OPEN SPACE, TRAILS & RECREATIONOPEN SPACE, TRAILS & RECREATIONMost of this undeveloped land is privately owned and could be developed. The maintenance of the area's character depends on having key open spaces between developments. In addition, privately owned open space can be used to enhance the community's cultural, historical, agricultural and ranching heritage, which is an important land use and amenity in the community.
Much of the study area is within a sensitive and valuable environmental zone. The area lies between the highland wilderness of Colorado's Continental Divide and the urbanization along the Front Range. These lands are an important source of food and shelter for numerous wildlife and plant species and are a valuable source of pride and community identity for residents.
Securing the land necessary to keep the "open feeling" characteristic of Jefferson County's North Mountains area will require increased coordination among public agencies and private citizens. This could require the creation of new forums, management agreements, or other mechanisms. In addition to enhancing the quality of life, the specific benefits that could accrue from these cooperative arrangements include, but are not limited to:
Agriculture/ranching, although it is a declining activity, is supported as an important land use and amenity of the community.
There are no incentives in the present system of land use controls and tax assessment policies for owners of larger, privately-owned, undeveloped lands to maintain them as private open space. The State's requirement of annual verification of agricultural use, to qualify for agricultural tax status, and other restrictive rules regarding tax assessments, makes it difficult to maintain large land holdings.
Maintain the open character of the North Mountains as development occurs, and protect ecologically sensitive areas. Connect all parts of the area through a network of public and private open space, trail corridors and active and passive recreation areas.
1. Keep a significant amount of natural open space.
2. Protect important wildlife habitats.
3. Protect unique plant species.
4. Disperse recreational opportunities throughout the study area.
5. Protect view corridors and visual amenities.
6. Contribute to the creation of an open land separation between developments.
7. Provide open land or park experiences within future developments.
8. Maintain the agricultural and ranching heritage of the community.
9. Reduce the threat of danger to life and property by avoiding development in natural hazard areas.
10. Encourage appreciation of, and knowledge about, the area's natural environment.
In addition to the following policies, the criteria in the Mountain Site Design Criteria section which apply to open space, trails and recreation should be followed.
Red text identifies policies which can be applied in the land use review processes.
1. The Jefferson County Open Space acquisitions should include land purchases which target scenic corridors and key parcels of undeveloped land which will contribute to the open character and significant natural features in the North Mountains.
2. The North Jeffco Recreation and Park District and the Jefferson County Open Space Department own public open space in the North Mountains area. There should be improved communication among the agencies, the school district, and private organizations responsible for buying and managing public land in the North Mountains. Improved communication among these groups could result in more efficient management of public lands and a higher level of use. Coordination among these public entities, their regional counterparts, and the County Planning Department should facilitate more effective siting of private open space to:
a. secure access easements across private property to public land;
b. encourage dedication of private land by providing information about incentive programs; and
c. suggest, where appropriate, that the open space within a development be located to augment adjacent public land.
3. Active and passive recreational sites should be located throughout the study area to diffuse the impact of growth on any one area. These recreational areas could be located to create greenbelt separations that would help preserve the uniqueness of this area.
4. The acquisition of undeveloped land for public benefit should be related to the following planning objectives:
a. Maintenance of important visual resources;
b. Maintenance of open spaces between developments;
c. Provision of needed recreational opportunities;
d. Protection of significant wildlife habitats and wildlife corridors;
e. Protection of areas subject to significant natural hazards, e.g., floodplains;
f. Protection of areas having cultural and historical significance;
g. Provision of a connecting trail system;
h. Retention of unique or relict flora, i.e., tallgrass prairie, sites with rare and endangered plants, and sites with high quality riparian vegetation;
i. Protection of ecologically sensitive areas;
j. Control of soil erosion; and
k. Protection and conservation of vegetation.
While these areas are desirable as open space, development should not be precluded if sensitive site planning accommodates these concerns.
5. When communities which are not served by a recreation/park district want to provide recreation and community facilities, and formation of a district is not feasible, the County should assist them with design, construction, and funding. Park fees dedicated by development in the area would be one source of funding. The Jefferson County Open Space Department would be another resource for communities. The Douglas Mountain/Robinson Hill Road community is one example of an area where residents have expressed an interest in providing some multiple-use paths, playing fields, and other small-scale community facilities.
6. Plantings in dedicated and designated open space areas should be native or naturalized species.
1. As much open space as possible should be secured in the North Mountains area before additional development occurs.
2. Access to public land should be assured when sensitive wildlife habitats, fragile terrain and unique vegetation are not threatened.
1. The existing State statutes should be revised to favor stewardship of the land rather than development of the land.
1. Designated private open space should be protected, and its creation should be encouraged to safeguard the rural character, to maintain visual and scenic quality, to protect wildlife habitat, to buffer existing and future development, and to provide open land or park experiences within future development.
2. Designated private open space should be used to provide a link to the community's cultural and historic ranching heritage.
3. Designated privately-owned parcels with natural or cultural significance should be protected. One or more of the implementation techniques listed later in this section could be used.
1. An improved trails network should be developed that provides additional trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use, and other nonmotorized trail activities. These trails should:
a. vary in length, ascent and nature experience;
b. link areas within the North Mountains, and link the North Mountains area with adjacent communities and counties;
c. traverse diverse landscape;
d. access views and vistas;
e. intersect to allow the traveler a choice of paths to a destination; and
f. avoid damaging or impairing areas containing endangered species or fragile environments.
2. Incentives should be offered to developers to link private trails to the public trail system or to provide public trail access through their property to link the whole system.
3. Accessible trails should be provided for all citizens, including barrier-free trails where possible, recognizing that trail users have different levels of ability and seek different levels of challenge.
4. Public land should be made more accessible when wildlife habitats and fragile natural environments can be protected.
5. Trail corridors should be negotiated which utilize floodplains, public rights-of-way, utility rights-of-way, leased private property, parks, and public open space.
6. Liability releases for private landowners should be made available to remove this obstacle to the creation of public trails across private land.
7. Areas of intensive development should have trail connections to areas of natural open space. Safe crossings of major roads and railroads should be provided.
8. Jefferson County Open Space Department should work with other organizations with similar responsibilities to fund trail corridors to connect public open space parcels.
9. Equestrian and jogging trails should be unpaved and marked, and where appropriate, tunnels should be considered.
10. Trails should be separated and buffered with landscaping from streets and roads when possible.
11. Carefully planned and developed parking areas should be provided at trail heads to facilitate trail usage.
12. Appropriate public facilities, i.e., restrooms and telephones, should be provided at major trail intersections and significant open space sites.
13. Maintenance of open space, recreational areas and trails should be provided by the entity responsible.
14. Three types of trails should be provided: neighborhood trails within the North Mountains community, County trails that extend into adjacent communities, and regional trails that extend beyond the County boundary.
15. During land use review, those portions of trails identified in state and county trails plans should be identified and proposed for acquisition by the appropriate agency.
The Open Space, Public Lands, Trails & Recreation map shows the major trail corridors, existing and proposed, for the North Mountains area(see maps).
F. Recreation1. As future growth occurs, the need for additional passive and active recreational areas should be met.
2. Recreational uses should be targeted to the needs of community residents.
1. Active recreational facilities should be provided as demand increases. These facilities should include, but not be limited to: multiple-use playing fields for volleyball, softball, soccer, football, and other sports and recreational facilities such as swimming pools, shooting ranges, and recreational centers. A park and/or recreation district can be formed when the community votes to do so.
2. School recreational facilities, especially playgrounds and multi-use fields, should be available for community use to reduce the pressure for the development of additional recreational areas.
1. The public entities responsible for open space, parks, or trails should continue to communicate regularly through an established formal system of coordination to plan, protect and manage lands under their jurisdictions.
These public entities should cooperate to develop a trails plan for the North Mountains and adjacent areas.
2. Trails planning by the County, communities and cities should be coordinated with the State Recreational Trails Plan and landowners.
3. Incentives should be offered to developers for linking private trails to the public trail system, or for providing public trail access through their property and to school sites.
4. Public and private entities should coordinate in providing for trails and public access as part of the acquisition, development, and improvement of: floodplains and flood-control projects; pipelines, powerlines and other utility corridors; ditches, roads, freeways, rapid transit and other transportation projects.
5. Security in parks should be increased. Coordination among law enforcement agencies should be considered to improve the cost effectiveness of this protection.
1. New acquisitions of undeveloped land should continue. Examples of acquisition strategies:
a. Public acquisition to safeguard undeveloped land, including acquisition subject to life or term estates;
b. Creation of private trusts to purchase land, easements, or development rights;
c. Private donation of land to Jefferson County Open Space Department, city agencies or special districts, private trusts or State parks;
d. Corporate donations of land;
e. Purchase and sellback of land with restrictions, using Open Space funds to purchase properties which are then sold to another owner with restrictions, e.g., minus the development rights;
f. Lease agreements for undeveloped land;
g. Recreation districts should be encouraged to take land in-lieu-of fees when subdivisions of 30 or more acres are proposed; and
h. Dedication of natural open space in-lieu-of park and recreation land or fees should be encouraged, where appropriate.
1. Applicable criteria in the Mountain Site Design Criteria section should be used in siting, designing and developing passive and active recreation areas and facilities.
2. Trails: