GGUUAANNEELLLLAA PPAASSSS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY PREPARED BY: The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway Committee IN ASSOCIATION WITH: The U.S. Forest Service December 2001 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway Corridor Management Strategy was collaboratively developed by a diverse group of stakeholders who together made up the Scenic Byway Committee. This plan would not have been possible without the support, time, energy and continued enthusiasm of the following Scenic Byway Committee members and some of the other individuals, partnering organizations and agencies listed below. Scenic Byway Committee Members Chris Allen, Town of Georgetown Resident Barbara Boyer, Scenic Colorado Sally Guanella Buckland, Clear Creek County Resident Stephanie Donoho, Clear Creek County Tourism Board Scott Dugan, Tumbling River Ranch Julie Holmes, Clear Creek County Resident Lynda James, Park County Resident Phil Kummer, Colorado Mountain Club Cindy Neely, Town of Georgetown Paul Nisler, Town of Georgetown Resident Jo Ann Sorenson, Clear Creek County Commissioners Peggy Stokestad, Clear Creek County Economic Development Corporation D’Arcy Straub, Citizen-at-Large – Town of Dillon Elizabeth Wessling, Park County Property Owner Tom Wilson, Town of Georgetown Business Owner Frank Young, Clear Creek County Open Space Commission United States Forest Service Rick Dustin, Arapaho Forest Landscape Architect Mark Forgy, Document Editor Daniel Lovato, Clear Creek District Ranger Randy Hickenbottom, South Platte District Ranger Donna Mickley, Special Projects Coordinator Ken Tu, Arapaho Forest Planner Deb Entwistle, South Platte Hydrologist Arapaho National Forest Resource Specialists Pike National Forest Resource Specialists Park County Office of Tourism and Community Development Gary Nichols, Director Local Citizens Coralou Anderson, Town of Georgetown Resident Smoky Anderson, Town of Georgetown Resident Wendell Pugh, Town of Georgetown Resident Consultants ERO Resources Corporation Coyote Consulting, LLC Contents Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................................. 3 Executive Summary............................................................................................................................. 1 Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway Corridor Management Strategy ..................... 1 A Vision for the Future............................................................................................................ 1 Next Steps .................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Overview and Historical Background .......................................................................................... 3 General Background ................................................................................................................. 3 What Is Important About the Guanella Pass CMS?............................................................ 3 2. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Location ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Byway Designation.................................................................................................................... 5 Setting.......................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Planning Process.............................................................................................................................. 7 Developing the Draft CMS...................................................................................................... 7 Scenic Byway Committee......................................................................................................... 8 4. Vision and Goals ............................................................................................................................. 9 Vision........................................................................................................................................... 9 Goals............................................................................................................................................ 9 5. Intrinsic Qualities........................................................................................................................... 11 Scenic Qualities........................................................................................................................ 11 Recreational Opportunities.................................................................................................... 12 Historic and Cultural Resources............................................................................................ 13 Natural Resources.................................................................................................................... 17 Archeological Resources......................................................................................................... 19 6. Public Participation ....................................................................................................................... 21 Public Comment on the Draft CMS.................................................................................... 21 Previous Public Involvement................................................................................................. 23 7. Highway Safety and Visitor Use Trends .................................................................................... 25 Highway Safety......................................................................................................................... 25 Maintaining Existing Levels of Visitor Use......................................................................... 25 Parking Capacity ...................................................................................................................... 26 Average Daily Traffic.............................................................................................................. 27 8. Management Strategies ................................................................................................................. 29 Background............................................................................................................................... 29 Corridor Boundary and Management Zones...................................................................... 29 General Recommendations for the Entire Byway ............................................................. 30 9. Signage ............................................................................................................................................ 49 Purpose of a Signage Plan ...................................................................................................... 49 Existing Signage ....................................................................................................................... 49 Signage Standards .................................................................................................................... 50 Proposed Signage..................................................................................................................... 51 Outdoor Advertising Controls .............................................................................................. 51 GUANELLA PASS SCENIC AND HISTORIC BYWAY CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 10. Interpretive Plan.......................................................................................................................... 53 Planning Assumptions Related to Interpretation............................................................... 53 Interpretive Planning .............................................................................................................. 54 Interpretive Goals ................................................................................................................... 54 Existing Interpretation ........................................................................................................... 56 Site Inventory........................................................................................................................... 57 Plan Implementation and Site Prioritization....................................................................... 58 11. Marketing...................................................................................................................................... 59 Past Efforts............................................................................................................................... 59 Present Efforts......................................................................................................................... 59 Future Efforts .......................................................................................................................... 60 12. Commerce and Access to Area Businesses............................................................................. 62 Commerce ................................................................................................................................ 62 Access to Area Businesses.....................................................................................................