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Description:
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Introduction
Clear Creek County is seeking a qualified firm to lead a neighborhood planning effort to include longer term (5-20-year window) scenarios for development in the Dumont-Lawson-Downieville (D-L-D) area that will impact the next 50 years or more. The County seeks a plan that will engage neighborhood and other stakeholders in identifying a future vision for the area and then provide strategies and recommendations for achieving that vision. The Plan should Include detailed recommendations for land use and future investments to help ensure D-L-D develops as envisioned by the Plan. Finally, it should provide a level of analysis, detail and guidance on the specific issues affecting the local area. This is a grant funded project with a budget of $82,000.
County Context
The unincorporated communities of Dumont, Lawson and Downieville (D-L-D) are located approximately 30 miles west of Denver along the I-70 corridor in Clear Creek County. Clear Creek County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Colorado legislature on November 1, 1861, and is one of only two counties to have maintained its original boundaries. It was named after Clear Creek, which runs down from the continental divide through the County and continues to influence the County’s identity and economy. The County’s proximity to Denver and mountain location make it unique within Colorado, offering both a rural mountain lifestyle and a relatively quick commute to everything Denver has to offer. I-70 acts as the “spine” of the transportation system in the County and links many of the communities within the County including four incorporated municipalities and approximately 20 defined “sub-areas”. The D-L-D area is one of those defined sub-areas in the Clear Creek County 2017 Community Master Plan.
The ongoing phasing out of the Henderson Mine has created a real challenge for both the residents and the government of the County, and highlights the issue with a lack of economic diversity. While many of the employees of the Mine commute from outside the County, the loss of the economic activity at the Mine has resulted in some job loss for County residents, but has had an even more significant impact on the County’s annual revenues, ultimately constraining the County’s ability to provide services.
While the growth of the recreation and tourism economy has provided a real opportunity for economic development that can potentially help offset the loss of the Mine, this growth is not without its challenges, in particular it’s pressure on the County’s affordable housing stock for the employment base of a recreation and tourism economy. The problem of economic diversification is still present.
Neighborhood Context
The Dumont – Lawson – Downieville area (D-L-D) includes three former mining-era townsites that were platted and settled during the heady mining days of the 19th Century. When I-70 was constructed during the middle part of the 20th Century, a considerable amount of development within the townsites was demolished, and the remaining area severed in half. What is left are a few very old homes from the 19th Century that survived with a newer residential development in the Lawson area that has developed since. A small interstate-commercial/business center has popped up at the full interchange in Downieville that includes the state of Colorado’s Port of Entry, a truck stop and gas station, fast food restaurants, cannabis stores, and coffee shop. Lawson and Dumont are each serviced by half interchanges. While the area is serviced by a sanitation district (Central Clear Creek Sanitation District), water supplies are provided by individual wells. Construction of I-70 reduced and severed access between neighborhoods, businesses and public services between the north and south sides of the interstate.
Needs and Opportunities
In is intended that this project will help identify a reasonable growth and development capacity of the area in consideration of existing infrastructure limitations (water supply, sewage disposal, and road infrastructure) and help the County identify potential infrastructure investment alternatives for expanded growth of D-L-D so the County can make informed, sustainable and equitable land use decisions in the future.
We anticipate this project will help define and characterize the D-L-D area within the larger County context and identify its unique community character and qualities that will help business and community development that will benefit the larger County and support the people in the community and its unique character.
This project is occurring in tandem with two other community development projects; 1) a County-wide recreation management plan funded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GoCo), and 2) a multi-jurisdictional housing study funded by the State that will provide a plan and strategy for encouraging more affordable housing. It is expected that these projects can and will inform the D-L-D plan and help define and characterize the D-L-D sub-area, and identity opportunities for related business and community development.
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Publication Date/Time:
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8/7/2023 12:00 AM
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Closing Date/Time:
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8/31/2023 5:00 PM
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Contact Person:
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The County’s contact for this project is Amy Saxton who may be contacted at the ways below.
Phone: (303) 679-4238,
Address:
P.O. Box 2000
Georgetown, CO 80444
Email: asaxton@clearcreekcounty.us
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Qualifications:
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Scope of Services
The contractor shall perform all Services described in this section and all obligations set forth in the professional services agreement (Attachment A).
1. Develop a Public and Stakeholder Involvement Process
A. Implement methods that engage the local community and provide opportunities for public participation. Gather public input, with an emphasis on reaching out to hand-to-reach and disadvantaged populations – to identify concerns within the area and obtain input about their vision and draft plan recommendations for the area.
B. With County staff, meet with the yet-to-be formed stakeholder committee every four-to-six weeks, or as the need is identified through the plan process.
C. Hold at least one meeting monthly with the staff technical advisory committee to review the analysis and planning efforts. The monthly meeting with the technical advisory committee can be held virtually and shall be held during normal business hours.
2. Review and Identify Needs for Land Use, Zoning, Design, and Transportation Components from existing plans and public feedback
A. Analyze current comprehensive plans, existing infrastructure, current land use, and existing zoning to determine appropriate future land uses and zoning districts to encourage economic development, sustainable and safe infrastructure, multi-modal transportation options, open space/flood control needs, and allow for balanced housing solutions (where appropriate).
B. Analyze the findings from the public and stakeholder meetings to identify
wants/needs within the Subarea.
C. In partnership with County staff, review and recommend performance standards and/or development regulation/land development code changes to provide a cohesive master plan for the Subarea and corridors.
3. Develop a Master Subarea Plan for the D-L-D Area.
A. Develop a vision for the D-L-D area with recommendations on land use,
infrastructure investment and economic development opportunities, given the
existing constraints of the area. Context appropriate solutions are appropriate based on previous plan recommendations, County feedback, and input from the Steering Committee and public open houses.
B. Include high level cost estimates for the incorporation of infrastructure
improvements to remedy the existing conditions of the area. Include suggested
sources of funding.
C. Highlight key parcels and recommendations for their future use
D. Prioritize balanced housing opportunities (where appropriate)
E. Create a “Top 10” list of priorities and a list of recommendations on how to address them.
F. Provide an implementation plan with suggested timing based on the priorities
identified in the above step.
G. Create and package together a final Subarea Plan to present for adoption before the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners.
Other tasks may be included as the Project progresses and needs are identified.
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Special Requirements:
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A. Scope of Services Deliverables
1. Draft and final D-L-D Master Subarea Plan
2. Recommendations for policies, regulations, code changes and other plans identified by the overall subarea plan development.
B. Schedule
Once contracted we anticipate this to be a 9-12-month project
C. Proponent Information
Clear Creek County is looking for skills in community planning, economic development and long-term planning, and direct experience with a significant number of the following topics:
economic development, infrastructure and water resources (including legal and physical water supplies), community engagement, facilitative deliberation, neighborhood development, group facilitation, conflict resolution, environmental issues, engineering, landscape architecture, transportation, historic preservation, recreation, and tourism.
D. Personnel
Furnish a list showing the key personnel and their primary assignments on this project. Please provide bios. There should one key staff member dedicated to this project who will be supported by the firm’s other staff experts.
E. Conflicts
The proposing firm shall include a disclosure of any specific interest or affiliation with or in any land within Clear Creek County, which could be directly benefited or could be served or prejudiced by Clear Creek County Government pursuing this project. If there is nothing to disclose, the proposal shall so state.
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Miscellaneous:
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See attached PDF for forms and more information.
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Related Documents:
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