Jefferson County is moving forward with a major initiative to update the county’s Comprehensive Master Plan, Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan’s Evacuation Annex, Transportation Master Plans, and Land Use Code.
At its March 7 meeting, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a contract with consultant Logan Simpson to manage the project, kicking off the planning process. “The commissioners approved the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for this planning effort to address transportation, wildfire, and future land uses and to ensure even stronger coordination among county departments and our community,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr.
ARPA dollars and other funding sources will support this work. The goal during the 18-to-24-month project is to design land use, wildfire evacuation planning, and transportation policies that are aligned and provide a cohesive vision for the future and identify priorities for addressing growth, services, and land use regulation. This also reflects recommendations by the former Jeffco Wildfire Risk Reduction Task Force - now the Jeffco Wildfire Commission.
“We want to hear from everyone in our community and we are taking additional steps to be as inclusive as possible by creating an online presence and scheduling in-person and virtual meetings in both English and Spanish,” said Jefferson County Development and Transportation Director Abel Montoya. “One of our goals is to help streamline our process and become more efficient as we work together to help articulate our community vision for Jefferson County.”
The official project kickoff will be held later this spring. Anyone interested in staying informed about the process can sign up to receive the Engage Jeffco newsletter.
Jefferson County residents can share their opinions and participate in the public workshops, surveys, and open houses over the next two years. Later this spring, the Planning & Zoning Website will be updated with information about how to participate. Visit the Planning and Zoning website.