§ 5.8.3. Purposes.

The purposes of the rural land use process are:

A.

To recognize the current 35-acre exemption law and implement the provisions of C.R.S. § 30-28-401 et. seq. and amendments to C.R.S. § 37-92-602, concerning cluster developments and domestic water permits for cluster developments.

B.

To preserve and protect critical county areas by designating and recognizing distinctions in the land such as agricultural land, open lands, regional preserves, parks and trails, as well as distinct landscapes, forest land, ecosystems, watersheds, ridgelines, wildlife, wetlands, hazardous areas, view corridors, historic and archeological sites and urban areas, and to encourage development that respects these critical areas.

C.

To encourage development that fosters continued agricultural land uses and protects the county's rural character, open space, and the character of existing communities while recognizing current zoning.

D.

To promote the goal of contiguous agricultural lands.

E.

To develop new methods that, with incentives, encourage the retention of agricultural and forest land as productive, nonrenewable resources.

F.

To give priority consideration for protection to parcels containing areas designated as critical areas through the use of incentives or outright purchase, and to conclude this process and negotiations in a timely manner consistent with other 35-acre developments. Parcels containing critical areas may use the rural land use process.

G.

To establish a rural land use center to assist in large parcel planning, and to facilitate cooperation among neighboring landowners to create a single proposal for clustering on one property or a combination with appropriate economic incentives to each.

H.

To provide guidelines and incentives that are flexible, are interpreted with intelligence and fairness, and that encourage land use designs that optimize preservation of environmental resources and/or lessen the public cost of infrastructure;

I.

To encourage flexibility and innovation through incentives.

J.

To consider the effects on infrastructure and the environment when awarding incentives.

K.

To simplify requirements and shorten time lines for certain achievements in designs.

L.

To promote the goals of the Larimer County Parks Master Plan and other adopted plans.

M.

To enable rural land use projects between and among noncontiguous parcels (including the transfer of development rights) or between and among cooperating land owners for large parcel planning.

N.

To encourage partnerships of the public/private communities which would retain the county's rural character.

O.

To provide flexibility in land use regulations responding to the needs of the agricultural community (i.e., additional family dwelling units, migrant farm housing, caretaker/foreman quarters, guest housing, etc.).

P.

To encourage alternatives to 35-acre parcels that will allow maximum retention of characteristics considered special to Larimer County and most valued by its citizens.

Q.

To encourage and promote good use of the land while responding to lifestyle choices.

R.

To evaluate the impact on neighborhoods in the approval of alternatives to 35-acre developments.

S.

To educate people who purchase property adjacent to ranches and farms about agricultural or forestry practices, and support "right to farm" laws.

T.

To encourage public involvement and the early resolution of potential conflicts with developments.

U.

To coordinate land-use decisions with other county regulations which will result in simplifying the process.

V.

To establish rural development standards while encouraging innovations and new technologies.

W.

To recognize and respect both individual rights and community interests and values when development is proposed.

X.

To educate decision-makers, applicants and citizens about the proposed alternatives and outcomes.