|
BOULDER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
PUBLIC HEARING
AGENDA ITEM #6 December 16, 2009 – 6:45 PM (our meeting will be a little later than 6:45 because the session will start with the Transportation Department’s element proposed for addition to the Comprehensive Plan)
Hearing Room, Third Floor Boulder County Courthouse
PUBLIC HEARING
STAFF PLANNER: Garry Sanfaçon
BCCP-09-0001: Boulder County Comprehensive Plan (BCCP) Revision
Description: Proposed Townsite Plan for the community of Gold Hill, for inclusion into the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.
For entire document, visit http://www.bouldercounty.org/lu/bccp/mountain_subregion_element/pdf/BCCP090001PCStaffRec121609.pdf
SUMMARY
At the November 18, 2009 Planning Commission Study Session, staff provided an introduction to the Gold Hill Townsite Plan and background about the planning process. The November 18 staff report is attached (Exhibit A). In addition, members of the public were invited to provide input.
This docket contains the proposed community of Gold Hill Townsite Plan (Exhibit B) and map (Exhibit C). At this stage, Gold Hill has developed a vision statement that they are proposing to be included into the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.
Additional information about the project, including meeting notes, support documents, and maps may be accessed at the Land Use website: http://www.bouldercounty.org/lu/townsite_planning/GoldHill.htm.
BACKGROUND
In order to help preserve the unique character of each of Boulder County’s historic communities, the County Commissioners invited several townsites (Allenspark, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Gold Hill, Raymond, and Riverside) to participate in a community planning process where property owners and residents work together to develop a plan and proposed regulations for guiding future preservation and development in their respective communities.
In the fall of 2008, the Gold Hill community, through its Town Meeting organization, voted to participate in the Townsite Planning Initiative and appointed a chairperson to coordinate the process. The Committee soon thereafter named itself the Gold Hill Community Planning Initiative (CPI). As part of its initial work, the CPI developed a mission statement and project goals, defined the boundaries of the planning area, and convened two-full day education workshops.
After several months of work the CPI created a draft vision statement and survey, which they sent to 220 property owners and to their extensive email list. They received over 40 responses and used the input to craft the proposed Gold Hill Townsite Plan.
DISCUSSION
At the November 18, 2009 Planning Commission Study Session, there were several questions related to the purpose and structure of the Gold Hill Town Meeting. To address these questions the bylaws are included in Exhibit D. In addition, below is a description of the Gold Hill Town Meeting taken from the town website http://goldhilltown.com/.
The town of Gold Hill has had some form of local government since it’s founding as a mining camp in 1859. In the 1980s, the Gold Hill Town Meeting (GHTM) was incorporated as a 501c4, a tax-exempt organization under the IRS. Its primary purpose is to hold town meetings and provide a forum for community discussion and a basis for community action.
There were also questions about the physical boundaries of the Town Meeting as delineated on the map. The Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. bylaws defines its boundaries as the following:
This area to be described as the territory within these lines: On the north from the junction of Left Hand Creek and Lickskillet eastward to Snowbound, south to Bighorn Mountain, southwest to Monument Hill, west to Oxbow curve on the Mt. Alto Road, north to Left Hand Creek, and east to the starting point, this area to exclude Summerville.
Another concern was that the language did not sufficiently differentiate between the established historic townsite and properties not within the historic townsite. The CPI has proposed adding the following language to the fifth bullet point beginning with “Historic Zoning Committee (which applies to the historic zoning district only).” In addition, the map labels have been revised to Historic Zoning District and Town Meeting/Community Planning Initiative area.
Finally, staff was directed to provide the raw data from the vision statement survey, which can be reviewed in Exhibit E.
REFERRALS AND PUBLIC COMMENT
No additional referrals have been received since the November 18, 2009 Planning Commission Study Session. Newly submitted public comment is included in Exhibit F.
RECOMMENDATION
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPT THE GOLD HILL TOWNSITE PLAN INTO THE BOULDER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY APPROVING DOCKET BCCP-09-0001 AND RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVAL OF DOCKET BCCP-09-0001 FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE BOULDER COUNTY LAND USE CODE and certify the Docket for such action to the Board, which certification includes the approved text of the Docket, and the official record of the Docket before the Commission with its staff comments, public testimony, and Commission discussion/action.
ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit A BCCP-09-0001: Planning Commission Staff Report, November 18, 2009
Exhibit B Gold Hill Townsite Plan
Exhibit C Gold Hill Townsite Plan Map
Exhibit D Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. Bylaws
Exhibit E Gold Hill CPI Vision Statement Survey Data
Exhibit F Public Comment |