Consultants present Gunnison Valley Vision plan; commission discusses future‑land-use, trails and downtown improvements

Consultants delivered a detailed Valley Vision plan to the Gunnison City Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 29, presenting six chapters that include a vision statement, a future‑land‑use map, an area‑wide recreation plan, and an area‑wide transportation plan.

Consultant speakers told commissioners the public process attracted more than 400 survey responses and multiple workshops. The consultants said the process produced three growth scenarios and that residents favored more compact growth focused on infill and downtown concentration rather than dispersed development. The scenarios modeled roughly 3,300 new households and 3,300 new jobs over the plan horizon.

The future‑land‑use recommendations include a focused downtown housing‑infill area of roughly six to 10 blocks, attached and “missing‑middle” housing near the core, a regional commercial center near the high school with potential mid‑box retail and attached housing, and preservation or clustering strategies for agricultural and open‑space areas. Consultants described an “emerald‑necklace” park concept tying riverfront parks and trails into a connected system, plus a regional park concept with multiuse fields, courts, playgrounds and an indoor recreation building near the high school.

On transportation, the consultants recommended redesigned sections of Main Street downtown that transition from four travel lanes to three and then to two lanes in the core, with a center turn lane and parallel parking to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety. Proposed elements include one pedestrian-activated crosswalk signal, a roundabout at the north end, new collector streets to reduce reliance on Main Street, and paved trails forming loops west and east of town. Consultants said the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) planners indicated the proposed lane transitions could operate with the current traffic volumes.

Commissioners and staff discussed priorities and next steps. Commissioners identified three near-term priorities: acquire parkland where possible, update the city’s zoning code to implement vision goals (cited as the “DNA” of the city), and pursue trail and grant funding opportunities. Several commissioners supported short-term, low‑cost downtown actions — temporary events, improved signage, and small streetscape changes — while also urging caution to preserve “room to breathe” as denser housing is introduced.

Consultants said final GIS files and minor deliverables remain; staff said once final files are received the cities can initiate the state‑required public hearings to adopt the plan or incorporate it into the general plan as an exhibit. Staff also recommended coordination with Centerfield officials (the plan covers both cities) and said adopting the vision would give the cities leverage to require infrastructure and street alignments as development occurs.

No formal commission vote to adopt the vision occurred at the Jan. 29 meeting; commissioners requested additional edits and acknowledged the plan would return to both councils and the commission for formal adoption and subsequent code updates.