Estes Park Development Code Update: Community Engagement Plan

Introduction

This document aims to convey the Project Stakeholder and Community Engagement Strategy to invite participation and input to inform the Estes Park Development Code Update process. This document:

• Defines the goals and objectives of community input and explains how this input will influence outcomes.
• Identifies the project stakeholders to be invited to engage in the overall code update process and clarifies their roles.

Why update the Development Code now?

In 2022 the town, with extensive community participation, updated its Comprehensive Plan, titled the Estes Forward Comprehensive Plan. Updating the Development Code allows the town to align the Comprehensive Plan and Development Code and reflect the goals and vision articulated in the Estes Forward Plan. It also provides an opportunity to make the Development Code easier to use, reducing challenges for code users, staff, and elected officials.

The Development Code Update is intended to make the document more user-friendly, remove or update antiquated requirements and standards, ensure existing zoning districts are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, increase efficiency in the development review process, incorporate newer development concepts, and align with the community-driven Estes Forward Comprehensive Plan

How do we get there?

The Community Engagement Plan seeks to build on the success of the Town’s previous efforts updating the Comprehensive Plan and continue engaging in conversations surrounding development, environmental resiliency and housing concerns. We will review findings from previous engagement efforts to provide necessary background on public opinion and continue to engage key stakeholders and community members on topics related to the code’s update. As part of our code audit process, we will compare current code language with the goals from the Comprehensive Plan and other recently completed plans—identifying areas where updates should be made to better align with the goals of the community.

Section 1: Goals for Community Engagement

To ensure robust community engagement, the process will focus on five key goals. These goals and associated strategies are identified in this section.

Section 2: Roles and Responsibilities

This section identifies the key stakeholders for the process and the overall roles and responsibilities.

Participation Matrix

The matrix below, based on the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) framework, outlines each stakeholder group’s role, objectives in engaging with them, and what we aim to learn from them, along with the outreach tools to be utilized. The level of involvement increases from left to right, functioning as a tiered system. Stakeholder groups positioned on the far right of the matrix are expected to participate in all efforts listed to their left. This plan will be focused on informing the public through emailing and advertising efforts, consulting and involving the public through an online questionnaire, and in-person outreach events.

The Community Engagement Plan identifies six participant groups that will be engaged at key points during the overall updating process.

1. Project Management Team
2. Town Board of Trustees
3. Planning Commission (Steering Committee)
4. Technical Advisory Committee
5. Participants in Topic Specific Focus Groups
6. General Public

Project Management Team

The Project Management Team is composed of Town of Estes Park staff, Design Workshop, Headwaters Community Planning, Clanton Associates (as needed), Kimley Horn (as needed), and White and Smith (as needed). The Project Management Team is responsible for project oversight and facilitating all community engagement activities depicted in this plan.

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

The TAC will include planning staff, public works, transportation, code enforcement, and other departments/and or groups that will steward the plan process and provide input and direction on specific topics. They will provide understanding of what is and is not working with the current Development Code given their familiarity as routine users of the code.

Town Board and Planning Commission

Design Workshop will collaborate with staff to prepare presentations that will be shared with the Town Board and Planning Commission and facilitate work sessions at key milestones in the process. Planning Commission will be a recommending body and the Town Board will adopt the updated Development Code. Throughout the process Planning Commission will also act as our Steering Committee, helping to direct and inform the code update process.

Estes Valley Restorative Justice Partnership

It is anticipated that the RJ Partnership will be used to facilitate community conversations around specific topics that may have multiple viewpoints within the community. Town Staff will serve as the liaison between the project team and RJ, creating more opportunities for community engagement and input outside of the scope of the DW engagement strategy.

General Public

The General Public, as directed by town staff, consists of any Town of Estes Park full-time or part-time resident, individuals living within the Estes Valley, non-resident business owners, non-resident workers, and county residents that are interested in the Development Code update project.