Mindy Leary, Gilpin County. On May 5, 2020, at 6 p.m. Gilpin County conducted the first in a series of virtual community workshops and surveys for the County’s first ever Comprehensive Plan. Upon completion, the Gilpin County Comprehensive Plan will replace the County’s existing Master Plan. Originally adopted in 1987, the current Master Plan has been updated three times over the past 30 years – in 1992, 2008 and minor changes in 2017.

“As Gilpin continues to prioritize the evolving needs of our residents, visitors and government, the County will be well served by a Comprehensive Plan that reflects our community values,” said Gilpin County Manager Abel Montoya. 

“This planning process will provide predictable policies to advance the additional areas of focus identified in the County’s 2019 Strategic Plan, such as workforce engagement, financial sustainability and quality of life,” said Montoya.

The community engagement project includes the first survey of three which can be completed on the website, www.compplan.gilpincounty.org. The project is anticipated to be conducted over the next 12 months or more and will cover critical long-range planning topics such as land use and zoning, transportation and capital improvements.

Additional topics contingent upon funding from pending grant applications may be added during the process, such as hazard mitigation, historic preservation and open space, parks and trails. This comprehensive planning effort is made possible by a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA).

Phase 1 is project initiation, management and research. Phase 2 is “establishing a vision,” which began on May 5 and included a meeting with the commissioners and this workshop itself. Scheduled for June 23, Phase 3 is developing plan elements such as land use, transportation, capital improvements, with public engagement again. Phase 4 looks forward to grant money for the hazard mitigation plan, historic preservation plan and an update to the open space plan. Phase 5 includes more public engagement with a formal report and adoption by the board of commissioners. 

In developing a comprehensive plan, what’s most important is citizen participation. 

“The Gilpin County Mission: We provide responsive services for our residents and visitors to protect, maintain and enhance our unique community, our historic and cultural heritage and our mountain environment. We focus on health, safety and well-being: partnerships, community engagement and effective use of public resources.”

Last year the county did a quality of life survey that had a fantastic response in that the majority of residents see their quality of life as good. A significant majority though are interested in possibly paying more taxes to have a health center and grocery store. Higher density housing was seen as appropriate as long as it’s in-fill, not new development. 

The first of three, this survey is designed to gather input about the vision and goals of the county and is available through the first of June. The survey has received 130 responses thus far and subsequent surveys will be more detailed. 

The poll results were not surprising with 70% saying they love the mountains the most in Gilpin County. The visual character of the county along its highway corridors is one of Gilpin’s most cherished assets. Natural resource management and wildfire mitigation are aptly top priorities.

The economics of the county drive the fiscal conditions, specifically half of the revenues for county operations come from gaming. The Comprehensive Plan will look at future revenues and potential scenarios on how to grow and/or change, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis as well. 

The plan seeks to ask questions about how the county can build more community. The majority of land in the county is public land which provides the county with both an asset and a management challenge due to fragmented landownership patterns.

The consulting group devising the plan will be updating the hazard mitigation plan per FEMA requirements so that the county can continue to be eligible for funds.

There were 51 participants in the meeting and the consulting groups wish for more participation in the future though were pleased with the turnout.

The survey can be accessed through June 1 on Gilpin County’s website. The Planning Commission will meet next week on May 12 along with a second interagency taskforce meeting. The second community workshop will be held on June 23.

The consultants emphasized that this plan needs to be reflective of what the community needs, and the more the public engages, the more suitable the plan.

(Originally published in the May 14, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)