The following was provided on 11/22 by Colorado Water Conservation Board.

At their September 13 work session, the Board of Trustees heard a presentation of this final code audit report and considered how to move forward with implementation of its recommendations. No firm commitments from the Board were made on how recommendations would be implemented, but there was overall support for the report's contents and the Affordable Housing Zoning Incentive it proposed.

• Read the full report here
• Read the referenced 2022 Housing Needs Assessment update here

UPDATE - please see the Videos section at the right to find a recording of the below meeting!

We are pleased to announce that the code audit we've been conducting with the expert help of Cappelli Consulting is wrapping up. With the brand new Housing Needs Assessment update just released by the Chaffee Housing Authority, the code audit draft report will be published in the next couple of weeks!

In order to share the report recommendations and garner feedback Town staff and the consulting team will be hosting a virtual public meeting on Thursday, August 11th at 3pm (Zoom info below). We invite you to join us! This meeting will be virtual only, but will be recorded and posted on this my-BV page for those who cannot attend.

Thursday, August 11th at 3pm Zoom details:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82886219423?pwd=c2h5YUhqMnh0VGJVZS9iaEZ6ejlaZz09

Meeting ID: 828 8621 9423

Passcode: 933017

One tap mobile +13462487799,,82886219423#,,,,*933017#

Town staff together with developer Fading West is hosting a second public input design meeting on Tuesday, May 31st at the community center (715 E. Main St) at 5:30pm.

The 2nd iteration of the site concept plan will be presented and attendees will have the chance to provide input and feedback on likes, dislikes, suggestions and ideas!

Please come and make your voice heard. Food will be provided.

The Town's Planning Department is looking for a full-time Planner II position. First review of applications will be on May 31st.

Please find more information including a full job description on the Town website here.

The Town of Buena Vista is listing two vacant lots for sale - 403 and 393 N. Beldan Street adjacent to the 70+ acre River Park. These lots are 3,755 square feet each, lay within the R2-OT zone district, and, with some public improvements including a short sewer main extension in Beldan Street, are ready to build on!

• 393 N. Beldan Street Listing
• 403 N. Beldan Street Listing

The Town is not engaging a sellers agent, and will pay up to 2.5% buyers agent commission. Interested buyers must submit their highest and best offers using the provided offer form by 10am on Monday, April 25th to Joseph Teipel at jteipel@buenavistaco.gov.

Mark your calendars

Town staff and Fading West are excited to announce a great in-person opportunity to learn more about the Carbonate Street development and provide feedback into the project's priorities and design.

This evening will be one of two chances you'll have to provide in-person feedback and ideas into this development.

We'll start at 5pm with an hour-long drop-in open house of a locally factory-built house at The Farm - 352 Barnwood Dr. Come on by and get a feel for the product the developer (Fading West) is producing from its modular home factory right here in BV!

Then, we'll move to the Community Center (715 E. Main St) at 6:30pm for a brief presentation followed by what is called a design charrette - interactive activities meant to elicit your feedback and ideas on the design and site layout of the development!

Food will be provided at the community center!

In a work session held on March 8th, the Board of Trustees heard a presentation from the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) updating the Board on the past year since the Architectural Design Guidelines (ADGs) were adopted in January of 2021. The full presentation is available here.

Board discussion was focused on the three recommendations from the HPC:

1. To make HPC review of proposed projects along Main Street mandatory. While the ADGs would remain as guidelines and not requirements, HPC would like the make it a requirement (versus the current setup in which an HPC review is optional). This desire stems from HPC's intent to take a collaborative approach to working with applicants to attain their goals while staying as consistent as possible with the historic character of Main Street.
2. To tweak the ADG document to recognize that a conversation (review) with the HPC is mandatory, not optional.
3. To work together with Town staff to develop a framework for regulation on East Main Street. This topic is the largest one - how do we appropriately regulate development and changes on historic East Main Street without stifling growth? The goal here is to ensure changes and new development continue to honor the historic character that makes East Main Street so special.

The work session ended with clear direction from the Board that they agree with all these recommendations. The first two will be the priority and will be brought back before the board in a public meeting as soon as they are ready. The larger discussion on a framework for regulation on East Main Street was given the head nod, but it was also recognized that this endeavor would take several months and require additional touch points of discussion with the Board.

The Town of Buena Vista was awarded a planning grant from the Department of Local Affairs' (DOLA) Innovative Affordable Housing Strategies (IHOP) grant program. After a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the Town engaged Cappelli Consulting as the lead consultant to take a deep dive into our Unified Development Code, as well as our development review processes and procedures. The goal is to identify and put forward recommendations for changes which could incentivize or remove barriers to the creation of affordable and workforce housing.

A kick off meeting will be held on Thursday, March 31st at 5:30 in the Aspen room (West side) of the community center - join us!

The scope of work for Cappelli as well as their sub-consultants Willaford Consulting and Clarion Associates is as follows:

1. Research and review - read and understand current code language as well as relevant processes and procedures.
2. Interview stakeholders - consultants will interview Town staff, local and regional developers and builders, real estate agents, and others who have, or may, interact with the development process.
3. Coordinate with the updating of the Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) - consultants will take new data from the forthcoming HNA to help shape their recommendations.
4. Draft recommendations - consultants and staff will work to present draft recommendations to the Planning & Zoning Commission for feedback, as well as the Board of Trustees
5. Finalize recommendations - taking all data gathered as well as P&Z and Board feedback, the consultants will finalize a report of recommendations for staff and Board consideration.

We have been notified by Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) officials that survey activities are underway for the Chaffee County Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP) Study. The Risk MAP study was initiated to update flood risk information and floodplain mapping in certain watersheds of Chaffee County based on new information available. The study will help develop data that reflects actual, updated conditions and provide a framework for land use and other decision-making in areas likely to be affected by future flooding, erosion, debris flow, or related hazard events.

Read the full CWCB letter here.

See the accompanying map here.