As part of a federally mandated process that has been underway for the past year, the Fremont County Board of Commissioners adopted a set of updated flood plain maps for the county at their May 22nd regular meeting. Adoption of the amended flood plain maps followed a public hearing, but no citizens appeared to address the Board. District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden said adoption of the flood plains maps are not imposing any new federal regulations but that the maps must be approved by the county if citizens who reside in designated flood plain zones want to qualify for flood insurance.
County Engineer Don Moore said July 3rd will be the effective date for the new maps. He said areas amended by the new flood plain maps are Mud Gulch, Four Mile, and the Abbey drainage way. Moore said anyone who currently has flood insurance in place on July 3rd will be grandfathered at the lower insurance rate for two years. Households in designated flood plain areas Moore said letters have been sent to every affected property owners regarding the change. The Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the new floodplain maps.
The Commissioners also conducted a public hearing on a zone change request for the Razor Ridge property located next to the entrance of Skyline Drive west of Cañon City. Joe Bower said he needed the zone change from Business Zone to Rural Highway Business Zone to allow a rafting outfitter to operate on the site. Royal Gorge Anglers already opened for business in one of the buildings but Arkansas River Tours needed the zone change before it could open in the other building. No one objected to the zone change at the public hearing and the Board of Commissioners voted unanimous approval.
In other business at the May 22nd meeting the Commissioners:
- Designated a $391,000 grant application by the Fremont County Department of Transportation as the county’s priority grant for this fall’s Gaming Impact Fund application process;
- Approved the transfer of a conditional use permit for landscaping rock from Ranch Land LLC to Holcim Inc. on a parcel of property 2 ¼ miles north of Highway 96 near the Fremont-Pueblo County line;
- Heard a request from neighbors who live along County Road 5 northwest of Cañon City who asked that the county allow a ranch sign to remain in place that hangs over a county road and was constructed within county road right of way some 20 years ago. The Department of Transportation has been dealing with more and more obstacles in county rights of way and recently decided that hazards posed by such ranch signs over county roads must be dealt with. The county has given landowners until October 1st to remove the obstruction themselves on CR 5 or county crews will remove it.