Red Feather Lakes plan taking shape

By Linda Bell
Correspondent

A recent community open house and an opinion survey in Red Feather Lakes has provided more concrete direction for those drafting a land-use plan for the area.

"Don't turn Red Feather Lakes into an Estes Park" and "Leave Red Feather Lakes as it is" were the two most echoed comments at both the open house and on the write-in section of the survey.

Jill Bennett, Larimer County planner facilitating the Planning Advisory Committee meetings, said the survey response was 26 percent, while 20 percent is usually considered a good return. "Plus," she said, "half of those responding wrote comments, which is very high."

The survey went to all land and business owners in the plan area. Residents who didn't own land could also fill out a survey.

On a list of 11 proposed community improvements, which respondents were asked to rank, citizens overwhelmingly chose the protection of private recreational water rights for the community lakes as their highest priority, a result neither the county nor the PAC had anticipated. This choice ranked twice as important as a preference to provide uniform community maintenance for "main" and "through" roads and more than twice as important as providing public water to existing developed areas. A park with restrooms ranked last.

With the momentum from the survey, heightened awareness from the forums conducted during the open house, and citizen input, and the advisory committee is now working with the county to write a draft plan in preparation for the next community open house in Red Feather Lakes on Aug. 27 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Property Owners' Association building.

Bennett agreed with community representatives on the PAC that the survey is just one piece of a larger puzzle and not really a template for what the community thinks. Many community landowners and residents remain apathetic to the process or don't know this is happening, she said.

PAC member Lucille Schmitt pointed out that many people fear the cost of change.

"A plan doesn't do anything," Bennett said. "A plan doesn't protect the environment or get a water system or better roads. Specific goals in the plan must ultimately be agreed upon by the community through a vote. A plan only sets out the why, the what and the how."

County Commissioner Kathay Rennels said the goal of the plan should be to protect the integrity of the area for the people here, people visiting and for people in future generations to come.