Chapter 34.48
SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Sections:

34.48.010    Summary of accomplishments.

34.48.010 Summary of accomplishments.

Summary of Accomplishments

1986 REDLANDS PLAN POLICY TOPIC

POLICIES

RESPONSE/ACTION

Community Organization

Mesa County will encourage the formation of special districts for the provision of urban services.

A Redlands-based community organization should be formed to represent the Redlands.

Local improvement districts have been and are being formed for sewer service as a result of the 1998 “Persigo Sewer System Agreement” between Mesa County and Grand Junction.

Various homeowners’ associations and the Citizens for a Better Broadway are active.

Numerous residents and businesses were involved in the planning process to revise/amend the 1986 and 1996 plans for the Redlands.

General Services

Mesa County and the City of Grand Junction will cooperatively develop a sewer program for the 201 area based on a phased program and serving existing developed areas identified on a map entitled Sewer Implementation Map.

Costs for sewer extensions will be borne by residents under the local improvement district assessment procedure; initial engineering costs may be funded from the sewer improvement fund.

Concurrently working on a transportation study to establish a transportation impact fee for new development throughout the Grand Valley.

Numerous local improvement districts have been and are being formed for sewer service as a result of the “1998 Persigo Sewer System Agreement” between Mesa County and Grand Junction.

The Panorama Sewer District includes the Panorama Subdivision with 480 plus homes located north of Highway 340 in the Peony Drive area. Sewage lagoons were previously used, but as of October 2001, sewage is now treated at Persigo Waste Water Treatment Plant.

City and County development codes address coordination of timing, location, and intensity of growth with provision of adequate public facilities.

The City and County adopted the Major Street Plan Functional Classification Map in Spring 2000 and amended the plan in 2001 as the Grand Valley Circulation Plan (now Grand Junction Circulation Plan).

City and County staff participate on a long-range planning committee of School District 51.

Irrigation

Mesa County will require irrigation water management programs in new or revised subdivisions. Management programs should detail physical storage and distribution systems as well as organizational structures through covenants and restrictions.

Proper rights-of-way for irrigation canals will be dedicated when development takes place.

Protection of irrigation water and practices is addressed in the Mesa Countywide Land Use Plan and Land Development Code.

Development codes require use of nonpotable irrigation for landscaping purposes where available.

Fire Protection and Rescue Service

A cost/revenue analysis should be conducted for providing a fire station and associated operational costs on the Redlands.

Mesa County encourages the Rural Fire District to establish a map indicating hydrants and whether or not they have adequate water pressure.

The Redlands should be brought into compliance with Mesa County’s current fire protection policies.

City and County continue to address the issues and needs of fire protection and emergency medical services on the Redlands. Both jurisdictions have money budgeted for 2002 and 2003 to begin process to acquire land and/or facilities.

Drainage

Developments should maintain at least a 50-foot setback from the edge of drainageways as identified on Map No. 4, “Geology for Planning in the Redlands Area, Mesa County, CO; Colorado Geological Survey.”

Site-specific analyses will be conducted for all new developments.

The Mesa County Stormwater Runoff Management and Drainage Manual will be used in the review of all new subdivisions on the Redlands.

Mesa County will work with the Grand Junction Drainage District and the Redlands area to consider the possible expansion of boundaries of that district to include the Redlands. This effort would assume that any expansion requires a petition signed by property owners.

Development codes require review of impacts on water quality and natural areas for all new development.

Development codes require a minimum 100-foot setback from floodway from Colorado and Gunnison Rivers.

The City and County require new development to follow the Stormwater Drainage Manual.

Land Use and Urban Design

General Land Use Policies

The trunk sewer map and the Colorado Geologic Survey maps will be used as guidelines for growth and development in the Redlands.

In planned developments, density will be encouraged within 2,000 feet of the Goat Wash, Tiara Rado, and Scenic Interceptor sewers and where such density does not conflict with geologic hazards as identified by the Colorado Geologic Survey, or require lift-stations.

The trunk lines have been constructed and new development has connected to the system.

Urban densities are allowed only where sewer is available.

The City and County maintain Geographic Information System maps/databases with drainage coverage and flash flood hazard areas among other geo-hazards map of the Redlands.

Colorado National Monument:

Densities along the border of the Colorado National Monument for new developments shall be limited to low density (one du per five acres) and no structures except those within the five-acre density range will be allowed within 1,000 feet of the Monument boundary if property lines of any parcel exceed that setback. (Planned developments that have received final approval and platted subdivisions would not be subject to this policy.) This setback area may be counted, however, as part of the open space requirement in a planned unit development and overall densities established as part of a planned development may be transferred from this area to other locations within the planned development (transfer of development rights).

City of Fruita Community Plan adopted in 1994 and updated in 2001 includes:

•    a Monument Preservation area outside of the Persigo 201 – five-acre minimum lots; and

•    removing most of the Redlands area east of Kings View Estates from the Fruita 201 Sewer Service Area.

Fruita, Grand Junction, and Mesa County signed an intergovernmental agreement establishing a Cooperative Planning Agreement, Buffer Area, as a community separator in 1998.

Mesa County and the National Park Service entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 1999 for cooperative planning efforts.

Land Use and Urban Design, continued

Washes, Stream Beds and Water Courses:

Washes, stream beds, and water courses shall have a minimum setback of 100 feet from the top elevation of the stream bed.

 

Key Identity Nodes:

Key identity nodes will be developed through a joint venture involving CSU Cooperative Extension Service and community resources (CSU: Colorado State University).

(Broadway/Redlands Pkwy; Broadway/Monument Road)

These nodes have developed as commercial centers.

River Bluff Development:

New development along the bluffs overlooking the Colorado River should have the following setbacks:

•    500-foot minimum setback from the Public Service Powerline or areas west of the Redlands Parkway.

•    150-foot minimum setback from the edge of the bluffline east of the Redlands Parkway.

These specific setbacks are not incorporated in adopted development codes.

Land Use and Urban Design, continued

Existing Zoning

Existing zoning in the following areas shall be reviewed with the intention of possible rezoning:

•    R-2 zoning in geologically sensitive areas (RSF4)

•    R-4 zoning in the 100-year floodplain of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers (RMF8)

•    Zoning within the setback areas of bluff lines, drainages and the Colorado National Monument

Rosevale and Connected Lakes

Densities in Rosevale and Connected Lakes shall be strictly limited in the future to no greater than one dwelling per 35 acres.

A housing relocation program should be initiated.

Commercial, Office Uses and Specialized Land Uses

Commercial pockets or “village centers” similar to Redlands Country Corner will be allowed to continue and develop as neighborhood commercial centers at “Brach’s Market,” the Ridges, Tiara Rado, and Monument Village Shopping Center. Office park development with large blocks of open space in a campus type of setting will be encouraged at Monument Village Shopping Center. Diversified and specialized land uses, especially multifamily housing, day care, senior citizen centers, etc., will be encouraged at the five “village centers” –  (1) Brach’s Market, (2) Redlands Parkway/Broadway, (3) Ridges, (4) Tiara Rado, and (5) Monument Village Shopping Center. In all cases buffering between incompatible uses will be a primary requirement.

This plan analyzed existing zoning with the adopted Future Land Use Map to note inconsistencies and recommends changes.

Persigo Agreement requires annexation to the Grand Junction City limits of certain new development within the urban growth boundary. Development codes have established criteria for rezones and plan amendments. Instead, Connected Lakes area was rezoned to AFT (maximum of one dwelling per five acres) and sewer service has been extended to the Rosevale neighborhood.

This plan addresses the need for development design standards/guidelines for the Redlands.

Development codes establish standards for height/structure setbacks, landscaping/buffering, lighting and noise.

“Brach’s Market” is now Redlands Marketplace.

Adopted codes allow neighborhood services in any land use category. Development codes require a rezone to B-1 to allow neighborhood services.

Development codes establish large retail/big-box commercial standards. No such developments are recommended for the Redlands.

Land Use and Urban Design, continued

Hills, Bluffs and Other Visually Prominent Areas

Developments that incorporate hilltops, bluff tops and other visually prominent areas should be designed with colors, textures, and architecture to blend in with surrounding landscape.

Development codes allow for clustering smaller lots and preserving open space in all residential zone districts.

Development codes establish standards for ridgelines, hillsides and steep slopes.

Development codes establish planned unit development regulations.

Parks, Recreation, Historic Places

Provide large blocks of open space (30 percent minimum) in all new planned developments in the Redlands. This open space should conform to the geologic hazards and design guidelines mentioned in this section including flash flood drainages, floodplain, bluffs above the river, buffer along the National Monument, hillsides and visually prominent areas.

Development code requirements for open space do not treat the Redlands differently. (20 percent required in Mesa County.)

Preserve and protect Riggs Hill by purchasing it for permanent open space.

Owned by Museum of Western Colorado.

Preserve and protect all other paleontological resources on the Redlands by incorporating them into open space in planned developments, through gifts or purchase by the Museum of Western Colorado.

Dinosaur Hill is protected by the BLM as a paleo/cultural site.

 

Designate the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers as a proposed “Confluence Park” on the southwest riverbank for eventual acquisition as permanent open space to be maintained by a private nonprofit group such as the Audubon Society.

Owned by U.S. government (Bureau of Reclamation) as a wildlife preserve. Managed by the Mesa Land Trust.

Encourage the use of schools as sites for active recreation.

Schools provide this service. Few other parks (only private parks).

Retain natural drainages and floodplain of the Colorado River in open space with the Audubon Society, Division of Wildlife and other private nonprofit groups retaining as much open space along the River as possible to carry out the Colorado River Greenbelt Concept found in the County Master Plan of Parks.

Connected Lakes State Park developed as post gravel mining reclamation. Audubon Society owns/manages and is developing a wildlife center and refuge (Ela Refuge?) adjacent to Connected Lakes Park.

Parks, Recreation, Historic Places, continued

Mesa County will cooperate with the Colorado National Monument to improve the trailheads at Monument Canyon and Gold Star Canyon trails. Included in this effort would be confirmation of public access to the Liberty Cap trailhead near Wildwood Drive, and clarification of access through Deer Park Subdivision.

Maintain close cooperation with the Colorado National Monument and the State Air Quality Division of the Department of Health to ensure maintenance of a high standard of air quality.

Encourage pedestrian/bicycle trail systems for trips to school, shopping, etc., that avoid the use of automobiles.

Discourage more than one fireplace or wood-burning stove per four dwelling units in attached multifamily structures and no more than one in a single-family structure to discourage further air pollution near the Monument.

Trailheads have been established at Monument Canyon and Liberty Cap. Star Canyon is undeveloped. An access to the Monument is in the general vicinity of Star Canyon, but no parking area established.

The Grand Valley Air Quality Planning Committee and the Mesa County Environmental Health Department are active.

See adopted transportation plans, including: 2020 Transportation Plan, Grand Junction Circulation Plan.

The Grand Valley Air Quality Planning Committee and the Mesa County Environmental Health Department are active. Grand Junction has a mandatory no burn ordinance and both Grand Junction and Mesa County have woodstove standards and support a replacement program annually.

Grand Junction Country Club (Redlands Community Club) designated on State Register of Historic Places in 1995. National Monument – designations of historic buildings and site.

Roads and Transportation

Encourage development of a comprehensive trail system with the Redlands Water and Power Canal, the Connected Lakes Trail and the Redlands Parkway Trail as the major segments.

The attached map will serve as the basis for new trail segments. (Exhibit No. 1 at the end of this section)

The Audubon (1987) and Connected Lakes sections of the Colorado River Trail follow the Redlands Power Canal. See adopted transportation plans, including: 2020 Transportation Plan, Grand Junction Circulation Plan. Redlands Water and Power has a new trails policy.

Redlands Parkway Corridor

Low-intensity development (agriculture, limited gravel mining and low density residential uses) will be encouraged within the Colorado River Floodplain (100-year flood boundary).

Low-medium density residential development will be encouraged within the Redlands corridor of the Redlands Parkway. Planned Developments will be encouraged rather than conventional subdivision proposals.

Limited neighborhood commercial development will be (southeast and northeast) considered at only one additional location south of the River; the intersection of the Redlands Parkway and Broadway.

Development codes and adopted mineral extraction policies protect commercially viable gravel resources and require conditional use permits in limited zone districts.

See 1996 Growth Plan. Development codes do not encourage planned developments.

Southeast corner recently developed (bank and nursery). See 1996 Growth Plan.

(Res. 62-02, 6-26-02)

Existing Urban Trails (PDF)