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Rico planning commission work session highlights water, housing and Main Street priorities
Summary
Planners and commissioners reviewed master-plan templates from other towns, discussed picking three-to-five starter goals for community engagement, and focused on priorities such as securing water rights, housing for essential workers, Main Street revitalization and modest winter events to support local businesses.
At a work session, the Rico Planning Commission reviewed example master-plan structures and discussed a short list of community values to guide a future master plan revision.
Planner Jen presented sample frameworks used by Silverton, Salida and Ridgeway and advised commissioners to identify three to five baseline goals from the town's existing master plan for contractors to use in public outreach. "If it was me, I would have the master plan up and I would look through the master plan at things that I know community, this community still values and put a little star by them," the planner said.
Commissioners emphasized several recurring priorities. Water and water-rights security were repeatedly called out as distinct goals: members said the town should pursue any attainable water rights and prioritize water infrastructure delivery. Commissioners also raised housing concerns for essential workers'10firefighters, road maintenance staff and other public-sector employees'10and discussed options including partnering with private entities or using available programs such as Proposition 123 to support small-scale housing.
Economic development and Main Street revitalization drew sustained discussion. Commissioners noted many vacant Main Street buildings and said high septic/OWTS costs and regulatory constraints make commercial redevelopment expensive. They proposed practical incentives, business incubators or reuse strategies and suggested targeting winter activities and small events to sustain businesses in low seasons.
The planner clarified funding and requirements for DOLA (the Department of Local Affairs): DOLA provides grant funding but does not supply contractors; applications should show community input and hazard mitigation in their framework. The planner offered to draft suggested goal statements and circulate them for commissioners to star and return with comments.
Commissioners agreed to take the examples away, identify priority goals and return suggested edits at the next meeting. The work session closed with the planner promising a cleaner packet and follow-up materials.
