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Planning commission recommends county comprehensive plan and Greenway Trails Open Space Plan for commissioners’ consideration
Summary
Consultant Tim Stopp presented draft comprehensive and Greenway Trails Open Space plans and the planning commission voted to recommend that the board of county commissioners consider adoption; both plans are in a public‑review period and rely on DCED and DCNR grants.
Tim Stopp, project manager for the county’s comprehensive plan and Greenway Trails Open Space Plan, told the Carbon County Planning Commission the drafts are posted for a 45‑day public review and that representatives from DCED and DCNR provided grant support for both efforts.
Stopp said both documents were developed with a steering committee and public outreach events, and that the proposals focus implementation on a smaller set of priorities rather than an extensive laundry list. “This is truly your document. We were just the facilitator of the process,” Stopp said, describing the role of the consultant and steering committee in shaping goals and implementation steps.
Why it matters: The drafts identify four primary themes for the comprehensive plan — housing, outdoor economy, infrastructure and creating places — and outline implementation tables, pilot projects and potential funding sources. The Greenway Trails Open Space Plan recommends trail connections, conservation of greenways and farmland preservation, cultural site recognition and recreation‑driven economic development. Both plans include short‑term actions such as model short‑term‑rental ordinance language for municipalities and grant/loan opportunity indexes to help with implementation.
Stopp walked commissioners through key findings from public engagement: demographic and housing pressures from regional commuting and second‑home ownership; limited and aging infrastructure in some areas; childcare costs that can consume a substantial share of household income; and an observed pattern where many park and trail users are county residents rather than out‑of‑county tourists.
Stopp said both grants supporting the work sunset in June and that commissioners will need to notify DCED and DCNR if the county requires an extension. He also recommended regional collaboration among neighboring municipalities to better align land‑use capacity with infrastructure availability.
After questions from the commission about small closures in the plan’s appendices (for example, listings of annual fairs and stations that are no longer active), the Planning Commission voted to recommend that the county commissioners consider adoption of the two draft plans at their June meeting.
Provenance: consultant presentation starting at the meeting and the commission’s recommendation vote.
