NEDERLAND--Just over one year ago, the Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) approved contracting with SE Group to draft an update to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. On October 10, 2024, SE Group delivered the Draft Presentation for one last public review.

The Comprehensive Plan update costs a total of $200,000, half of which is covered by the Department of Local Affairs’ Mineral Impact Assistance Fund grant.

Since launching an Open House event in January of this year, SE Group has held several community outreach events and stakeholder meetings pertaining to the Comprehensive Plan. They also addressed the Downtown Subarea Plan, presently being drafted by Studio Seed, which focuses specifically on Nederland’s Central Business District. 

The public Draft Presentation event, led by Ayden Eickhoff and Caleb Schmitz of SE Group and Cheney Bostic of Studio Seed, was the final opportunity for the Nederland community to voice their opinions on the draft in person with SE Group, Studio Seed, and Town representatives. 

Eickhoff explained that the presentation would go over each of the Comprehensive Plan’s eight chapters. A breakdown of content was provided, which indicated that each chapter would focus on the existing conditions and key issues of the chapter’s topic, a summary of public engagement on the topic, and a vision statement related to the topic; followed by recommended objectives, strategies, and actions that the Town’s government can consider.  

Eickhoff also presented the changes from the last Comprehensive Plan update, completed in 2013, regarding the process of drafting the plan, the areas of focus, and the framework upon which the draft is built.

SE Group has been working to ensure that their draft is more clear and consistent than the 2013 update, in terms of taking “clear stances on strategies and priorities.” The new draft is also aimed at being more “actionable,” which SE Group defines as “aiming to be a toolbox for decision making and priority setting.” 

The Comprehensive Plan update was also built on a “resilience” framework. “Resilience” is the new “sustainability” in that it includes many of the same operating tenets of a sustainability-based framework but with an emphasis on “adaptability, hazard preparedness, response capability, and community cohesion.”

The four major tenets of a resilience-based framework are Health and Wellbeing, Economy and Society, Infrastructure and Ecosystems, and Leadership and Strategy, all of which are viewed through a lens of hazard mitigation and emergency response. 

Certain trending values that led to the use of a resiliency-based framework in drafting the Comprehensive Plan update include water conservation, wildfire mitigation, affordable housing development, the creation of community equity, and building resilience in the face of climate change.  

The chapter on Land Use indicates a few key issues, particularly the fact that the Town of Nederland is 70% undeveloped, which SE Group considers “space for growth.” A biased trend to low density housing was also indicated, as were inconsistencies in the Town’s residential zoning definitions. 

One of SE Group’s recommended objectives for land use is to direct new growth where appropriate, and also to encourage infill development by adjusting minimum lot size requirements, defining the preferred development scale and character, and revising off-street parking requirements.

The second objective is to promote affordable housing development through supportive land use regulation by simplifying the permitting processes, reducing restrictions on accessory dwelling units, creating a density bonus for affordable housing development, and instituting pre-approved housing designs. 

The third objective was to preserve the historic mountain town character of downtown Nederland by setting architectural design standards, preserving the local views, preserving the local history, and considering the adaptive reuse of old buildings. 

The key issues indicated in the chapter on Housing detail Nederland’s need for more affordable housing, for more diversity in housing types (as 94% of Nederland homes are single family detached homes), and for more stability in housing prices that would better reflect the local employment market. 

SE Group’s recommended objectives include implementing recommendations from the 2023 Housing Needs Assessment, leveraging opportunities from recent state legislation, continuing to build upon county partnerships, creating and preserving affordable housing, and providing households the access to housing and the ability to afford it. 

The chapter on Recreation states the community’s desire for better trail connectivity throughout Nederland, maintenance of the Town’s current facilities, expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities on the Town’s waterfront property, and a “reimagined” Community Center which could potentially include an indoor pool facility.  

Each of these key issues were also listed as recommended objectives. 

The key issues indicated in the chapter on Transportation include the Town’s lack of consistent ADA-compliant sidewalks and other pedestrian infrastructure. The chapter also highlighted Nederland’s need for vehicle traffic slowing measures, improved wayfinding, better parking management, and expanded transit options. 

SE Group stated in their draft that the first objective for transportation, to prioritize transportation equity and safety, and the second, to ensure that walking around Nederland is comfortable and accessible, can be achieved by improving sidewalks, trails, and crosswalks while also instituting traffic calming, better wayfinding, and implementing the findings from the Boulder County Safety Study.

The other objectives include expanding transit options through bus stop upgrades and intra-Nederland consultation, maintaining transportation infrastructure by updating the Town’s maintenance plan, and implementing parking management strategies such as paid parking and parking enforcement. 

As for Utilities and Water Resources, key issues include the Town’s water system not being wildfire resistant, Nederland’s unsecured water rights that are required for a reservoir project, and the chance of a major new development which could trigger the need for a water and wastewater facility expansion. 

Recommended actions include strengthening the current infrastructure and enhancing current services while progressing towards more recycling and composting initiatives and renewable energy sources. 

The chapter on Economy, Arts, and Culture highlighted the town’s opportunities for diversifying their local business offerings, creating support strategies for local businesses, prioritizing investments in the public realm, leveraging business and cultural partnerships, and maintaining and enhancing important community facilities. 

And the chapter on Health and Human Services indicated the community’s desire for more transportation services, as well as for certain service gaps to be filled, including in daycare, eldercare, in-home care, and substance abuse treatment, and for a central location and more cohesive communication. 

SE Group’s recommended actions include creating opportunities to connect residents with service providers by amending land use code to permit in-home service providers and creating a hub for services, and ensuring that future development consider designs that support people of all ages, incomes, and abilities. 

Attendees at the Draft Presentation voiced their opinions on assurances of truly affordable housing and on considering more unique alternative housing options that are more fitting to Nederland’s needs and are wildfire resilient.

Town Administrator Jonathan Cain specified some of the work the Town is already doing regarding not just housing development but housing management as well. He referenced the collaboration with the Town of Lyons on a shared housing coordinator, and the possible development of a multi-jurisdictional housing authority.

Bostic of Studio Seed presented the Downtown Subarea Plan and detailed the four “pressing topics,” which were informed by public engagement and analysis of the current conditions of downtown. 

The four topics are Economic Development and Housing; Growth and Character; Circulation, Gateways, and Parking; and Recreation, Tourism, and Placemaking. 

Several “Catalytic Projects” were also listed, including East 1st Street redevelopment considerations, redesigned intersections at the Town’s major gateways, a potential second bridge across the creek, and waterfront recreation and amphitheater development. 

Studio Seed’s recommendations for Economic Development and Housing involve stabilizing current businesses, recruiting new businesses, and incentivizing affordable and workforce housing. 

Recommendations on actions regarding Growth and Character include establishing design standards and guidelines, allowing various land uses in industrial zones, encouraging the protection of historical assets, and encouraging reuse of vacant buildings. 

For Circulation, Gateways, and Parking, Studio Seed recommends redesigning the Town’s major intersections, improving existing sidewalks and ensuring ADA compliance, designing a second bridge, and creating a parking management plan. 

And for Recreation, Tourism, and Placemaking, recommendations include redesigning East 1st Street into a “festival street,” designing and constructing an amphitheater on the waterfront, creating a downtown maintenance district, and adding lighting around downtown and a series of “small plazas and picnic areas.” 

Concerns were raised regarding the impacts to East 1st Street businesses during festival weekends and unexpected street closures, which reflected Nederland’s need for better engagement and management of local events. 

One attendee commented that they hope the Town is considering long term plans to assure the continued maintenance, financing, and developmental support of the plans and programs recommended within the Downtown Subarea Plan if they are ever to be implemented.

Cain stressed that it is his job as Town Administrator to assure that any plan or program that the Town implements is considered from a logistical perspective as well as from a budgetary one. 

After the in-person event, drafts of the Comprehensive and Downtown Subarea plans were made available for public view through Engage Nederland on the Town’s website, here: https://engagenederland.us.engagementhq.com/comp-plan 

An online survey was also released with access for Nederland residents provided through their website and social media, via QR codes as well as this link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8057829/Nederland-Comprehensive-Plan-Plan-Draft-Survey 

The public survey closes on Friday, October 25. However, the public process does not end there, as the final drafts of both plans must go before the BOT for a discussion and then determination. SE Group and Studio Seed hope for their plans to be approved and adopted by the end of the year.