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ISPASITSCIREVII
SEPTEMBER 19'73
pot 7...0
7 30 66 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
Dean Severn
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
• . iii
List of Tables. . • . • • ' ' • . . • . . iv
List of Illustrations . • • • • ' . ' ` . . v
Preface . • • ' • ' ' ' . . . . . . .
Chapt�One 1
Introduction . • • • ' ' . • . 1
Nature of the Plan. . . • • • ' ' ' • .
Geography . . . . . . . . . . . • 5
History . , . . . . . . . . . . • 9
- Population. . . . • • ' ' ' • . .
ChaPtywo 14
Trends and Alternatives. . • • • '
ChaPt2 e 29
Resource Management Policies . • • • ' '
Agriculture . • . • . ' • • . . . .
51
Urban Development . • • • • ' . • ' .
Water and Other Natural Resources . . • 72
Environmental Protection. . • • • ' ' •
Open Space. . . . . . . . . . .
. 83
Transportation. • • • . ' • • ' .
— 88
Utilities, Public Goods and Services. . •
Chapter r 9 3
Implementation . • • • ' • ' . . 93
Information Systems . • • ' • ' ' . .
. .loa
Regulations . • ' ' • • . . 118
Other Public Agencies . . . • • • '
-- i
Maintenance of Agricultural Resources 121
Chapter Five _
Summary and Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Bibliography m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 _
-l7
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 - Population . . w . . . . . . . . . .. . . 12
Table 2 - Agricultural Statistics. . ,• . . . . . 33a-33b
Table 3 - Agricultural Employment. . _ . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 34
Table 4 - Farm Income and Expenses , . . . . . . . . . 41
Table 5 - Soil Associations (General) . . . . . . . 101-103
Table 6 - Soil Types (Specific) .. . . . . . . . . 104
Table 7 - Soil Survey Interpretations. . . . . 105-106
iii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Weld County Colorado 3
Population Distribution Map 13
Colorado Generalized Land Use Map 16
Airphoto Number One 110
Airphoto Number Two . 111
MAPS IN BACK COVER POCKET
Agricultural Capability Classifications
Transportation
Aquifer Recharge Areas
Weld County Generalized Land Use Map
iv
PREFACE
The Colorado Legislature has required the development
and adoption of a Comprehensive Plan for Weld and all other
counties throughout the State.
As defined by State law:
The county. . .master plan shall be made with
the general purpose of guiding and accom-
plishing a coordinated, adjusted and har-
monious development of the county. . .which,
in accordance with present and future needs
and resources, will best promote. . .efficiency
and economy in the process of development,
including such distribution of population
and uses of land. . .as will tend. . .to reduce
the wastes of. . .resources which will result
from either the excessive congestion or
excessive scattering of population; and will
tend toward an efficient and economic utili-
zation, conservation and production of the
supply of food and water. . .and other facil-
ities and resources.
-Section 106-2-6, CRS ,
1963, as amended
Webster° s Collegiate Dictionary defines the words "com-
prehensive" and "plan" as follows:
"Comprehensive" - (1) covering completely:
INCLUSIVE, and (2) having wide mental com-
prehension.
"Plan" - (1) to arrange the parts of: DESIGN,
or (2) to devise or project the realization
or achievement of, and (3) to have in mind:
INTEND.
It is the purpose of this Weld County Comprehensive
Plan to comply fully with both the legal and the dictionary
definition. It has been "designed" to "cover completely"
all parts, populations, resources and needs of Weld County.
v
It describes a program for the future development of the
county that will accommodate and encourage those activities
that contribute to the well being and welfare of all the
citizens of the county. At the same time, it provides for
the preservation and protection of the properties, invest-
ments, economy and environment that makes up the "good life"
enjoyed by most of us today.
The Comprehensive Plan is not a regulating or control-
ling document. It does not require any existing citizen,
business, group or organization to perform any act in any
given way. It neither requires nor restricts the activities
of the county citizens; it is simply a plan.
As a plan, it describes an evolutionary process which
promises the greatest contribution to the well being of the
greatest number of present and future residents of Weld
County.
As a plan, it anticipates and predicts certain major
changes in the existing populations, facilities and resources
of the county and describes a method by which these changes
can be guided and controlled to work to the benefit of all
the county.
As a plan, it .is founded on the history and traditions
of the area. To this have been added the physical, political ,
cultural and economic facts and trends in evidence today.
As new facts are developed and new trends evolve, the plan
must be changed and improved to more precisely match the
vi
needs and wants of the citizens.
As a plan, it is basically a statement made by the Weld
County Planning Commission and the Weld County Commissioners
in behalf of the people of the area. It is a proud state-
ment of what we are and what we want to be; how we live and
how we want to live; how we work and how we intend to work;
what we enjoy and our desire to preserve our pleasures. It
is a practical statement because it acknowledges and accepts
the fact that change is inevitable. At the same time, it is
an idealistic statement; for it strives for the best of all
_ worlds.
As a plan, it can only have meaning if it is implemented;
and it can only be implemented by other physical, economic
and political acts which cause things to develop along the
paths proposed by the plan. In short, it is a guideway for
future activities and changes which are certain to come.
Although it is a document without authority, it can be a most
powerful tool for the preservation of the "good things" of
our area while promoting the orderly, efficient and practical
development of the economy, resources and population of
Weld County.
To implement the Comprehensive Plan calls for the adop-
_ tion and enforcement of compatible zoning regulations and
land use specifications. The existing Weld County Zoning
Resolution sets up various zoning districts and limits the
uses allowed in each district to separate, but compatible
vii
uses. Zoning is designed to prevent undue population con-
gestion, to restrict areas that are unsuitable and even dan-
gerous to build upon, and to protect land values by insuring
citizens that land use changes will be made in a coherent
and logical way.
Once an appropriate land use has been established for
a given parcel through zoning, the subdivision and develop-
ment of that parcel must meet certain specifications. These
specifications are set forth in the subdivision regulations.
The Weld County Subdivision Regulations establish procedures
and set standards which insure that developments have ade-
quate domestic water, sanitary sewers, other utilities, good
drainage, public access and other necessary improvements.
The Weld County Commissioners and the Weld County Plan-
ning Commission are continuously reviewing the zoning map
and the subdivision regulations. Whenever a new development
is proposed that cannot be accommodated by the existing docu-
ments, it is within the power of the county to either grant
a variance, change the county regulation, or deny the devel-
opment. The Comprehensive Plan will provide guidance for
these actions by the county officials as well as the citizens
and private developers of the county.
The Comprehensive Plan makes a broad evaluation of the
county' s many resources and the forces of growth and change
which tend to alter these assets. The Plan presents the
probable adverse results of change if the ever-present forces
viii
are not guided and directed in a logical and coherent way.
The Plan anticipates and accepts the fact that Weld
County is entering into an era of unprecedented growth and
development. As a result of the analysis of resources and
assets, the forces of change to be encountered and the var-
ious alternatives open to the county, a program for develop-
ment has been described which protects our present assets
and promises to keep Weld County as a desirable place in
which to live, work, play and grow.
The guidelines for growth are divided into two basic
parts: the rural segment which is tied to the protection
and expansion of our agricultural economy, and the urban
segment which describes an efficient and orderly expansion
of our existing urban communities. The body of the Plan
consists of more explicit guidelines related to agriculture,
urban development, water and other natural resources, envi-
ronmental protection, protection of our economy, open space,
transportation, public utilities, goods and services. Alto-
gether, the Plan describes a logic of land use and future
development which provides the citizens of the county with
a balanced and attractive environment; a stable and expand-
ing economy; control over present and future growth; and a
practical, yet flexible, method of improving the Plan with
experience and changes in the national, state and local
trends.
ix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
NATURE OF THE PLAN
GEOGRAPHY
•
HISTORY
POPULATION
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. NATURE OF THE PLAN
The Weld County Comprehensive Plan is a guide for the
future development of the county. The Plan was prepared by
the Weld County Planning Commission, assisted by the Plan-
ning Commission staff and numerous public meetings with many
organizations, groups and citizens throughout the county.
After weighing and assessing the present conditions,
current economic, political and environmental trends and the
alternatives that are apparent, the Planning Commission
adopted the Weld County Comprehensive Plan as a policy rec-
ommendation to guide the day-to-day land use decisions that
must be made by the elected and appointed officials of Weld
County.
The Plan is comprehensive, in that it deals with all
facets of development within the county. Resource manage-
ment was considered in terms of the national, state, regional
and county significance. The many ramifications of these
development recommendations are discussed under separate
headings in Chapter III of the Plan.
It must be emphasized that the Weld County Comprehensive
Plan is not a set of dicta, but rather a direction for devel-
opment based upon two fundamental determinations: (1) that
agriculture has historically been and should remain as the
basis for Weld County' s economic and ecological well being,
- 1 -
and (2) that urbanization can best be served by existing
municipalities.
Our agricultural economy and the ecological benefits
which accompany it must be protected by adoption of develop-
ment programs that allow the farmer-landowner to reap a rea-
sonable financial and environmental benefit from his labors
and properties. While every reasonable effort must be made
to keep our highly productive irrigated farmland in pro-
duction of farm products, the farmer-landowner cannot be
expected to subsidize the urban dweller by providing agri-
cultural open space and greenbelts without compensation.
Protection of our agricultural lands from complete conver-
sion to urban development must be accomplished in such a
manner that it benefits both the rural and the urban citizen.
Further urban development and growth will inevitably
occur throughout Weld County. This Comprehensive Plan out-
lines a course of action which assures urban growth in accor-
dance with the concepts and desires of each existing muni-
cipality. At the same time, urban development will take
place with a minimum of impact on the environment and with
a maximum of economy in providing public utilities and ser-
vices. The net result is a controlled expansion of our
existing municipalities into well planned, coherent commun-
ities that blend into and complement the surrounding agri-
cultural environment.
- 2 -
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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 val-
ley lowlands, It is underlain by gently dipping beds of
sedimentary 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 another in a large network of streams and tributaries.
The South Platte is the largest river in this system. The
Big Thompson, Cache la Poudre, and 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 through-
out the year. Land use decisions 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 semiarid steppe with moderately
cold winters and warm summer` . The area has low relative
humidity and less than 15 inches of precipitation a year .
The precipitation 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 sufficient to support native grasses and
shrubs, but successful cultivation of most crops depends
upon irrigation.
Natural resources include coal, oil, gas, sand and
- 4
gravel. The most important natural resource, however, is the
land. It has allowed the farmers and ranchers of the county
to be ranked second in the United States in crop and live-
stock production.
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 cul-
tures 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. However, the French
trappers' settlement was transitory in nature. 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 historic 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 indirect influence on the develop-
ment of Weld County, for they established a trail between
- 5 -
Santa Fe, New Mexico and Laramie, Wyoming, which 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 agricul-
tural wealth which would characterize Weld County in the
twentieth century. It was also during this period that Weld
County was organized as a political entity. Weld County was
one of the original 17 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
careful planning, the Greeley Colony survived to prosper.
To supplement 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 set-
tlers planned and dug canals and designed fields to maximize
the benefits of irrigation water. The Colony had much to do
with the development of the elaborate network of canals and
irrigation structures which are a prominent part of Weld
County' s present day landscape.
The urbanization of Weld County began along the route
- 6 -
established 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 Windson, 1882 ; -
Hudson, 1887 ;
Eaton, Keota, Grover and Raymer, 1888; and
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;
Firestone and Frederick, 1907;
Mead and Nunn, 1908;
LaSalle and Milliken, 1910;
Gilcrest, 1912 ;
Pierce, 1918; and
Keenesburg, 1919.
As the present population increased, the northern Colo-
rado 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 agriculture. 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
- 7 -
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 project was originally designed in the face of crop
losses and water shortages in years when supply from moun-
tain streams was deficient. A dependable supply of water
has drastically reduced crop losses.
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 recognized as a prime location for agricultural invest-
ment, is now being subjected to pressures for urban develop-
ment 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.
Government 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 con-
version from agricultural to urban uses are sometimes
- 8 -
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.
D. POPULATION
The size, distribution and characteristics of popula-
tions, along with growth trends, are fundamental factors in
planning the county' s future. These factors greatly influ-
ence the amount, location and significant characteristics of
future growth. The western boundary of Weld County is only
five to ten miles from the foothills of the Rockies. The _
southern boundary is only 15 miles from metropolitan Denver.
This proximity to the mountains and to Denver is very con-
venient for Weld County residents, but is also a strong fac-
tor in the rapid population influx of recent years. The
U. S. Census shows that the 1970 population of Weld County
was 89, 297. Recent surveys by the State Planning Office,
the Regional Transportation District and Alan M. Voorhees,
Consultant, all agree that this figure will double by 1990.
Table 1 shows the 1970 populations for the county, the indi-
vidual towns, and the unincorporated and rural areas.
As confirmed by Table 1 and the Population Distribution
Map, the largest concentration of population is in the -
Greeley area. Nearly one-half of the county' s population
is situated in this area. The Windsor area is expected to
develop rapidly, due to its proximity to the Kodak plant
- 9 -
and its location at the heart of the Greeley-Loveland-Fort
Collins triangle.
The next largest group of county citizens is located
in the unincorporated and rural areas. Persons living in
the small towns scattered throughout the county comprise the
third largest block of population. The smallest group of
citizens resides in the east and northeast portions of the
county.
The rapid population growth of the county can be expec-
ted to continue and even accelerate with increasing pressures
for residential, commercial and industrial development. This
increased population will require a corresponding increase in
public facilities and services. These facilities and ser-
vices can be most economically and efficiently provided by
existing municipalities which have facilities that can be
readily expanded for future growth. These towns are plan-
ning for growth, have comprehensive plans of their own and
can be viable centers for future expansion. This Weld County
Comprehensive Plan encourages the planned growth o£ individ-
ual municipalities, particularly where growth is of a bal-
anced nature and does not adversely impact the surrounding
area or conflict with plans of neighboring communities.
Table 1 is included to provide general information
about the present population of Weld County. It is arranged
according to town population. Although they have small pop-
ulations, Garden City and Rosedale are included in the
- 10 -
Greeley group because of their urban characteristics. For
the purposes of this Plan, towns with less than 1, 000 per-
sons are considered rural. The existing facilities and size
of a town will help determine how much new development a
town can reasonable accommodate. Development around exist-
ing towns should be accompanied by corresponding development
of the towns ' utilities and facilities. Most towns have
adopted comprehensive plans of their own which describe the
type and size of desired development.
- 11 -
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
-12-
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CHAPTER TWO
TRENDS AND ALTERNATIVES
CHAPTER II
TRENDS AND ALTERNATIVES
The land of Weld County has always been bounteous to
its farmers and to the people of Colorado and the nation.
Weld County ranks first in agricultural productivity of all
counties of Colorado and second of all counties in the nation.
The 1969 U. S. Census of Agriculture shows that the value of
all farm products sold in Weld County totaled $317,410,295
and accounted for almost 30% of all farm products sold in
Colorado. Weld County has long been known as a breadbasket
for the people of Colorado and the United States.
Recently, Weld County has shared in an unprecedented
influx of population which has occured all along the front
range from Fort Collins to Pueblo. According to the 1970
U. S. Census, the population of Colorado increased 25. 88
between 1960 and 1970; a rate twice that of the nation.
Some cities along the front range have grown at an extra-
ordinary 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 . 88 .
Counties along the front range have also grown at a rapid
pace during these ten years, as the following examples show:
Adams 54 . 4% , Arapahoe 42 .9% , Boulder 77. 68 , Douglas 74 . 68
El Paso 64 . 28 , Larimer 68 . 5% and Weld only 23 .4% , or a rate
slightly less than the state average.
It is interesting to note that Denver, the acknowledged
- 14 -
hub of this population growth spiral, had a population
increase of only 4 .2% or one-sixth of the state ' s average.At the same time, populations of adjacent cities and coun-
ties were growing at rates of twenty to twenty-fix times
that of Denver. While this can be explained in part by the
limited amounts of land for development in Denver, it does
show that the recent trends are more a process of suburban-
ization rather than urbanization. In other words, if given
a choice the majority of people prefer to live in areas
offering "open space" and elbow room" over the more com-
pact and efficient urban centers.
Suburbanization is a national phenomenon and is becom-
ing a national concern, for the result is urban "sprawl"
with a corresponding loss of efficiency in public utilities,
services and transportation. Much of the suburbanization
has been at the expense of agriculture. The depletion of
farmland in the nation has reached an alarming rate of near-
ly ten million acres per year. Colorado alo
ne 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 materially reduced during these five
years. Boulder County lost 103 , 519 acres; Arapahoe 83, 876
acres; Adams 130,236 acres and Larimer 12, 375 acres. In
contrast Weld County actually gained 292 , 332 acres of farm-
land between 1964 and 1969, but lost 2 , 854 acres of irri-
gated farmland during this period. (Statistical Abstract
- 15 -
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of U. S. , 1972 and Census of Agriculture, 1969 . )
This loss of farmland is considered ominous by many
experts and the loss of 2 ,854 acres of irrigated land in
Weld County is of particular concern. The Generalized Land
Use Map of Colorado shows that only two major irrigated crop-
land areas exist in the State: the San Luis Valley and the
Upper Platte River Valley, most of which lies in Weld County.
This irrigated farmland is the principal reason Weld County
produces three times the agricultural products of its near-
est competitor, Morgan County.
The rich, agricultural, irrigated land is a state and
national resource which must be valued as a major asset.
The loss of good farmland must be viewed as a potential dan-
ger to the state, the nation and to the county. Agricul-
tural products have become a major export for the United
States as shown by the recent sale of wheat to Russia. It
is important, then, to protect this valuable and limited
asset and, if possible, to continue the expansion of agri-
cultural lands by new irrigation techniques as we have
successfully accomplished in Weld County while other areas
are losing farmland.
Weld County has been fortunate, so far, in that it is
on the periphery of the front range population explosion.
The growth rate of Weld County between 1960 and 1970 was
lower than the state rate, and Greeley' s growth rate was
not nearly as fast as her neighboring front range cities.
- 17 -
During this time, the economic base of both the urban and
rural resident has been strengthened. Additional land has _
been put under cultivation and the economic base has been
broadened by the addition of new industry and business enter-
prises; all of this without major impact on our environment.
While Weld County has escaped a large part of the uncon-
trolled and undesirable development activities during the
1960' s, there is every indication that the same growth pres-
sures experienced by our neighboring counties during the
past ten years will be present in Weld County from now on.
We must take heed of the warning signs from nearby counties
and exercise beneficial control over the suburbanization pro-
cess which has already placed many of the nation' s previous-
ly desirable living areas under "urban sprawl. "
The population growth pattern in Weld County has been
just as unbalanced as has been that of Colorado, where 90-
95% of the growth in the past ten years has occured along -
the front range. In Weld County, the city of Greeley has
accounted for nearly 758 of the county' s growth between 1960
and 1970. Approximately 878 of the population lives in the
southwest portion of the county, which comprises less than
258 of the county' s total area. It is in this same area
that the majority of our richest, irrigated farmland is
located and, unfortunately, it is also this same area that
is experiencing the greatest growth pressure.
According to one report, " . . .rapid population growth
- 18 -
and recent industrialization in the area have affected spec-
ulation so that the agricultural productivity value of the
land has virtually no influence on the purchase price of a
parcel." (MacPhail, 1972, page 50. )
Ever since the founding of the Union Colony over 100
years ago in what is now Greeley, growth and economic pros-
perity have been tied closely to the availability of water.
Without irrigation water the area around Greeley, as well as
the southwestern part of the county, would be as sparsely
populated as is the area north and east of Greeley. Irri-
gation water has provided the base for our agricultural econ-
omy and the clean, green open space that is our happy environ-
ment. It is ironic that this same irrigation water and the
green open space are what create the ever increasing growth
pressures for development of new business, industry and res-
idential subdivisions.
_ It is quite obvious that sound land use planning in
Weld County must be closely tied to the same physical factors
(water and land) whether it is our goal to encourage agricul-
-- tural development, urban development or both. It is an estab-
lished fact that the migrating populations which are attracted
to our area want to locate in the same area that contains our
-- richest and most productive farmlands. 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 postwar suburbanization, are ominous.
- 19 -
The orchards of Santa Clara County near San Francisco were
once the most fruitful in all the world. Today, those
orchards are only a 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
of Los Angeles, was once a vast citrus grove. The postwar
migration of suburbanites soon forced farmers to sell out
and many began citrus farming in neighboring San Diego County,
to the south. Now the farmlands of San Diego County are fac-
ing the same urbanization pressures created, in part, by peo-
ple wanting to escape the population congestion of Orange
County. If agriculture is to be maintained, neither selling
out to market pressures nor migration to another county is
the answer.
However, the premise behind the Weld County Comprehen-
sive Plan is that the conflict between urban and agricultural
development need not result in the complete destruction of
one way of life in order to accommodate the other. The agri-
cultural interests can be protected and even expanded, and
at the same time the growth pressures for more residential,
business and industrial development can be controlled and
accommodated.
Accordingly, the basic premises behind the Weld County
Comprehensive Plan are:
1. THAT AGRICULTURE SHOULD AND MUST BE
PROTECTED, and
2. THAT PRESSURES FOR URBANIZATION MUST
- 20 -
BE RECOGNIZED AND ACCOMMODATED SO
THAT GROWTH WHICH OCCURS IS DIRECTED
AND CONTROLLED, MINIMIZING ANY NEG-
ATIVE IMPACTS.
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. Uncon-
trolled 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 such communities as Boulder and found
to be unacceptable. The zero population growth movement has
developed out of the realization that growth in itself, wheth-
er planned or unplanned, is not always desirable.
Many studies have been made showing that development may
be unprofitable for the taxpayers. The Princeton, N. J. ,
Township Citizens' Advisory Commission received testimony
from the former Chief Administrator of the City of New York,
who is currently president of the Institute of Public Admin-
istration, Lyle Fitch, that servicing a typical single fam-
ily 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, N. J. , in 1965 made
a cost-revenue analysis of a proposed residential develop-
ment of 80 acres into one-half acre parcels and determined
that the development would result in a net deficit of
$56,000 per year for the city. (Bartlett, 1971. )
- 21 -
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 dis-
closed that costs exceeded revenue by approximately $400,000
per year. (Barlett, 1971. )
Another study done by 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 county in strictly financial terms. (Lamm,
1971. ) The study showed that residential use of land was
the most costly, for although it brought in $40,000 , 000 in
tax revenue, it cost the county $97 ,000, 000 to provide ser-
vices. Agricultural use was the only profitable use of the
land, costing only $380, 000 in services while bringing in
$16,000, 000 in tax revenue. The study concluded that main-
taining agricultural use of the land was the only justifi-
able and responsible course of action.
A realization that is slowly, but surely, overcoming
nearly 200 years of habit is that growth is not always some-
thing devoutly to be wished. The economic feasibility of
zero population growth has been established by many studies
in many places. A no growth policy would, however, be very
difficult for a county to enact and would be impossible to
enforce without extraordinary agreement and cooperation
among federal, state, county and municipal governmental
- 22 -
agencies as well as special districts and a host of other
quasi-public entities. Although zero population growth
should be considered at all governmental levels, absolute
urban growth limitation is not a practicable alternative for
Weld County.
The remaining alternative is a controlled accommodation
of growth at a miminum of cost to the public and to the agri-
cultural lands. Two patterns of growth which are often dis-
cussed 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 be furnished at
least some 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
will lead to if allowed to continue uncontrolled. Such
growth patterns could cover the southwest portion of the
county as an extension of the Denver megalopolis and could
create a megalopolis of our own in the Greeley-Loveland-Fort
Collins triangle. The lessons of California have taught us
that dispersed growth is not an acceptable pattern for Weld
County.
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
- 23 -
matter how successful in themselves, are admissions of fail-
ure in solving our urban problems. New towns for Weld County
could hardly be called a solution. There are already 27
incorporated towns in Weld County and the creation of a 28th
is not an answer to the two fundamental concerns of land use
planning in Weld County, the protection of its agricultural
way of life and the development of coherent urban communities
in its existing municipalities.
A third alternative is to utilize the existing towns of
Weld County to accommodate the inevitable urban development
to a degree that these towns are willing and able to absorb
growth. There is substantial investment of public funds in
these towns for public services and facilities. Any further
expenditure of public funds for urban type services and facili-
ties should be used to upgrade and expand existing facilities
and services. The alternative is to start over with new facil-
ities in "new towns" or to extend the new facilities from the
existing towns into the areas where development is occurring.
Providing utility service to users outside the corporate
limits of the existing town has been and can be accomplished
at no increase in cost to the citizens of the community.
Care must be taken, however, to insure that the resultant
growth outside the town limits does not simply develop into
another form of unincorporated sprawl. With each town in
control of new development adjacent to its boundaries through
the control of the basic water and sewer utilities, it -
- 24 -
appears feasible for each town to force new growth to comply
with its individual comprehensive plan.
Dispersed growth away from the existing towns would
require the creation of a multitude of water and sanitation
districts wherever growth occurs. While this is a legal and
technically proper solution, it must be remembered that coun-
ties were established by the state to carry out state fun-
ctions on a decentralized basis. The powers of the county
are rigidly specified by state law. Counties have no legis-
lative powers other than those allowed by the state. In
addition to serving as a local branch of state government
by collecting taxes, recording titles and deeds, issuing
licenses, administering health and welfare programs, et
cetera, county government has always had a rural character
by providing such services as agricultural extension pro-
grams, rural road maintenance, and rural policing actions.
County government was never intended to provide muni-
cipal-type services and, in Colorado, is specifically exclu-
ded from involvement in water and sewer services. If water
and sewer service are to be used as the tool for directing
and controlling urban-type growth, it is clear that the best
political machinery is the existing and experienced town gov-
ernments that are already in the public utilities business.
As previously stated, the Weld County Comprehensive
Plan is founded upon two basic determinations:
1. THAT AGRICULTURE MUST BE PRESERVED,
- 25 -
PROTECTED AND EXPANDED FOR THE ECO-
NOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL BEING
OF ALL PEOPLE OF WELD COUNTY, THE
STATE OF COLORADO AND THE UNITED
STATES.
2. THAT BUSINESS, INDUSTRIAL AND RESI-
DENTIAL DEVELOPMENT MUST BE ACCOM-
MODATED AT THE LEAST COST TO THE PUB- -
LIC TREASURY AND AGRICULTURAL INTEREST,
AND WITH MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO THE PRE-
SENT AND FUTURE URBAN POPULATIONS. -
Many of the small towns of Weld County are located in
prime agricultural areas because of their original and con-
tinuing function as agricultural service centers. Growth
would necessarily mean depletion of some prime agricultural
land but the long-term effect would be the maximum protection
of agriculture at minimum cost to the public. Furthermore, -
by directing the pressures of business, industrial and resi-
dential growth toward the area surrounding the existing munic-
ipalities, new growth is provided with a sense of community
and identity. Almost all of these small towns have expres-
sed a desire to control growth and retain the essential char-
acter of the towns as they now exist. These towns have pre-
pared comprehensive plans to guide their growth, and these
plans will be major reference documents for planned growth
in Weld County.
After consideration of these problems and possible alter-
natives, the Weld County Planning Commission adopted the fol-
lowing Land Use Policy on September 21, 1971.
The long-range land use policy of Weld
County, Colorado, is composed of three
fundamental components.
- 26 -
First -Retain prime agricultural land for
age cultural use. Since the character and
economy of the County depend upon this agri-
cultural base, the County' s prime agricultural
way of life is to be protected. The expan-
sion of agri-business land use will be encour-
aged throughout the County while other type
land use will be limited to urbanized areas.
Second -Retain and build upon existing com-
mun t es. Normal residential, business and
industrial uses will be encouraged to develop
in the 27 Weld County incorporated towns, but
only to the extent to which the towns wish
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
interrelated.
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 resi-
dential growth increases the capacity and
the efficiency of the service districts
which provide the residential communities
with basic facilities. The consolidation
of the existing service districts is
supported, while the proliferation of
new service districts is opposed.
The residential growth of the County' s
towns is the prerogative of these munici-
palities. Any urban expansion, whether
it takes the form of normal outward growth
or "new town" development, must receive
the approval of these local jurisdictions.
The creation of "new towns" is permitted
only if they are built around the exist-
ing seed town.
- 27 -
The expansion and prosperous growth of the
agricultural sector, agriculturally oriented
industrial sector and residential sector are
inevitable. Although this growth is certain,
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 inves-
tigate the many ramifications of this policy and enunciate
more explicit policy recommendations for comprehensive
resource management in Weld County.
i_
I
- 28 -
CHAPTER THREE
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICIES
AGRICULTURE
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
_ WATER AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
OPEN SPACE
TRANSPORTATION
_ UTILITIES . PUBLIC GOODS AND SERVICES
CHAPTER III
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
rolling topographic features. The gentle topography is bro-
ken only by such features as the Cache la Poudre Valley north-
west of Greeley, which is lined by steep bluffs, and the val-
leys of St. Vrain Creek and the South Platte and Big Thompson
Rivers which are delineated by terraces with slopes of 8% to
15% (RTD, January, 1972) . Such topographic features allow
agricultural crop production with minimal erosion and drain-
age 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
agricultural production is most extensive. The lands in this
area are irrigated by a system of reservoirs and ditches sup-
plied 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
- 29 -
from the Western Slope by the Colorado Big Thompson Project.
The topography of the land plus the deep, broad aqui-
fers which follow and are recharged by the rivers have made
the development of highly productive shallow wells possible.
Large discharge shallow wells are most easily developed in
the South Platte River Valley. However, recent experience
shows that irrigation wells with sufficient capacity to
operate huge central pivot self-propelled irrigation sprink-
lers can be produced on large areas of the high plains of
Weld County. 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 irrigation
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 which were used strictly for stock
purposes (State Planning Office, 1972, page 38) .
The semi-arid climate of the county also has a signif-
icant 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 Plan-
ning Office, 1972, page 6) . Groundwater and surface water
sources thus play a significant role in maintaining high agri-
cultural production levels in the county. Climate plays an
- 30 -
even more significant role in the eastern portion of the
n is
county where dry land farming 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.
(McPhail, 1972 . ) Tornadoes also cause damage in the south-
western 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
provide an excellent environment for agricultural pursuits
and nearly 90% of all adjudicated and controlled water is
presently used in agriculture. This same water is being pur-
chased and converted to more and more industrial, business
and domestic uses. Ironically, it takes approximately three
acre feet of water, per acre, per year to grow an average
crop; and that same three acre feet, per acre, per year to
I
- support urban development.
Irrigated and dry land farming, together with livestock
of
production, have played significant roles in the econom Y
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, pages 33-A and 33-B. ) In 1969 , the market value of
all agricultural products sold in the county reached a new
- high of $317 , 140 , 295. The value of livestock, poultry and
- 31 -
their products in Weld County increased $161,488,728 during
the period from 1964 to 1969 . (Census of Agriculture, 1969 .)
In 1971, of 63 Colorado counties, Weld County was ranked num-
ber one in the production of barley, dry beans and sugar
beets; and in 1970, Weld County was ranked number one in the
production of oats and all hay. In 1970, it was ranked num-
ber two in the state in the production of corn grain and
number four in the production of winter wheat. (Colorado
Agricultural Statistics, 1972 . ) These figures alone give
Weld County a significant place in agricultural production
in Colorado.
In 1960, 25. 58 of the civilian work force in Weld County
was employed in the agricultural sector. (See Table 3 , Page
34. ) 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
3 . New technology which reduced the labor
force needed to carry on agricultural activ-
ities.
The latter fact is quite significant when it is noted that
during the same period the value of all agricultural pro-
ducts sold in the county increased. This, in essence, means
that as the number of individuals requiring services in the
- 32 -
1
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 (q)
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 Including 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
-33a-
TABLE 2
con ' t
Percent of Tenancy - All Farms
1949 44 . 2
1959 40 . 8
1964 36 . 9
1969 26 . 8
Average Age of Farm Operators - All Farms
1949 NA*
1959 NA*
1964 47 . 3
1969 48 , 7
Number of Irrigated Farms —
1949 3 , 361
1959 2 ,836
1964 2 , 594
1969 2 ,258
Proportion of All Farms
1949 76 . 1
1959 76 . 0
1964 75 . 9
1969 68 . 5
Farms with Irrigated Land - Number of Acres
1949 879 , 062
1959 1 ,009 ,864
1964 1 , 006 , 000
1969 958 ,801
Number of Acres Irrigated
1949 367 ,067
1959 379 ,316
1964 370 ,345
1969 367 ,491
* Not Available
-33b-
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
point
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 .
-34-
agricultural sector has decreased, the tax value of that
sector has increased.
Highly capitalized industries which require a small
labor force are of economic 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 agri-
culture in the position of a preferred industry as far as
the county tax base and services are concerned. If urban-
type development is kept in fairly concentrated areas sur-
rounding the existing municipalities and if business, indus-
trial and residential development is required to pay its own
way through increased and realistic property tax valuations
and appropriate park, drainage and utility fees, growth can
be accommodated without increased cost to agriculture or
depletion of the public treasury.
In summary, agriculture is a valuable resource in the
county 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 var-
ious problems facing agriculture which must be dealt with if
agriculture is to continue as a viable part of the county' s
economy.
Weld County has many attributes which make it an attrac-
tive location for future development. It offers a rural
- 35 -
environment, a clean atmosphere, a fine view of the moun-
tains and proximity to recreation areas. (RTD, 1972, page
P-1. ) As a result, the county is feeling the pressures of
business, industrial and residential growth which must be
carefully guided if it is to be accommodated without adverse
impact upon our local agricultural interests.
In 1972, studies by the Regional Transportation Dis-
trict 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, partic-
ularly the city of Greeley; and now
the town of Windsor, which is recog-
nized 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
triangle; and
B. The southwest corner
of Weld County along
Interstate 25 and
U. S. 85 .
(RTD, 1972, page p-1. )
It is the latter trend which threatens the county' s rich
agricultural lands. Many of the same characteristics which
make the county a leading agricultural producer also make it
an attractive area for extensive residential development.
- 36 -
Flat agricultural lands reduce engineering costs. The mild
climate of the area is attractive to persons who would live
in such developments. The existence of rural domestic water
systems encourages random and dispersed residential develop-
ment. The area' s proximity to the Denver metropolitan area
makes rural living attractive, even without the normal urban
conveniences.
Factors such as these have led to an inflationary trend
in land values in rural areas. No longer is the price of
land in these agricultural areas controlled, or even influ-
enced, by the crop value or agricultural history of the land.
Further, where there is a good supply of irrigation water
running with the land, there is still another inflationary
trend in existence. The value of surface irrigation water,
direct diversion rights, reservoir storage rights and more
recently the well water rights, are being inflated by demands
of the existing municipalities as well as the new industries
coming into the area. Water rights values are no longer set
by how much the farmer can afford to pay to irrigate a crop.
These inflationary trends in land values and water rights
are both a blessing and a curse to agriculture. The ever-
increasing cost of agricultural production has required the
small farmer to borrow more and more capital to stay in busi-
ness. Banks and other lending agencies must have reasonable
collateral to justify financing the many small farmer oper-
ations. The increased value of land and water has provided
- 37 -
that collateral. As the land and water values increase, the
farmer-landowner' s financial statement is increased and even
though he may be borrowing more and paying back less each
year, he is staying in business because of the inflated land
and water prices.
Another impact on agriculture which results from growth
and the inflated prices of land and water is the more effi-
cient and economic use of the land. When land and water
costs were controlled strictly on the basis of agricultural
production, the farmer-landowner could afford to have a per-
centage of his property in a nonproductive state. Further,
when water was low cost and abundant, it was cheaper to let
the ditches flow continuously through the property than to
pay the cost of labor to start and stop the flow at frequent
intervals. In short, with cheap land and cheap water, it
was not economically feasible to worry about 1008 utilization
of these resources. However, with an increased value on the
land and water whereby these properties can be sold for more
than they can earn on the farm, the prudent farmer-landowner
sees an opportunity to increase his income through better
management of these resources.
If by better management of his irrigation water (sprink-
ler systems, lined ditches, onsite storage ponds, et cetera)
the farmer is able to develop a surplus of water over his
needs, why should not he take advantage of the opportunity
to sell this surplus water at the inflated prices? Further,
- 38 -
if on his farm there are several acres of high, dry-ground
that cannot be cultivated and irrigated, why should not he
be free to sell this nonproductive land to a builder, an
industry or a business that can put the land to a beneficial
use?
These are valid questions that are being asked by today' s
farmer-landowner and, of course, the answer must be that he
can sell these properties for whatever the fair market value
is. With all of the problems that are imposed on today' s
farmer-landowner, it is not reasonable to expect him to
accept a restriction on the sale of his surplus properties.
The cost of providing public services and facilities for
residential development in agricultural areas is shared by
the farmer and 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
- 39 -
applies throughout 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.
i
- 40 -
Ttii3LE 4 -FARM INLOME
COLORA 1.O 1950 - 19'70
1400
1200 H.
Reali ed uro s Farm 'ncome
1000 "�
800
600 . _
i,�� '; , , . . I , �
400 Farm Produc ion E nses
Reali ed' Net arm Income
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970
FARM PRODUCTION EXPENSES
COLORA it O 1966 - 1970
ITEM 1966 '. 967 1968 1969 1970
Current Operating Expenses I 'ZILLION DOLLARS
Feed 138.9 153.5 134.6 161 .8 193.8
Livestock 224. 2 255.6 233. 9 302.7 382.6
Seed 7 . 1 7 .3 7 .8 9.0 9.2
Fertilizer and lime i 12.7 14.6 15.9 14. 5 15.8
Repairs and operation of capital
items 73.0 77.7 34.5 86.9 90.6
Miscellaneous 76.4 78.2 87. 1 96.7 110.8
Hired Labor 57 .0 75 .2 78.0 90.9 93.4
TOTAL 589.2 662 . 1 641 .8 762.3 896.1
Depreciation and other consump-
tion of farm capital 86.9 94.7 101 .4 108.5 112.4
Taxes on Farm Property 35.6 38.2 40.7 43.0 46.5
Interest of Farm Mort. Debt. . . . 26.4 29.7 32.7 35.6 38.4
Net Rent to Non-Farm Land Lords . 21 .7 18.5 19.5 20. 2 24.0
TOTAL PRODUCTION EXPENSES 759.8 i 843.3 836.1 969.7 1117.4
(Individual items may not add to totals because of rounding)
41
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 cer-
tain 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 two and one-half
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 farmer
s whose livelihood is threatened. It is
obvious to everyone that a feedlot must be located with care-
ful consideration of its impact on adjacent and, in some
cases, distant residential uses. Residential 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
- 42 -
run-off of storm waters. Where this water collects is not
just a matter of appearance 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 mechanical spraying. The farmer must _
rely on aerial crop spraying, but Federal Aviation Admini-
stration regulations forbid cropdusters from flying any
closer than 500 feet from residences. People must be pro- _
tected 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 attractive (and dangerous) play areas for the child-
ren of suburbanites. A problem of safety immediately arises
and this usually means fencing of the ditch. Fencing requires
maintenance and makes cleaning of the ditch each spring more
difficult and more expensive. The ditch also becomes an
attractive target for all sorts of games involving the throw-
ing 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 speci-
fic amount of water owned by the farmer can easily be dis-
rupted by children, as has happened on the west side of
- 43 -
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 two and one-half miles
away from the city limits of Greeley.
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 facil-
ities, for sewer and water facilities, for police and fire
protection and for other services. If the services and facil-
ities in the area are not capable of accommodating 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
reduced if development is encouraged around existing popula-
tion centers which already have a base for extending such
facilities and public services. Development around exist-
ing 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
- 44 -
necessary to carry on viable farm operations. Thus, increased
population is looked upon as an impending 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 makes it attractive for development. If
these characteristics are destroyed, it will become much like
any other 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
agricultural 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,
- 45 -
continue to operate on their most productive soils.
In summary, 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 intensive 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 environmental disfunctions
and high costs of control and abate-
ment.
C. High cost transportation-utility infra-
structure. In the dense, built-up
areas, the square footage dedicated 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 ser-
vices.
E. A rapid rate of urban growth can be
counterproductive 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 govern-
ment.
B. Need for low taxation as an incen-
tive for continued operations.
C. High aesthetic environmental and
- 46 -
open space amenities.
D. Less complicated and lower level
of pollution risks.
E. Lower costs of development and
maintenance of transportation-
utility infrastructure.
F. High quality food producing
reserve for future population
increases. (MacPhaii, 1972 , pages
89-90 . )
Other considerations must be taken into account. First,
from the standpoint of the economy of the county and the
state, agriculture adds diversity and stability. A more
homogeneous economy is less likely to be susceptible to the
rise and fall of government spending programs or fluctuation
in the marketing systems. Second, from a national viewpoint,
the agricultural economy is likely to be stimulated as our
national policies allow greater export of food products to
other countries of the world. If we diminish our agricul-
tural lands now, we will be less able to take advantage of
these increased opportunities.
In light of such considerations and factors, and the
growth pressures being applied to the county, policies regar-
ding the protection and expansion of agriculture in the coun-
ty have been developed to guide the growth and development
of agriculture in Weld County. These policies are designed
to protect the established agricultural economy from degra-
dation during the anticipated growth years ahead.
In addition, provisions are made for the farmer-land
- 47 -
owner to be
able to expand his agricultural activity and
productivity and, at the same time, be able to take maximum
advantage of the inflated land and water values. Further,
these policies should provide and maintain a quality living
environment for the agricultural citizens throughout the
county.
The following is a statement of these policies and
objectives.
1. Agriculture is considered a valuable
resource in Weld County which must be
protected from adverse impacts result-
ing from uncontrolled and undirected
business, industrial and residential
growth. In order to maintain and pro-
mote this important segment of the
county' s economy, the cultural and
human values associated with farm life
and the overall benefits of an agri-
cultural environment, any uses of
prime irrigated farmland for uses
other than agricultural will be cri-
tically reviewed to insure the pro-
posed development will not adversely
impact the agricultural interests of
the county and that the development
will positively contribute to the over-
all economy, environment and tax base
of the county.
2. The expansion and development of agri-
business and agriculturally oriented
industry will be encouraged, provided
these enterprises do not adversely
affect the total economy or environ-
ment.
3 . In order to minimize conflicting land
uses and minimize the cost of new
facilities and services to the tax-
payer, industrial, commercial, business
and residential development will be
encouraged to locate adjacent to the
existing 27 incorporated towns and in
accordance with the comprehensive plans
- 48 -
•
and F.t .tee •„_.sl,es (r. .I.7O �-,a.:z!unity.
Where c i.'. ., w i c:?S'. .. i. dfi:s L :'re to
loc t: .. . v�P y from
the e,lz � r'. .- .._ : , they
will t, . . +:eir
dove l our•1,:_• ... ..Ind ..c..in
:.n
:.,.:pe. t✓.t , s°::_ ;.. ca how
glom:': as.r . -_. F i1411cw�; and
co 3t__ :J:_ :i3.r. ...i: . -.5 :1C:1 r3.
and .ongtf,:r rt _..1:1:. , -.j•, _ existing
eravirc,nTen=..
4. Because 6:t:3c:ec,u.cs . s1:.. :L.'_ies are
essential ':"c:i ;1 production,
each non g ::.::;,:..-; . /.: irpme,:t will
be encoln a9 . Z:fl necessary
water from so!... , . .(,-:7 consid-
ered iii:1:1es i :!:I .. . .. maintenance
of agr i_, Dui t. 1 .a l ; ..- ._.rc in the par-
ticular are,:-1._ 7: . of this con-
cept, hi.cjn.,ss pc :..-...- :--. 4ill be given
to tho s� c3 vc:%_. f . . ) 1..t :ave low
.rates ok wat !: in pur-
zuit o" t.hes =:) =" .. , it will. be
the policy e. ,.,. .: . ••,;11m .:Ats from
those dit,Th O7. • . .. . ... , ,'c _c„: dis-
tricts
agen-
cies wh: .. . is . i:.:' . ef. and con-
trol ..he 1... flt.i )! ar of 4.C. ;FF•,z T.ror?erties
5 . .Lecc ss war, :a..x: 12.1 ._:Ace poi-
.I_ut rw e1 ti: o":: "v 1'.:F:. -2c:''.i:ni i:: all
res.I.-aE:fit c?f file c-... .'.i .y 0.::: state
and the 7.1ation, 4h'i__:. 'De fne policy
to encourage only Lhof:e �e`v,i .opments
that can stow that the A. not con-
tribute adversely ;:.! ptl•i_Lor ; or
if they CO cont:t ?.:yt.t a to `'..x'.^ pollu-
tion
are prepare0. !c, e i*,: ;... hui l appro-
priate controi jE:v.;.c 3s at: their own
expense or wi:l._? 1,),:y slafficicnt
A
1
revenues to the existing pollution
controlling districts or agencies
to insure proper treatment without
increasing the cost to the existing
users of the system.
6. In order to promote the agricultural
economy and to enhance and maintain
the quality of life and environment
in Weld County, developments that
utilize nonproductive rural land and
water surpluses will be encouraged,
particularly where productive irri-
gated farmland can be preserved as
agricultural greenbelts and open
space.
Construction in flood plains, seep
areas, geological fault areas and
other dangerous or undesirable build-
ing environments will be discouraged.
However, development of these same
areas as parks, recreation areas,
water and land reclamation areas,
sand and gravel sources, commercial
feed lots, and areas for hunting,
fishing and other activities which
contribute to the economy or improve
the environment will be encouraged.
�f
- 50 -
Be 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 comes to mind. Tne farmer iss rarely thought
of as a developer. ; but the transformation of a semi-arid land
into one of the richest agr.icuitu.ras areas in the nation is
certainly development in the highest sense,.. The develop-
ment 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 beer,, the labor of four generations of farmers.
The subdivider, then, can more precisely be called a
redeveloper. This redevelopment 13 very much unlike the
development 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 agriculture 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. Without proper guidelines and development control,
the cost, of providing these facilities and services would be
passed on to the present county resident and the future
- 51 -
resident, with the subdivider taking his profit and leaving
the long-term problem to those remaining behind, while he
proceeds to new areas to develop new problems for still oth-
ers to resolve and pay for. Part of the cost of providing
these new facilities is passed onto the farmer-landowner who
does not need them, but must help pay for them. This addi-
tional tax burden cuts further into the farmer' s slim profit
margin and increases the pressure for him to "sell out" to
the ever present "subdivider. "
As mentioned before, county government was never inten-
ded to provide urban services usually provided by municipal-
ities. The tax revenue for urban services can more equitably
be developed from a town or city where the 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 which over-
lap the municipalities, such as licensing and tax collection,
and services for the true rural dweller, the farmer.
Urban development should be compact and confined where
urban-type services can be administered with true efficiency
and economy. When and where urban-type residents are allowed
to locate in a rural area, they should be required to either
accept the rural-type environment as the standard of life
or pay completely and without help from the true rural resi-
dent for increased urban-type services. Municipalities can
control growth through, among other things, the use of water
- 52 -
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 or cities, or that area in close
proximity, is the most logical and economical. Such bene-
ficial control would minimize the cost of urbanization for
everyone. All municipalities have the legislative power to
control and service urban areas within their areas, or with-
in close annexable areas. Nearly all of the 27 municipalities
in Weld County have prepared comprehensive plans to guide
their future development and growth. Many of these munici-
palities 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 develop-
ment in Weld County must be directed to where the facilities,
services and appropriate 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 gen-
eral 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
- 53 -
in the comprehensive plan for the town in question. Plan-
ning for urban development at the county level must be close-
ly coordinated with planning for each of these municipali-
ties. 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
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 devel-
opment, 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 five miles north of Colorado
Highway 14 ; on the south by a line parallel to and about
four miles south of U. S . Highway 34 and extending about
three 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
- 54 -
area is feeling strong pressure for urban development. The
greatest concentration of existing development in the Weld
County portion of the Poudre area is in the Greeley-Evans
area. As noted in Table 1, page 12 , this area had a popula-
tion 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 of an intensive labor indus-
try, Eastman Kodak, will continue to strongly influence
Windsor and the entire Poudre area.
The second portion of Weld County that is feeling strong -
pressure fos residential development is the southwest cor-
ner. This area can be defined as that land within Townships
1 and 2 of Ranges 66, 67 and 68 . Here, the influence of the
burgeoning Denver metropolitan area is causing land to be
platted and developed primarily for residential use. Resi-
dents 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 ongoing 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 Com-
mission. One of the first tasks of this Commission was to
set up procedures to adequately process and keep records on
subdivision of land.. By looking at those records, we can
see how the pressures for development in the county are act-
ing. Although some residential development occurs without
- 55 -
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 resi-
dential development so that subdivision is a good indicator
of overall residential development.
Between November 1960 and November 1972, there were 67
subdivisions recorded in Weld County. A total of 2 ,851 lots
was 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
annexed into a town after they were platted. ) Of these 67
subdivisions, only five with 204 lots (7. 28 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 dur-
ing this 12 year period. This represents 46 . 08 of all lots
platted in the county during this period. Of these 36 sub-
divisions, 30 with 1,176 lots were located within the plan-
ning areas of existing towns. Most of these, 29 , were with-
in the city of Greeley' s planning area. The six 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
- 56 -
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. 88 of all lots plat-
ted in the county were located in the southwest corner. How-
ever, only two of these subdivisions with 23 lots, or only
1. 7% of all lots in the southwest corner, were located with-
in the planning areas of the five existing towns in that
area. The remaining 24 subdivisions with 1, 312 lots, or
98. 38 of the total in the southwest, were not closely con-
nected to any existing development.
Figures for the county as a whole show that 33 subdi-
visions with a total of 1, 214 lots or 42. 58 were located with-
in the planning areas of existing towns. The other 34 sub-
divisions with 1, 637 lots or 57 . 5% were not closely connec-
ted to existing development in the towns. If each of these
1, 637 lots had a single-family home built on it, there would
be housing available for some 5, 240 persons, a population
greater than dny town in Weld County other than Greeley. A
town of 5 , 000 people would require a sizable 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 providing these public goods and
services to over 5 , 000 persons can only be magnified if the
prJpuldtion served .ia dispersed rather than concentrated
around the sources of the goods and services. Also, the con-
flicts between the basically urban subdivision and agricul-
tural land are magnified many times when development occurs
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 recog-
nized 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 pro-
blems as severe as those from which they fled. The present
spot development trend represented by these scattered sub-
divisions, 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 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 pre-
pared by the municipalities to guide their future growth.
The towns should serve as nuclei for urban growth within the
- 58 -
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 Commis-
sion and the Board of County Commissioners increased powers
and responsibilities with respect to the platting of new
subdivisions. In particular, the external effects of devel-
opment 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 comprehen-
sive plan and conform to all resolutions and regulations in
effect in the county. (Weld. County Subdivision Regulations, -
1972, Section 7-1. ) Thus, the subdivision regulations play
a key role in implementing basic development policies of the
county. However, they must be supported by a sound, well
conceived comprehensive plan which includes basic guiding
policies to plan and guide new residential development in
the county. -
The following policies apply to residential-type devel-
opments:
1 . New residential developments which are
not closely connected to and served by
municipal utilities and services shall
be discouraged .
t. Pl%: :,usals for new residential develop-
mf-nt aajoi.ni ng existing municipalities
shall be encouraged so long as they
- 59 -
conform to the desires of the towns
as expressed in their comprehensive
plans.
3. Existing municipalities are the best
and most efficient sources of public
goods and services which are necessary
to serve new residential developments.
These municipalities will be encouraged
to improve their ability to serve new
developments and will be looked to f(7)M
service of all new developments within
their corporate areas, in annexable
areas immediately adjacent to the town
and even those areas not immediately
available for annexation, but within
a reasonable service distance from the
municipality.
Commercial
Commercial development in the unincorporated area of
Weld County has not been extensive thus far. However, almost
all of this development occurred along the major highways,
1-25, 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 arter-
ials canlLot be used for commercial use without disrupting the
controlled access which is such an essential aspect of the
proper func•E.ioning of arterials. Even along I-25, which is
a grade separated , controlled access highway, extensive com-
mercial development will disrupt the functioning of the inter-
changes, which were not designed to provide commercial cross-
roads. The motivation to lure traffic from high speed, con-
trolled access roads conflicts with the very purpose of these
roads.
- 60 -
Commercial development should be restricted to the incor-
porated areas of municipalities unless necessary to provide
absolutely essential highway services.. Gasoline stations,
restaurants, motels and other auto-oriented services should
be located with care at areas where problems of access and
traffic conflict can be minimized.. Location of commercial
use outside of existing municipalities will encoulacle dis-
persed growth and will be of little aid to the economic well
being of the municipalities. The public has a right to con-
trol development along these major transportation routes, for
it is the investment of public treasure in these roads which
makes them attractive for commercial use. Commercial land
use in the county should be limited :—imarily to those agri-
business functions that cannot be located in a municipality.
The following policies will guide commercial development
in Weld County:
1. Commercial development will not be
encouraged in the unincorporated areas
of the county unless it can be shown
by the developer that the proposed com-
mercial use ,cannot reasonably be located
in an urban area.
2. Commercial development designed to serve
the agricultural base of the county
should be located wherever practical
within a municipality; however, when-
ever distance from a municipality makes
this an impractical or unprofitable
establishment of such commercial ser-
vice, facilities within easy access to
each agricultural area will be encour-
aged.
3. Auto-oriented commercial services will
be encouraged to locate either within
- 61 -
existing municipalities or at well
planned and located areas along the
major highways and thoroughfares.
When located outside the municipal-
ities, the developer will be asked
to furnish justification of the need
for the proposed commercial facility
and to show, through a detailed Plan-
ned Unit Development approach, how
the development will accommodate
the traveling public without inter-
ference with the ongo?_ng traffic.
4. Detailed development plans will be
needed, along with an economic
impact statement and an environ-
mental impact statement prepared
by recognized experts, for the
development outside the municipal
areas to be considered by the Weld
County officials.
Industrial
Industrial development, like commercial development, is
encouraged to locate in one of the existing municipalities
where such a facility can be accommodated according to the
local comprehensive plan. Industrial land use is a vital
part o£ community development. It provides a foundation for
a well balanced, self-sust _ining community and prevents the
formation of "bedroom" towns and the attendant problems cre-
ated by a -ommuting citizenry; a lack of tax base for com-
munity improvement and the lack of community identity.
Industrial land use in the rural areas of the county
should be limited to those industries which cannot suitably
be located within a municipality. Rural industrial develop-
ments should be encouraged only when the industry is agri-
culturally oriented or requires a physical environment that
- 62 -
cannot reasonably be furnished in a municipality. Indus-
tries such as concrete plants, asphalt plants, gravel and
sand operations, utility plants, sanitary land fills, dumps,
or incinerators, coal mines, oil and gas wells and storage
areas, and other industries requiring location adjacent to
their raw materials, a large body of cooling water or special
transportation systems, should be carefully controlled to
insure the minimum damage to the environment and an accept-
able highway or roadway impact.
While the benefits of a broad based economy are desir-
able and new job producing industries are usually welcomed,
care must be exercised to insure that the benefits outweigh
the costs both in the short and long term time frame. Fur-
ther, an industry, regardless of how attractive from a tax
base and economic outlook, must not be allowed to prosper at
the expense of the environmental well being of the present
and future residents of the county.
The location of a very large industry, such as Eastman
Kodak at Windsor, would un-oubtedly be welcomed in Weld County
provided it was prepared to adapt its physical facilities and
operational procedures to the economy, environment and wel-
fare of the present county residents. However, such an indus-
try should be prepared to prove it will have a minimal effect
upon the water supplies, agricultural land uses, roadway net-
work, schools, utilities and way of life of our area. Fur-
ther, it should be prepared to pay its own way not only
- 63 -
through the normal contribution to the tax base, but by pro-
viding at its own cost the necessary utility improvements,
drainage improvements, site developments, safety measures
and employee programs that will insure the acceptance of the
new industry as an attractive and responsible neighbor.
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,
four and one-half square miles of some of the best agricul-
tural land in the county have been zoned industrial. While
less than one-fourth of this area is being utilized for indus-
trial purposes, no plans for the remaining industrially zoned
land have been presented to county or municipal authorities.
To date, this remaining land has been retained in agricul-
tural uses and the Eastman Kodak facility is certainly self-
containee and very well developed to minimize its impact on
the area. However, this industrially zoned land is contig-
uous to the Town of Windsor in some places and is four times
as large as the town in area, and yet the town has no power
to tax or control this industry. With a less conscientious
industry, this could be a very serious problem.
The following policies shall guide industrial develop-
ment within the unincorporated area of Weld County:
1. Zoning for industrial use in areas out-
side the areas covered by the comprehensive
- 64 -
plans of the existing municipalities
shall be encouraged only for low
employee concentration, agriculturally
related industries or other industries
that can show they cannot reasonably
be accommodated within the areas
covered by the municipalities' com-
prehensive plans.
2 . High3y productive, irrigated, agri-
cultural lands shall not normally be
rezoned for industrial use. Only when
detailed development plans accompanied
by economic and environmental impact
statements, prepared by recognized
experts, justify the sacrifice of these
agricultural assets will such a rezon-
ing request receive favorable consid-
eration.
3. Industrial zoning within the compre-
hensive planning area of a town shall
be subject to the industry' s compli-
ance with the local comprehensive plan -
and an agreement to annex to the town
is reached between the town and the
developer prior to the change of zon-
ing.
4. All industrial zoning requests must be supported by a detailed develop-
ment plan and an economic and envir-
onmental impact statement. -
- 65 -
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 use for his benefit and well-being.
The soils and topography of Weld County may be consid-
ered 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 concen-
trates on an equally vital resource for agriculture and all
other human activities, water. Part one is devoted to a dis-
cussion of water, and part two 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
rather extensive developmen
t. Over the years there has
of
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
- 66 -
is based on irrigation from this water system.
The development of water resources has allowed more than
agriculture to prosper in Weld County. Industry, 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
important limiting factor on the amount and type of man' s
activities 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 trans mountain diver-
sion projects are monuments of the past. The total water
supply in the state has largely been developed and appro-
priated, 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 , -
page 1) . However, between 1964 and 1969 the amount of irri-
gation 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 usage in the
county. Colorado water law has been designed to allow water
to be allocated by the market. There is no requirement which
ties water rights to the land. It can be bought, sold and
transferred in manner and place of use with a minimum of
legal requirements being met. The only legal requirement on
- 67 -
the use of water is that it be "beneficial" . The state Con-
stitution does set an hierarchy of preference in the way in
which water is to be used beneficially. Domestic use, as
the first preference 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 prefer-
red use can be made. Furthermore, since most industrial
water is supplied by municipal 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 increase will be met largely by decreasing other uses,
principally agricultural use. Felix Sparks, head of the Colo-
rado Wat. r Conservation Board, has noted that this trade off
exists for Colorado as a whole, and his statement of the pro-
blem 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. Vir-
tually all future municipal increases in water usage
will come about at the expense of the agricultural
community. (Lamm and Strang, 1971, page 19) .
As with other limited resources, the allocation among
competing users is accomplished primarily through a market
- 68 -
mechanism. Traditionally, water has moved to those uses
which pay 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 Depart-
ment 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 one-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
commitments of water use and the fact that practically all
uses of water are eventually interconnected, make the allo-
cation of water on something more than an auction basis an
imperative necP.ssity for planned growth in Colorado. Gov-
ernor John Love has described allocation of water as Colo-
rado' s "ultimate weapon" in future planning. He indicated
that water is the major means by which the state can control
and direct growth. According to the Governor, Colorado must
develop a comprehensive water plan which would allocate water
to agriculture, municipalities and industries on a statewide
- 69 -
basis and enable the state to make conscientious decisions
about water use.
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 predomi-
nate water controlling entities can be classed as follows:
1. Ditch and reservoir companies;
2. Special districts;
3. Municipalities; and
4. The Northern Colorado Water Con-
servancy 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 sys-
tems. 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 usage
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
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.
- 70 -
Mineral Resources
Several mineral resources have been extracted from var-
ious areas of Weld County. The primary minerals are sand
and gravel, coal, petroleum and gas. Although these oper-
ations form a relatively minor part of the county economy at
present, they potentially 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 impact on the land being mined. Since sand and gra-
vel 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 underlaid by coal
deposits.
Ali mineral resources are fixed in location. The min-
eral extraction industry is therefore restricted in its
operations to those areas where the resources lay. Residen-
tial, commercial or industrial development over those areas
will reduce or remove the feasibility of ever developing the
minerals in question. The following policies shall apply to
mineral resources:
1. Access to future mineral resource develop-
ment shall be considered in all land use
decisions. The location of mineral depos-
its and their importance shall be
- 71 -
determined in cooperation with the
Colorado Geological Survey.
2. Lands shall not be mined unless a
rehabilitation plan is approved by
the Board of County Commissioners.
D. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Throughout history, man has struggled to overcome envir-
onmental adversities. Today, the struggle is one of undoing
what man has done to the environment. In North America, the
destruction 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 photo-
graphs 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 pub-
lic 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 deter-
mine:
1. Any adverse environmental effects that
- 72 -
could not be avoided should the
proposed action be undertaken.
2. Alternatives to the proposed action.
3. Any other anticipated, direct envi-
ronmental impacts.
4 . Irreversible or irretrievable com-
mitments of resources that would
be involved should the proposed
action be implemented.
5. The relationship between short-term
use of the environment and its long-
term productivity.
This kind of environmental assessment must be incorporated
into the long-term planning process in Weld County. Such
assessment 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 dis-
ruptive uses, usually agriculture. Although there are degrees _
of disruption depending on the type of use and the character-
istics of the land proposed for the use, certain lands must
be totally protected. Two areas where any building of stru-
ctures can be catastrophically disruptive are flood plains
and over aquifer recharge areas.
- 73 -
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 pattern of the county is dendritic and, therefore,
intricately interrelated. The disruption of a small gully
or draw has consequences far greater than its local effect
in time of flood. A report done for RTD, An Ecological Plan-
ning 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 deter-
mined 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 deter-
mined through soil association data. Delineation of the
flood plains will be updated as soon as data from engineer-
ing studies become available.
The major aquifers are located in alluvial valleys,
" . . . in the sand and gravel which make up the subsurface por-
tion of our major streams. . . " (Colorado Geologic Survey,
1969, page 40) . These aquifers must be protected for they
are "locally recharged and are hydraulically linked to the
streams flowing over them" (RTD, 1972) . Pollution of
- 74 -
aquifer recharge areas will, in many cases, mean pollution of
streams. Aquifer recharge areas also occur miles away from
any flowing streams. All aquifer recharge areas must be pro-
tected, for pollution in or near these areas will have severe
consequences for ground water users miles away, and any build-
ing or paving over these areas will diminish 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 identified on the Aqui-
fer 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 pol-
luting 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 conflu-
ence with the South Platte River, is transformed from a live
trout stream into one that supports primarily algae, slime
molds and conform bacteria. The lesson here is how human
negligence and unwise land use can change a unique natural
resource into a health hazard.
Recent federal legislation indicates that the days of
environmental laissez-faire are over. Eventually, our riv-
- 75 -
ers 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 characteristics. All floodplains
should be so zoned, and the provisions of the zone should
protect streams and rivers from any channel alteration.
There are other areas which, along with flood plains,
aquifers and rivers, must be kept free from the activities
of urban man. These include areas of steep slope, unstable
geology 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 devel-
opment 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 fol-
low.
The cattle feedlot provides a good example of how pro-
per design can minimize its environmental impact. Cattle
generate considerably more organic wastes than a comparable
number of people. Also, the services associated with feed-
lots may contribute to biochemical oxygen demand and chemi-
cal pollution through the use of pesticides for dipping and
spraying. However, if feedlots are properly located and
- 76 -
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. There-
fore, through proper site location and proper management
feedlots are an asset to the county, for they generate sur-
rounding agricultural activity, create tax revenue and
require 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 develop-
ments, 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
throughout this plan which are supportive to this urban devel-
opment 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
- 77 -
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 develop-
ment can only make the situation worse. Scattered develop-
ment 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 enor-
mous environmental dislocations, it makes sense to minimize
the area of such dislocations. Adequate pollution control
requires large 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 facil-
ities.
With the foregoing in mind, the following policies shall
be implemented to protect the environmental quality of Weld
County:
1. Flood plains and other unsafe or
unsuitable areas for building shall
be kept open and free to accommo-
date the acts of nature.
2 , Any l.eu use that will pollute any
stream, body of water, subsurface
aquifer, aquifer recharge, the air
- 78 -
or the surrounding surface will
require the development of a pro-
per treatment facility or envir- _
onmental protective operation
before said land use can be allowed.
3 . All proposed changes of land use
will be supported by an accompan-
ying environmental impact state-
ment prepared by recognized experts.
E. OPEN SPACE
As urban growth pressures continue to increase, the need
for effective planning for our open space and recreation areas
also increases. The crowded conditions o£ 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 n e& 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 moun-
tain recreation areas within a short drive from the most pop-
ulated portions of the county. They are also fortunate in
having severai major streams and rivers. The river and stream
channels and their flood plains form natural open space cor-
ridors 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 fun-
ction of providing drainage, providing habitat for fish and
wildlife, et cetera. If these natural functions are protected
7n ..
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 for
ages before the arrival of man.
Another asset that the people of Weld County are for-
tunate in having is agriculture. The vast fields of crops
and pasture 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 which
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 receiving more and more attention. Weld County is one
of five counties in Colorado participating in the 1972 Pilot
Public Access Program established by the U. S . Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Ser-
vice. This program is designed to test the feasibility of
paying farmers to open their land for public hunting, fishing
- 80 -
hiking and trapping uses. If the pilot studies are success-
ful, it is possible that more private lands can be opened
for public recreation activities of this nature. Such a pro-
gram will benefit both the farmer and the urban dweller
through wise multiple use of land.
Open space and greenbelts, whether they are in the form
of developed parks , river flood plains, or agricultural
lands, serve another important function beside satisfying -
human needs for recreation and aesthetic purposes. This
other function is community identity. If urban development
is concentrated around the existing towns in the county, open
space and green belts between the urban areas can be main-
tained to give definition to those areas. For example, open
space in the form of the Poudre River and agricultural land
use allow us to perceive the difference between leaving
Greeley and entering Windsor, Eaton or Kersey. If these
open areas are lost, and these towns become merely parts o£
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 pnrt., still clearly defined communities.
Rl -
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 it affords us will be
lost forever unless we protect it.
Weld County realizes that now is the time to consider
our open space needs. At this time, studies directed at devel-
oping a comprehensive open space program are being conducted
under the auspices of the Larimer-Weld Regional Planning Com-
mission. This study is directed at researching, analyzing
and accomplishing 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 defic-
iencies 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 pre-
serving these lands.
4. Identification of the relationship of
open space to existing policies, objectives
and land use practices.
5. Delineation of recommendations, based
upon communication with the various jur-
isdictions in the area, on how needed
open space can best be acquired or pre-
served.
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
*This study is now complete and may be obtained at the
Weld County Planning Commission Office.
- 82 -
that time, open space and recreation needs, as well as poli-
cies 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 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 potential
damage over a large area in times of
floods (See Chapter 1 , Geography. )
Such areas should be retained for
agricultural uses which will not sub-
ject surrounding lands to such risks.
2 . Protect other lands defined as suit-
able open space areas through such
methods as:
a) Acquisition of open space areas
on the natural boundaries of com-
munities.
b) Acquisition of open space ease-
ments and other partial interests
in open land. -
c) Acquisition of areas containing
unusual geological formations,
scenic areas and historic sites.
d.) "Legacy of Parks" planning. -
3. Maintain the integrity and soundness of
existing communities by encouraging per-
manent open space "greenbelts" around
them. Current policies directed at the
retention of agricultural land uses in
the county can go far toward providing
such open space areas.
F. TRANSPORTATION
An analysis of existing highways and future urban growth
- 83 -
in Weld County has pointed up several important areas of
concern. There is a serious need to upgrade several exist-
ing state and county highways to major arterial status,
(including some controlled and/or limited access highways) ,
in order to improve continuity of travel, alignment, capa-
city 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. Trans-
portation planning must also recognize the long-range urban
development possibilities of the extreme southwest corner
of Weld County, which is already 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, are needed. Additional
travel capacity between Greeley, Loveland 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 Coun-
ty are needed.
The Thoroughfare Plan that has been developed should
not be construed as a detailed plan which is fully documen-
ted with traffic volume forecasts, engineering costs and
benefits, and land use impacts. It does not have this
detailed background. Rather, the Thoroughfare Plan has
- P4
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 Plan-
ning 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 rights-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 rights-of-way are 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
adequate rights-of-way are provided because land once zoned
- 85 -
for residential, industrial or business uses becomes much
more costly to acquire. The least intensive zoning classi-
fication (agriculture) should be maintained until the rights-
of-way have been set aside. Construction or subdivision
without sufficient dedication of rights-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, as a matter of procedure, must
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
be developed on a regional scale.
b. Thoroughfare facilities shall be
developed as a unified, integrated
system, which includes controlled
access routes, arterial and collector
streets, and in the cities and where
warranted, terminal facilities and
public transportation routes.
c . Exiting street and highway facili-
ties shall be utilized to the max-
imum extent possible.
d. New and improved facilities shall
- 86 --
be provided in travel corridors
where major service deficiencies
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 careful
attention to views and amenities
will improve highways as integral
parts of the environment.
b. Continuity shall be maintained in
the character, alignment and capa-
city of major thoroughfares. Limited
access highways shall form a com-
plete 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 spa-
cing of facilities in areas of
higher densities.
e. Directness of travel and simplicity
of design shall be encouraged.
3 . Policies Related to Land-Use Goals
a. The thoroughfare system shall relate
to existing land uses and topographic
features. The system shall inter-
connect important commercial, employ-
ment and recreational centers in the
county.
b. The system shall be designed to
minimize disruption of existing
community patterns, although it
is likely that some dislocations
may be necessary. Highways shall
not divide functional land use areas.
- 87 -
c. Highway facilities shall be pro-
vided where they will enhance the
growth and improvement of exist-
ing urban areas.
d. The system shall relate to future
land use, service 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 Lich agricultural base
of Weld County.
f. Any rezoning, subdividing or build-
ing 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 dedic:atgd shall conform to
the standards provided on the
Thoroughfare Plan.
ly. 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 pro-
vided. The subdivision regulations, zoning resolution, special
use permits and building permits provide administrative pro-
cedures to ensure that public facilities keep pace with pri-
vate development.
The Board of County Commissioners is not only responsible
to the public to see that these facilities are adequately
- SS -
supplied and that they meet certain standards, but also to
minimize 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 devel-
opments often exceeds the tax revenue provided by these devel-
opments, particularly residential developments. New develop-
ments also create a strain on special districts. It should
be pointed out that the county and special districts receive
the same revenue from a given development within the county
or district whether the development is many miles from ser-
vice facilities or nearby. Location is a major determinant
of the costs of providing public facilities, and it is an
obligation of public officals 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
minimized. It is also probable that the quality and quantity
of services provided will be greater if the populations ser-
ved 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 _
- 89 -
iI
for every person in the taxing jurisdiction. In effect, when-
ever public facilities are not provided in the most econom-
ical manner possible, the public through the county govern-
ment and special districts are unnecessarily subsidizing
urban development, for the county and special districts are
legally and morally obligated to bus school children, main-
tain roads, and provide police and fire protection whether
or not the development pays for itself. 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 appli-
cations 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 devel-
opments.
Provision of adequate public facilities requires exten-
sive public monetary investment that obligates taxpayers
both present and future to a long-term indebtedness. Rapid
and unplanned urban growth makes it impossible for local gov-
ernment 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 facil-
ities catch up with existing development. This is a drastic
- 90 -
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 stres-
sed the economy of regional sewage treatment facilities in
its evaluation of federal aid applications. Such economy,
however, must be carefully evaluated, for a regional facil-
ity tends to encourage growth between towns served by a joint
facility. The identity of towns could be obliterated and
they would then share anonymity as well as a common sewage
plant. Since the capacity for sewage treatment is an impor-
tant determinant on the growth a community can accommodate,
treatment plants should be expanded and improved to accommo-
date the growth desired by the individual community.
In evaluating proposed new development, the following
policies concerning utilities, public goods and service shall
apply:
1. Any development that will create an
undue burden on existing public facil-
ities and will diminish the capacity
of public agencies to maintain the
existing level of service shall be
discouraged.
2. All new development shall have com-
plete and adequate utilities and pub-
lic services. Tap fees, service charges,
and tax revenues from all new develop-
ments shall be sufficiently high to
properly protect the existing users
from an increased cost due to the
added demands upon the system.
3. Proliferation of service districts
shall be opposed while consolidation
- 91 -
of existing service districts shall
be encouraged when it tends to improve
the efficiency and economy of the ser-
vice.
4 . Regionalization of services and facil-
ities shall be opposed if it will lead
to growth which is not compatible with
the desires of the towns involved.
07 -
CHAPTER FOUR
IMPLEMENTATION
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
- REGULATIONS
OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES
- MAINTENANCE OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
CHAPTER IV
IMPLEMENTATION
•
If the dual objectives of the Weld County Comprehensive
Plan; namely, the protection of agricultural lands and con-
trolled urbanization, are to be realized, the policies enu-
merated in Chapter III must be implemented through specific
land use decisions made by the Board of County Commissioners.
The policies provide g7Ineral guiteelines for decisions in a
given area involving land use, but for decisions on specific
•
cases, the policies must be backed up by factual information
•
organized to facilitate decision making. The actual imple-
mentation of the pclicies 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,lemented, there will have to be close coordination
_ 4
with other governmental and public agencies. The following
sections discuss these facets of implementation, that is,
information systems, regulations, and coordination with
other public and governmental agencies.
•
- A. INFORMATION SYSTEMS
_ The availability of information upon which to base day-
•
to-day decisions is a critical necessity to implement plan-
ning policies. The soundness of decisions made by elected
and appointed officials depends, to a great extent, on the
tactual information ave.ilable to them. In recognition of
such needs, the Weld County Board of County Commissioners
- 93 - •
has enabled the collection and integration of such data to
be an important part of the tasks performed by the Weld County
Planning Office. In the Weld County Planning Office, a num-
ber of systems have been developed to place available infor-
mation into a form which is most useful to decision makers.
The systems include the following:
1. A system of transparent overlay maps
which allows graphic display in any
desired combination of such infor-
mation a topogrrl :!-;y, geolo,: : , 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 speci-
fic problems in Weld County, as well as
other areas. Such research can provide
the planner with a comprehensive over-
view of problems which have been exper-
ienced 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.
4 . A Computerized Data Bank: Currently,
Weld County, in conjunction with the
University of Northern Colorado, Bureau
of Business and Public Peso arch, is
forming a computerized data bank called
the Northern Colorado Regional Infor-
mation System. Similar efforts are -
being carried on in Larimer County,
and the ultimate goal is to produce a
Larimer-Weld Regional data information
system.
The data bank project is coordinating U . S. Census data
with County Assessor information and tying all information
.4
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 pro-
posals can easily be compared against existing conditions in
and around the area of the proposal.
The data bank will greatly increase the amount of organ-
ized, factual information available to decision makers. It
will greatly aid them in judging whether or not specific pro-
posals 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 initated 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 problems in the Fort Collins - Loveland
- Greeley area in cooperation with Weld and Larimer counties.
- A continuing intership program has been instituted with Colo-
rado State University, which allows students from the
- 95 -
University to work on "real" problems while contributing to
the data bank in areas where deficiencies 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 invol-
ved in the implementation of the Weld County Comprehensive
Plan is the information which is available for defining those -
areas where development (including commercial , residential
and industrial) should be encouraged. Defining those lands
which must be protected from urban encroachment or uncontrol-
led urban sprawl is not sufficient. Viable alternatives to
development on such protected lands must be provided in the
realization that growth in the county is inevitable. Deci-
sions must be made which define what may be termed the "high-
est and best" use of lands in particular areas of the county.
The initial step, however, in developing an information sys-
tem to determine the best land use in the county has been
directed toward establishing criteria to determine what lands
are prime agricultural lands and toward establishing a pro-
cedure 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
- 96 -
is made to allow urban development on such lands, it should
be realized that such a decision is irreversible. Once stru-
ctures are placed on such lands, it is unlikely that they
will be removed so that a plow may once again turn the soil.
If, on the other hand, the decisif*r is made to save these
rich agricultural lands from irretrievable 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 defining where the prime
agricultural lands of Weld County are located. The quality
of the soils is the basic factor in determining the capa-
bility of lands to support agricultural production. 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 Colorado
Agricultural Experiment Station.
The General Soil Map included in this Plan relies on
the analysis of soil associations as a basis for determin-
ing the capability of lands to support agricultural uses.
A particular soil association consists of a grouping of
soils which have similar character, slope, erodibility, 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
- 97 -
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 horticultural crops or
to rice and other crops that have special requirements. The
soils are classified according to degree and kind of perman-
ent limitation; but without consideration of major and gener-
ally expensive land forming that would change the slope, depth,
or other characteristics of the soils, and without consider-
ation of possible but unlikely major reclamation projects.
(U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service, 1971, page 34)
In the capability system used by the Soil Conservation
Service, all soils are grouped at three levels: the capabil-
ity class, the subclass, and the unit. The capability classes
defined on the General Soil Map are designated by Roman num-
erals I through VII . The numerals indicate progressively
greater limitations and narrower choices for practical use
and are defined as follows: (U. S.D.A. Soil Conservation Ser-
vice, 1971, page 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 management, or both.
Class V. Soils are subject to little or no
- 93 -
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 generally unsuited to
cultivation and limit their use largely
to pasture or range, woodland, or wild-
life food and cover .
Class VII. Soils have very severe limitations
that make them unsuited to cultivation and
that restrict their use largely to grazing,
woodland, or wildlife.
Class VIII. Soils and land forms have limi-
tations that preclude their use for com-
mercial plant production and restrict
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 different from those shown on the map. Further, delin-
eations of irrigated, non-irriagted, and rangeland are gen-
eralized 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
bases 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
- 99 -
be included in such association groupings.
Detailed soils information can be used for a variety of
purposes in addition to the delineation of prime agricultural
lands. As illustrated by the Table 7 on pages 105 & 106, the
degree of limitation and major soil features affecting a
variety of other uses is also defined. Thus, soils infor-
mation can be very useful in analyzing a broad range of pro-
blems which might be encountered in planning decisions. The
completion of the soil survey in the county would thus great-
ly enhance the basic technical information base needed for
planning. -
Soils information is not, however, the only type of
information needed in identifying prime agricultural lands
and making land use decisions. Other physical features of
a particular area also have a great potential for influen-
cing 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 integrated, complete
analysis of any particular land use proposal can be achieved.
Toward this end, the Weld County Planning Commission has
emphasized the creation of a system for integrating such
basic data sources .
i
- 100 -
TABLE 5
Classification
Soil Association Extent(%) Slope(%) Irripoted 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 l y .it
Ualent 3-25 VI & VII VII
D+sne Sand 10 3-25 VIII
Minor Soils 10 VIII
v luvaquents-Fluvents
I Fluvaquents 70 0-3 IV VI
i Fluvents 20 0-3 IV & VI VI
Mi or Soils 10
9 Munn-Haverson
m rr 50 0- 3 I & II III
hGvcrson 20 0-3 I & II IV
Minor Soils 30
i20 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
D Vona-Olney-Dwyer
Vona 50 3-9 III & IV IV & VI
Olney III & IV IV & VI
Dwyer 10 3325 VI
Minor Soils 10
k3 Nunn-Fort Collins
j Nunn 50 0-3
Fort Collins 30 0-3 I & II III
i I & II III
Minor Soils 20
5 3ankard-Wann
Bankard 45 0-3 IV & VI VII
Wann 40 0-3 III & IV VI
Minor Soils 15
- 101 -
4,31_E 5
( con ' t)
Classification
Soil Association Extent CV Slope e'/e) Irrigated Dry
26 Briggsdale-Terry
Briggsdale 30 0-9 - IV & VI
Terry 30 3-15 IV & VI IV & VI
Minor Soils 40
27 Weld-Adena-Colby
weld 10 0-•3 II & III III -
Adena 30 0-3 III & IV III & IV
Colby 30 0-9 II & III & III & IV
IV
�30 Fl ;vents-Sampson
Fluvents 50 0-3 II III
Sampson 20 0-3 I & II III
i
r inor Soils 30
9G:(, (7-amhorthida-Torrior-
tents -Haplargids
Camborthids 45 15-25+ VI VI
iorriorthents 40 15-25+ VI VI
Haplargids 15 15-25+ VI VI
ii i ,:y, cdion-Vona-Truck-
on
Ascalon 30 0-9 II & III IV & VI
20 3 -15 III & IV IV & VI
iruckton 20 3-15 III & IV IV & VI
Minor Soils 30
j72 Sdmsi 1 -Shi ng1 e
Samsil 35 9-25+ VII VII
Shingle 25 9-25+ VII VII
Minor Soils 40
�,
i
�: fl atner- Ulm-Renchill
Platner 40 0-3 I & II III
Ulm 30 3-15 - III & IV
Renohill 20 3-15 - IV & VI
i Minor Soils 10
>n Pcnohill -Stoneham
Renohill 40 3-15 IV & VI IV & VI
Stoneham 35 3-15 IV IV & VI
Minor Soils 25
�79 Mitchell - Keota
Mitchell 60 0-9 III & VI IV & VI
1 Keota 1.5 0-9 VI & VI VI
Minor Soils
L_ I
-102-
;i,_A, _ 5
( con ' t) ,
Classification
Soil Association Extent (°/0) Slope (%) Irrigated Dry
80 Rosebud-Canyon
Rosebud 60 6-9 VI VI
Canyon 20 3-25 VII VII
Minor Soils 20
148 Valent-Vona VI VI
Valent 50 3-25
Vot:s 4i) III & IV IV & VI
Minor Soils 10
172 Renohill -Shingle
Renohill 40 3-9 IV & VI VI
Single 30 3-9 VI VI
I
173 Ascalon-Olney-Vona ,
A ud lun 35 3-9 III & IV IV & VI
Olney 30 3-9 III & IV IV & IV
20 3-9 III & IV
I Minor Soils 15
f1 74 N !rr -0acon.o-Al tvan .
I Nunn 35 0-3 I & II III
Dacono 25 0•-3 II & III III
Altv3r. 2C 0-3 II & III III
c S ) ; 1 0 i
I '
i
I ' 75 v.im-Otero Kim 45 3-9 III & IV IV & VI
Otero 30 3-9 III & IV IV & VI
Minor Soils 25
F
176 tassel -Thedalund `
E 'Cassel 50 9 -15 VII VII
Thedalund 25 3-9 IV & VI IV & VI
Minor Soils 25
JG. _ ,burg
Julesburg 70 0-3 II & III III
Mi it3r Soils 30
' :c.5 €1,a-- HPldt. 0-3 III
3 . . 55 I & II
l i'twY;�b
4 i .�l ,it 15 0-3 IV VI
Minor Soils 30
i
31 81 !lapl ustol 1 s -Argi ush
i Haplustolls 45 15- 25+ VI & VII -
25 3-9 IV & VI -
Minor Soils 30
,
-103
Classification
Soil Association Extent (%,) Slope (%) Irrigated Dry _
175 Kim-Otero
Kim 45% 0- l % I -
1 -3% Ile* -
3-5% IIIe -
5-9% IVe -
Otero 30% 0-1 % IIs -
1 -3% IIIe IVe
3-S% IIIe VIe -
5-9% IVe VIe
Minor Soils 25%
173 Ascalon-Olney-Vona
Vona 20% 0-1 % IIs -
1 -3% IIIe IVe
3-5% IIIe VIe
Olney 30% 0- 1 % I -
1 -3% Ile IVe —
3-5% IIIe IVe
Vscrlor, 35% 0-1 % I -
I 1 -3% Ile IIIe -
i 3-5% IIIe IVe
5-9% IVe IVe
Minor Soils 15% -
i
i
1
I�
IIiI
9
*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
E c - indicates that the use of the soil for cultivated crops is
e limited by climate that is too cold or too dry for optimum
m
plant growth .
- 104-
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-1Q6-
The system used for integrating such technical infor-
mation 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 information can be analyzed in conjunction
with the base map. The use of such information with the base
airphotos is demonstrated in Airphotos 1 and 2. On Airphoto
1, culture (existing man-made features) and drainage infor-
mation has been combined with soils information over the base
map. On Airphoto 2, culture and drainage information has
been combined with topographic information. As illustrated,
such a system provides a great deal of flexibility in anal-
yzing 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 General Soils Map discussed above.
In general, such information must be available to the plan-
ner if sound planning is to result. When such information
is available, any given proposal can be analyzed, both in
terms of its own merits and its potential effect on surround-
ing land use. This system is being enlarged and revised con-
tinuously so that land use decisions can be based as much as
possible on up-to-date, factual information.
- 107 -
B. REGULATIONS
The State government has delegated to local governments
a significant amount of power and responsibility with res-
pect to land use control. Enabling legislation at the State
level has granted to the counties the ability and responsi-
bility to make decisions regarding specific land use propos-
als 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 control growth.
At the present time, Weld County has available several regu-
latory tools to use in planning and controlling growth in
conjunction with policies enumerated in Chapter III . These
regulatory tools with a zoning regulation, subdivision regula-
tions, and a building code.
These types of regulations are well established planning
tools whose general form, intent, and application have been
developed over a period of years. Newer tools are being
experimented 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 pro-
per enabling legislation, and, if a need is seen for new
- 108 -
regulatory tools in the county, efforts must be made to
obtain necessary enabling legislation.
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 condi-
tions and standards can be required for different types of
land use. Proposals 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 Planning Commission and the Board of County
Commissioners a chance to evaluate the proposal and the rea-
sons presented by the applicant to change the existing zoning.
The use o£ zoning should be guided by local planning
objectives. These objectives include the following, some of
which have been already discussed at length. (Solberg, 1967)
1. To prevent urban-agricultural land use
conflicts that would hamper or restrict
agriculture.
2. To encourage and guide orderly growth
and a reasonable transition from urban
to rural land uses.
3. To maintain economy in governmental
expenditures.
4. To insure that new development pays its
own share of public construction and
service costs.
5. To prevent rural areas from becoming
the dumping grounds for land uses
that arp not wanted elsewhere.
6. To preserve the high production prime
109 -
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4ea• _r _,,• . :111--c
lands for agricultural uses.
7 . To promote the economic base of local
agricultural service and marketing
business and industry.
The County Zoning Resolution and Map should reflect the
desires of the county for overall development. In zoning
property, consideration must be given to not only the pro-
perty involved, but also to adjacent property and to the com-
munity as a whole. If the Comprehensive Plan is to be real-
ized, 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 the Comprehensive Plan, the Weld County Zoning Resolution
itself should be revised with the objective of the plan in
mind. Zoning regulations for a county, particularly for a
predominatly rural and agricultural county like Weld County,
must be distinguished from the typical urban zoning regula-
tions and their standard residential, commercial, and indus-
trial zoning district categories, each with numerial suffixes
indicating escalating intensity of use within the category.
Zoning regulations for a rural county can do without a ple-
thora of zoning districts. The following proposal for zon-
ing regulations for Weld County recognizes that there are
three major categories of land use in the county: Agricul-
tural 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
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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
"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 remembered 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
enhance 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. Inten-
sive agricultural uses, such as feedlots and poultry ranches,
will be processed through special use permits as well as
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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 per-
mit. Residential subdivisions in an A zone will be subject
to a thorough review as a planned unit development with sup-
porting economic and environmental impact statements. When
approved, a special use permit will be issued.
Certain urban type uses may be allowed, such as schools,
churches, cemeteries, public utility facilities; essential
highway, commercial, and business uses; and special business,
commercial, and industrial uses that are proven desirable in
the A zone area by a planned unit development review. In
these cases, environmental and economic impact statements
will be required to support the issuance of a special use
permit.
All urban uses will be encouraged to locate in 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 Weld County Comprehensive Plan. In
order to achieve the goal of sound, planned, urban growth,
the granting of U zone will be guided by the following poli-
cies: —
1. The area proposed for U zone lies within
the planning area of an existing town, as
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defined by the Comprehensive Plan;
2 . The proposed land use is in confor-
mance with the Comprehensive Plan
of the town;
3. The proposed land use received the
approval of the Planning Commission
and Town Board of the town; and
4 . U zone land uses outside the plan-
ning area of the existing towns will
be considered under a planned unit
development review supported by
appropriate economic and environ-
mental impact statements.
The "uses-by-right" in the U zone covered by the exist-
ing town' s Comprehensive Plan will include single- and multi-
family dwellings , schools, churches, parks, governmental
offices and facilities, professional offices, health facili-
ties, public and private clubs, recreation and leisure facil-
ities, such as ball fields, golf courses, playgrounds, and
fairgrounds.
All multi-family dwellings, business, commercial , and
industrial uses in the U zone will be processed through the
special use permit process with planned unit developments,
economic and environmental impact statements required for
review.
The C-O (Conservation-Open) zone is included to protect
irreplaceable scenic areas, special wildlife and aquatic life
reserves, and to protect the public from dangers created by
unwise building in flood plains, on aquifers, on unstable ter-
rain, and in areas that should be left open and undisturbed.
Limited recreational and leisure uses may be allowed by
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special use permit.
It must be emphasized that the above proposal is strict-
ly that - a proposal. However, if the objectives of the
Weld County Comprehensive Plan are to be obtained, the Weld
County Zoning Resolutions will have to be designed for that
purpose.
Subdivision Regulations
Subdivision regulations were developed initially to
insure that new development would be adequately laid out and
provided with basic public facilities . Recent State legis-
lation (in particular, Senate Bill 35) has increased the
effect of subdivision regulations in Colorado. Broader pow-
ers and responsibilities 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 proposed subdivision and the overall _
development plans of the county and region. Also, the new
legislation requires that careful review of the relationship
between the proposed subdivision and natural features of the
land be made. The Board of County Commissioners has recently
adopted new subdivision regulations to conform to the require-
ments of this legislation.It must be recognized that subdivision of land is a one-
way street. Once land is broken up and the ownership scat-
tered among many individuals, it becomes practically impos-
sible to reaggregate the various parcels. This being the
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case, a proposal to plat any land in the county must be care-
fully studied and evaluated. Platted land, even if no devel-
opment occurs, will most likely never be available for agri-
culture or other uses which require large contiguous acre-
ages.
Building Code
The building code and inspection program serve two basic
functions. The primary purpose is to insure the physical
integrity of construction which takes place in the county,
as well as the safety of persons living in or otherwise using
the structures. A secondary function of the inspection pro-
gram is to implement zoning and subdivision regulations. If
any violation in these two regulations has occurred with res-
pect to a given piece of land, building permits can be with-
held. Thus, compliance 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 comprehensive planning goals. If new methods
of land use control are needed but are not available, the
county should press the state government for enabling legis-
lation through the Colorado Land Use Commission or other
appropriate channels.
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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 maintain-
ed with the twenty-seven incorporated towns and cities of the
county to insure 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
planned growth in Weld County and the municipalities are con-
comitant, the Board of County Commissioners and the Planning
Commission have instituted a program of planning assistance
to the towns. Under this program, members of the Weld County
Planning Commission staff provided technical assistance to _
the various 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 plan-
ning assistance program also includes building inspection
- 118 -
programs, 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 coun-
ty. Such communication is essential in order to assimilate
new development in the county in the most efficient and eco-
nomical manner possible. Such coordination between govern-
mental and public service agencies can be critical in deter-
mining whether or not a particular type of development in a
given area is feasible, or whether such development is con-
sistent with current policies regarding the use of land
resources.
State and federal agencies form further links in the
planning network. At both levels, there are numerous pro-
grams administered by various agencies which can significant-
ly influence land use practices in all areas of Colorado.
At the state level, there are two agencies which are primar-
ily concerned with planning on a statewide bases. The first
of these, the Division of Planning, is responsible for gen-
eral statewide planning programs. The second agency, the
Colorado Land Use Commission, was established by the 47th
Colorado General Assembly for the purpose of adopting a state-
wide system of land use inventory and controls. The latter
agency' s more direct influence on activities in Weld County
- 119 -
was noted in the preceding section.
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 fed-
eral government. The federal government has placed great
emphasis on coordination of federal, state and local plan-
ning and development, primarily through Title IV of the
Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 . The implemen-
tation of the Act is carried out under the Office of Manage-
ment 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, page 57) . In
Colorado, this review (except for applications reviewed by
the Denver Regional Council of Governments) 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 revised 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 compre-
hensive plans, and to identify any interjurisdictional pro-
blems associated with a given proposal . Though the recommen-
dations of the clearinghouse are not binding, there is no
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doubt that they have great influence on the fate of appli-
cations for federal aid. Perhaps the most important aspect
of the review system is that it lays the basic framework for
establishing a communication system between various govern-
mental units. The latter is quite significant when one real-
izes the plethora of jurisdictions which may influence land
use in the Weld County area.
The Larimer-Weld Regional Planning Commission is cur-
rently conducting studies to qualify for federal certifica-
tion as the regional clearinghouse for A-95 reviews in Lari-
mer 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 num-
ber of studies which were funded through the Regional Plan-
ning Commission.
In general, the above discussion may provide some indi-
cation of the complex system of agencies which are a part of
the planning process in Weld County today. Communications
and programs with such agencies are an integral part of plan-
ning in Weld County and will play an important part in imple-
menting the Comprehensive Plan of Weld County.
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 prime agricultural lands.
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However, if this is accepted as a basic goal in Weld County,
we must look realistically at the means available for achiev-
ing that goal. It should be remembered throughout the fol-
lowing discussion that the maintenance of agriculture in the
county does not mean that urban development is to be discour-
aged. On the contrary, the maintenance of agriculture is
seen as being complementary to the provision of quality urban
development. Efforts directed at protecting prime agricul-
tural 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) zon-
ing, (2) regulation of subdivision development, (3) fee-
simple and/or easement 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 promote public health, safety and morals, and the general
welfare (Metzenbaum, page 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.
- 122 -
Exclusive agricultural zoning, which restricts land so
zoned to agricultural uses, is aimed specifically at pre-
serving agricultural lands. Its ultimate value for such a
purpose is, however, undetermined, for its use has been lit-
tle tested in the courts (Beuscher and Wright, 1969 , page
595) . It is the courts, in the final analysis, that will
determine whether or not such zoning is a legitimate exer-
cise of the police power.
The second tool, subdivision regulations, has limited
potential for actually preventing urban development on agri-
cultural 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 Subdivision 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
limitations. First, large amounts of capital, which are rarely
readily available to public agencies, are required to pur-
chase such lands. Second, once the land is purchased, it
must be maintained, resulting in additional expenditures by
the purchasing jurisdiction. As a result, variations o£ this
method have been tried with more success. One such variation
- 123 -
involves leasing back such lands to an individual who will
continue to employ the land for agricultural use. This vari-
ation 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 purchasing only certain rights to the
land, such as development rights, without actually purchas-
ing the fee-simple. The purchase of such rights allows the
purchasing jurisdiction to control the development which will
occur on such lands. Very similar to such purchases is the
purchase of easements. In this approach, the unit of govern-
ment 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 , page 4) .
The fourth method which has been utilized to protect
agricultural lands evolved from recognition of the increas-
ing tax burden which is placed upon the agricultural sector
as agricultural 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.
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 agriculture, 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
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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 absense of
provisions for preferential assessment.
When the land use changes, taxing offic-
ials determine the amount of tax due for
each year for which the tax has been
deferred. This is computed by multiply-
ing the difference in the assessments for
each year by the tax rate used in that
year. The deferred tax then becomes due.
3. Plannin7 and Zoning: Under the planning
and zoning approach, farmland can receive
preferential assessment only in areas which
have been designated as agricultural or
open space zones. Farmland in other zones
is assessed exactly like all other proper-
ty. This tends to encourage the transfer
of farmland to other uses; lower taxes in
agricultural zones tend to facilitate the
preservation of farmland in agriculture
(Hady and Stinson, 1967 , pages 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 to eventually define that method, or combination
of methods, which will best provide a way for protecting
- 125 -
agricultural resources in Weld County. If the commitment is
made to conserve our prime agricultural lands, the definition
of such methods must be given a high priority. Good inten-
tions are not sufficient. Means and ends cannot be separated
if effective planning for the future is the desired result.
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CHAPTER F I VE
SUMMARY
AND
CONCLUSION
SUMMARY
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
A. SUMMARY
Included here is a brief outline summary of the contents
of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan. This summary is inten-
ded to outline the Plan and to bring together the important
points included in the Plan; not to act as a substitute to
the main text. The facts, details, and logic upon which the
Plan rests are presented in the main text and can be found
by referring to the appropriate sections.
Chapter 1: Introduction: The first chapter explains
the comprehensive nature of the Plan and describes Weld Coun-
ty in terms of geography, history, and population distribu-
tion. 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
- 127 -
b. New Towns
c. Growth Around Existing Towns
Chapter 2 ends by arguing that the last of these alter-
natives 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 agri-
cultural base of the county can best be maintained by follow-
ing 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 associ-
ated with other alternatives as discussed in Chapter 2 . The
basic policy statements are outlined below:
1. Agriculture:
a. Any uses of prime irrigated farm land
for uses other than agricultural will
be critically reviewed.
b. The expansion of agri-business and
industry will be encouraged. _
c. Industrial , business, commercial, and
residential development will be encou-
raged to locate near existing towns.
Development of these non-agricultural
interests in the rural areas will
require planned unit development sup-
ported by economic and environmental
impact statements.
d. Transfer of water from agricultural
to other uses will only be encouraged
when the water is surplus to agricultural
- 128 -
needs in the local area.
e. Only those developments that do not
contribute to water, air, or surface
pollution will be encouraged.
f. Rural development of non-productive
lands and water will be encouraged,
particularly where productive, irri-
gated farm land can be preserved as
agricultural greenbelts and open space.
g. Construction in flood plains, seep
areas, geological fault areas, and
other dangerous or undesirable build-
ing areas will be discouraged.
2 . Urban Development:
Residential:
a. New developments not served by existing
municipal utilities will be discouraged.
b. New residential developments adjoining
existing municipalities will be encour-
aged in accordance with local compre-
hensive plan.
c. Existing municipalities will be encour-
aged to expand their facilities to serve
new residential developments.
Commercial:
a. Only those commercial developments that
cannot reasonably be located in the
existing municipalities will be allowed
to locate in unincorporated areas.
b. Commercial development serving agricul-
ture will be encouraged where proximity
and time are important.
c. Auto--oriented commercial services will
be encouraged to locate within exist-
ing municipalities or at well-planned
and located areas along major highways
or thoroughfares.
d. Detailed development plans will be
required along with economic and
-- 129 -
environmental impact statements prior
to approval of any commercial develop-
ment outside the incorporated areas.
Industrial :
a. Zoning for. industrial use in areas
outside of planning areas of towns
shall be encouraged only for low-
employee, agriculturally related, or
other industries that cannot reasonably
be located in the planning areas.
b. Highly productive irrigated farm land
will not normally be rezoned for indus-
trial uses.
c. Industrial development with the plan-
ning areas of the towns must comply
with the local comprehensive plan and
an annexing agreement provided before
a zone change will be granted.
d. All industrial zoning requests must
be supported by a detailed develop-
ment plan and an economic and environ-
mental impact statement.
3. Water and Other Natural Resources:
Water:
a. In all land use decisions, the broad
effect of transfers of water usage
which may result from the proposals
at hand shall be taken into account.
b. An adequate water supply shall be a
primary prerequisite 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
- 130 -
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 pl.airis and other unsafe or unsuit-
able areas for building shall be kept
open and free to accommodate the acts
of nature.
b. Any land use that will pollute any
stream, body of water, subsurface
aquifer, acuifer recharge, the air,
or the surrounding surface will
require the development of a proper
treatment facility or environmental
protection operation before said land
use can be allowed.
c. 1131 proposed changes in land use will
be supported by an environmental impact
statement prepared by recognized experts.
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 suit-
able open space areas.
c. Maintain the integrity and soundness
of existing communities by encour-
aging permanent open space "greenbelts"
around each town.
b. Transportation:
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 controlled-access
- 131. --
routes, arterial and collector
streets, and in the cities and
where warranted, terminal facili-
ties and public transportation routes.
c. Existing street and highway facili-
ties shall be utilized to the maxi-
mum extent possible.
d. New and improved facilities shall be
provided in travel corridors where
major service deficiencies exist or
in corridors which will become criti-
cally overloaded by 1990.
System Design:
a. The system should realize the great
rural and urban design potentials of
Weld County.
b. Continuity shall be maintained in the
character, alignment and capacity of
major thoroughfares.
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:
I�
a. The thoroughfare system shall relate
to existing land-uses and topographic
features.
b. The system shall be designed to mini-
mize disruption of existing community
patterns.
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, service to guide and
coordinate the county' s urban growth.
- 132 -
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 main-
tain the existing level of service
shall be discouraged.
b. All new developments shall have com-
plete and adequate utilities and pub-
lic service and tap fees, and service
charges and tax revenues from all new
developments shall be sufficiently
high to properly protect the existing
users from increased cost due to the
new developments.
c. Proliferation of service districts
shall be opposed while consolidation
of existing districts shall be encour-
aged when it tends to improve the
efficiency and economy of the service.
d. Regionalization of service and facili-
ties shall be opposed if it will lead
to growth which is not compatible with
the desires of the towns involved.
Chapter 4 : Implementation: The fourth chapter discus-
ses implementation of the Plan through four general areas:
information systems, regulations, other public agencies, and
maintenance of agricultural resources. The primary method
of implementation must be through the use of the Plan itself,
primarily as a guide in day-to-day decisions made by county
officials.
- 1.33 -
If the policies of the Plan are used to guide
decisions
i
in appropriate areas, the general future land use pattern
which is discussed in Chapter 2 as being the most desirable
alternative would be achieved. However, these policies must
be bolstered by adequate information concerning specific land
use proposals.
The need for furnishing the appropriate county officials
with complete and accurate information in both the short
and long-term time frame cannot be overemphasized. Use of
the Planned Unit Development approach supported by in-depth
economic and environmental impact statements prepared by
experts presents the best technique for obtaining "full infor-
mation. "
It should be noted that the economic and environmental
impact statements are designed to furnish the reviewing author-
ity with information on how the proposed development would
affect the short and long-term economy and environment of
the county.
The economic feasibility of the proposed development,
the probability of financial success, the availability of mar-
kets, or the effect upon competition are not items of con-
cern in the economic impact statement. The amount of tax
revenues to be generated, the cost of utility and public ser-
vices, the adverse or beneficial impacts on the local econ-
omy as a whole, and the ability of the local economy to accom-
modate the proposed development are all proper factors of
- 134 -
consideration for the economic impact statement.
The environmental impact statement is even more con-
cerned about the direct and indirect effects of the proposed
development on the local and total environment. Statements
concerning the type and quantity of refuse, sewage effluent,
traffic, noise, exhausts, odors, dust, and appearance are
necessary. All activities generate some environmental effects
and it is the purpose of the environmental impact statement
to identify the type and magnitude of these impacts to ascer-
tain whether or not the short and long-term benefits out-
weigh the ultimate environmental cost.
B. CONCLUSION
As noted before, the state government has delegated a
significant amount of power to local governments with res-
pect 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 qual-
ity environment is to be maintained in Weld County. This
Plan has presented a guide for assuring that such an envir-
onment 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
- 135 -
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 gener-
ations as well. In the end, it is the people of the commun-
ity who will decide whether or not this plan will be imple-
mented. The time to implement such a plan is now; not after
irreparable damage has occurred. Unlike many communities
which are now feeling the frustration of uncontrolled urban
growth, Weld County still has a choice. However, the alter-
natives 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.
- 136 -
Bibliography
Bartlett, James. The Economics of Community Growth as it
Relates to Open Space. City Manager' s Office,
Littleton, Colorado, June 1971.
Beuscher, Jacob H. and Robert R. Wright. Cases and Materials
On Land Use. St. Paul, Minnesota, 1969.
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. 1373,
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 Planning. Water and Sewer Facility Plan
for Weld County, Colorado. Denver, 1972.
Colorado General Assembly, Senate Bill No. 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
Research 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
Problem: 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) .
- 137 -
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 Zoning. 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.
- 138 -
CHAPTER F I VE
SUMMARY
- AND
CONCLUSION
SUMMARY
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
A. SUMMARY
Included here is a brief outline summary of the contents
of the Weld County Comprehensive Plan. This summary is inten-
ded to outline the Plan and to bring together the important
points included in the Plan; not to act as a substitute to
the main text. The facts, details, and logic upon which the
Plan rests are presented in the main text and can be found
by referring to the appropriate sections.
Chapter 1: Introduction: The first chapter explains
the comprehensive nature of the Plan and describes Weld Coun-
ty in terms of geography, history, and population distribu-
tion. The county has developed a strong agricultural economy
over the years based on its rich soils and highly developed
i
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.
Cha ter 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
- 127 -
b. New Towns
c. Growth Around Existing Towns
Chapter 2 ends by arguing that the last of these alter-
natives 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 agri-
cultural base of the county can best be maintained by follow-
ing 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 associ-
ated with other alternatives as discussed in Chapter 2 . The
basic policy statements are outlined below:
1. Agriculture:
a. Any uses of prime irrigated farm land
for uses other than agricultural will
be critically reviewed.
b. The expansion of agri-business and
industry will be encouraged.
c. Industrial, business, commercial, and
residential development will be encou-
raged to locate near existing towns.
Development of these non-agricultural
interests in the rural areas will
require planned unit development sup-
ported by economic and environmental
impact statements.
d. Transfer of water from agricultural
to other uses will only be encouraged
when the water is surplus to agricultural
- 128 -
needs in the local area.
e. Only those developments that do not
contribute to water, air, or surface
pollution will be encouraged.
f. Rural development of non-productive
lands and water will be encouraged,
particularly where productive, irri-
gated farm land can be preserved as
agricultural greenbelts and open space.
g. Construction in flood plains, seep
areas, geological fault areas, and
other dangerous or undesirable build-
ing areas will be discouraged.
2. Urban Development:
Residential:
a. New developments not served by existing
municipal utilities will be discouraged.
b. New residential developments adjoining
existing municipalities will be encour-
aged in accordance with local compre-
hensive plan.
c. Existing municipalities will be encour-
aged to expand their facilities to serve
new residential developments.
Commercial:
a. Only those commercial developments that
cannot reasonably be located in the
existing municipalities will be allowed
to locate in unincorporated areas.
b. Commercial development serving agricul-
ture will be encouraged where proximity
and time are important.
c. Auto-oriented commercial services will
be encouraged to locate within exist-
ing municipalities or at well-planned
and located areas along major highways
or thoroughfares.
d. Detailed development plans will be
required along with economic and
129 -
environmental impact statements prior
to approval of any commercial develop-
ment outside the incorporated areas.
- I
Industrial:
a. Zoning for industrial use in areas
outside of planning areas of towns
shall be encouraged only for low-
employee, agriculturally related, or _
other industries that cannot reasonably
be located in the planning areas.
b. Highly productive irrigated farm land
will not normally be rezoned for indus-
trial uses.
c. Industrial development with the plan-
ning areas of the towns must comply
with the local comprehensive plan and
an annexing agreement provided before
a zone change will be granted.
d. All industrial zoning requests must
be supported by a detailed develop-
ment plan and an economic and environ-
mental impact statement.
3. Water and Other Natural Resources:
Water:
a. In all land use decisions, the broad
effect of transfers of water usage
which may result from the proposals
at hand shall be taken into account. _
b. An adequate water supply shall be a
primary prerequisite 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
- 130 -
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 unsafe or unsuit-
able areas for building shall be kept
open and free to accommodate the acts •
of nature.
b. Any land use that will pollute any
stream, body of water, subsurface
aquifer, aquifer recharge, the air,
or the surrounding surface will
require the development of a proper
treatment facility or environmental
protection operation before said land
use can be allowed.
c. All proposed changes in land use will
be supported by an environmental impact
statement prepared by recognized experts.
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.
i
b. Protect other lands defined as suit-
able open space areas.
c. Maintain the integrity and soundness
of existing communities by encour-
aging permanent open space "greenbelts"
around each town.
i
6. Transportation:
i
Transportation Goals:
_ f
a. The thoroughfare system shall be
developed on a regional scale.
b. Thoroughfare facilities shall be
developed as a unified, integrated
system, which includes controlled-access
- 131 - '
J
routes, arterial and collector
streets, and in the cities and
where warranted, terminal facili-
ties and public transportation routes.
c. Existing street and highway facili-
ties shall be utilized to the maxi-
mum extent possible.
d. New and improved facilities shall be
provided in travel corridors where
major service deficiencies exist or
in corridors which will become criti-
cally overloaded by 1990 .
System Design:
a. The system should realize the great
rural and urban design potentials of
Weld County.
b. Continuity shall be maintained in the
character, alignment and capacity of
major thoroughfares.
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 shall relate
to existing land-uses and topographic
features.
b. The system shall be designed to mini-
mize disruption of existing community
patterns.
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, service to guide and
coordinate the county' s urban growth.
- 132 -
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 main-
tain the existing level of service
shall be discouraged.
b. All new developments shall have com-
plete and adequate utilities and pub-
lic service and tap fees, and service
charges and tax revenues from all new
developments shall be sufficiently
high to properly protect the existing
users from increased cost due to the
new developments .
c. Proliferation of service districts
shall be opposed while consolidation
of existing districts shall be encour-
aged when it tends to improve the
efficiency and economy of the service.
d. Regionalization of service and facili-
ties shall be opposed if it will lead
to growth which is not compatible with
the desires of the towns involved.
Chapter 4 : Implementation: The fourth chapter discus-
ses implementation of the Plan through four general areas:
information systems, regulations, other public agencies, and
maintenance of agricultural resources . The primary method
of implementation must be through the use of the Plan itself ,
primarily as a guide .in day-to-day decisions made by county
officials.
- 133 -
If the policies of 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 desirable
alternative would be achieved. However, these policies must
be bolstered by adequate information concerning specific land
use proposals.
The need for furnishing the appropriate county officials
with complete and accurate information in both the short
and long-term time frame cannot be overemphasized. Use of
the Planned Unit Development approach supported by in-depth
economic and environmental impact statements prepared by
experts presents the best technique for obtaining "full infor-
mation. "
It should be noted that the economic and environmental
impact statements are designed to furnish the reviewing author-
ity with information on how the proposed development would
affect the short and long-term economy and environment of
the county.
The economic feasibility of the proposed development,
the probability of financial success, the availability of mar-
kets, or the effect upon competition are not items of con-
cern in the economic impact statement. The amount of tax
revenues to be generated, the cost of utility and public ser-
vices, the adverse or beneficial impacts on the local econ-
omy as a whole, and the ability of the local economy to accom-
modate the proposed development are all proper factors of
- 134 -
consideration for the economic impact statement.
The environmental impact statement is even more con-
cerned about the direct and indirect effects of the proposed
development on the local and total environment. Statements
concerning the type and quantity of refuse, sewage effluent,
traffic, noise, exhausts, odors, dust, and appearance are
necessary. All activities generate some environmental effects
and it is the purpose of the environmental impact statement
to identify the type and magnitude of these impacts to ascer-
tain whether or not the short and long-term benefits out-
weigh the ultimate environmental cost.
B. CONCLUSION
As noted before, the state government has delegated a
significant amount of power to local governments with res-
pect 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 qual-
ity environment is to be maintained in Weld County. This
Plan has presented a guide for assuring that such an envir-
onment 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
- 135 -
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 gener-
ations as well. In the end, it is the people of the commun-
ity who will decide whether or not this plan will be imple-
mented. The time to implement such a plan is now; not after
irreparable damage has occurred. Unlike many communities
which are now feeling the frustration of uncontrolled urban
growth, Weld County still has a choice. However, the alter-
natives 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.
- 136 -
L
Bibliography
Bartlett, James. The Economics of Community Growth as it
Relates to Open Space. City Manager' s Office,
Littleton, Colorado, June 1971.
Beuscher, Jacob H. and Robert R. Wright. Cases and Materials
On Land Use. St. Paul, Minnesota, 1969.
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. 1379,
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, T1 al.
Denver, Colorado, 1971.
Colorado Division of Planning. Water and Sewer Facility Plan
for Weld County, Colorado. Denver, 1972.
Colorado General Assembly, Senate Bill No. 35. 48th General
Assembly, 2nd Regular Session, 1972.
Hady, Thomas F. and Thomas F. Stinson. Taxation of Farmland •
on the Rural-Urban Fringe: ASummary of State Preferen-
tial Assessment Activity. Agricultural Economic Report
No. 119, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Economic
Research 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
Problem: 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) .
- 137 -
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 Zoning. 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.
- 138
Hello