[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6562004,"mediaKeyId","3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e","parentId",3282801,"title","City and county planners begin joint comprehensive-plan process; consultants outline values-driven approach","audioSeconds",6585,"startMs",3574000,"endMs",10159000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e&start=3574&end=10159","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e/thumbnail_3574000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6562004/Lake-County/Colorado/City-and-county-planners-begin-joint-comprehensive-plan-process-consultants-outline-values-driven-approach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562004-1d3786d60c612cd0446c5815cff49ba7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771120515&Signature=hY-4bhmprcLz-dDJbfSVgPMJ5pDW2O~kJ3mJlakMLMJuEV-0RdMQ-SBP7U-P2BVfbMu6fn3NuOAaVWnzfm-jqo4lZJb3kSI8L2N--GgnSfra7gqtVM3-BerjVV9p8PVDXIuvNWXSBSNmb8Hsv9JdvxznNzltW65OJbRuCmj8tRgMDoGuJRopMuKHRmolTkTAbB1KAgYIJ6XVADG4PwmfPuIRbP74W2ODlfGf23XeUuR4E0D4L0TsRTHynXVDeXCvkG6bb-OJmpKbFUh3J0~vTpyAqOrWTxZU~FdhrSfEsdF~w11bbBnhlon8tR5pX6LQczKduPPwLv0cLokTTvLHdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake County","date","2025-05-13T14:57:48Z","article","City and county planning officials met with consultants from Community Builders to begin an integrated comprehensive-plan process intended to align policies across Leadville and Lake County.

Consultant Clark Anderson and project lead Brooke (Community Builders) described a values-first approach: the project team compiled public engagement data into community values, will translate values into a shared vision and then develop goals, strategies and an implementation plan. The consultants emphasized that the work should produce a digestible, graphics-forward plan that is usable by staff and understandable by residents. They proposed a hybrid structure: shared foundational chapters (vision, land-use framework and coordination mechanisms) paired with modular chapters where city- and county-specific policies differ.

Commissioners and staff identified near-term priorities for the plan: intergovernmental coordination, infrastructure and service-area clarity (sanitation, water, grid/Excel), housing and affordability trade-offs, gateways and three-mile/annexation areas, and targeted sub-area planning for places such as Twin Lakes and the west side of the city. Several participants stressed that the plan should translate to measurable annual priorities so staff can track implementation and so elected bodies have a clear basis for budgeting and capital-improvement planning.

Consultants recommended building stewardship tools into the process — for example, an implementation dashboard, annual goal-setting, a public-state-of-the-community check-in and a clear assignment of leads and partners for each action. Staff and commissioners discussed practicalities such as web versus PDF presentation, executive summaries for broader public accessibility, graphic-heavy design, and the need to include utility providers (Leadville Sanitation, Parkville Water, Excel) and other stakeholders early in the process rather than solely after adoption.

Consultants noted an upcoming engagement meeting to present the draft values and seek refinement; staff said commissioners and members of the public are invited to attend. No formal decisions were taken; the presentation functioned as a joint briefing and an opportunity to identify immediate priorities for the engagement and drafting phases.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lake County CO 5/12/2025 Planning Commission Public Hearing & Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Community Builders and the Lake County and Leadville planning teams presented an integrated comprehensive-plan framework that emphasizes shared vision, intergovernmental coordination, measurable actions and ongoing stewardship; staff and commissioners discussed priorities including infrastructure, housing, gateways and collaboration mechanisms.","taxTitle","Lake County, Colorado","taxId",27576,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562008,"County staff review backcountry-structure standards; focus on removing permanent fuel sources and clarifying appliance rules",1976,903000,2879000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e&start=903&end=2879","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e/thumbnail_903000.jpg","/articles/6562008/Lake-County/Colorado/County-staff-review-backcountry-structure-standards-focus-on-removing-permanent-fuel-sources-and-clarifying-appliance-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562008-ea5c826b54f948a6e6942bb46d5cdff5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771120515&Signature=l-h50qF97QbiL3wublyb9HId8oJvsxAfJxJ95xf-6ZLZZDS6CBiMqWqnPTigCcBdQtzJscdbfRbf4wvzrRUkIdush2liqYM9Qlvf-ohvL3yv0gZng4lhNDOZidX2yIRw-2lfXwt~~ip~MSlDmPTgHr6WAmqEQ-zqx~-Bwmd1eTO9wXaSmSiNSaJeSPcCkCRJaiVjer39cPNYQg2qVPnPsg8WpdmNNSd6Z0lBelrBocIAq9cUCX6pXkT8EmzX688tLVbE~fzeZ9HeFXoJMrx57Tpu-t1VHW0QRreY9g9dKZDVrGUaYQj1wUrn-cdl1BKVIjnVEIt5h4N0gOlSsPHfeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lake County planning staff used a work session to walk the planning commission and county commissioners through the history, purpose and technical standards for backcountry zoning and the newly defined \"backcountry structure\" use.

Staff recounted that the backcountry zoning district, adopted in 2022 after an extensive public process, was intended to create a low-density, low-impact conservation zoning overlay for private parcels adjacent to public lands. The district requires site-plan review for any development, additional setbacks from wetlands and trails, a tree-removal plan, a fire-mitigation plan approved by Lake County Fire Rescue, referral to public-land partners and limits on built footprints.

Under current code, a single-family dwelling in backcountry is capped at 1,100 square feet; backcountry structures are a separate, temporary use limited to 600 square feet and 20 feet in height that may not function as primary residences. Backcountry structures have occupancy limits in the septic regulations and development code: no more than 90 consecutive days and no more than 180 days per year. The county requires an alternative sanitary method and records approvals on title to preserve those limitations at resale.

Staff raised two standards for clarification. The first concerns fuel-fired equipment and portable tanks: the code language previously stated broadly \"no fuel-fired equipment except removable cooking appliances having portable tanks,\" which staff and commissioners flagged as ambiguous. Commissioners and staff discussed risks from permanent propane or fuel storage (leak, fire, difficulty of delivery to remote sites) and the enforcement challenge of multiple small tanks. Participants coalesced around the principle that no permanent onsite fuel storage or permanent gas piping should be allowed for backcountry structures and that portable fuel containers (propane, gasoline, diesel) should be removed from the property when the structure is not occupied. The planning team said it would reword the standard to prohibit gas-fired equipment that is permanently plumbed while allowing removable, portable tanks and appliances that are taken off-site when not in use. Tank size thresholds (for example, 20‑pound propane bottles versus larger fixed tanks) were discussed as an enforcement indicator; staff noted 20‑pound tanks are readily movable while 50‑pound or 100‑gallon tanks are effectively permanent.

The second clarification focused on heating and ventilation: staff recommended retaining approval of heating stoves when installed to manufacturer specifications but clarifying that \"no gas-fired equipment\" language apply to permanent gas systems while permitting approved, removable appliances. Staff also discussed battery-operated smoke alarms and covering interior foam/plastics to reduce toxic smoke risk.

Other items covered included review by a third-party inspector (the county requires applicants to provide an inspector’s resume for remote sites), enforcement of county trash/ordinance requirements, discouraging ground-mounted solar unless low-voltage and portable, and a suggestion to change accessory dwelling unit (ADU) review from conditional use to administrative review to support housing goals while retaining parking, ownership and primary-license restrictions for short-term rentals.

Staff said it will prepare code amendments that tighten wording on gas-fired equipment and fuel storage and bring draft language back to the commission; no formal code amendments were adopted at the work session.","Planning staff reviewed Lake County's backcountry zoning and structure standards in a work session, emphasizing conservation goals, occupancy limits and proposed code edits to prohibit permanent on-site fuel storage and to require portable tanks be removed when structures are not occupied.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6562013,"Planning commission approves roof-mounted solar on Crystal Lakes-area home",587,314000,901000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e&start=314&end=901","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3282801-ad575e96c3dd2276a26885811c4b233e/thumbnail_314000.jpg","/articles/6562013/Lake-County/Colorado/Planning-commission-approves-roof-mounted-solar-on-Crystal-Lakes-area-home","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562013-be2dc034e2c04926b6815d200478b1c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771120515&Signature=WHWcMV5rqecwaY4VsVmAnt0mo3WThCuBcVGfu3Dp3kJ757r9LFO0ztTl4Y6f6DY8qztT4rOW-gUZ~obvXLuVCiYiwMIS7csICAvh6X3DZZ2aPaGgx7fJZzTau86kiV7ycbVR04yPrK0I112vy6aMyBkn5ubD3UWaDIBGQ0B2PxdjWPzzMr05i2-GBvSBCy3mE6pDOKnvSs2tDcjt3KsdScC7RM5TMlpu1MHEwPdiduU1zbgcPlyQQCoKh7kW-ZF-g4OitlF1Dsj4HxY10BZejVd6TlCfHMidNDQnQFajK7zfwTEgANPkGP6LNNemJvEcDDiHyBiuO6hjGiOPGYn2ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake County Planning Commission on a unanimous vote approved file 25-09, a site-plan-review application to install a roof-mounted solar energy system at 10011 South Highway 24 in Leadville.

Staff told the commission the 29-acre parcel, which sits just south of the Crystal Lakes Recreation Area and is surrounded by U.S. Forest Service and state trust lands, received an earlier site-plan approval in 2020 and a single-family home was constructed in 2021. The new application would place 25 Q Cells panels on south-facing sections of the lower roof. Staff estimated the panels would cover roughly 528 square feet (about 75% of the identified roof area), remain below the roofline, have non-reflective/anti-glare coatings and produce about 50% of the household’s annual electricity demand.

County staff reviewed the application against the Lake County Land Development Code’s site-plan criteria, the scenic conservation overlay (SEO) district standards and the county’s solar-energy design standards and recommended approval without conditions. Staff said the panels would be difficult to see from southbound Highway 24 except at a distance of roughly one mile in places where the road approaches a low viewpoint and that the panels’ dark color would blend with the existing gray roof.

Planning commissioners asked clarifying questions about visibility and mounting and then closed the public hearing before moving to approve the application. In the motion approving file 25-09, the commission found the proposal in substantial conformance with the Lake County comprehensive plan and applicable code provisions, and consistent with neighboring land uses. The commission recorded the approval and completed related site-plan findings.

Votes at the hearing were recorded by roll call and were all recorded in the affirmative. The approval authorizes the installation of the roof-mounted accessory solar energy system as described in file 25-09; no additional ground-mounted equipment or new structures were approved.","Lake County Planning Commission approved site plan review file 25-09 to allow a 25-panel, roof-mounted solar energy system on a 29-acre parcel at 10011 South Highway 24 in Leadville, finding the installation consistent with the scenic conservation overlay and county standards.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City and county planners begin joint comprehensive-plan process; consultants outline values-driven approach

County staff review backcountry-structure standards; focus on removing permanent fuel sources and clarifying appliance rules

Planning commission approves roof-mounted solar on Crystal Lakes-area home