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At least a quarter of a million people are predicted to move to Southwest Weld County over the next 20 years. This anticipated growth and the disputes between Weld County and surrounding municipalities are making the news. Disputes recently center on quality of life issues for residents of unincorporated Weld County and the impact these residents will have on nearby towns and cities.
Should the concerns of these town officials trump the rights of property owners and developers who want to capitalize on this growth? What about environmental impacts such as water availability, air quality, wildlife habitat and open space? Some people are concerned about the loss of agricultural land to development. Who will pay for infrastructure development? What about the impact on transportation that all of these people will have?
This is a resource for growth issues in Southwest Weld County, Colorado. This includes the areas around Carbon Valley / Tri-Town (Dacono, Frederick, and Firestone), Mead, Erie, Del Camino and Longmont. This include news about disputes with surrounding communities; sprawl issues such as water availability, environmental impacts, and loss of agricultural production; transportation impacts; quality of life; and private property rights.
Gigablast:
Weld passes on development halt
Longmont Times-Call, April 26, 2005.
Longmont Community Development Director Phil DelVecchio visited Weld County Commissioners to ask for a development "timeout" in southwest Weld County. Weld County Commissioners declined to even address the request.
"Weld growth still strong, according to U.S. Census"
Greeley Tribune, April 15, 2005.
The United States Census Bureau reports continued high population growth in Weld County, describing Evans, Tri-Town, and
Longmont as hot spots in the county. In spite of a huge inventory of thousands of unsold lots,
builders are reported to be optimistic because of population growth. According to Greeley Senior Planner Greg Flebbe, the problem with a rapid growth rate is the smaller cities are pressured to provide parks, water and sewer and new schools, and the money to pay for that doesn't come solely from the new rooftops. "So that's when you see all those bond issues, and the second or third time those come down the pike," Flebbe said, "that's when you see taxpayers get apprehensive or even just say no."
Boulder/Weld officials talk growth
Longmont Times-Call, April 13, 2005
Boulder County Commissioners met with Weld County Commissioners in Platteville to present their concerns about sprawl and attempt to find some common ground.
It just keeps growing and growing: More houses on horizon in southwest Weld
Boulder Daily Camera, April 10, 2005.
There are fundamental differences in philosophy between Weld County and everybody else. Boulder County and other leaders within DRCOG would like southwest Weld County to join the Denver Regional Council of Governments. Weld leaders instead think about forming their own regional planning area. Even towns within Weld County are concerned about the impact on city services, transportation, and quality of life that growth in unincorporated Weld County will have.
Despite efforts, Greeley still struggles to attract higher-paying employers
Greely Tribune, April 10, 2005.
Because of the agricultural roots of Greeley and other Weld County cities,
employers seem to be reluctant to locate within Weld County. While retail employment is growing, they do not provide a good base for revenue. The result is bedroom communities where thousands of Weld County residents commute west and south to decent paying jobs. See also the "Related Article" at the link.
Weld tries to stem MUD concerns
Longmont Times-Call, April 5, 2005.
Weld County commissioners say they're trying to be careful about development in the infamous Weld MUD (mixed used development) by seeking consultants to study future transportation and human services needs in a 75 square mile swath of unincorporated Weld County.
Powers that be
The Yellow Scene, March 2005.
The Town of Erie annexed a portion of land along I-25, igniting protests from the town of Frederick which coveted that strip of land for their own development.
Sprawl-Busters
Resource from Big Box retail foe Al Norman. According to Sprawl-Busters, Big Box development by retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Home Deport, and Kohl's results in losses to the environment and community.
Open space purchases push up housing costs
A student at the University of Colorado in Boulder expresses his opinion that open space purchases are a cause of sprawl. Because housing cannot be built on open space buffers, workers must live farther away.
Sierra Club: Stopping Sprawl
The Challenge to the Sprawl Campaign works to fight poorly planned runaway development and promotes smart growth communities that increase transportation choices, reduce air and water pollution, and protect our natural places.
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