Buena Vista staff introduce development infrastructure manual to clarify street, water and permitting standards

Town of Buena Vista staff on March 11 introduced a draft Development Infrastructure Manual intended to provide engineers, developers and residents a single reference for street cross sections, water and sewer standards, permitting checklists and construction testing requirements.

Town Administrator Brian and public works lead described the manual as a practical companion to the Unified Development Code: it lays out recommended right‑of‑way widths, local and collector cross sections, sidewalk and bike‑lane guidance, compaction and testing standards, water‑main and hydrant details, and pre‑application expectations for applicants.

Public works and planning staff said the manual aims to reduce one‑off design proposals and align expectations across projects. "If you have four engineers designing the same thing, you often get five different solutions," the town administrator said; the manual is intended to be a starting point that saves time and cost for applicants while maintaining town standards.

Highlights in the draft include typical local street cross sections (two 10‑foot travel lanes with 8‑foot parallel parking and detached sidewalks), collector streets with bike lanes, guidance on tree planting and parkway treatments that limit water‑intensive turf, and detailed notes on water‑system pipe types and meter set‑ups.

Staff emphasized the manual is a living document. It will be posted online for public review and proceed to Planning and Zoning and the Board of Trustees in upcoming public hearings. No formal adoption vote was taken at the March 11 meeting; staff requested feedback first to inform any final code amendments.