The Fremont County Commissioners took sixty minutes of public comment Tuesday on a series of changes proposed as part of a 23rd amendment to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution. Most of the comments focused on concerns to protect many of the historical agricultural uses in the Canon City and Lincoln Park areas. Those comments were made in relation to proposed language changes in the Agricultural Estates and Agricultural Suburban zone districts. The change is intended to permit orchards and vineyards in those two zone districts if the property contains at least 4 1/2 acres. Planning Department Director Bill Giordano noted that currently in those two zone districts large commercial orchards and vineyards are prohibited. The Commissioners emphasized that the intent is not to affect backyard farmers but to better define large commercial orchards and vineyards.
Gloria Stultz, who coordinates the Farmers' Market each summer, said a lot of producers actually grow fruit and vegetables on much less than 4 1/2 acres. Stultz said 'sustainability' is becoming a major issue as people are growing more and more produce. Abbey assistant winemaker Jeff Stultz said of the 25,000 pounds of fruit taken in by the Abbey Winery last year at least two-thirds of it came from backyards. Winemaker Matt Cookson said a 4 1/2 acre commercial minimum destroys the fabric of agriculture as he urged the Commissioners to let people do as they choose. Manny Colon, who operates a commercial orchard east of Canon City, said raspberries cultivated on three-quarters of one acre could produce revenues of around $15,000 from 6,000 pints. Colon said he believes fears about a lot of spraying of pesticides and herbicides in smaller residential areas are unfounded. He said small acreage spraying should not impact neighbors and he noted that many small producers are turning to organic gardening and do not use sprays. Holly Arnett of Penrose suggested that one way to determine larger commercial orchards is whether they file an schedule 'F' agricultural exemption with the county assessor's office.
The Commissioners tabled the proposed zoning amendment and continued the public hearing until their April 25th regular meeting. There was no public comment offered on other key portions of the amendment. Among those changes; specific requirements for applications for Conditional Use Permits and Special Review Use permits would be spelled out; site plans would be required for zone changes to show maximum potential development in Medium and High density residential, Manufactured Home Parks, Travel Trailer Parks and Campgrounds, Neighborhood Business, and rural Highway Business zones; and detailed requirements for Temporary Use Permit applications.
After hearing no comment on the proposed 2nd amendment to county subdivision regulations, the Commissioners voted unanimously to approve those changes. That amendment will require developers to prepare a traffic impact analysis as part of a Preliminary Plat for a major subdivision.
In other action at Tuesday's meeting the Board:
- delivered its formal findings in rejecting an application March 14th for the Cingular Wireless Tower on the Ron Walker property next to the Top Rail Ranch subdivision near Penrose;
- adopted a proclamation designating April 23-29 as National Crime Victims' Rights Week;
- approved a condominium plat for the third and final lot of a duplex condominium for Bill Christensen in the Canon Creek subdivision along Grandview Avenue;
- granted a waiver to reinstate the original preliminary plat for Kernel Estates for 27 lots north of Canon City at the northeast corner of North Street and Minnesota Avenue;
- approved a similar use designation for massage and other therapy offices as a permitted use by special review in the Agricultural Suburban zone district;
- and rejected all bids for 4,500 tons of chip seals for this summer's asphalt chip sealing work on High Park and Garden Park roads which will use Gaming Impact grant money. The Board said the only bid received exceeded the budget for the chip sealing and directed the Road and Bridge Department to re-advertise in an attempt to get some bids within the budget.