§ 9.3.1. Findings.

A.

Coordinated provision of services. The county commissioners intend to provide land for neighborhood and community parks (hereafter called community park land) to serve new residential development within the unincorporated area of the GMA districts of Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud and Estes Park.

B.

Urban character of GMAs. It is anticipated that the unincorporated area within the GMAs will eventually be annexed and become part of the municipality to which it is contiguous.

C.

New growth in county. Larimer County's Master Plan projects there will be a significant amount of new growth and development in the GMAs over the next 20 years.

D.

New growth requires new community park land. The future growth and new development in the GMAs will require a substantial expansion in community park land if the levels of service for community parks adopted for each GMA are to be maintained.

E.

Proportionate share policy. The county commissioners have determined that future growth and new development should contribute its proportionate share of the costs of providing community park land in the GMAs.

F.

Dedication preferred. The county commissioners have also determined that the imposition of a dedication/in-lieu fee requirement is one of the preferred methods of regulating new growth and development in the GMAs in order to ensure new growth and development bears a proportionate share of the costs of the community park land necessary to accommodate that new development, and provide for the public health, safety and welfare.

G.

Consistent with master plan. A community park land dedication/in-lieu fee requirement that contributes a proportionate share of the impact would assist in the implementation and be consistent with the master plan.