To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works and Development
Prepared By:
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Loretta Daniel, Long Range Planning Program Manager, Public Works and Development
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presenter
Presenter: Loretta Daniel, Long Range Planning Program Manager; Gretchen Ricehill, Project Specialist, Long Range Planning Division, Public Works and Development
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Subject:
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1:30 PM *Byers Subarea Plan Update
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this study session is to provide an overview of the planning process for updating the 2003 Byers Sub-Area Plan. This update will reevaluate land use, transportation, and other topics as part of defining an amended vision for Byers. The updated Byers Subarea Plan will provide guidance to staff and County officials on a range of policy topics over the next 20 years.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Sustainable Growth and Infrastructure - Implement smart growth policies to align housing, transportation, open spaces and economic development.
Background and Discussion: The 2003 Byers Sub-Area Plan was approved by the Planning Commission as part of the 2001 Arapahoe County Comprehensive Plan on June 24, 2003. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) reviewed the plan at a study session. The current plan contains a vision statement, goals, and implementation strategies to guide the future of Byers for a period of 20 years. The plan recognized that more work was required to implement the plan’s strategies and recommended that the plan be reviewed and evaluated every three to six years. A community survey was undertaken in 2007, which provided valuable information on the community’s thoughts on issues, quality of life, and satisfaction with other indicators at that time. No update to the 2003 Byers Sub-Area Plan occurred as a result of this survey since it was decided that none was warranted.
The population projection in the 2003 Byers Sub-Area Plan for 2020 was envisioned to be approximately 5,000. Growth of this magnitude has not occurred, and in fact, the 2020 Census identified the population as 1,322. Byers’ population has increased by seven percent since 2000, much less than that of Bennett, Strasburg, and Deer Trail.
The planning process consisted of four phases:
- Phase 1 - Existing Conditions Analysis. In this kick-off phase, an Advisory Committee was convened with representatives from the Byers School District, Byers Water and Sanitation District, Byers Parks and Recreation District, I-70 REAP, residents and business owners, and a developer. A project website was established (www.arapahoeco.gov/byersplan <http://www.arapahoeco.gov/byersplan>) and stakeholder interviews were held. The staff reviewed past plans and prepared potential growth scenarios and demographic information.
- Phase 2 - Ideas and Options. Surveys were conducted for the residents and property owners in September-October 2023, as well as surveys for high school students and Spanish-speaking adults. Additional public input was obtained at a well-attended open house at the Kelver Library, which included results of the survey and demographic and historical information.
- Phase 3 - Draft Plan Development. Meetings were held with the Advisory Committee to distill important themes and update the Future Land Use map. The draft Plan was developed and presented to the Advisory Committee and is to be presented to the Planning Commission and the BOCC at study sessions. An open house is scheduled for October 2, 2025, which will start a public review period.
- Phase 4 - Approval Process. Comments from the public review will be incorporated into the adoption draft of the Plan, and public hearings are scheduled for the Planning Commission and the BOCC.
An overriding theme that emerged from the surveys and open house was that Byers should retain its rural, small-town character. This resulted in the staff focusing on the unique attributes of Byers, including its history which is detailed in Appendix A. While Byers has a limited number of historic buildings, it does have a lengthy history. Byers was established in 1889 when Leonard McDonnell and John Fetzer platted Byers’ first townsite. By 1900, the Census reported that 168 people lived in Byers, and although growth has been slow, residents treasure the community’s spirit and form.
The draft Byers Subarea Plan consists of 10 chapters, and chapters four through nine are structured with goals, policies, and actions that are derived from public input, summarized as the “Key Takeaways and Findings” section in these chapters. The chapters reference the sections in the 2003 Byers Sub-Area Plan with some goals and policies carried forward to the draft Plan.
The chapters are:
1. Introduction. This chapter explains the purpose of the Plan, identifies related plans, and explains the community engagement process.
2. Community Context. To better understand the attributes of Byers, the environment, history timeline, and the planning area are described. Important demographic data, primarily from the 2020 Census, compares Byers with the county as a whole. This chapter also presents three population growth scenarios.
3. Vision and Themes. The vision statement and the five guiding themes are based on community input from the public engagement process. The vision and themes form the basis for the goals, policies, and actions in the following chapters.
4. Land Use, Development, and Housing. While Byers has not recently experienced rapid population growth, there may be changes in the future. This chapter identifies physical conditions that can influence development, the 11 land use categories and the Future Land Use Map, and goals, policies, and actions that reflect the vision and themes identified in Chapter 3.
5. Transportation and Mobility. This chapter outlines the community's vision for a safe, well-maintained, and connected transportation network. From community input, policies and actions that recommend pedestrian and bicycle connections are included.
6. Parks, Open Space, and Recreation. Enhancing the quality of life in Byers by improving its parks, trails, and open spaces, and offering more recreational opportunities are community ideas that are included in this chapter’s policies and actions.
7. Community Facilities and Infrastructure. Water and sanitation infrastructure and stormwater management are addressed in this chapter.
8. Economic Development and Tourism. Based on public comments, this chapter identifies approaches for improving the business opportunities in Byers through encouraging investment and tourism.
9. Heritage and Community Identity. Recognizing that the history of Byers contributes to its uniqueness, this chapter identifies policies and actions that can increase awareness of Byers’ heritage.
10. Implementation. The recommended actions in the action matrix are consolidated from the previous chapters and include capital projects, policy recommendations, and ongoing programs that implement the Plan. Comparative costs and timelines are also identified.
Definitions. Major terms used in the Plan are identified in this Definitions section.
Next Steps. Comments from the Planning Commission and the BOCC will be incorporated into a revised draft Plan. The draft Byers Subarea Plan will be presented at an open house on October 2, 2025, at the Kelver Library in Byers. This will be the start of a four-week public review and referral period. Comments received will be analyzed and incorporated into the adoption draft of the Byers Subarea Plan. The public hearings for approval of the Plan are scheduled for the Planning Commission on November 18, 2025, and for the BOCC on December 9, 2025.
Alternatives: The BOCC could propose alternative or additional ideas for goals, policies, or actions.
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact at this time. Projects identified in the action matrix of the subarea plan may require future funding for implementation.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: The attached framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making, documenting how we make decisions and carry out actions to achieve the county’s strategic plan.
Staff Recommendation: No staff recommendation. This study session is for information and to provide the draft Byers Subarea Plan for the BOCC’s review.
Concurrence: Representatives from Byers School District 32-J, Byers Water and Sanitation District, Byers Parks and Recreation District, and the I-70 Regional Economic Advancement Partnership (REAP) have been members of the Byers Subarea Plan Advisory Committee.