Crestone Baca Comprehensive Plan

Crestone Baca Comprehensive Plan
Background Issues Report
SAGUACHE COUNTY CRESTONE BACA PLANNING COMMISSION
May 9, 2011
Background Report Part 1: produced for May 17th Discussion Forum
Why Does the Crestone Baca Need a New Comprehensive Plan?
Crestone Baca Community
A comprehensive plan is a
strategic policy document that
contains goals and strategies
articulating a community’s
desires for its future. The
Crestone Baca Planning
Commission is enabled by the
Saguache County Board of
County Commissioners to plan
for the future growth of the
Crestone-Baca planning
region and under state law is
the legal body that creates
comprehensive plans. Once
a plan is adopted by the
Planning Commission, it
provides guidance for County
decision-makers on
development related issues
and ordinances.
The 1995 Crestone Baca
Subarea Comprehensive Plan
was an important first step in
planning for the area. The
plan resulted in the current
sub-area land use zoning and
provided programmatic
direction for numerous
community development goals
such as the creation of the
credit union, the Crestone
Baca Land Trust, and
Sustainability 2000.
However, there are new
community needs and
challenges for which the 1995
plan and land use
development code have
provided inadequate
guidance.
This first Issues Report
outlines a number of planning
challenges that the Planning
Commission is facing as well
as questions regarding what
future direction residents want
to take the Crestone-Baca
community in the future. The
planning issues were
identified in a series of
Planning Commission work
sessions held in the fall of
2010 and facilitated by the
Sonoran Institute. This list is
not meant to be exhaustive,
nor cover all of the
community’s development
goals. Instead, it is intended
to inform the community of the
Planning Commissions most
frequent and pressing
planning challenges that the
Comprehensive Plan should,
at minimum, address.
Community
Meeting
Schedule

TUESDAY, MAY 17TH
COMMUNITY ISSUE FORUM
#1: LAND USE PLANNING
ISSUES FROM 6 TO 8 P.M. AT
THE BACA GRANDE POA
HALL.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25TH
COMMUNITY ISSUE FORUM
#2: COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES FROM 6
TO 8 P.M. AT THE BACA
GRANDE POA HALL.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4TH
ALTERNATIVE FUTURES
SCENARIOS WORKSHOP FROM
9:00 A.M. TO 12:00 P.M.
AT THE BACA GRANDE POA
HALL.
Getting Involved in the Comprehensive Plan Update
The purpose of the
upcoming community meetings
is to solicit feedback and
ideas from community
members on community
values, concerns, desired
changes, and a vision for the
future. We hope that you will
take the time to review the
Background Reports as well
as attend the upcoming
meetings.
The Crestone Baca Planning
Commission began the update
process for the Crestone Baca
Master Plan in summer of
2010. The process began
with surveys in July. The
Planning Commission received
708 surveys of the more than
3,800 sent out.
The Planning Commission
contracted with the Sonoran
Institute in November 2010 to
help identify the primary land
use planning issue effecting
decision making in Planning
Commission meetings.
Land use issues will be the
focus of the first scheduled
community issues forum. A
second community issues
forum will engage community
members in a discussion about
broader community
development concerns that
are less influenced by County
land use policies. These 2
issues forums will be followed
in June with a Crestone-Baca
Alternative Futures Scenarios
forum. Visioning is an
important component of the
community planning
processes. This meeting will
engage community members
in exploring the implications
of four contrasting future
scenarios for the Crestone
Baca Planning Area then in
choosing a preferred scenario
for the community’s future.
The vision will be used to
guide the development of the
new plan’s goals and
strategies.
Crestone Baca Subarea Land Ownership Map
BLM
Private
CASITA PARK
BLM
Private
RANCHETTES
USFS
Private
CRESTONE
Private
Educ
Fndtn
Chalet I
Educ
Fndtn
Open
Space
Spiritual
Centers
Spiritual
Center
USFS
Chalet I
Natl Wildlife Refuge
(USFW)
Spiritual
Centers
Educ
Fndtn
Chalet II
Educ
Fndtn
Spiritual
Centers
Grants
Chalet II
Chalet III
Conservation
Easement
Spiritual
Center
Great Sand Dunes (NPS)
Crestone Baca Land Ownership
The Baca Grande is a
development of around
14,000 acres. The area is
surrounded by federal land
managed by the US Forest
Service, the National Park
Service, US Fish and Wildlife
Service, and the Bureau of
Land Management. The
planning processes and
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management directives are
carried out by various
designated federal land
managers for each agency.
The Town of Crestone, the
Baca Grande POA, and
Saguache County manage
the private lands within the
sub-area. The diverse
ownership requires
collaboration on decisions
that may impact the larger
landscape.
Crestone Baca Zoning Map
Crestone Baca Current Zoning
The Town of Crestone’s
Zoning Regulations provide
for five types of residential
zones (rural, low density,
medium density, high density
and a mobile home district).
In addition the zoning district
regulations includes provision
for a commercial business
district to provide a full range
of retail sales and services, as
well as small fabrication
facilities approved by
conditional use. Recently the
Town annexed property
located between the Town
boundary and the Baca
Grande Chalet One boundary
for the purposed of creating a
community services and
recreational district.
The Baca Grande sub-area
designates 9 development
types. There is limited
commercial activity with
predominately residential,
open space, and institutional
zones. Over 4,000 acres of
the subdivision is designated
as recreational areas such as
greenbelts, parks, and riding
trails. The Baca Grande
Subdivision contains
predominately three types of
residential use zones
characterized by lot size and
terrain. In the Chalets there
are small lots (typically 0.5
acre) in densely treed areas
while in the Grants there are
large lots (typically 2 to 5
acres) and in Casita Park
there are very small lots
(0.125 acre) that both lack
vegetation.
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Crestone Baca Comprehensive Plan Background Issues
How Fast Is Our Community Growing?
The Goals and Objectives in
the 1995 plan aimed to
preserve the area’s sense of
place. Many of these will
likely still be important to the
community.
 Preserve pristine natural
beauty and natural views.
 Minimize impacts of
growth.
 Preserve existing
agricultural lands for
production, open space and
quality of life.
 Manage density to
create open space.
 Centralize commercial
and public facilities to
accommodate probable
growth.
 Preserve a transition
zone between wilderness and
development.
 Encourage architecture
which reflects the character
and values of the community.
 Further the spiritual
infrastructure and character
of the community.
 Promote long term
sustainability.
 Create a structure where
development is required to
pay its way.
 Encourage self
governance.
 Empower government
with the tools to manage
growth.
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A consistent concern of the
Crestone Baca residents has
been how quickly the
population is increasing, when
the Baca will finally be fully
built out, and what impact that
might have on the community
over time.
The 1995 Crestone Baca
Comprehensive Plan predicted
the population of the planning
area to increase from a then
population of 777 to 3,960
by 2010, an increase of
3,183 people at a 10%
annual growth rate. The
actual growth rate has been
much slower with the latest
2009 the sub-area population
estimated at around 1,200 in
2009, an increase of only 423
people or a growth rate of
about 5% annually.
Census data for growth in
the West indicate the growth
rate slowed between 20002010. Additionally, the recent
economic upheavals have
affected migration patterns,
homeownership, and the real
estate market – all large
players in growth in the
Crestone Baca. Future trend
analyses are predicting the
slower growth rate in the
West to continue over the next
decade.
While alarmist concerns
about excessively rapid
growth and increased
population may not be
warranted for the region,
change is inevitable
regardless of the growth rate.
Thus the focus for our
community ought to be on how
the community can be
proactive in ensuring
thoughtful and intelligent
planning guides future
development in a way that is
consistent with community
values.
What Are Our Principle Land Use Planning Challenges?
Decisions guiding land use
are established in the
comprehensive plan as policy
goals and strategies, future
land use classifications (zoning
districts) and a future land use
map.
Relevant land use policies
were codified into the legally
binding regulations of the
Saguache County Land
Development Code. Article
XVI of the Code establish the
sub-area’s land use zones that
delineate the density of
development, the types of
uses that occur (both by right
and through a special
permitting process), the
location for these zones (a
zoning map), and finally the
form, or design standards, for
the types of development.
Recurrent issues with the
application of the planning
code generally indicated that
a comprehensive plan and
development code require
updating. The challenges
outlined in this report speak to
the most pressing issues the
Planning Commission is facing
within the current plan and
code.
Challenge #1: Overuse of Conditional Use Permits
A conditional use permit
(CUP) is granted by a local
government to authorize a
type of development or land
use on a specific lot that
would not otherwise have
been permitted by the
underlying zoning code. Since
1997, the Crestone Baca
Planning Commission has
reviewed 39 individual CUPs
of which 30 have been
approved. The types of use
requested include spiritual/
institutional uses, additional
residences/accessory dwelling
units, small businesses, openair cremations, retreats/
lodging, and holistic healing
facilities.
While CUPs have played an
important role in the sub-area
in making many small
businesses possible and
contributed to the area’s
growing spiritual community,
their frequent indicates the
zoning code is probably not
meeting changing community
needs.
The 1995 comprehensive
plan identified the Town of
Crestone to be the commercial
center for the sub-area with
additional commercial uses by
right along County Road T.
While many businesses have
located within these
designated areas, numerous
other non-residential uses
have been approved through
CUPs. Additionally, while the
1995 comprehensive plan
included areas for
development spiritual/
institutional uses, especially on
Manitou Foundation lands,
very few institutional parcels
remain available for future
development. This has
resulted in new institutional
uses requested through CUPs.
The downside for the
Background Report Part 1: produced for May 17th
Conditional Uses (cont)
community is that when CUPs
are used as a substitute for
planning, it can create
unnecessary tension among
residents over potential
community impacts of
unplanned development as
well as be a disincentive to
investment by business owners
due to their “conditional”
nature requiring annual
reviews.
Conditional Use & Home Occupation Map
Community Discussion: What Should We Do?
The Comprehensive Plan update provides an opportunity for the
community to make deliberate decisions about future growth
areas. These decisions will have both positive and negative
consequences that need to be carefully weighed. However, if
the community desires to become more self-sufficient, it will
become increasingly important to facilitate future development
areas which allow certain uses to occur by right and in a
coordinated manner, not through the piecemeal approach of
conditional use permits. Thus, the community needs to discuss:
 Where should future commercial uses (such as lodging units,
small retail businesses, home based businesses, etc.) be
located? Should current zones be expanded? How should
the Town of Crestone and Baca Grande integrate



commercial development needs?
Should residential zoning allow for home based
offices, private greenhouses, and accessory
dwelling units? Should there be mitigation
standards?
Should new areas be designated for future
retreat and spiritual facilities?
Does the new Town of Crestone community
services area provide adequate space for
future public needs? Or are there future public
uses that have not yet been considered that
should be planned for?
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Crestone Baca Comprehensive Plan Background Issues
Challenge #2: Inflexibility of the Baca Grande Subdivision
The Baca Grande
Subdivision, a development of
around14,000 acres, was
established in 1971 prior to
the State of Colorado
requiring counties to adopt
subdivision regulations
beginning in1972. Due to the
fact the of the Baca
Subdivision is already 100%
subdivided with thousands of
owners and with few large
undeveloped parcels, there
are very few opportunities for
making any significant
changes to the existing land
use pattern.
There are about 4,200 lots
in the Baca Grande but fewer
than 25% have been
developed. Over 4,000 acres
of the subdivision is
designated as recreational
areas such as greenbelts,
parks, and riding trails. The
Baca Grande Subdivision
contains three types of
residential use zones
characterized by lot size and
terrain. In the Chalets there
are small lots (typically 0.5
acre) in densely treed areas
while in the Grants there are
large lots (typically 2 to 5
acres) and in Casita Park
there are very small lots
(0.125 acre) that both lack
vegetation.
As vacant lots are gradually
developed, the density of lots
and the lack of vegetative
screening have resulted in
community members being
concerned about development
impacts to adjacent property
owner’s privacy and the
area’s rural character.
Any significant change in the
Baca will require deliberate
implementation of a
comprehensive set of
strategies aimed at
consolidating private
ownership into parcel sizes
which offer more flexibility for
site design. These tools
include: lot vacations, lot
consolidations, conservation
easements, voluntary
replatting of consolidated lots,
or a transfer of development
rights program.
The community land trust has
been successful at placing
conservation easements on
some environmentally sensitive
lands. Additionally, the total
number of lot consolidations
has continued to increase with
a total of 2,504 lots in 2009.
Unfortunately, given the
requirements for lot
consolidations (adjacency and
undeveloped) the pace of lot
consolidations is likely to slow.
Estimates are around 500
additional lots. If the
community is interested in
influencing the Baca’s
development pattern, it will
be necessary to develop a
new and innovative program
with clearly defined goals.
Maintaining community
services and infrastructure to
the Baca’s widely dispersed
population will be a long term
challenge. Community services
such as roads, water, sewer,
and fire protection, are
expensive. An unintended
consequence of efforts to
reduce development
opportunities and population
densities is that it will likely
increased cost to the
remaining property owners.
As the number of property
owners is reduced, remaining
residents will be required to
cover a larger percentage of
a fixed cost.
Community Discussion: What Should We Do?
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The community values the Baca Grande’s
rural character, beautiful landscape, natural
resources, and iconic views. However, it
also recognizes the inefficiency of
maintaining miles of roads and
infrastructure for a relatively small
population as well as the environmental
implications of full build out. Given limited
opportunities for altering the final pattern
of the subdivision, community decisions
during the comprehensive plan should
include discussions about the following:
 Is reducing the ultimate number of
developable lots in the Baca still a
goal? If so, what is should it be trying
to accomplish - fiscal, social, or
environmental goals?



Should the Baca Grande residential zoning
types continue as they are, or should
additional residential development options be
allowed that meet new community needs
and/or goals (e.g. uses such as co-housing,
individual greenhouses, home based
businesses, multi-family)?
Should commercial or mixed use nodes be
encouraged in the Baca Grande?
Should incentives to consolidate lots be
provided in order to meet broader community
development goals?
Background Report Part 1: produced for May 17th
Lot Consolidation Map
Saguache County regulations do not limit the number of lots that can be consolidated as long as the lots are contiguous.
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Background Report Part 1: produced for May 17th
Challenge #3: Getting Around The Community
Currently there are two
major transportation planning
issues for the community to
consider during the
comprehensive plan update.
First, the Town of Crestone,
Baca Grande POA and
Saguache County need to
develop a coordinated plan
for road infrastructure and
maintenance. However, it is
not simply a road engineering
and public works issue. It is
also a watershed and storm
water management issue.
Since our roads currently
provide the easiest path for
water down the mountains,
almost all areas of the subarea experience problems
related to storm-water runoff
and erosion. This problem will
only increase as the number of
homes increases.
Second, an increasing desire
of residents is to develop
energy efficient alternatives
to having to always use a car
as well as promote healthy
lifestyles by developing a
bicycle and pedestrian trails
network that could link open
spaces through the area and
to connect the Baca Grande
Subdivision with the Town of
Crestone.
Community Discussion: What Should We Do?


How can we promote better coordination for road
maintenance?
What should be our community stewardship goals
for erosion and storm water management?


Do we want more “pedestrian friendly” community
zones? Where should those be?
Where should trails connectivity be enhanced?
Challenge #5: Energy & Communication Infrastructure
Much has changed since the
last community plan. Changes
in technology have created
opportunities for localized
solar farms and communication
infrastructure such as cell
towers that were not
anticipated in 1995. A revised
Comprehensive Plan could
include a policy which
encourages community
distributed generation in the
sub-area as well as private
development of renewable
energy in residential areas
including solar and wind
technologies. Mitigation
strategies should be discussed,
but will be part of the
development code or building
covenants.
Community Discussion: What Should We Do?

Should renewable energy be promoted? Where
should renewable energy infrastructure be allowed?

How should communication infrastructure be planned
for? Where should it be located?
Challenge #6: Visual Resource Protection
County Road T is currently
protected from visual
congestion through a Scenic
Resource Overlay (SRO) zone
in a series of graduated
areas. The SRO is a strip that
runs 1,000 feet to the North
and South of the road
centerline and begins at the
entrance to Casita Park and
continues to the entrance to
the Baca Grande Chalets.
The SRO identifies definitive
guidelines to protect these
visual resources along County
Road T through setbacks,
height limitations, and use
limitations. Given the “beauty
of the area” is an important
community value, the
community needs to determine
if any additional areas should
be included within the SRO
including other major arterials
such as: Camino Baca Grande,
Camino Del Rey, Wagon
Wheel and County Road 71
going into Crestone.
Community Discussion: What Should We Do?


Should any other roads be added to the Scenic Resource Overlay?
Are there other views that we want to ensure are protected? Where they are and what do the threats include?
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