Introduction

“The trouble with the future is it usually arrives before we’re ready for it.” - Arnold H. Glasgow

Purpose & Scope

The Countywide Comprehensive Plan (hereafter referred to as “the Plan”) provides the public policy base from which good planning decisions can be made.  The Plan is intended to provide general policy guidance for decisions related to land use, growth, and a number of related issues in Summit County.  The Plan applies to all unincorporated lands in Summit County.  The Plan will be used by the Countywide Planning Commission, the four basin planning commissions, and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) as a guide for decisions that affect the physical development of Summit County.  Major development proposals, such as rezonings and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs), must be evaluated to ensure that the proposals are in general conformity with the Plan’s advisory provisions and to ensure consistency with the Plan’s mandatory provisions.  The Plan is also to be used as a guide for future work projects intended to enhance the County’s functionality and character.

The Plan articulates a common vision for the future and informs citizens, landowners, and developers of the desired goals, and policies/actions which will shape the future of Summit County.  The Plan also provides a means for the County to communicate planning issues with the towns and federal and state agencies.

The Countywide Planning Commission commenced meetings on an update to the Plan in May, 2002 and continued discussion on the Plan on a monthly or more frequent basis through August, 2003.  In developing the Plan, a major effort was undertaken by the Countywide Planning  Commission and staff to ensure that frequent and numerous opportunities were available for public input and comments.  Public outreach included a community open house held at the Summit County Community and Senior Center, Frisco on April 23, 2003, and numerous public meetings of the planning commission.  Public hearings to review and adopt the Plan were held by the Countywide Planning Commission in October and November, 2003.  The policy direction found in the Plan is a product of this community participation effort and public comments received. 

Throughout the development of the Plan, several key tenets have been used to focus Plan efforts.  These tenets are consolidation, sustainability, implementation, and measurability.  Consolidation refers to the process of combining existing policies from different basin master plans into one countywide policy.  Sustainability is one of the key themes of the plan: whether the topic is environment, land use, or economy, the theme is maintaining our resources within the carrying capacity of our mountain setting.  Implementation refers to the many future steps that will be needed to be taken to enact the policies of the Plan.  Measurability refers to the attempts in each Plan element to set some baseline measurements and then to monitor those over time to determine progress on a particular element.

Relationship to other Master Plan Documents

The Countywide Comprehensive Plan is the umbrella document under which other County master plans fall.  The Plan establishes the general policy foundation upon which other master plans elaborate on.  Summit County utilizes basin master plans for each of its four planning basins (e.g., the Lower Blue, Upper Blue, Ten Mile, and Snake River basins).  There are also subbasin or neighborhood master plans established for select areas within each of these basins.  The basin and subbasin plans typically provide more detailed policy guidance on issues unique to each basin.  For example, mapping of appropriate land uses occurs within the basin master plans whereas the Countywide Plan provides broader and more general overall guidance on land use issues.

The Plan was originally adopted in April 1994.  Since that time all four basin plans have been updated (or created for a first time).  One of the goals of the 2003 update of the Plan is to take some of the policy direction contained in the four basin plans and apply it on a countywide level.  Eventually, as basin plans are amended, similar policies found in basin plans will be deleted and the policy foundation in the Plan will be relied on.  The “Template for Future Master Plans” section of the Plan outlines the type of information and policies that will be included in future County master plans.

Summit County Master Plan Hierarchy

Amendments to the Plan

Conditions in a community change over time and the Plan needs to be a dynamic document that can be modified.  The Countywide Planning Commission intends to monitor the Plan in upcoming years and identify potential changes necessary to improve its effectiveness.  The planning commission will review the Plan on a regular basis as required by the Summit County Land Use And Development Code (at least once every five years).  The Plan will be amended as necessary to ensure that it continues to reflect the community’s desires and vision for future growth.

The Plan was developed with the input of community residents.  Extensive measures were taken to solicit public opinion on the key issues raised in the Plan.  It is the goal of the Plan that future master planning efforts in Summit County continue to be developed with an emphasis on extensive public participation.  The planning process should be structured so as to afford maximum opportunity for residents to effectively shape the future of their community.   These public participation goals are articulated in the “Template for Future Master Plans”.  

Colorado state law allows county government to adopt master plans to direct the physical development of unincorporated territory in the County (Colorado Revised Statutes 30-28-106).  The statutes delegate the duty of adopting master plans to the county’s planning commission.  Because this is the Countywide Comprehensive Plan, the Countywide Planning Commission is responsible for adoption of the Plan.  State laws give the County a fair amount of flexibility in the issues that can be addressed in the Countywide Plan.  Summit County has chosen to address issues in ten topic areas, corresponding to the Plan’s ten elements.

In October 2001 the BOCC adopted Resolution 01-127 which provides further clarification of the role that master plans make in future land use decisions.  The resolution authorizes the BOCC to determine which policies in a master plan are “mandatory” and “advisory” in nature.  Mandatory policies are required by County law to be complied with.  Advisory policies establish a community intent and provide guidance for land use decisions, but are not binding on the discretion of the decision makers.  All sections and policy statements in the Plan are considered to be “advisory” unless the wording “[Mandatory provision]” is found after a policy/action statement.

Organization of the plan

In addition to this Introduction section, a Countywide Vision Statement, Template for Future Master Plans, and Definitions sections are provided.  The heart of the Plan is the ten plan elements, addressing different subject areas that are key issues in Summit County.  These elements include:

·         Land Use

·         Environment

·         Transportation

·         Housing

·         Community and Public Facilities

·         Design and Visual Resources

·         Historic and Cultural Resources

·         Open Space

·         Recreation and Trails

·         Economic Sustainability

Each plan element includes the following sections:

1.       Introduction/Background section, which introduces the element, provides relevant data on issues related to the element, and discusses other pertinent issues.

2.       Goals and Policies/Actions section, which sets forth the policy base upon which future actions and planning decisions will be based.  This is the key section of each plan element, establishing the County’s policy direction.

3.       Sustainability Measures section, which outlines measurements to take in the future to gauge progress on a particular issue.

4.       Implementation Strategies, which identifies different action steps that should be taken to implement the element policies and the priorities for undertaking those action steps.  

Regional and Intergovernmental Coordination

Numerous municipalities, agencies, and other entities (e.g., utility districts) are responsible for the management of land use activities in Summit County.  It is recognized that Summit County government cannot bring the goals of this plan to fruition without the cooperation of these numerous other entities.  Thus, many of the policies/actions and implementation strategies of the Plan emphasize coordination with these entities.  For example, coordination with the towns is essential if land use is intended to be consistently planned near the County/Town borders.  Many environmental issues in the County are ultimately affected by policies of agencies such as the state Division of Wildlife and the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The White River National Forest occupies over 80 percent of the total land area in Summit County.  As such, the U.S. Forest Service, as the manager of these lands, plays a significant role in shaping the future of our County.  Collaborative planning efforts with the Forest Service are encouraged in the Plan as a means of providing consistency across the County landscape.  

The Geographic Setting

Summit County is located among the high peaks of the Colorado Rockies, just on the west side of the Continental Divide.  Elevations range from a high point of 14,270 feet at the summit of Grays Peak to just over 7,500 feet at the northern end of the County where the Blue River enters Grand County.  The County’s topography is made up of broad mountain valleys flanked by high peaks.  Several mountain ranges converge in Summit County, including portions of the Gore Range, the Tenmile Range, and the

Front Range.  Two large reservoirs (Dillon and Green Mountain) are located in the central and northern portions of the County, respectively.  These reservoirs impound the Blue River, the County’s primary river artery, which intersects with the Colorado River about 15 miles north of the County border.  Two large tributaries (the Snake River and Tenmile Creek) also enter Dillon Reservoir.

The County is relatively small in geographic terms, occupying a total land area of approximately 396,000 acres (about 619 square miles).  Vegetation found in the County is based primarily on elevation.  The lowest elevation areas in the Lower Blue Basin are composed primarily of sage meadows.  At around 9,000 feet and above coniferous forest predominates.  Timberline is located at approximately 11,500 feet, with areas above that elevation comprised of snow, rock, and alpine tundra.  

Summit County’s is centrally located in Colorado, being only an hour’s drive from the Front Range metropolitan area.  I-70, the state’s main east-west transportation corridor, bisects the County, and enhances the proximity of the County to Front Range communities.   This proximity to a large metropolitan area has contributed greatly to the County’s popularity as a mountain recreational area.

The County was not settled until 1859, when gold was discovered in the Breckenridge area.  For the next century development and growth ebbed and flowed with the bust and boom cycles of the mining industry.  By the 1960s, however, ski areas started to draw a new wealth to the County in tourism.  Tourism and the accompanying second home industry continue to be the main economic forces in the County today.  A more detailed description of the County’s history can be found in the Historic and Cultural Resources Element.

Demographics/Population

As of January 2003 Summit County’s year-round population was approximately 26,641 residents.  With the reputation as a national and international center for winter sports and outdoor recreation, peak seasonal population may swell to nearly 150,000 people.  Monthly average population fluctuation indexes indicate that March has the highest seasonal population, with 147.4 percent of average occupation; May has the lowest with 54.1 percent of average. 

¹Source:  US Census Bureau, Colorado Department of Local Affairs Demography Section, and Summit County Planning Department.

²Breakdown by County area not yet available.

From 1970 – 1980 Summit County was considered to be the fastest growing county in the country with a 232% increase in permanent population.  The following decade, from 1980 – 1990, the County experienced significantly slower growth as the increase was 45.6%.  Between 1990 and 2000 the population nearly doubled growing from 12,881 to 25,700 residents, an increase of 99.5%.  This ranked Summit County again as one of the fastest growing counties in the State of Colorado and country as it grew almost three times as fast as the state average and eight times faster than the national average. 

1970 – 1980 = 232%

1980 – 1990 = 45.6%

1990 – 2000 = 99.5%

2000 – 2002 = 3.7%

These growth trends are not expected to continue.  In looking at population projections through the year 2020 the County is anticipated to experience a more modest increase in growth rates ranging between 2.0% and 3.0% per year.  In comparison, annual average growth rates from 1990 through 2000 were 7.2% per year.  The County’s permanent population is expected to grow 26.3% (6,758 residents) between 2000 and 2010.  Within the same 2010 planning horizon the State is expected to grow at 12.4% and the nation at 8.6%.  The County’s permanent population is expected to grow by 77.6% (19,950 residents) between 2000 and 2025. 

Projected Permanent Population¹

2005 = 28,272

2010 = 32,458

2015 = 36,900   

2020 = 41,300

2025 = 45,650

¹Source:  US Census Bureau, Colorado Department of Local Affairs Demography Section, and Summit County Planning Department.

The County’s permanent population is young, with a 2000 Census median age of 30.8 years, compared to the State median age of 32.5 years.  About 45% of the permanent residents are between the ages of 25 to 44.  The median age is expected to increase to 37.08 in 2010 and 42.99 in 2020, indicative of an aging population. 

2002-2010 population:                           

5,817 new permanent residents                                                              

727 new permanent residents per year

61 new permanent residents per month

2 new residents per day

An increase in ethnic diversity in the entire region is evident in the 2000 Census data.  The change in total non-white population in the County (Hispanic or Latino) increased 9.8% during the last decade.   Between 1990 and 2000 Hispanics (any race) increased 613.9%, or 1,983 residents.  Nearly 50% of Hispanics ranged between the ages of 20 and 34.  Ethnic diversification of the permanent population is expected to continue and influence the demographic make-up of the County.

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