Chaffee County is nearing the next major milestone in its County Land Use Code update project: The full draft of the proposed code updates will be available for public review by September 30th.
The County will share the draft document and zoning map at the project website, www.togetherchaffeecounty.org/input, or it can be viewed in-person at the County Planning Department at 104 Crestone, Salida once it is finalized. This County Land Use Code draft will be issued as a full document, rather than in modular sections.
To be notified via email when the full draft is available for review, sign up for the project mailing list at www.togetherchaffeecounty.org using the form at the bottom of the home page. Anyone who has registered previously does not need to sign-up again; they will also receive the update directly to their registered email once the draft is posted.
The County launched the Land Use Code Update project in 2022 to align County land use regulations with its comprehensive strategic and long-range planning initiatives, including the Chaffee County 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The County Land Use Code effectuates policies authorized by statute and the County’s responsibility to prescribe local land use planning matters to meet the community’s visions, goals, and objectives.
The consultant law firm Fairfield & Woods has been facilitating the development of updated code since November 2023 when the County brought them into the project. They have considered the input and feedback the County has received for the project to date, including information within the previous “modules” drafted by prior consultant Logan Simpson, has been carried forward into the proposed draft. This includes insights from interviews, stakeholder group recommendations, advisory committee guidance, prior public hearings and public comment, and staff and Commissioner direction, along with the County’s guiding comprehensive plans and other applicable regulations.
The scheduled work sessions and public hearings with the County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners for consideration of the Land Use Code have been set for the following dates:
Planning Commission – all meetings held at 104 Crestone, Salida and on-line at zoom.us/j/4328290633
- October 1st, 6:00 p.m. – Work Session
- October 3rd, 6:00 p.m. – Work Session
- October 21st, 6:00 p.m. – Public Hearing
- October 22nd, 6:00 p.m. – Public Hearing, continued
Board of County Commissioners – all meetings held at 104 Crestone, Salida and on-line at zoom.us/j/109079543, unless otherwise indicated
- October 21st, 9:00 a.m. – Work Session
- October 24th, 9:00 a.m. – Work Session
- November 4th, 10:00 a.m. – Public Hearing
- November 6th, 10:00 a.m. – Public Hearing
- November 7th, 9:00 a.m. – Public Hearing
- Meeting held at The Stardust Event Center, 16450 CR 306, Buena Vista
- November 12th, 10:00 a.m. – Public Hearing
Public comment and feedback can be submitted in advance of the meetings through email to chaffeeplanning@chaffeecounty.org, or via the form on the County Planning Department website at www.chaffeecounty.org/Planning-and-Zoning (direct link here), or by calling 719.530.5630. Public comment will also be accepted at the hearings, both in person or over Zoom.
Information about the Land Use Code Update project is shared at www.TogetherChaffeeCounty.org. Community members can sign up to receive updates directly through email at www.togetherchaffeecounty.org/get-involved, and also monitor the project’s progress on Facebook at @togetherchaffeecounty and Instagram at @togetherchaffee.
