INTRODUCTION

This community plan contains policies which will be used by the Jefferson County Planning Commission, Jefferson County Planning Staff and the Board of County Commissioners as a guide in making land use decisions in the North Mountains area.

The goal of the Plan is to direct the orderly, sensitive growth of the North Mountains area while retaining and protecting its natural beauty, rural character and the existing quality of the mountain area environment including water, air and wildlife habitat. The intent is to achieve a proper balance between man-made environments and natural ones by ensuring that development is sensitive to natural resources and constraints.

This plan reflects the community understanding that change in our area will happen. These policies reflect our attempts to engineer this change carefully. We have tried to encourage careful, imaginative development so that the environment is protected, wildlife is protected, the quantity and quality of our water is protected and our investment in our homes (present and future) and our property is protected.

There is a natural balance between the ecology of this or any area and a man-made environment. These policies have been developed to respect that balance. This plan is intended to be a guide. Care has been taken to respect both large and small property owners' rights in the present and for the future.

This community plan was developed by a public/private community advisory group, appointed by the Jefferson County Commissioners on June 26, 1989. The advisory group consisted of representatives of homeowners, property owners, developers, Jefferson County's Planning Commission and Planning Department who worked with members of the Jefferson County Planning Staff.