Comprehensive Plan 2035 Fowler, Colorado HISTORIC SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY POWERED Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado ii Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado Town of Fowler Colorado 2035 Comprehensive Plan Board of Trustees Planning and Zoning Board February 2009 iii Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado iv Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado Aknowledgements A Special Thank You to the Following: Town Administrator Wayne Snider Board of Trustees Mayor Wards Mayor Monie Stites Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Hitchcock Trustee Larry Johnson Trustee Pat Christensen Trustee Christine Nesbitt Trustee Randy McKown Trustee Dan Hyatt Town Attorney Planning and Zoning Board John Hagerman Ray Wards Nick Hagerman J.H. McCuistion Pat Christensen Citizen’s Advisory Committee Matthew Becker CSU Student Tony Beruman Tri-County Housing Jeanne Fenter Tourism Judy Fosdick DOTF Biodiesel Jonathan Fox Finance Steve Grasmick Fowler Elementary and Junior High Principal Jean Hinkle County Administrator Chuck Hitchcock Town Trustee Rich and Linda Jensen Agriculture Barbaralu Smith Historical Society Don and Jody Sniff Community Churches Monie Stites Town Trustee Mike Trujillo Information Technology All Town of Fowler Citizens and their representatives from the State and County governments Staff assistance provided by: Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute and their consultants Fehr & Peers, Sedgwick Consulting Group, and Staller & Henry v Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado vi Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado Table of Contents SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 1-8 WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN . 4 WATER AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. 37-38 WHY PLAN . 5 MINERAL EXTRACTION . 39 PURPOSE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN . 5 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY . 39-41 HOW TO USE THE PLAN . 6 PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION . 41-44 THE PUBLIC PLANNING PROCESS . 7-8 EXHIBITS . 45-46 SECTION 2 VISION & GOALS 9-12 SECTION 4 COMMUNITY OVERVIEW 47-74 COMMUNITY VISION . 12 REGIONAL CONTEXT . 50 COMMUNITY GOALS . 12 HISTORY AND CULTURE. 50-51 MEASUREMENT & RESEARCH . 12 POPULATION GROWTH & CHARACTERISTICS . 52-55 HISTORIC GROWTH . 52 CURRENT DEMOGRAPHICS. 52-54 SECTION 3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 13-46 ANTICIPATED GROWTH & DEMOGRAPHICS PROJECTIONS . 54-55 LAND USE . 16-27 ECONOMY . 55-61 HOUSING . 16-18 EMPLOYMENT . 55-56 POPULATION GROWTH . 18-19 AGRICULTURE . 57-58 COMMUNITY CHARACTER . 19-20 RENEWABLE ENERGY . 58-59 URBAN INFLUENCE AREA . 20-22 TOURISM. 59-60 PLANNING AREA . 22-27 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 60-61 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . 27-29 PUBLIC HEALTH AND NATURAL CONDITIONS . 61-63 SUSTAINABILITY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY . 29-33 PUBLIC HEALTH . 61 PUBLIC HEALTH . 33-35 AIR AND WATER QUALITY . 61 NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION . 35-39 TOPOGRAPHY . 61 NATURAL HABITAT AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION . 35-36 vii Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado GEOLOGY AND SOILS . 61-62 MODES OF TRANSPORTATION . 72 HYDROLOGY . 62 EXHIBITS . 73-74 VEGETATION . 62 SECTION 5 THE WAY FORWARD 75-78 WILDLIFE . 62 NATURAL HAZARDS. 63 EXISTING LAND USE . 63-64 GENERAL LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS . 63 SECTION 6 APPENDICES 79-96 CURRENT ACREAGE & LAND USE INVENTORY. 63 DESIGN GUIDELINES . 81-88 URBAN INFLUENCE AREA . 63-64 REFERENCES . 89-90 ANNEXATION. 64 GLOSSARY OF TERMS . 92-96 HOUSING. 64-66 CHARACTERISTICS . 64-65 RENTAL/OWNERSHIP . 65 VACANCY . 65 AFFORDABILITY: TRICOUNTY HOUSING . 65-66 FUTURE HOUSING NEEDS. 66 COMMUNITY FACILITIES . 67 PARKS AND RECREATION . 67 OPEN SPACE . 67 INFRASTRUCTURE . 67 ROADS, SIDEWALKS, ETC . 67-70 WATER . 70 STORMWATER . 70 SANITARY SEWER. 70 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY . 71-72 HIGHWAY 50 EXPANSION . 71-72 COMMUTER PATTERNS . 71 viii Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado ix Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado 1 Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado Section 1: Introduction WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN . 1.1 WHY PLAN . 1.2 PURPOSE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN . 1.3 HOW TO USE THE PLAN . 1.4 THE PUBLIC PLANNING PROCESS . 1.5 2 Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado Citizen’s Advisory Committee at work 3 Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado Introduction 1The citizens of the Town of Fowler share a common vision to Finite resources, coupled with a significant desire to better sup- become one of the most sustainable communities in Colorado. port a diverse and sustainable community, require the Town of Our hope is to grow while balancing the central components of Fowler to make choices about how best to use its natural, social, sustainability: economic, environmental and social-cultural. In economic, and human resources. Town residents and elected of- Fowler, this means that as a community we must grow while ficials recognize that these choices are local decisions that will maintaining social equity, preserving our cultural and historical impact the natural environment, the community, and the Town’s heritage, increasing economic development and job opportuni- quality of life. The vision espoused in this plan is intended to ties, and providing a diverse housing mix for all levels of income guide Fowler’s role locally, regionally, and globally. Moreover, the within the community. Furthermore, the Town will work to bal- Town of Fowler 2035 Comprehensive Plan commits the Town ance the environmental heritage inherent within our community to becoming a model community for sustainable policies and while further enhancing our ecological assets such as protecting practices. It adopts a planning horizon which extends over 27 the historical and environmental benefits of the irrigation ditch- years, comprising three primary components: community over- es that serve the local farm land; practicing stewardship of the view, policy that guides future land use decisions, and maps. recreational and ecological benefits of the Arkansas River valley and realizing the inherent energy of the wind, sun and biomass. In the community overview, the Plan describes general back- By utilizing natural capital and protecting ecological assets, the ground information on history and culture; population and Town of Fowler will create a vibrant, sustainable rural economy. growth; community characteristics; economy; public health and natural conditions; existing land use and housing. Current con- ditions and trends are analyzed to provide a sufficient basis for It’s not the plan that is important, it’s the planning. goals, objectives and actions that will guide future land use, capi- tal improvement, and economic development decisions. Graeme Edwards The policy component of Fowler’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan 1.1 What is a Comprehensive Plan? is supported by goals, objectives and actions that were identi- fied by the community through the planning process. Goals re- A comprehensive plan is an official public document that envi- flect the desires of residents and elected officials. Additionally, sions and recommends general ways in which the planning area they set the stage for the development of a successful land use of interest should evolve in the future. For the Town of Fowler, and community development decision-making process. Subse- this comprehensive plan threads the reoccurring planning theme quently, objectives create the specific framework for addressing of sustainability throughout it to seek and ensure that the Town such goals. Finally, actions add a level of pragmatic planning and can continue to meet its current and ongoing environmental, so- measurement of achievement through the description of specific cial and economic needs without compromising the future needs activities to be accomplished within a specified time period. All for succeeding generations. policies were developed by the Town of Fowler residents and representatives. Citizen’s Advisory Committee at work 4 Comprehensive Plan 2035 Town of Fowler, Colorado The maps provided within this plan illustrate existing conditions • Guides Landowners and Future Development while providing for location based direction on future sustain- Effective planning provides expectations and builds confidence able land use, economic development, social and transportation about existing and future land uses to landowners and develop- decisions. ers. The comprehensive plan serves as the document through which such expectations and good planning are set. 1.2 Why Plan? •Representation of Community Stakeholders Through an engaged public planning process, the comprehensive Our Town has a committed vision for successful long term plan represents a variety of voices and interests. This represen- growth, economic viability and sustainability. As a rural com- tation ensures that recommendations, opinions and suggestions munity focused on farming and ranching, we plan to successfully are heard as well as included in the community’s vision and goals. build our future around renewable energy which will provide With inclusion of these interests and voices, the plan builds a positive contributions to the future economic viability, envi- strong constituency for its ideas and recommendations. Further- ronmental preservation and carbon footprint reduction for this more, it guides future development decisions for the community community. In order to ensure that this vision is realized, with such that they are based firmly on the goals of the plan and are the help of consultants, we turned to the creation of a compre- supported by a significant representation of the community and hensive plan through a community planning process. its stakeholders. This comprehensive planning document