AC/OS Final Report
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A BALANCED ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FUTURE people...nature...agriculture...growth Adams County Open Space Plan Prepared for: Adams County Parks and C ommunity Resources Department Brighton, CO December 1998 T ABLE OF C ONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................i Introduction Definition of Open Space ........................................1 Purpose of Open Space Plan. ......................................1 Site Location/Study Area ........................................1 The Planning Process ..........................................2 Open Space Vision ............................................4 Issues Loss of Agricultural Lands Combined with Conflicts Between Agrarian and Non-Agrarian Landowners ......................5 Loss of Natural Resources/Flood Hazards ..............................6 Loss of Wildlife Habitats ........................................7 Regulations Which do Little to Help Conserve Agricultural Lands and Open Space ....7 Need for an Expanded and Interconnected Multi-Purpose Trail System ............8 Loss of Environmental Education and Interpretation........................9 Lack of Adequate Funding for Open Space Acquisition, Development and Maintenance 9 Goals of the Plan Natural and Cultural Resource.....................................10 Health and Safety. ............................................10 Agricultural Lands ............................................10 Public Use ................................................10 Gravel Resources and Disturbed Resource Lands ........................11 Community Buffers............................................11 Partnerships/Cooperation/Management. ..............................11 Inventory and Analysis Regional Open Space and Trails ....................................12 History ..................................................12 Regional Context Map ........................................12a County-wide Natural Resources....................................13 Land Cover Map ............................................13a Study Area Natural Resources ....................................14 Raptor Habitat & Feeding Area Map ................................14a Land Use ..................................................16 Farmland Map ..............................................16a Existing and Approved Open Space & Trails ..........................19a Synthesis Land Conservation Units ........................................22 Evaluation Process for Open SpaceArea ...............................22 Conservation Units Map ........................................22a Open Space Plan: Agricultural Conservation Plan, Environmental Resource Conservation Plan, Trails Plan Agricultural Conservation Plan ................................... 26 Agricultural Conservation Plan ..................................26a Environmental Resource Conservation Plan ............................27 Environmental Conservation Plan ................................27a Trails Plan .................................................31 Trails Plan ................................................31a Implementation Strategies Partnerships and Support Programs .................................34 County Actions ..............................................36 Private Landowner Actions.......................................42 Funding for Open Space/Open Land Conservation Potential Funding Sources .......................................44 Development Fees ............................................46 Partnership Funding ..........................................46 Taxing Districts, Open Space Tax ...................................47 Phasing Early Action ................................................49 Appendix Appendix A - Conservation Unit Analysis .............................52 Appendix B - South Platte River Heritage Plan Summary ....................55 Appendix C - Index of Maps .....................................59 Appendix D - List of Other Plans ...................................60 Resolution ..................................................61 A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS Adams County would like to thank the Partnership Committee, the Steering Committee and all members of the Adams County community who participated in the public meetings and workshops necessary for the success of this plan. Their input, stories, favorite places and special spaces were invaluable to our understanding of Adams County, its lands, environments and people. County Commissioners Martin J. Flaum Ted Strickland Elaine T. Valente Funding provided by a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado and the Adams County Conservation Trust Fund Steering Committee Don Allard, Council member, Arvada Fred Allen, Council member, alternate, Westminster Steve Bernard, At large, business, legal Kathy Bloom, Property owner on river David Campbell, Horseman's Association Doug Carlsten, Council member, Brighton Curtt Coppage, Gravel representative John Davis, 4-H youth representative Guillermo DeHerrera (former Commissioner) Virginia Eppinger, Property owner on river, historical representative Skip Fisher, Business, Assessor Bob Fleming, Business, planning/business Bill Gillespie, Council member, Northglenn Clark Griep, Council member, alternate, Broomfield Bary Glasgow, Property owner on river Kris Graves, Trails and Open Space Foundation representative Timothy Gritton, At large Nathan Hatcher, At large Edwin Hickel, Education and youth Steve Hogan, Council member, Arvada Ralph Johnson, Council member, Broomfield Bob Johnson, Council member, Thornton Tom Lauridson, Agricultural Shirley Matcalf-Sabin, At large Nancy Miller Page, At large Kathleen Novak, City Council, Northglenn Richard Pabon, At large, youth Bobbette Ranney, MD, Agricultural Carol Robinson, Federal Heights City Council Gloria Rudden, Neighborhood representative Gerry Sarconi, League of Women Voters Tammie Scott, East County, Strasburg Gary Smith, Council member, Westminster Sheri Szymanski, Council member, Commerce City Don Tanabe, Agricultural in river corridor M.L. Tucker, Gravel representative Mike Vallero, Council member, Federal Heights Chuck Warner, Council member, Thornton i Partner’s Committee Tom Acre & Rick Basset, Commerce City Mike Carter, Colorado Bird Observatory Mike Lee, Arvada Arne Carlson & Paul Derda, Broomfield Daren Duncan, Adams County Larry Garcia, State Division of Wildlife Konad Krori, Federal Heights Lynn Lathrop, Thornton Bob Lienemann, Westminster Tim McCaffry, Northglenn Mark Heirshberg, Brighton Scott Hoover, Colorado Division of Wildlife Jan McKee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Gary Patton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Dirk Richwine, Brighton Ray Spencer, State Division of Wildlife Linda Strand, Aurora Rob Thames, Commerce City Ben Urbonas, Urban Drainage John Van Royen, Metro Wastewater Dan Weber, State Parks Andrew Wallach, Denver Staff Tim McCaffrey, Northglenn Adams County Crystal Gray, Adams County Parks and Community Resources Director Rick Anderson, Parks and Community Resources Kathy Spinella, Parks and Community Resources Robert Coney, Planning Director Daren Duncan, Engineering Tom McBride, CSU Extension Agent Nickole Stoner, Planning Photos by: Carole Speyer, Ann Moss and Adams County Parks Consultant Team SHAPINS ASSOCIATES 1245 Pearl Street, Suite 205 Boulder, CO 80302 303.442.4588 Conservation Partners 1410 Grant Street, Suite C306 Denver, CO 80203 303.831.9378 ii Adams County Open Space Plan I NTRODUCTION Definition of Open Space The focus of the plan is on voluntary and incentive based methods of conservation The following definitions of open space with a menu of options provided to were used in this study: landowners. The plan provides the framework for future conservation efforts • Lands and waterways dedicated for and trail system development and public use and enjoyment. recommends implementation and funding • Lands and waterways reserved or strategies. dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and natural resources. The Open Space Plan is an integral part of • Lands and waterways that are the Adams County Comprehensive Plan private areas used for farming, and a key element in shaping the future ranching or other agricultural form and character of development and practices which retain the rural, open space. Due to the uniqueness and undeveloped character of an area. importance of the South Platte River, a • Lands and waterways needed for the separate and more detailed plan was health and safety of the community. developed for that area. Please refer to the • Lands and waterways that function appendix for a summary of that plan. as community separators or buffers. Site Location/Study Area Purpose of Open Space Plan Adams County is located adjacent to The purpose of the Adams County Open Denver along the Front Range of Colorado. Space Plan is to identify areas for The county ranges in character from the agricultural and environmental resource more densely populated development in conservation and trail development. The the western area to the far less populated, plan identifies efforts that the County and agrarian area to the east. The Denver others can make to support agricultural International Airport (DIA) protrudes into viability, encourage environmental resource Adams County's agricultural lands just preservation, help establish community east of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal buffers and develop a unified trail system. National Wildlife Refuge. Great Blue Heron 1 Adams County Open Space Plan The western area includes the incorporated In addition, the general public was invited cities of Broomfield, Northglenn,