to minimize conflicting land- uses along these routes . Any new subdividing , zoning or con- struction should be checked against the Thoroughfare Plan to insure that adequate right-of-way is reserved or dedicated for future road needs as indicated on the Plan . Any rezoning for more intensive uses adjacent to routes shown on the Plan should not be allowed unless dedication of - 71- adequate right-of-way is provided because land once zoned for residential , industrial or business uses becomes much more costly to acquire . The least intensive zoning classification (Agriculture ) should be maintained until the right-of-way has been set aside . Construction or subdivision without sufficient dedication of right-of-way will negate the purpose of the Thoroughfare Plan and systematic highway planning in Weld County . All land-use decisions , including issuing of building permits , must , as a matter of procedure , be checked against the Thoroughfare Plan to insure that an adequate street and highway system for Weld County can be provided in the most efficient and economical manner . Every attempt has been made to base the Thoroughfare Plan upon accepted principles of highway system planning . The following policies regarding transportation planning and land- use decisions that affect the highway and street system of Weld County are based on the most important of these principles . 1 . Policies Related to Transportation Goals a . The thoroughfare system shall be developed on a regional scale . b . Thoroughfare facilities shall be developed as a unified , integrated system , which includes con- trolled-access routes , arterial and collector streets , and in the cities and where warranted , terminal facilities and public transportation routes . - 72- c . Existing street and highway facilities shall be utilized to the maximum extent possible . d . New and improved facilities shall be provided in travel corridors where major service de- ficiencies exist or in corridors which will become critically overloaded by 1990 . 2 . Policies Related to System Design a . The system should realize the great rural and urban design potentials of Weld County . Ample rights-of-way , extensive landscaping , and care- ful attention to views and amenities will im- prove highways as integral parts of the environ- ment . b . Continuity shall be maintained in the character , alignment and capacity of major thoroughfares . Limited-access highways shall form a complete system with no disconnected ends or segments . c . Regularity of spacing shall be provided . Each highway type shall have its distinctive service areas and convergence of several major routes shall be avoided . d . Capacities shall be balanced with demands . This implies closer spacing of facilities in areas of higher densities . e . Directness of travel and simplicity of design shall be encouraged . -73 - 3 . Policies Related to Land-Use Goals a . The thoroughfare system shall relate to existing land-uses and topographic features . The system shall interconnect important commercial , employ- ment and recreational centers in the County . b . The system shall be designed to minimize dis- ruption of existing community patterns , although it is likely that some dislocations may be neces- sary . Highways shall not divide functional land- use areas . c . Highway facilities shall be provided where they will enhance the growth and improvement of existing urban areas . d . The system shall relate to future land-use , serving to guide and coordinate the County ' s urban growth . The system shall reflect established regional planning goals . e . Highway facilities shall be located and designed so that they do not cause undue land speculation or diminish the rich agricultural base of Weld County . f. Any rezoning , subdividing or building adjacent to routes shown on the Thoroughfare Plan shall not be approved unless adequate right-of-way is dedicated . The right-of-way to be dedicated shall conform to the standards provided on the Thoroughfare Plan . - 74- G . Utilities , Public Goods and Services Utilities and public goods and services provide for com- munity needs of the people throughout Weld County . Included in this category are water , sewer and other utilities , police and fire protection , roads , and health and educational facil - ities . As urban development takes place , County officials must be sure that these services are available or can be provided . The subdivision regulations , zoning resolution , special use permits and building permits provide administrative procedures to ensure that public facilities keep pace with private devel - opment . The Board of County Commissioners is not only responsible to the public to see that these facilities are adequately sup- plied and that they meet certain standards , but also to mini - mize the costs of providing these facilities . Private utility companies meet initial costs by charging installation fees . Then , monthly rates are charged to offset the costs of services and maintenance and to generate profit . The role of the County and special districts is more complex . As discussed in Chapter 2 , studies have shown that the cost that local governments bear to provide services to new developments often exceeds the tax revenue provided by these developments , particularly residential developments . New development also creates a strain on special districts . It should be pointed out that the County and special districts receive the same revenue from a given development with- in the County or district whether the development is many miles -75- from service facilities or nearby. Location is a major deter- minant of the costs of providing public facilities , and it is an obligation of public officials to direct new development to minimize this cost . If new urban growth is directed in and around existing municipalities , the cost of urbanization in terms of providing public services and facilities , can be min- imized . It is also probable that the quality and quantity of services provided will be greater if the populations served are concentrated rather than scattered . A deficit in net tax revenue created by servicing a given development will mean either increased taxes for every taxpayer in the taxing jurisdiction or a reduction of services for every person in the taxing jurisdiction . In effect , whenever public facilities are not provided in the most economical manner pos- sible , the public through the County government and special districts are unnecessarily subsidizing urban development , for the County and special districts are legally and morally obli - gated to bus school children , maintain roads , and provide police and fire protection whether or not the development pays for it- self . The Board of County Commissioners has established a Utilities Review Advisory Committee to review and coordinate provisions for utilities in all applications for subdivision approval . Such applications are also forwarded to all utility companies and special districts concerned with the proposed subdivision for their review and comment . In this way , the County hopes to minimize the cost of providing services to new urban developments . -76- Provision of adequate public facilities requires extensive public monetary investment that obligates taxpayers both pre- sent and future to a long-term indebtedness . Rapid and unplan- ned urban growth makes it impossible for local government to provide adequate facilities and services . Such growth usually means a rise in taxes along with diminution of services and facilities . In California , where urban growth has been most rampant , the cities of Pleasanton and Livermore have stopped issuing building permits until the public facilities catch up with existing development . This is a drastic measure but was necessitated by too rapid growth . Hopefully , such a situation can be prevented in Weld County through careful planning and controlled growth . Recently , the Environmental Protection Agency has stressed the economy of regional sewage treatment facilities in its ev- aluation of federal aid applications . Such economy , however , may be false economy , for a regional facility will encourage growth between the towns served by a joint facility. The ident- ity of the towns will then be obliterated , and they will share anonymity as well as a common sewage treatment plant . Since the capacity for sewage treatment is an important determinant on the growth a town can accomodate , the treatment plants should be enlarged and improved to handle the amount of population growth that the town desires rather than engulfing the town in a regional growth pattern imposed from above . -77- In evaluating proposed new development , the following policies concerning utilities , public goods and services shall apply : ( 1 ) Any development that will create an undue burden on existing public facilities and will diminish the cap- acity of public agencies to maintain the existing level of services shall not be allowed . (2) All new development shall have adequate utilities and public services . ( 3 ) Proliferation of service districts shall be opposed , while consolidation of existing service districts shall be encouraged as long as such consolidation improves the capacity of existing municipalities to improve services . (4) Regionalization of service and facilities shall be opposed if it will lead to growth which is not com- patible with the desires of the towns involved . -78- CHAPTER FOUR IMPLEMENTATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS REGULATIONS OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES MAINTENANCE OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES CHAPTER 4 IMPLEMENTATION If the dual objectives of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan , namely the protection of agricultural lands and controlled urbanization , are to be realized , the policies enumerated in Chapter 3 must be implemented through specific land-use deci - sions made by the Board of County Commissioners . The policies provide general guidelines for decisions in a given area in- volving land-use , but for decisions on specific cases , the policies must be backed up by factual information organized to facilitate decision making . The actual implementation of the policies will occur through the enforcement of land-use regulations , namely zoning and subdivision regulations and building permits . If the policies are to be fully implemented , there will have to be close coordination with other govern- mental and public agencies . The following sections discuss these facets of implementation , that is , information systems , regulations and coordination with other public and govern- mental agencies . A. Information Systems The availability of information upon which to base day-to- day decisions is a critical necessity to implement planning policies . The soundness of decisions made by elected and ap- pointed officials depends to a great extent on the factual information available to them . In recognition of such needs , the Weld County Board of County Commissioners has enabled the collection and integration of such data to be an important part -79- of the tasks performed by the Weld County Planning Office . In the Weld County Planning Office , a number of systems have been developed to place available information into a form which is most useful to decision-makers . The systems include the following : 1 . A system of transparent overlay maps which allow graphic display in any desired combination of such information as topography , geology , soils , current land-use , service and utility systems , hydrology , etc . 2 . Studies which have defined and analyzed particular problems in the County , such as housing needs , public facilities , sewer and water , etc . 3 . A substantial library of materials to enable research and analysis of specific problems in Weld County , as well as other areas . Such research can provide the planner with a comprehensive overview of problems which have been experienced in other urban growth areas . It can aid in avoiding similar problems in Weld County and providing a wide range of alternatives for consideration in terms of our own land-use policies . A. A Computerized Data Bank : Currently , Weld County , in conjunction with the University of Northern Colorado , Bureau of Business and Public Research , is forming a computerized data bank called the Northern Colorado Regional Information System. Similar efforts are being carried on in Larimer County , and the ultimate goal is to produce a Larimer-Weld Regional data information system. -80- The data bank project is coordinating U . S . Census data with County Assessor information and tying all information to a land identification system. Other information such as soil types may be added to the system in the future . When complete , the system should be able to produce information from the various sources about any area described by range (s ) , block (s ) , and lot (s ) . In this way , specific land-use proposals can easily be compared against existing conditions in and around the area of the pro- posal . The data bank will greatly increase the amount of organized , factual information available to decision-makers . It will greatly aid them in judging whether or not specific proposals will further overall County and regional goals . It will also provide the capability of looking at the entire County or region and judging how well specific objectives are being accomplished . In order to continually update these systems , cooperation and communication with the various Federal , state and local agencies which can develop and provide such information is needed . Programs have been initiated with universities in the area to take advantage of the most up-to-date expertise and knowledge available . The data bank described above is one example of such cooperation . The Department of Geography at the University of Colorado recently completed a study identifying land use pro- blems in the Fort Collins - Loveland - Greeley area in cooperation with Weld and Larimer counties . A continuing internship pro- gram has been instituted with Colorado State University , which allows students from the University to work on "real " problems , while contributing to the data bank in areas where deficiencies -81 - exist . In general , deficiencies in information sources do exist , but continuing efforts are being made to correct such deficiencies and build a sounder basis for decision making in County Planning . Perhaps the most critical factor involved in the implementation of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan is the information which is available for defining those areas where development ( in- cluding commercial , residential and industrial ) should be en- couraged . Defining those lands which must be protected from urban encroachment or uncontrolled urban sprawl is not suffi - cient . Viable alternatives to development on such protected - lands must be provided in the realization that growth in the County is inevitable . Decisions must be made which define what may be termed the " highest and best" use of lands in particular - areas of the County . The initial step , however , in developing an information system to determine the best land-use in the County have been directed toward establishing criteria to de- termine what lands are prime agricultural lands and toward establishing a procedure to evaluate a given land-use proposal that would affect agricultural lands .If agriculture is to remain a viable part of the County ' s economy , those resources on which it depends must not be lost . The most critical resource is the lands in the County which — support agricultural production activities . If a decision is made to allow urban development on such lands , it should be realized that such a decision is irreversible . Once structures are placed on such lands , it is unlikely that they will be re- -82- moved so that a plow may once again turn the soil . If , on the other hand , the decision is made to save these rich agricultural lands from irretrivable loss , it is of utmost importance that the location of such lands be defined and effort be made to protect them from conflicting urban uses . The General Soil Map , which is included as a part of this Plan , is the first step in de- fining where the prime agriculture lands of Weld County are located . The quality of the soils is the basic factor in de- termining the capability of lands to support agricultural pro- duction . Soils information used in such analysis is provided by the U . S . Soil Conservation Service and was derived from soil surveys conducted by that agency in cooperation with the Colo- rado Agricultural Experiment Station . The General Soil Map included in this Plan relies on the analysis of soil associations as a basis for determining the capability of lands to support agricultural uses . A particular soil association consists of a grouping of soils which have similar character , slope , erodability , use and potential . The capability classification defined by the map is a method used by the Soil Conservation Service to group soils to show , in a general way , their suitability for most kinds of farming . It is a classification based on the limitations of the soils , the risk of damage when they are used , and the way they respond to treatment . The classification does not apply to most horti - cultural crops or to rice and other crops that have special requirements . The soils are classified according to degree and kind of permanent limitation , but without consideration of -83- major and generally expensive landforming that would change the slope , depth , or other characteristics of the soils , and without consideration of possible but unlikely major reclamation projects . (U . S . D .A . Soil Conservation Service , 1971 , p . 34 ) In the capability system used by the Soil Conservation Service , all soils are grouped at three levels : the capability class , the subclass , and the unit . The capability classes defined on the General Soil Map are designated by Roman numerals I through VIII . The numerals indicate progressively greater limitations and narrower choices for practical use and are defined as follows : (U . S . D .A . Soil Conservation Service , 1971 , p . 34 ) Class I . Soils have few limitations that restrict their use . Class II . Soils have moderate limitations that reduce the choice of plants or require moderate conservation practices . Class III . Soils have severe limitations that reduce the choice of plants , require special conservation practices , or both . Class IV . Soils have very severe limitations that restrict the choice of plants , require very careful managment , or both . Class V . Soils are subject to little or no erosion but have other limitations , impractical to remove , that limit their use largely to pasture , range , woodland , or wildlife food and cover . Class VI . Soils have severe limitations that make them gen- erally unsuited to cultivation and limit their use largely to pasture or range , woodland , or wildlife food and cover. Class VII . Soils have very severe limitations that make them unsuited to cultivation and that restrict their use largely -84- to grazing , woodland , or wildlife . Class VIII . Soils and landforms have limitations that pre- clude their use for commercial plant production and re- strict their use to recreation , wildlife , or water supply , or to esthetic purposes . Since the General Soil Map included in this Plan is based on soil associations , each delineation may contain soils dif- ferent from those shown on the map . Further , delineations of irrigated , non-irrigated and rangeland are generalized to show only the predominant practice employed in a large area . Thus , the map may be used best as a general guide for showing where concentrations of prime agricultural land may be found in the County. The map should be used to identify those proposed land uses that would be detrimental to agriculture and that would merit additional study . The latter , more detailed analysis of specific cases , should be based on detailed soils maps , and on site inspections . Table 5 illustrates the general nature of delineations based on soil associations . Table 6 and Airphoto 1 illustrate the more detailed delineations of specific soil types which may be included in such association groupings . Detailed soils information can be used for a variety of pur- poses in addition to the delineation of prime agricultural lands . As illustrated by the Table 7 on p . 89 & 90 , the degree of limitation and major soil features affecting a variety of other uses is also defined . Thus soils information can be very useful in analyzing a broad range of problems which might be encountered in planning decisions . The completion of the soil survey in the County would thus greatly enhance the basic technical information -85- TABLE 5 , Classification Soil Association Extent(%) Slope(%) Irrigated Dry 3 Travessilla-Rock outcrop Travessilla 65 3-25 VII VII Rock Outcrop 20 9-25 Minor Soils 15 4 Renohill -Wiley- Travessilla Renohill 40 0-9 IV IV-VI Wiley 20 0- 9 III- IV IV Travessilla 20 9-25 VII VII Minor Soils 20 5 Valent • Valent 80 3-25 VI & VII VII Dune Sand 10 3-25 VIII VIII Minor Soils 10 18 Fluvaquents-Fluvents Fluvaquents 70 0-3 IV VI Fluvents 20 0-3 IV & VI VI Minor Soils 10 19 Nunn-Haverson Nunn 50 0-3 I & II III Haverson 20 0-3 I & II IV Minor Soils 30 20 Ascalon Platner- Stoneham Ascalon 50 0-9 II & III IV & VI Platner 30 0-9 II & III III & IV Stoneham 15 3-15 III & IV IV & VI Minor Soils 5 21 Vona-Olney-Dwyer Vona 50 3-9 III & IV IV & VI Olney 30 3-9 III & IV IV & VI Dwyer 10 3-25 VI Minor Soils 10 ?3 Nunn- Fort Collins Nunn 50 0-3 I & II III Fort Collins 30 0-3 I & II III Minor Soils 20 ?5 Bankard-Wann Bankard 45 0-3 IV & VI VII Wann 40 0-3 III & IV VI Minor Soils 15 -86- TABLE 5 ( con ' t) Classification Soil Association Extent VW Slope (%) Irrigated Dry 26 Briggsdale-Terry IV & VI Briggsdale 30 0-9 Terry 30 3-15 IV & VI IV & VI Minor Soils 40 27 Weld-Adena-Colby Weld 40 0-3 II & III III Adena 30 0-3 III & IV III & IV Colby 30 0-9 II & III & III & IV IV 30 Fluvents-Sampson II III Fluvents 50 0-3 Sampson 20 0-3 I & II III Minor Soils 30 59 Camborthida-Torrior- tents -Haplargids Camborthids 45 15-25+ VI VI Torriorthents 40 15-25+ VI VI Haplargids 15 15-25+ VI VI 71 Ascalon-Vona-Truck- ton Ascalon 30 0-9 II & III IV & VI Vona 20 3-15 III & IV IV & VI Truckton 20 3-15 III & IV IV & VI Minor Soils 30 72 Samsil -Shingle Samsil 35 9-25+ VII VII Shingle 25 9-25+ VII VII Minor Soils 40 73 Platner-Ulm-Renohill I & II III Platner 40 0-3 III & IV Ulm 30 3-15 IV & VI Renohill 20 3-15 Minor Soils 10 78 Renohill -Stoneham IV & VI IV & VI Renohill 40 3-15 Stoneham 35 3-15 IV IV & VI Minor Soils 25 79 Mitchell - Keota Mitchell 60 0-9 III & VI IV & I Keota 1.5 0-9 VI & VI VI Minor Soils -87- TABLE 5 ( con' t) - - Classification Extent (%) Slope Ma Irrigated Cry Soil Association - 80 Rosebud-Canyon 60 9-9 VI VI Rosebud 20 3-25 VII VII Canyon Minor Soils 20 148 Valent-Vona 50 3-25 VI VI Valent 40 3_9 III & IV IV & VI Vona Minor Soils 10 172 Renohill -Shingle 40 3_9 IV & VI VI Sine 30 3-9 VI VI Sngglle Minor Soils 30 173 Ascalon-Olney-Vona 35 3-9 III & IV IV & VI Ascalon 30 3_9 III & IV IV & IV Olney 20 3_9 III & IV Vona Minor Soils 15 174 Nunn-Dacono-Altvan 35 0-3 I & II III 25 Nunn 0-3 II &. III III Dacono 2C 0-3 II & III III Altvan.Minor Soils 20 175 Kim-Otero 45 3_g III & IV IV & VI Kim 30 3_9 III & IV IV & VI Otero Minor Soils 25 176 Tassel -Thedalund 50 9_15 VII VII Tassel 25 3_9 IV & VI IV & VI Thedalund Minor Soils 25 177 JulesbUrg 70 0_3 II & III III Julesburg Minor Soils 30 178 Nunn-Heldt 55 0-3 I & II III Nunn 15 0-3 IV VI Heldt Minor Soils 30 181 Haplustolls -Argius - tolls 45 15-25+ VI & VII - Argiustolls 25 3-9 IV & VI - rgiustolls Minor Soils 30 -88- TABLE 6 Classitication Soil Association Extent em Slope(la Irrigated Dry 175 Kim-Otero 45% 0-1 % I Kim 1 -3% Ile* - 3-5% IIIe - 5-9% IVe - Otero 30% 0-1 % IIs IVe 1 -3% IIIe 3-5% IIIe VIe 5-9% IVe VIe Minor Soils 25% 173 Ascalon-Olney-Vona 0 1 % Its Vona 20% IVe 1 -3% IIIe 3-5% IIIe VIe Olney 30% 0-1 % I IVe 1 -3% IIe 3-5% IIIe IVe Ascalon 35% 0-1 % I 1 -3% Ile IIIe 3-5% IIIe Ve 5-9% IVe IVe Minor Soils 15% *e - indicates that the main limitation to the use of the soil for cultivated crops is risk of erosion . w - indicates that water in or on the soil will interfere with plant growth or cultivation ( in some soils the wetness can be partly corrected by artificial drainage ) s - indicates that use of the soil for cultivated crops is restrict- ed because it is shallow , drouthy , stony or has some other soil induced limitation ; and c - indicates that the use of the soil for cultivated crops is limited by climate that is too cold or too dry for optimum plant growth . -88a- W w T ' — U .`t 7 — J IZ coo o o O 7 W I «O J J J I', - N ^ a w.1 13 0 U ti i 43 0 oo 4 j Orl 11:1 C'"1 and XZ J J J }I O w W Q (D • cn<ryQ A 03 I- (r) ^ O •, c) 0 W z m r1 rri, v d `• 0 m O .C*Lc) - - N 03 l-• u ...• f. tle C.... • UN ' ' i f. 0 Qii h N W o O O - 0 r4 a o OOH 0 o CD rn 4-t.-1 •• oo � � � A V.�'i Q -oL to v m O t+ to CO f.•rl 0 cr.„ a co ti ti •� CO • ddtf. 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P4 9 Oa N v o U' O o o d n J _o coo0co � Obf, m u) a -0 X a` w 0-r-O a0 0+) 0 0 0 O o w co I U M X .'1.� {d O =� — oC 3 rn o w •P) 0 0 43 r♦ o—N L O °D coo L L — c `- ` 4. 414 N J gg 43.Q O 0 o O o c I I a i o o p c 7.• v m w H 0 iJ d cn=.. o co N o o H J co o ,ofcc -8 9- L I 0 d H 03.5 2 V Q W w 2 Qj 4: IQ CO O. n N o-0 I-1 0 _ O T. d o J J m a W O 0 in ca ~ O > r.mp N N - yi O S C W O O o coo 'm _ v_� O fWx _ Z av o a p C L .- O W O �� d 1- o O O M - E"— a 23 � N N — En.° fA o � O cC in in �W� a w d o 1"1 ; Oa 0 c o u1 L 4 a o Z = Oop in i in H -r d y v V N lil p c3 a �1 ce is_ w e m O op > Ec`v N .�"� moo ≥ a Y o 41 N = 0 0) H o;o N K m el wLL o a - - c 'i 30-0 w $ $ a E m' oovm m a3z E b ¢ O O H a �a'T u e3®f O o] i� 1'- r1 rl Z - d � c r_ ii (l� a °' 3 c c w - LL y r-I pm \ NNp '^ avtv �io W «`o .0t'p jW �ua J Y 1 1 rn a c o n� p o T! N v 0 0] C or o : O 0 0 u, z Z n m o O o H' U ¢ J�-1 � 1 a o N N J 0 CC E RI E isi u_ o v a d o v to x odt F vi o �a V O =H`n M O az mm rye oa 0 i_ rte- avni rn 3m 3 � d Z 6 O m a �, �-) GO ._ u m p .E E In y o H o (I c o_`c _ _o Qin O O O NO J n_ H 4-1 4-1 4-1 J — Y 4 d E 0 ai CU Y Y 4., p N d N z Q 0EE� W NT H d d as 4j J H > > �� so«H �i�a 0 V, J O .yy .A .r1 .•1 > :".-->. O H H H o- d- fn 1 b r"1 • ri ri el r-1 ~ v d ^3 d -00, 000 n rn P� o 2 g p (JI VJ N !A m y _ H H H H 3 c_�o c N ov W a 3Nc� co W a oy CC N U d N o U' 0 O ` 03 N W N c N H `y Ecn o d d d O N W a V 00 O � N _ N e{ VJ J _ d a a O o - M IAN N o 0 o. 0 m co d r I d a y 1n C Liv — M LO N 0 0 O U O o a o O O O O V d a a n_ (n d a a -9 0- base needed for planning . Soils information is not , however , the only type of in- formation needed in identifying prime agricultural lands and making land-use decisions . Other physical features of a parti - cular area also have a great potential for influencing the type of uses best suited to a defined location . Such factors include , but are not limited to : current land-use, topography , drainage , geology , hydrology , vegetation , water resource location , etc . Each of these factors must be considered as land-use decisions are made in Weld County . Further , each of these factors must be viewed in terms of their interrelationships so that an inte- grated , complete analysis of any particular land-use proposal can be achieved . Toward this end , the Weld County Planning Com- mission has emphasized the creation of a system for integrating such basic data sources . The system used for integrating such technical information relies on a series of maps , each of which displays a particular type of information . The base map used in this series is U . S . G . S . Quadrant air photos at a scale of 1 : 24 ,000 . Information critical to planning decisions is then placed on a series of transparent mylar overlays at the same scale , so that each piece of in- formation can be analyzed in conjunction with the base map . The use of such information with the base airphotos is de- monstrated in Airphotos 1 and 2 . On Airphoto l, culture (exist- ing man-made features ) and drainage information has been com- bined with soils information over the base map . On Airphoto 2 , culture and drainage information has been combined with topo- graphic information . As illustrated , such a system provides a -91 - •r' • ` ..•%33 At : tr s3 .Z AIR „'PH t � i �e x4r wb SF,4 4 4 - . ii:r7s.1 5t f ,,,,..c..4. a �1 ass ass�. i `� ' -ton? 6`� I - ,., ... --- r i r Lii- iikliw•-‘ yy Y H y +i ' b Y �p,�,. } Ya ,,• c YrL f•f� r. S U u j ►, ,,,,. ,r4;ir ti* —II,. • .. — r • '. Ife,' ,'. -.4 :34-As::, t: ��' s.;l�X -Yt' �.. .,.. .. „0„: , AlT 4 21 /� / o- 4---,.-‘�"',...I0 .'""' a. ,•q�. a#x - .,i .. 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'+t � 4 iii+• r U.i, lil :t a - C \ c��t 11�rl .: 1'.;.-;:t•-...- k ti'A°. r 4r.1 1 s t '-z4 i tl + F is<.t .t sa { 4 1 , t �' tr - \� \ S s1 t' ' s } as "` +r i e �`.-• •'391, t y S i t.'t !t ,t 1 iH- lu \ fit, _ a} Y -, _a. .f; S 1 \ `utt 3 it V' t y� Lt Y^ sit }I¢ ti y ,e � e. v... .t ryw ,l .. .�.• %RAt 1: /ty'. q y i1a . ' iM7 � pgei ••(t'*:14; r tL :PE N ) ) < r— • tl..+�—c - i • yam, zty- yyp}\ Y•" al4 r / t �pG n \ ( i \:'i � ,W- 1 A i A®i.`.ttiit4t4.:»n'61.t'.'x\!,y ci < _ . v .•. . — n a... 4'._8,__—__----r---1:: L t / .'T*' r great deal of flexibility in analyzing various combinations of data and delineating relevant interrelationships . At a scale of 1 : 24 ,000 , the information displayed provides a much more refined basis for detailed analysis than does the Gen- eral Soils Map discussed above . In general , such information must be available to the planner if sound planning is to re- sult . When such information is available , any given proposal can be analyzed both in terms of its own merits and its po- tential effect on surrounding land-use . This system is being enlarged and revised continuously so that land-use decisions can be based as much as possible on up-to-date factual inform- ation . -92- B . Regulations The State government has delegated to local governments a significant amount of power and responsibility with respect to land-use control . Enabling legislation at the State level has granted to the counties the ability and responsibility to make decisions regarding specific land-use proposals as well as general land-use plans . The counties have vested in them enough power to significantly influence the kind and quality of changes in land-use which occur within their jurisdictions. There are very strong currents toward rapid urbanization along the Front Range Corridor and, in mountain areas, for development of second homes and outdoor recreation facilities . Fortunately , - the State legislature has increased the power and responsibility of counties and regional planning commissions to plan and con- trol growth . At the present time , Weld County has available several regulatory tools to use in planning and controlling growth in conjunction with policies enumerated in Chapter 3 . These regulatory tools are zoning regulations , subdivision re- gulations and a building code . These types of regulations are well -established planning tools whose general form , intent , and application have been de- veloped over a period of years . Newer tools are being experi - mented with in various areas of the United States . However , before a given type of regulation can be applied by a county in Colorado , the state legislature must adopt proper enabling legislation , and , if a need is seen for new regulatory tools in the County , efforts must be made to obtain necessary enabling legislation . -93- Zoning Zoning is a general tool which allows the County to divide its jurisdictional area into various districts and to limit the types of land-use in each . Also , certain conditions and stan- dards can be required for different types of land-use . Pro- posals for changes in land-use which are beyond the constraints of the district in which the proposal would take place must first be granted a change in zone . This gives the County Plann- ing Commission and the Board of County Commissioners a chance to evaluate the proposal and the reasons presented by the applicant to change the existing zoning . The use of zoning should be guided by local planning ob- jectives . These objectives include the following , some of which have been already discussed at length . (Solberg , 1967 ) 1 . To prevent urban-agricultural conflicts that would re- strict or hamper agriculture ; 2 . To prevent scattered , haphazard suburban growth and to guide orderly transition from non-urban to urban land-uses ; 3 . To secure economy in governmental expenditures ; 4 . To prevent an unfair shifting to farmer-taxpayers of public construction and service costs ; 5 . To prevent rural areas from becoming the dumping grounds for land-uses that are not wanted elsewhere . 6 . To keep productive farming areas in agriculture until they are needed for nonfarm uses . 7 . To preserve the more fertile soils for farming . 8. To protect the economic base of local agricultural ser- vice and marketing firms and industries . -94- The County Zoning Resolution and map should reflect the de- sires of the County for overall development . In zoning pro- perty, consideration must be given to not only the property in- volved , but also to adjacent property and to the community as a whole . If the Comprehensive Plan is to be realized , zoning decisions must reflect the major objective of the plan , the enhancement of agriculture and sound , orderly urban growth . If zoning is to help implement the policies of Comprehensive Plan , the Weld County Zoning Resolution itself should be re- vised with the objective of the Plan in mind . Zoning regulations for a county , particularly for a predominantly rural and agri - cultural county like Weld County , must be distinguished from the typical urban zoning regulations and their standard residential , commercial and industrial zoning district categories , each with numerical suffixes indicating escalating intensity of use within the category . Zoning regulations for a rural county can do without a plethora of zoning districts . The following proposal for zoning regulations for Weld County recognizes that there are three major categories of land-use in the County : Agri - cultural uses , urban uses , and open space . It also recognizes that if the objective of sound urban growth is to be realized , County zoning regulations must be formulated to coordinate County land-use planning with the land-use planning of the municipalities . The proposed zoning resolution contains three zoning districts : A - Agriculture U - Urban C-0 - Conservation - Open Within each of the three zones , there are "uses-by-right" and -95- " special -uses-by-permit" . Uses-by-right are those uses that are consonant with the zone and do not warrant any special procedure other than a zone change when a change to such uses is proposed . Special -uses-by-permit include those uses now processed under Special Use Permit and other uses usually processed through a change in zone in typical urban zoning regulations . The permit procedure can be greatly expanded to facilitate processing of land-use proposals by reducing the need to rezone a parcel of land whenever a change in use is sought . It should be re- membered that "zone " refers to a class of uses , not to a use on a particular parcel of land . The intent of creating the A (Agriculture ) zone is to en- hance agriculture and , therefore , the uses-by-right will be limited to strictly agricultural uses , namely farming and ranching . Residential uses-by-right will be limited to single- family farm dwellings and farm labor dwellings . Intensive agri - cultural uses , such as feedlots and poultry ranches , will be processed through special -use permits as well as other intensive uses such as sand and gravel mining , solid waste disposal sites . Agri -industry will also be allowed under the special -use permit if proximity to agricultural lands is essential for the proposed industry . Non-farm single-family residential dwellings , those " houses in the country" , will also be processed through a special - use permit , for suburban dwellings can be highly disruptive in an agricultural area as discussed earlier in Chapter 3 and is actually a more of a "special -use " in an agricultural zone than is a feedlot . No residential subdivisions will be permitted in the A-zone to preclude the very conflicts that zoning regulations -96- are supposed to prevent . Certain urban uses will be allowed by special -use permits . These uses include schools , churches , cemeteries , public utilities substations and essential highway commercial uses . All urban uses will be limited to those areas zoned U (Urban ) . The intent of creating the U-zone is to provide areas for quality urban development in consonance with the objective of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan . In order to achieve the goal of sound , planned urban growth , the U-zone will be granted only if the following conditions are met : 1 ) the area proposed for U-zone must lie within the planning area of a town as defined by the comprehensive plan of the town ; 2 ) the proposed land-use must be in conformance with the comprehensive plan of the town ; 3 ) the proposed land-use must receive approval of the plann- ing commission and town board of the town . The uses-by-right in the U-zone include single-family and multi - family dwellings , schools , churches , parks and governmental offices and facilities . All multi -family dwellings will be pro- cessed through Planned Unit Development (PUD ) , as will all single- family residential subdivisions , to assure the best design and maximum amount of open space possible . As in the A-zone , those more intensive uses will be processed through special -use permits . Intensive U-zone uses include commercial and industrial uses which must be carefully studied to determine the potential impact of such uses on the environment , public facilities and circulation system of the area . -97- The C-0 (Conservation-Open ) zone is included to protect irreplaceable natural scenic areas and to protect the public from dangers created by unwise building in floodplains , on acquifers , on unstable terrain and in areas that should be left open and undisturbed . Limited recreational uses will be allowed by special -use-permits . It must be emphasized that the above proposal is strictly that , a proposal . However , if the objective of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan is to be attained , the Weld County Zoning Resolutions will have to be designed for that purpose . Subdivision Regulations Subdivision regulations were developed initially to ensure that new development would be adequately laid out and provided with basic public facilities . Recent State legislation ( in particular , Senate Bill 35 ) has increased the effect of sub- divisions regulations in Colorad6 . Broader powers and responsi - bilities given to the counties now require the Board of County Commissioners to evaluate not only the internal planning of subdivisions , but also the external relationships between a pro- posed subdivision and the overall development plans of the County and region . Also , the new legislation requires that careful re- view of the relationship between the proposed subdivision and natural features of the land be made . The Board of County Com- missioners has recently adopted new subdivision regulations to conform to the requirements of this legislation . It must be recognized that subdivision of land is a one-way street . Once land is broken up and the ownership scattered among many individuals , it becomes practically impossible to reaggregate -98- the various parcels . This being the case , a proposal to plat any land in the County must be carefully studied and evaluated . Platted land , even if no development occurs , will most likely never be available for agriculture or other uses which require large contiguous acreages . Building Code The building code and inspection program serve two basic functions . The primary purpose is to ensure the physical in- tegrity of construction which takes place in the County as well as the safety of persons living in or otherwise using the struc- tures . A secondary function of the inspection program is to implement zoning and subdivision regulations . If any violation in these two regulations has occurred with respect to a given piece of land , building permits can be withheld . Thus , com- pliance with all land-use regulations must take place before any construction is begun . Land-use regulations should be periodically reviewed to see that they are having their desired effect in shaping growth in Weld County . If new regulations become available through state enabling legislation , they should be carefully considered to determine if they could aid the County in achieving its com- prehensive planning goals . If new methods of land-use control are needed but not available , the County should press the state government for enabling legislation through the Colorado Land Use Commission or other appropriate channels . -99- C . Other Public Agencies As has been indicated in previous sections of this Plan , the planning process in Weld County has many linkages with other governmental agencies and jurisdictions . These link- ages and lines of communication are very important to the effective implementation of plans and policies and extend to local , regional , state , and Federal agencies , as well as a variety of special districts . At the local level , constant communication is maintained with the twenty-seven incorporated towns and cities of the County to ensure that their goals and objectives are given careful consideration in land-use decisions made by the Board of County Commissioners . Since these towns will be the nuclei for future urbanization in the County , the planning policies and objectives of these towns , that is , whether or not they desire growth , and if so , the optimum direction and design of such growth , are of paramount importance . Realizing that plan- ned growth in Weld County and the municipalities are concomit- ant , the Board of County Commissioners and the Planning Com- mission have instited a program of planning assistance to the towns . Under this program , members of the Weld County Plan- ning Commission staff provided technical assistance to the var- ious towns in the County to develop comprehensive plans . These plans will not only guide the future growth of the towns , but also the course of urbanization in the County. The planning assistance program also includes building inspection programs , -100- formulation of necessary ordinances , organization of planning commissions , and technical assistance in such administrative matters as zoning , subdivision and annexation . It has also been the policy of the Board of County Com- missioners to establish effective communications with service and utility organizations and special districts in the County . Such communication is essential in order to assimilate new development in the County in the most efficient and economi - cal manner possible . Such coordination between governmental and public service agencies can be critical in determining whether or not a particular type of development in a given area is feasible , or whether such development is consistent with current policies regarding the use of land resources . State and Federal agencies form further links in the plan- ning network . At both levels , there are numerous programs ad- ministered by various agencies which can significantly influ- ence land-use practices in all areas of Colorado . At the State level , there are two agencies which are primarily concerned - with planning on a statewide bases . The first of these , the Division of Planning , is responsible for general statewide planning programs . The second agency , the Colorado Land Use Commission , was established by the 47th Colorado General As- sembly for the purpose of adopting a statewide system of land- use inventory and controls . The latter agency ' s more direct influence on activities in Weld County was noted in the pre- ceeding section . -101 - Communication with Federal agencies is also important . A significant portion of the funding for planning programs and activities at the local level is received from the Federal government . The Federal government has placed great emphasis on coordination of Federal , state and local planning and dev- elopment , primarily through Title IV of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 . The implementation of the Act is carried out under the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-95 which "provides for review of application for assistance under some 100 federal grant and loan programs by what are called state , metropolitan , and regional clearinghouses . " ( Brussat , 1971 , p . 57 ) . In Colorado, this review (except for applications reviewed by the Denver Regional Council of Govern- ments ) is carried out by the Division of Planning under the Department of Local Affairs . The official name given to the review process is the Project Notification and Review System (PNRS ) . Circular A-95 became effective October 1 , 1969 ; a re- vised version expanding the number of programs covered by PNRS became effective on April 1 , 1971 . The basic purpose of the review under A-95 is to identify the relationship of the proposed project to areawide comprehen- sive plans , and to identify any interjurisdictional problems associated with a given proposal . Though the recommendations of the clearinghouse are not binding , there is no doubt that they have great influence on the fate of applications for Fed- eral aid . Perhaps the most important aspect of the review system is that it lays the basic framework for establishing a -102- communication system between various governmental units . The latter is quite significant when one realizes the plethora of jurisdictions which may influence land-use in the Weld County area . The Larimer-Weld Regional Planning Commission is current- ly conducting studies to qualify for Federal certification as the regional clearinghouse for A-95 reviews in Larimer and Weld Counties . The Weld County Planning Office works closely with the Regional Planning Commission . The staff of the Weld County Planning Commission is now engaged in a number of studies which were funded through the Regional Planning Commission . In general , the above discussion may provide some indica- tion of the complex system of agencies which are a part of the planning process in Weld County today . Communications and pro- grams with such agencies are an integral part of planning in geld County and will play an important part in implementing the Comprehensive Plan of Weld County . -103- D . Maintenance of Agricultural Resources In this Comprehensive Plan , policy guidelines have been outlined in some detail . Perhaps the overriding theme of the land-use policies outlined is that we must in some way take steps directed at maintaining grime agricultural lands . How- ever , if this is accepted as a basic goal in Weld County , we must look realistically at the means available for achieving that gqal . It should be remembered throughout the following discussion that the maintenance of agriculture in the County does not mean that urban development is to be discouraged . On the contrary , the maintenance of agriculture is seen as being complementary to the provision of quality urban devel - opment. Efforts directed at protecting prime agricultural lands , and similar resources , from the eroding influences of scattered and unplanned urban development have been made in many areas of the United States with varying degrees of success . The tools used in such efforts include : ( 1 ) zoning , ( 2 ) regu- lation of subdivision development , ( 3 ) fee-simple and/or ease- ment purchase , and (4 ) taxation . Zoning resolutions and subdivision regulations are the traditional tools which have been used to control land-use in the various counties of the United States . These tools are , in reality , an exercise by local units of government of the police power granted by state governments to safeguard and pro- mote public health , safety and morals , and the aeneral welfare -104- - .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. (Metzenbaum , p . 190 , 1955) . Since these tools were developed mostly in reference to urban areas , their potential value in rural areas is still unclear. Traditional zoning regulations which permit a wide variety of urban uses in the agricultural zone have little effect in retaining agricultural land in agricultural production . Exclusive agricultural zoning , which restricts land so zoned to agricultural uses , is aimed specifically at preserv- ing agricultural lands . Its ultimate value for such a purpose is , however , undetermined , for its use has been little tested in the courts ( Beuscher and Wright , 1969 , p . 595 ) . It is the courts , in the final analysis , that will determine whether or not such zoning is a legitimate exercise of the police power . The second tool , subdivision regulations , has limited po- tential for actually preventing urban development on agricul - tural lands . Subdivision regulations may instead serve as a basis for minimizing the impact of development which occurs in rural areas . Such regulations provide a means for assuring that all implications of a particular development are analyzed in detail , including its conformance with the policies embodied in the Comprehensive Plan of the County (Weld County Subdivi - sion Regulations , Section 1 -2 , C ( 7 ) , 1972 ) . A third method for saving land has been to buy it out- right , i . e . , buy the fee-simple . However , when considering large tracts of land , this method has some very practical limit- ations . First , large amounts of capital , which are rarely readily -105- available to public agencies , are required to purchase such lands . Second , once the land is purchased , it must be main- tained , resulting in additional expenditures by the purchasing jurisdiction . As a result , variations of this method have been tried with more success . One such variation involves leasing- back such lands to an individual who will continue to employ the land for agricultural use . This variation significantly reduces the maintenance required on such lands by the owner . It also allows a defined economic return from the land which might otherwise remain idle . A second variation involves pur- chasing only certain rights to the land , such as development rights , without actually purchasing the fee-simple . The pur- chase of such rights allows the purchasing jurisdiction to control the development which will occur on such lands . Very similar to quch purchases is the purchase of easements . In this approach , the unit of government contracts with the land- owner to restrict development of his land for a period of time (or , in some cases , obtains a perpetual easement) , and pays him for this restriction of use on his land (Hady and Stinson , 1967 , p . 4 ) . The fourth method which has been utilized to protect agri - cultural lands evolved from recognition of the increasing tax burden which is placed upon the agricultural sector as agri - cultural land values rise in response to development pressures . Efforts which have been used to ease such tax burdens may be defined in three broad categories . - 106- ( 1 ) Plain Preferential Assessment : These laws provide that land which is actively devoted to farming shall be assessed on the basis of its value for agricul - ture , and that other potential uses , such as housing subdivisions , shall be ignored . (2 ) Tax Deferral : Under these laws , part of the property tax is deferred each year , rather than forgiven . This deferred tax becomes due when the land passes into non- agricultural uses . The local assessor is required to place two values on each piece of farm property : ( 1 ) the value in agriculture , which is used for current taxation purposes ; and ( 2) the value which would have been used in the absence of provisions for preferen- tial assessment . When the land-use changes , taxing officials determine the amount of tax due for each year for which the tax has been deferred . This is computed by multiplying the difference in the assess- ments for each year by the tax rate used in that year . The deferred tax then becomes due . (3 ) Planning and Zoning : Under the planning and zoning approach , farmland can receive preferential assess - ment only in areas which have been designated as agri - cultural or open space zones . Farmland in other zones is assessed exactly like all other property . This tends to encourage the transfer of farmland to other uses ; lower taxes in agricultural zones tend to facil - itate the preservation of farmland in agriculture ( Hady and Stinson , 1967 , pp . 2-4) . As indicated before , the methods outlined above have met with varying degrees of success . Whether or not any of these methods would successfully protect the agricultural resources of Weld County is not a question to be answered at this point . However , it is important to recognize that such alternatives do exist. Each method presented above , as well as any other new or tested method , must be analyzed carefully in terms of their applicability to Weld County as it exists today. Such analysis is currently being carried on by the Weld County Planning Commission . The major objective in this analysis is -107- to eventually define that method , or combination of methods , which will best provide a way for protecting agricultural resources in Weld County . If the commitment is made to con- serve our prime agricultural lands , the definition of such methods must be given a high priority. Good intentions are not sufficient . Means and ends cannot be separated if effect- ive planning for the future is the desired result . -108- CHAPTER F I VE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION SUMMARY CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION A. Summary Included here is a brief outline summary of the contents of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan . This summary is intended to outline the Plan and to bring together the important points in- cluded in the Plan , not to act as a substitute to the main text . The facts , details , and logic upon which the Plan rests are pre- sented in the main text and can be found by referring to the ap- propriate sections . Chapter 1 : Introduction : The first chapter explains the comprehensive nature of the Plan and describes Weld County in terms of geography , history , and population distribution . The County has developed a strong agricultural economy over the years based on its rich soils and highly developed irrigation systems . There are 27 towns in the County , most of which are basically rural . There are growing pressures for residential , commercial , and industrial development . Chapter 2 : Trends and Alternatives : The second chapter describes the present trends in the County and the Front Range area of Colorado towards urbanization , and describes alternative ways in which Weld County can face these trends . The alternatives are seen as being : 1 . Unlimited Growth Policy 2 . No Growth Policy 3 . Planned Growth Policy a . Planned Dispersed Growth b . New Towns c . Growth Around Existing Towns -109- Chapter 2 ends by arguing that the last of these alternatives is the best choice . A planned growth policy based on the basic pattern of ring growth around existing towns in the County serves two basic ends : 1 ) The valuable agricultural base of the County can best be maintained by following this choice ; and 2 ) The future urban population of the County will derive the greatest benefits from this choice . - Chapter 3 : Resource Management Policies : The third chapter of the Plan examines different components of the County and lays out basic policy statements for each . These policy statements are aimed at achieving the planned growth pattern around existing towns and avoiding problems associated with other alternatives as discussed in Chapter 2 . The basic policy statements are outlined - below: 1 . Agriculture : a . Any uses other than agricultural uses of prime - agricultural lands will be discouraged . b . The expansion of agri -business industries will be encouraged . c . Transfer of water from agricultural to industrial , - commercial or residential uses will be encouraged only if such water is considered non-essential to the maintenance of agricultural production in a - particular area . d . Efforts will be made to incorporate farm uses and farm land into overall open space planning . 2 . Urban Development - Residential : a . New residential developments which are not closely connected to existing towns shall not be permitted . -110- b . Proposals for new residential development around existing towns shall be encouraged only if such proposals conform to the desires of the towns as expressed in their comprehensive plans . c . Municipalities shall be given complete support and encouragement in any efforts to improve their ability to provide basic utilities and services . Commercial : a . Commercial development will not be permitted in the unincorporated area of the County unless it can be shown by the developer that the proposed commercial use is impossible to locate within a municipality . b . Commercial development that will enhance the agri - cultural base of the County will be encouraged as long as such development cannot be suitably lo- cated within a municipality. c . Auto-oriented commercial uses shall be carefully restricted to minimize problems of traffic con- flicts and shall be allowed only upon demon- stration by the developer that the services to be provided are absolutely essential and cannot be located within a municipality. d . Detailed development plans shall be required before any rezoning for commercial use will be considered by the Weld County Planning Commission . Industrial : a . Zoning for industrial use in areas outside of the planning areas of towns shall be permitted only for low-employee , agriculturally related industries . b . Zoning for industrial use shall be permitted only for those industries that cannot be located within a municipality or within the planning areas of municipalities . c. Nigh-yield agricultural lands shall not be rezoned to industrial use . d . All applications for industrial zoning shall be accompanied by detailed development plans . e . Industrial zoning within the comprehensive planning area of a town shall be allowed only if the pro- posed use is consonant with the comprehensive plan -111 - of the town and an agreement to annex is reached between the town and the developer prior to the rezoning . 3 . Water and Other Natural Resources : Water : a . In all land-use decisions , the broad effect of transfers of water useage which may result from the proposals at hand shall be taken into account . b . An adequate water supply shall be a primary pre- requisite for any new land development . c . Strong communication lines between the County and the various agencies which control the water supply shall be developed and maintained . d . The public cost of providing domestic and industrial water shall be minimized . Mineral Resources : a . Access to future mineral resource development shall be considered in all land-use decisions . b . Lands shall not be mined unless a rehabilitation plan is approved by the Board of County Commissioners . 4 . Environmental Protection : a . Flood plains , and other areas unsuitable for development shall be kept open . b . Any land-use that will pollute any body of water , acquifer or acquifer recharge area shall be pro- hibited . c . All proposed changes in land-use will be evaluated for its potential environmental impact before such changes are allowed . 5. Open Space : a . Maintain the flood plains of rivers , creeks and gulches in an open state through the adoption of flood plain and resource conservation zoning . b . Protect other lands defined as suitable open space areas . -112- of existing c . Maintain the integrity and soundss of existing communities by aging green belts" around rthem. permanent 5 . Transportation : Transportation Goals : a . The thoroughfare system shall be developed on a rea_ iIl scale . b . Thoroughfare facilities shall be developed as a unified , inteyt?d lain, which includes con- tro ed-access routes , arterial and collector streets , and in the terminal facilities cities and public transportation d � routes . c . Existing street and highway facilities shall be utilized to the maximum extent possible . d . New and improved facilities shall be provided in travel corridors where major service de- ficiencies criticallyooverloaded corridors l99Dwhich will System Design : he a urbany design hpotentials zoft great The sstem WeldCounty . and in the b. Continuity shall be maintained in the character , alignment and capacity of major c . Regularity of spacing shall be provided . -. d . Capacities shall be balanced with demands . e . Directness of travel and simplicity of design shall be encouraged . Land-Use : a . The thoroughfare system ing land-usesand topographic features exist- b . The system shall be designed tominimize dis- ruption of existing community patterns . c. Highway facilities shall be provided where they will enhance the growth and improvement of existing urban areas . -113- d . The system shall relate to future land-use , serving to guide and coordinate the County' s urban growth . e . Highway facilities shall be located and designed so that they do not cause undue land speculation or diminish the rich agricultural base of Weld County. f. Any rezoning , subdividing or building adjacent to routes shown on the Thoroughfare Plan shall not be approved unless adequate right-of-way is dedicated . 7 . Utilities , Public Goods and Services : a . Any development that will create an undue burden on existing public facilities and will diminish the capacity of public agencies to maintain the existing level of services shall not be allowed . b. All new development shall have adequate utilities and public services . c . Proliferation of service districts shall be op- posed , while consolidation of existing service districts shall be encouraged as long as such consolidation improves the capacity of existing municipalities to improve services . d . Regionalization of service and facilities shall be opposed if it will lead to growth which is not compatible with the desires of the towns in- volved . Chapter 4 : Implementation : The fourth chapter discusses implementation of the Plan through four general areas - infor- mation systems , regulations , other public agencies , and mainten- ance of agricultural resources . The primary method of implemen- tation must be through the use of the Plan itself , primarily as a guide in day-to-day decisions made by County officials . If the policies in the Plan are used to guide decisions in appropriate areas , the general future land-use pattern which is discussed in Chapter 2 as being the most desireable alternative may be achieved . -114- However , these policies must be bolstered by adequate information concerning specific land-use proposals , by adequate land-use regulations , by coordination with other public agencies , and since one of the primary aspects of the Plan is the agricultural base of the County , by programs directed towards maintenance of this important resource . B. Conclusion As noted before , the state government has delegated a signi - ficant amount of power to local governments with respect to land- use planning and controls . As a result , county government today has a significant burden which it must bear , and a responsibility which it cannot ignore . Effective land-use planning and controls are a critical necessity if a quality environment is to be main- tained in Weld County. This Plan has presented a guide for as- suring that such an environment can be maintained . It is not to be looked upon as a static instrument which , once adopted , cannot be changed . Rather it is an instrument which can be amended as it is used to guide growth and development up to that point in time when its basic arguments and policies are no longer valid . In reality , the people of the community must be the judge of when that time has arrived . It is the people who must decide what quality of life they desire in this community , not only for the present generation , but for future generations as well . In the end , it is the people of the community who will decide whether or not this plan will be implemented . The time to implement such a plan is now, not after irreparable damage has occurred . Unlike -115- many communities , which are now feeling the frustration of - uncontrolled urban growth , Weld County still has a choice . However , the alternatives available are reduced with each day that unguided growth is allowed to occur . Now is the time we must make a decision to control and eliminate the many problems which other communities have experienced as their cities grew and countrysides disappeared . -116- Bibliography Bartlett , James . The Economics of Community Growth as it Relates to Open Space . City Manager' s Office , Littleton , Colorado , June 1971 . Beuscor , Jacob St H d Robert Minnesota ,Wright 19Cases and Materials n 69 . Bjorklund , B . J . , R. F . Brown and H . A . Swenson . Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the lower South Platte River Valley Between Hardin , Colorado , and Paxtun , Nebraska . U . S . Geological Survey Water Supply Paper No . 1378 , Washington , D. C . , 1957 . Brussatt , William K. "Realizing the Potentials of A-95 , " Planning 1971 . American Society of Planning Officials , Chicago , 1971 . Colorado Crop and Livestock Reporting Service . Colorado Agricultural Statistics , 1971 Preliminary , 1970 Final . Denver , Colorado , 1971 . Colorado Division of Water 972 Facility Plan for County , Colorado . Denve , 1 . Colorado General Assembly , Senate Bill 35 . 48th General Assembly , 2nd Regular Session , 1972 . Hady , Thomas F . and Thomas F . Stinson . Taxation of Farmland on the Rural -Urban Fringe : A Summary of State Preferen- tial Assessment Activity. Agricultural Economic Report No . 119 , U . S . Department of Agriculture , Economic Re- search Service , Washington , D . C . , 1967 . Lamm , Richard . "Colorado : Bigger is Better?" Town and Country News , October 21 , 1971 , Lamm , Richard D. and Michael Strang . "Colorado ' s People Prob- lem: Is There a Solution?" Denver Post , October 31 , 1971 . McPhail , Donald D . , ed . Land Use Patterns , Practices , and Problems in the Poudre Triangle of Northern Colorado . University of Colorado , Department of Geography. , Boulder , 1971 . Metzenbaum , James . The Law of Zoning . Cleveland , Ohio , 1955 . Myers , Everett M . The Problem of Rural -Urban Water Compet- ition with an Example of Las Animas , Colorado . 1971 (Unpublished ) . -117- Regional Transportation District . An Ecological Planning Study. Denver , 1972 . Regional Transportation District . Weld County Profile . Denver , 1972 . _ Rose , Bob. "Week Portends Growth Horrors for California , " Denver Post , October 22 , 1972 . Solberg , Erling D . The Why and How of Rural Zoninq. Agri - cultural Information Bulletin No . 196 , U .S . Department of Agriculture , Economic Research Service , August , 1967 . U . S . Bureau of the Census . 1970 Census of Population . Washington , D . C . , 1972 . U . S . Bureau of the Census . Census of Agriculture , 1969 . _ Washington , D . C . , 1972 . U . S. Bureau of the Census . Statistical Abstract of the United States , 1972 . Washington , D . C . , 1972 . U . S . Department of Agriculture , Soil Conservation Service . Soil Survey : Bent County , Colorado . Washington , D . C . , 1971 . Weld County. Official Subdivision Regulations . Greeley , August 30 , 1972 . Weld County. Official Zoning Resolution . Greeley , November 12 , 1970 -118- Hello