Staff previews Byers Sub‑Area Plan discussion draft; open house and hearings scheduled

A discussion draft of the Byers Sub‑Area Plan was presented to the Arapahoe County Planning Commission in a Sept. 16 study session, with staff outlining proposed updates to the future land-use map, goals and policies, and an implementation framework.

Long-range planning staffers Loretta Daniel and Gretchen Reishill (identified in the record as co-project managers) led the presentation. Daniel said the update responds to about two decades of slower-than-anticipated growth along the I‑70 corridor and to requests from property owners for a refreshed plan and a clearer implementation path. “Preserve the small, small town rural character of Byers,” Daniel said, summarizing a recurring theme from community outreach.

Staff described a multi-phase outreach program that produced a robust local response for a small community: 115 survey respondents in fall 2023 plus targeted surveys for high‑school students and Spanish‑speaking residents, stakeholder interviews (including Byers Water and Sanitation District and the local school district), and an advisory committee review. The draft plan carries a 20‑year horizon and includes a future land-use map with 11 categories, revised mixed‑use designations, and an expanded open‑space/golf‑course category.

Planners highlighted several locally significant issues the plan addresses: an aging population, a wide West Bijou Creek floodplain that constrains developable land, a cluster of obsolete zoning districts that cover some parcels in Byers, and a 1970 mobile-home subdivision (“Byers Own”) where most lots are now vacant and where flood‑related limitations currently carry an F (floodway) zoning designation.

Gretchen Reishill explained that much of the former mobile-home subdivision is largely vacant and that the plan team is coordinating with the county attorney and assessor on options for retiring obsolete zoning districts and clarifying redevelopment alternatives. Reishill noted nine individual property owners in the mobile‑home subdivision, with one principal entity holding the majority of lots.

Staff framed the plan around community-sourced goals and implementation steps, including transportation and mobility improvements, parks and recreation ideas requested by students, recommendations for heritage and tourism tied to Byers’ history, and an action matrix proposing review cycles and funding approaches. Daniel and Reishill said the plan includes an implementation chapter with a recommended 5‑ to 8‑year review cycle and an action matrix that lists responsible parties and possible funding sources.

Next steps announced at the study session: an open house on Oct. 2 to kick off a four‑week public review period that runs through Oct. 31; a Planning Commission public hearing scheduled for Nov. 18; and a Board of County Commissioners hearing on Dec. 9. Staff also noted that, under Senate Bill 24‑174, amendments to the comprehensive plan will require Board approval once the county submits the update for formal action.

Commissioners asked about the gap between earlier high growth projections and actual population change; staff pointed to statewide revisions by the state demographer and local constraints such as floodplain extent and limited infrastructure. Commissioners discussed how to prioritize investments that could enable the town center and attract small businesses without precipitating unwanted large-scale growth.

The study session was informational only; no formal action was taken at the Sept. 16 meeting.