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Lake County, Leadville partner with Community Builders on unified “One Community” plan
Summary
Lake County and the City of Leadville are working with Community Builders on a two-step process to build a shared community vision and then use that to guide an updated comprehensive plan. County staff said the work so far cost the county $40,000 and is designed to increase public engagement and implementation capacity.
Lake County and the City of Leadville are moving ahead with a joint planning effort called the One Community Project, partnering with the nonprofit Community Builders to create a shared community vision that will feed into an updated comprehensive plan.
Why it matters: For the first time the county and city are coordinating a unified master plan and community-vision process. County staff said the goal is to align existing work on climate action, transportation, historic preservation and housing into a single policy framework that can guide zoning, subdivision rules and capital-investment decisions.
Community Builders’ executive director Clark Anderson described the approach as a two-step process: assess current conditions and local values, then translate those values into goals, strategies and actionable implementation steps. “One of the most powerful things you can do… is get clear about where we’re trying to go and then think about how we’re gonna get there,” Anderson said.
The process emphasizes small-group, values-based engagement—three-to-six-person conversations that ask residents what they love about the place, what they fear and what they hope for. County staff and Community Builders said that approach is intended to reach people not ordinarily engaged in government meetings and to reduce polarization by focusing on shared values.
Project management and outreach: The county named its project management team, which includes Brooke Murphy and Rachel Woolworth from Community Builders, Chapin LaChance (planning director), county planning staff members Melissa Kendrick and CeCe Williams, planning commission chairs Heather Lynn and others, plus community connectors such as Gracia Castillo and Rebecca Thomas of the city council. Staff said they have held targeted meetings at the senior center, high school and with agricultural and conservation stakeholders, and they plan Spanish-language outreach and neighborhood sessions in Twin Lakes and Mountain View Village.
Costs and funding: County staff said Lake County has contributed $40,000 to the two-step process so far; the city has made a similar contribution. County staff estimated a stand‑alone comprehensive plan of the scale they expect could cost “a little over $200,000.” Community Builders and partners are also fundraising to add capacity.
Next steps: Community Builders and the county scheduled public kickoff meetings and smaller values conversations next week (including a Spanish-language session). Staff asked commissioners to attend and to help identify groups that may be underrepresented. County staff said the process will include routine check-ins with elected officials and a stewardship plan to keep the document active and actionable after adoption.
Ending: County leaders described the project as a rare opportunity to set shared priorities before contracting for a full comp-plan update. Community Builders offered ongoing technical support and invited elected officials to request briefings or coaching on engagement and leadership during the process.
