The City of Idaho Springs is Planning for Gold, as the City is updating its Comprehensive Plan in 2025. Check back regularly for updated information about community meetings, surveys, workshops, and other information.
To review the City's current Comprehensive Plan, please following this link: Envision Idaho Springs 2017
Comprehensive Plan Survey #1 is now live and available at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PLN4GLD. This should take 10-15 minutes.
Contact Community Development Planner Dylan Graves at DGraves [at] idahospringsco.com (DGraves[at]idahospringsco[dot]com) if you have questions on the survey, need translation services, or would prefer a paper copy. The survey is a critical piece of the comprehensive planning process, giving the city broad data to build off in future phases and at future community meetings.
FAQs
What is a comprehensive plan?
The Comprehensive Plan looks into the future. It is a roadmap for the future of the City of Idaho Springs. It is a policy document that provides guidance to City Council, Planning Commission, City Staff, residents, businesses, and developers to facilitate informed decisions about the current and future needs of the community. A comprehensive plan is used to help inform growth and change over time. The goal is to build on the past to strengthen the future. Importantly, a comprehensive plan is a guidance document - it is non-regulatory, but helps shape and inform decisions.
Why is a comprehensive plan important?
It helps shape the future of a city by creating a balanced, sustainable plan for growth. It can improve quality of life, reduce urban sprawl, protect the environment, and enhance economic opportunities. As a community document, the hope is that there will be substantial public involvement and engagement. This ensures that the community's vision for the future - not just a few people who work for the city, but everyone who lives, works, and recreates in the city - has a say in how the city plans for the future.
What specific areas are covered in the plan?
The plan contains several specific elements, including: Housing, Sustainable Growth, Land Use and Community Character, Transportation, Water Supply, Environment, Economic Development and Tourism, Parks and Open Space, Historic Preservation, and Public Facilities and Services.
How can I participate in the process?
There are many ways to get involved. Take the survey linked above to answer questions about what you like, don't like, and want to see in the City. Attend public meetings and open houses to participate in that way. Contact Dylan Graves to discuss the process in more detail and get any additional questions answered!
Are there any challenges or limitations on what we can create?
Challenges can include balancing competing interests (e.g., development vs. preservation), addressing funding and resource limitations, and ensuring meaningful community engagement. Economic shifts, political changes, and unexpected growth can also make planning difficult. Additionally, there are a variety of State laws that regulate what must go into a comprehensive plan. For example, a city cannot choose to deny all development and completely limit growth. Rather, the city must determine where growth is appropriate and allow for strategic development.