MARCH 10 | 2021 Advancing Adams Comprehensive Plan Existing Conditions and Opportunities Report 90 Percent Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 1 PLAN OVERVIEW . 7 PLAN PURPOSE 8 PLAN VALUES 10 PLANNING PROCESS 11 PLAN VISION 20 INTRODUCTION TO ADAMS COUNTY 24 TAKING A LOOK AT ADAMS COUNTY . 47 COMMUNITY AND HOUSING 48 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 60 BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND CONNECTIONS 78 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 104 CULTURAL HERITAGE 114 FIVE STRATEGIC CORRIDORS . 127 CORRIDOR SELECTION OVERVIEW 128 CORRIDOR CONTEXT 128 FEDERAL BOULEVARD 135 PECOS STREET 141 WASHINGTON STREET 147 EAST 104TH AVENUE 151 EAST 120TH AVENUE 155 LOOKING FORWARD . 159 LAND USE ANALYSIS DRAFT FRAMEWORK 160 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following section serves as a brief introduction to this report. The executive summary covers highlights from different sections within the document. Washington Street South of 70th Ave 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY for the future of a community in the planning process as it provides WHAT ARE THE KEY terms of population growth, land a foundational understanding TAKEAWAYS? After nearly ten years, Adams County use patterns, conservation and of the County and serves as an is embarking on an ambitious Adams County has a rich history and economic considerations. Developed effective launch point into Phase plan to update three pivotal long- is embarking on a Comprehensive in partnership with the community Two, when the Comprehensive range documents through the Planning effort at a critical time. at-large, the Comprehensive Plan Plan is formally crafted in terms Advancing Adams effort including the Demographics are changing, housing captures the vision of the people and of a visionary and operational Comprehensive Plan, Transportation opportunities are continuing to tighten, outlines policies, programs, projects document. The Comprehensive Plan Master Plan (TMP) and the Parks, and climate change is impacting the that will move the County toward their will guide growth and the future Open Space and Trails Master Plan community. There are also significant shared goals. of the County in terms of policies, (POST). In coordinated effort with opportunities to move forward toward recommendations, programs, projects the Advancing Adams planning the County’s vision to be the “most WHY AN EXISTING and implementation information. teams, County staff, community and CONDITIONS REPORT? inclusive county in the Country.” Some stakeholders, previous planning The Comprehensive Plan Existing of the key existing conditions that are The Existing Conditions Report efforts, this Existing Conditions Report Conditions Report captures outlined in this Report and will provide provides information that reflects a represents the first step in laying the information and preliminary analysis the basis for the next steps in the snapshot in time in Adams County. groundwork for the Adams County in four main areas including: Comprehensive Plan include: The report reviews key demographics, Comprehensive Plan update. employment and job information, • Plan Overview – an introductory section that describes the plan COMMUNITY AND HOUSING environmental and sustainability WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE purpose, plan values, planning • The Adams County population is PLAN? considerations, and information process and a foundational expected to increase by 220,000 about the current land use and built understanding of the County’s people by 2040, maintaining an A Comprehensive Plan is a long- demographics and growth environment. average growth rate of 1.6 percent. range plan often considering the projections; The average household size is three people, which is slightly next 20 years. The Plan provides The Existing Conditions Report • Taking a Look at Adams County – a topical investigation of Adams higher than the state average of the most overarching guidance effectively concludes Phase One of County considering five main 2.52. themes including Community and • Based on the most recent Housing, Natural Environment, Built population projections from the Environment and Connections, State Demographer’s office, the Economic Development and County will need, on average, an Cultural Heritage; additional 3,371 units annually • Five Strategic Corridors – a through 2040 in order to maintain section devoted to an existing the current average household conditions assessment of five size. corridors, including Federal • The current housing stock consists Boulevard, Pecos Street, primarily of single-family detached Washington Street, East 104th homes, which accounts for 62.4 Avenue and East 120th Avenue percent of housing units; this from a land use perspective; from housing type is what is typically a land use perspective; being developed today. There • Looking Forward – this final are additional opportunities for section provides an overview housing type diversity to be added of work that will be completed to the stock to support the growing in Phase Two of the planning population. process and introduces land use • Adams County has the highest frameworks such as the 20-Minute percentage of population that Community and the Adams County speak a language other than Figure 1: Advancing Adams Planning for a Shared Future Transect. 2 | Executive Summary Executive Summary | 3 English in the region, at nearly 2 access to employment centers, CORRIDORS percent. essential services and amenities. • The five strategic corridor areas • Industrial land uses are essential to are Federal Boulevard, Pecos NATURAL ENVIRONMENT the economic vibrancy of Adams Street, Washington Street, East County, however, compatible 104th Avenue and East 120th • The County lies in the South Platte land use adjacencies must be Avenue. The corridors were River basin, and while some water considered. selected according to the following is stored in local reservoirs, much criteria: be a principal or arterial of the County’s water comes from roadway, have unincorporated reservoirs in other river basins ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT lands, be subject to a study or including the Colorado River Basin • The unemployment rate in Adams upcoming improvements, fall on the Western Slope. County, without accounting for within an Opportunity Zone, be • While there has been increased COVID-19 impacts, is relatively low identified for capital improvements, fragmentation of natural habitat at 7.3 percent. have redevelopment potential and due to development, there is a • The distribution of employment proximity to multi-modal transit strong potential to link habitat into in Adams County is mostly white opportunities. defined corridors that would allow collar, which accounts for 54.4 freedom of migration and support percent of total employment, native populations of flora and followed by blue collar and fauna. services, which make up 27.4 and NEXT STEPS • By 2050, it is projected that Adams 18.2 percent respectively. Phase Two of the Comprehensive Plan County will see an increase in • Adams County’s key and emerging process consists of three main steps average temperatures by 2.5 to industries are aerospace, five degrees Fahrenheit, have aviation, bio/life sciences, food/ which includes: more consecutive days over 95 agribusiness/ beverage, and degrees Fahrenheit in the summer manufacturing. months, and experience longer • Confirming land use frameworks and more severe droughts. • While 84 percent of Adams that align with the values of the County residents have a high- • The power supplied to Adams community and evaluating growth school degree or higher, only 25 scenarios; County is becoming less carbon- percent have a bachelor’s degree intensive at a relatively rapid or higher. This represents a less • Determining policies, pace. Xcel Energy, which served educated population compared recommendations, programs and approximately 160,000 premises to the State, where 40 percent of projects; in 2019 for both electric and gas, the population has a bachelor’s • Developing an action plan with has committed to reaching 80 degree or higher. implementation and ongoing percent carbon-free electricity by reporting guidance. 2030, and 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050. CULTURAL HERITAGE • Riverdale Regional Park and The Comprehensive Plan process is Fairgrounds plays a pivotal role as BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND expected to conclude with a formally a destination that hosts events and CONNECTIONS supports culture and heritage in adopted plan in December 2021. • The western and most populous Adams County. portion of the County primarily • A framework like Transfer of features a suburban-style Development Rights could play development pattern with limited a role in supporting the existing walkable and mixed-use type agriculture and farming heritage. destinations. • Placemaking and public art can be • Equity, sustainability and leveraged as a tool to celebrate livability can all be addressed culture and heritage in Adams by strategically identifying County, especially in the western geographic areas of increased and most populous portions of the density that also provide quality County. 4 | Executive Summary Executive Summary | 5 PLAN OVERVIEW This section includes: • Plan Purpose • Plan Values • Planning Process • Plan Vision • Introduction to Adams County Pecos Street Between US-36 and 70th Ave 7 PLAN PURPOSE groundwork for the Comprehensive be drafted in Phase 1 and refined with the planning work will largely be Plan. client and community collaboration in completed during Phase 2 of this The Adams County Comprehensive Phase 2. planning process, after many of the Plan defines a bold