Resolution No. 30-03 (Word Version)

CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

Resolution No. 30-03

AMENDING THE GROWTH PLAN OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION

Recitals:

The City of Grand Junction and Mesa County Planning Commissions and planning staffs have diligently worked jointly and cooperatively to amend the Growth Plan for the urban area of the Grand Valley. After months of extensive public involvement and input gathered from eight Growth Plan Steering Committee (Committee) meetings, two public meetings, written comments and staff counsel, the Committee recommended a number of changes to the Plan.

The Committee also recommended changes to the Goals, Policies and Action Items to reinforce a strong commitment to enhance the community’s appearance. Those recommended changes help to define the community’s view of its future and propose actions the community can take to achieve that view. The amended Goals, Policies and Action Items use text to establish guiding principles and courses of action that the City will use to address the many physical, economic and social issues facing the community.

The Grand Junction Planning Commission met jointly with the Mesa County Planning Commission and approved the Committee’s recommendations with some modifications.

The City Council, having held public hearings and considering the recommendations made to it, finds that the proposed amendments to the Growth Plan are consistent with the purpose and intent of the Plan and meet the review criteria in Section 2.5.C of the Grand Junction Zoning and Development Code.

The City Council further finds that the Plan, as amended, is a guide to public and private growth decisions through the year 2010. It is a statement of the community’s vision for its own future and a road map providing direction to achieve that vision. The view of the future expressed in the amended Growth Plan is shaped by community values, ideals and aspirations about the best management of the community and its resources.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION THAT THE GRAND JUNCTION GROWTH PLAN IS AMENDED AS STATED HEREIN AND AS DEPICTED AND DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING MAPS WHICH ARE EXHIBITS HERETO OR AS THE SAME MAY BE MAINTAINED ELECTRONICALLY BY THE CITY CLERK:

1. Future Land Use Map Amendments

Housekeeping Map items 1-105:

• #8—Change to Public designation

• #17—Change northern parcel to Residential Medium Low (2-4 u/a) and southern parcel to Residential Medium (4-8 u/a)

• #64—Deleted

2. Discussion Map

Discussion Map items 1—26:

• #8—Deleted

• #14—Deleted

• #17—Approval of Residential Medium (4-8 u/a)

• #19—Withdrawn by applicant

• #20—Approval of Commercial for 300’ depth along Patterson Road

• #21—Approval of Residential Medium (4-8 u/a)

• #26—Approval of Commercial/Industrial

3. Pear Park Map

Pear Park Map items 1-12:

• #3—Approval of Residential Medium (4-8 u/a) for area east of Commercial; and Residential Medium Low (2-4 u/a) for area south of Commercial

• #4—Approval of Residential Medium Low (2-4 u/a) for area south of C ¾ Road

• #6—No Action (therefore, no change)

• #8—No Action (therefore, no change)

4. Goals, Policies and Action Items

Approval of the following Goals, Policies and Action Items stated verbatim as determined by City Council. All Action Items that are complete are to be deleted from the Growth Plan. Action Items to be deleted are not restated herein. Underlining and strikethroughs are shown as legislative history only:

Goal 2: To ensure orderly transitions or buffers in areas of joint concern between different communities (i.e., Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade) that help define distinct communities within Mesa County.

Policy 2.1: Grand Junction and Mesa County will coordinate with the City of Fruita to establish and maintain a transition area between Grand Junction and Fruita that includes the Cooperative Planning Area as defined in the Cooperative Planning Agreement of February 9, 1998. ~~proposed area of joint concern shown in Exhibit V.4~~. Additional areas should be considered for inclusion in the Cooperative Planning Area. Mesa County and Grand Junction should coordinate the adoption of specific design standards for this area with Fruita to strengthen the visual transition between these communities.

Policy 2.2: Mesa County and Grand Junction will coordinate with the Town of Palisade ~~and other affected jurisdictions~~ to establish and maintain a transition area between the Clifton area and the Town of Palisade that includes the Cooperative Planning Area as defined in the Cooperative Planning Agreement of February 9, 1998. ~~proposed area of joint concern shown in Exhibit V.5~~. Additional areas should be considered for inclusion in the Cooperative Planning Area. Mesa County and Grand Junction should coordinate the adoption of specific design standards for this area to strengthen the visual transition.

~~Policy 2.3: The City and County will support public and private investment in community gateway areas that enhance the aesthetic appeal of the community.~~ (Move to Goal 13)

Action Items:

New Action Item: Conduct the 5-year review of the Cooperative Planning Agreements with Mesa County, Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Consider adding additional areas to the Cooperative Planning Areas.

Community Appearance and Design

Goal 13: To enhance the aesthetic appeal and appearance of the community’s built environment. ~~community~~.

Policy 13.1: The City and County will establish heightened aesthetic standards and guidelines for the gateway areas and high visibility corridors ~~listed in Exhibit V.9 and~~ mapped in Exhibit V.10.

Action Item 7: Adopt standards and guidelines to address the screening of outdoor storage and operations for heavy commercial and industrial uses. Screening and building design standards should vary based on location within the community, with more restrictive standards applied along high visibility corridors.

Policy 13.2: The City and County will enhance the quality of development along key arterial street corridors. ~~Existing corridor plans listed in Exhibit V.9 will remain in effect.~~ ~~Until these plans are updated, t~~The Urban Area Plan will prevail when existing corridor plans, adopted prior to 1996, are inconsistent with this plan.

Action Item 10: Adopt corridor/gateway design guidelines for public and private development, through the use of overlay districts. ~~Establish overlay zoning districts, as identified in Exhibit 10 to designate areas in which the guidelines will be applied.~~ Public enhancements should be coordinated with other capital projects in the overlay districts. ~~area~~.

Action Item 38: Adopt corridor development regulations for the major corridors ~~Highway 6/50, 24 Road and Patterson~~ addressing appropriate uses and development design. Guidelines should address parcel access, building orientation, landscaping, screening, bulk, parking, signage, streetscaping and view corridors.

Policy 13.3: The City and County will foster improved community aesthetics through improved development regulations addressing landscaping, screening of outdoor storage and operations, building orientation, building design signage, parking lot design and other design considerations.

Action Item 53: Revise code standards for location and screening of outdoor storage, streetscaping, landscaping, signage, lighting, building orientation, building materials and parking lot design. ~~Establish gateway and corridor overlay districts for more stringent application of these standards.~~

Policy 13.4: The community’s streets and walkways will be planned, built, and maintained as attractive public spaces.

New Action Item: Develop street standards and site design alternatives that incorporate elements, such as street trees, parkway strips, medians and other features, that contribute to the street as an attractive public space.

Action Item 101: Incorporate sidewalks, landscaping and appropriate lighting and bikeway improvements into all roadway improvement projects.

Policy 13.5: Community entryways will be enhanced and accentuated at key entry points to the city including interstate interchange areas, and other major arterial streets leading into the City.

New Action Item: Establish gateway and corridor overlay districts that incorporate high-quality and innovative design requirements that reflect the desired image of the area.

Action Item 55: Prepare a corridor design plan for HWY 50 and South 5^th Street, extending from the river and north to Grand Avenue that provides for redevelopment of this downtown gateway.

Policy 13.6: Outdoor lighting should be minimized and designed to reduce glare and light spillage, preserving “dark sky” views of the night sky, without compromising safety.

New Action Item: Review and revise the outdoor lighting section of the Code to require lighting that minimizes glare and light-spillage, but does not compromise safety, thus preserving the “dark sky”.

Policy 13.7: Views of Grand Mesa, Colorado National Monument and the Bookcliffs will be preserved from public spaces, such as Canyon View Park and Matchett Park, as well as along major corridors, as identified through specific corridor planning.

Policy 13.8: The City and County will encourage building and landscape designs which enhance the visual appeal of individual projects and the community as a whole. Design guidelines should provide flexibility while promoting aesthetics, traffic safety and land use compatibility.

New Action Item: Adopt architectural standards that encourage well-designed, interesting and distinctive architecture that reinforce/reflect the Community’s overall defined identity/image, using high quality materials and innovative design that varies building heights and styles.

Policy 13.9: Architectural standards and guidelines will be adopted that encourage well-designed, interesting and distinctive architecture that reinforce and reflect the community’s desire for high quality development.

Policy 13.10: The City and County will develop Code provisions that enhance landscape requirements, yet are appropriate to the climate and available plant species of the Grand Valley.

New Action Item: Review/revise Code standards for landscaping to include provisions and incentives for use of xeriscape design and plants well-suited to the climate of the Grand Valley.

New Action Item: Adopt Code standards to address minimum on-going maintenance of landscaping.

Policy 13.11: The City and County will develop Code provisions that minimize the visual impact of telecommunication towers and facilities.

New Action Item: Review and revise the Telecommunications Facilities/Towers section of the Code to implement measures that minimize the visual impacts.

Policy 13.12: Visual clutter along corridors will be minimized through the application of sign regulations and corridor design standards and guidelines.

New Action Item: Review and revise the sign code to address visual clutter along corridors.

Cultural/Historic Resources

Goal 19: To retain and preserve historic and cultural resources that symbolize the community's identity and uniqueness.

Policy 19.1: The City and County will support efforts to inventory, designate and protect valued historic structures.

Policy 19.2: The City and County will establish building code provisions that accommodate the safe and efficient use of historic structures, even though the structures may not comply with standards for new construction.

Policy 19.3: The City will consider providing aesthetic improvements (such as historic lighting, specialized pavers and other streetscape improvements) as an incentive for property owners to register and maintain historic structures.

Policy 19.4: The City will develop Code provisions to protect and maintain the historic character of the downtown central business district and other designated historic districts and sites.

Action Items:

Action Item 33: Adopt building code provisions to encourage development of second floor residences in the downtown area.

Action Item 35: Adopt a downtown overlay district that is applicable to all designated historic structures, sites and districts that addresses appropriate architectural materials and features (façade design), color schemes, and signs for historic buildings and new construction in historic areas. establishes appropriate use, setback, height, streetscape and parking standards. Update design guidelines addressing materials and façade design for use with downtown development and redevelopment projects.

Action Item 72: Maintain and update the inventory of historic structures.

Action Item 73: Adopt codes to encourage retention and rehabilitation of historic structures throughout the urban area.

Action Item 74: Expand the use of specialized pavers, landscaping, street furniture and lighting fixtures which are appropriate to the character of the historic neighborhoods.

Parks and Open Space

Goal 26: To develop and maintain an interconnected system of neighborhood and community parks, trails and other recreational facilities throughout the urban area.

Policy 26.1: The City will update and use the Parks Master Plan to guide future park and recreation development in Grand Junction and surrounding areas in Mesa County.

Policy 26.2: The City will develop and maintain a network of recreation areas and facilities.

Policy 26.3: The City and County will encourage the retention of lands that are not environmentally suitable for construction (e.g. steep grades, unstable soils, floodplains, etc.) for open space areas and, where appropriate, development of recreational uses. Dedications of land required to meet recreational needs should not include these properties unless they are usable for active recreational purposes.

Policy 26.4: The City and County will help preserve areas of outstanding scenic and/or natural beauty and, where possible, include these areas in the permanent open space system.

Policy 26.5: The City and County will obtain adequate park land needed to meet neighborhood, ~~and~~ community, and regional park needs, as urban development occurs, through the subdivision process and other appropriate mechanisms. Other public, quasi-public and private interests will be encouraged to secure, develop and/or maintain parks.

Policy 26.6: The City and County will coordinate with the school district to achieve cost savings through joint development of school and recreational facilities.

Policy 26.7: The City and County will ensure that medium-high and high density residential projects have adequate usable public or private open space incorporated into the project or linked to the project on adjacent parcels.

Policy 26.8: The City and County will require that provisions be made for on-going maintenance of open space areas by an appropriate public or private entity.

Action Items:

Action Item 8: Establish minimum standards for the creation and maintenance of usable public and private open space for various types of residential projects.

Action Item 107: Update and implement the Parks Master Plan, providing an interconnected system of neighborhood and community parks throughout the urbanized area.

Goal 27: To include open space corridors and areas throughout the planning area for recreational, transportation and environmental purposes.

Policy 27.1: The City and County will retain existing open space areas, identified in the Parks Master Plan, ~~mapped in Exhibit V.13~~ for environmental and recreational purposes.

Policy 27.2: The City and County will prepare an open space plan to guide development and open space acquisition decisions.

Policy 27.3: The City and County will coordinate with appropriate agencies to mitigate the impact of recreational use of open space on its environmental value.

Policy 27.4: The City and County will seek public and private partnerships in efforts to secure open space.

Action Items:

Action Item 110: Adopt an open space plan that is coordinated with the parks and trails master plan. The plan should serve as a basis for site acquisition and to help prepare open space and recreation grants for the Grand Valley.

Action Item 112: Adopt a Trails Plan that prioritizes trail segments for acquisition and construction based on their transportation and recreational value.

Action Item 113: Establish a fund for open land preservation and acquisition

Infill/Redevelopment

Goal 28: The City of Grand Junction is committed to taking an active role in the facilitation and promotion of infill and redevelopment within the urban growth area of the City.

Policy 28.1: The City shall adopt precise and enforceable definitions of the terms “infill” and “redevelopment” consistent with the overall goal and shall use those terms consistently in its implementing actions, including any regulatory change.

Policy 28.2: The City shall identify specific geographic areas appropriate to implement the general goal of facilitating infill and redevelopment, while enabling the City to prioritize its focus and target limited resources in as efficient a manner as possible.

Policy 28.3: The City’s elected officials and leadership will consistently advocate and promote the planning, fiscal, and quality of life advantages and benefits achievable through infill and redevelopment.

Action Items:

New Action Item: As opportunities arise and when the City is prepared to act, the City shall identify specific redevelopment areas within Grand Junction in which public sector efforts to encourage and facilitate redevelopment will be given the highest priority and where direct/active public participation will be considered.

New Action Item: The City shall identify the geographical reach of the term “infill”, which is not intended to include the entire city, so that regulatory or other reforms and incentives to encourage/facilitate infill development may be targeted and tailored to the identified locations and/or neighborhoods.

New Action Item: The City’s elected officials and leadership shall ensure that various city agencies’ and departments’ policies, regulations, and practices are consistent with the overall goal to encourage and facilitate infill and redevelopment in Grand Junction.

New Action Item: The City’s leadership will work in partnership with Grand Junction’s relevant civic and nonprofit organizations, the regional development community, and neighborhood organizations to provide information, educate, and promote grassroots advocacy of infill and redevelopment.

New Action Item: The City will gather and coordinate the dissemination of public or other city controlled information that can facilitate infill and redevelopment efforts, such as market studies; inventories of vacant, underutilized, and public-owned parcels in targeted geographic areas; demographic information; and tax and property assessment data.

New Action Item: The City will coordinate public infrastructure improvements with infill and redevelopment development needs, especially in areas identified as infill and redevelopment areas.

New Action Item: Review and evaluate existing land development regulations to ensure the infill and redevelopment policies are supported.

New Action Item: Explore and consider implementing financial incentives to facilitate and encourage infill and redevelopment, to be applied to specific infill and redevelopment projects on a case-by-case basis, consistent with established criteria.

ADDITIONAL ACTION ITEM:

Note: The Steering Committee would like to ensure that an area plan be done for the Pear Park area, since it has the potential for so much growth in the future that will require parks, schools and other infrastructure improvements.

New Action Item: Complete an area plan for Pear Park, addressing specific land use, increased traffic needs, park and school sites, public safety needs and other infrastructure needs.

The amendments to the City of Grand Junction Growth Plan provided herein are hereby adopted.

This Resolution is PASSED on this 9^th day of April, 2003.

ATTEST:

/s/: Stephanie Tuin /s/: Cindy Enos-Martinez

City Clerk President of Council