STRASBURG SUBPLAN ADOPTION IS CLOSE
It's been over two years now that Adams and Arapahoe counties started working with Strasburg residents to update the Strasburg Subarea Plan, which is basically a long-term roadmap for how the town COULD grow and develop over the next 25 years. The original plan was created in 2002, when leaders expected major growth along the Interstate 70 corridor. Since Strasburg has changed quite a bit over the last two decades, county officials said the plan needed to be updated to reflect the community today and its future goals.
The plan paints the picture for the town’s future through 2050. The goals sound good at first glance: preserve small-town character, improve sidewalks and roads, encourage business growth, and create more recreation and tourism opportunities. But after reading through the plan, it starts to feel like a lot of expensive ideas without clear answers for how any of it will actually be paid for.
The plan itself admits that Strasburg is mostly a "bedroom community". More than 90 percent of residents leave town every day for work, and nearly $94 million in shopping and spending leaves the community each year. Supporters see that as an opportunity, but it also shows a reality many residents already know. Strasburg has struggled for years to attract and keep businesses that people actually use on a regular basis. Right now, residents have limited options.
A few coffee shops, several Mexican restaurants, nail salons, and dollar stores are not enough to keep people from driving into Aurora, Bennett, or Denver for work, shopping, healthcare, entertainment, and other necessities. The plan talks a lot about “mixed-use development” and “vibrant corridors,” but there is little proof that these ideas will suddenly bring long-term economic success.
There is also a contradiction in the plan itself. Survey results show that most residents value Strasburg’s rural character and sense of community. Yet the plan pushes for denser development along East Colfax Avenue (Main Street) and more concentrated growth inside the planning area. Officials claim it will still respect the town’s rural feel, but many residents may see it as the beginning of turning Strasburg into another crowded Front Range suburb (take a look at Bennett).
Some parts of the plan make sense. Safer sidewalks near schools, road improvements, and basic infrastructure upgrades are practical needs. But much of the rest feels overly ambitious. Recreation centers, beautification projects, tourism ideas, downtown
business associations, and long-term redevelopment plans all cost money. The plan repeatedly mentions grants, partnerships, and incentives, but gives very little detail about where the funding will actually come from. Plus, there will most likely be a sharp learning curve for competing for these grants. Who will be working with residents to understand the process?
That is one of the biggest concerns. Many of these projects are listed as “long-term,” meaning five years or more. That leaves me, as a taxpayer, wondering how much Adams County, Arapahoe County, or local residents will ultimately be expected to cover. Outside of roads and sidewalks, there does not seem to be a solid funding plan attached to many of these proposals (except for the cost that we most likely paid these two counties to put this extensive survey together...).
Not every part of the plan should be rejected. Improving roads around schools makes sense. Keeping infrastructure in good condition is important. Bringing in new businesses can also help, especially if the focus is on things residents actually need, such as healthcare services, grocery stores, trade jobs, logistics companies, or businesses that support agriculture. Those practical needs should come before expensive projects based on the latest planning trends.
The concern is that Strasburg could spend years pursuing costly redevelopment ideas while still lacking the basic economic foundation needed to support them. In the end, residents could end up paying higher taxes and fees while still having to leave town for jobs, shopping, and many essential services. Strasburg cannot simply build its way into becoming something it is not. Many people chose to live there because it is a small, quiet, rural community. Large redevelopment projects and trendy planning concepts could change the very character that residents value and want to preserve.
Good infrastructure and responsible growth matter. But before taxpayers are asked to support expensive long-term projects, they deserve clear answers about the costs, how those projects will be funded, and whether they will actually make life better for the people who already call Strasburg home.
Here are your last chances to give comments or ask questions - even though the locations are NOT convenient for any of us. You can read the entire plan here (it's only 154 pages - light reading).
Adams County Dates:
-
Planning Commission Thursday, June 11 at 6 pm (tentative); Adams County Government Center Hearing Room, Brighton, CO
-
Board of County Commissioners Tuesday, July 7 at 9:30 am (tentative); Adams County Government Center Hearing Room, Brighton, CO.
-
Submit a written public comment for the Strasburg Plan in Adams County. (There will be a public comment period at each hearing as well.)
Arapahoe County Dates:
-
Planning Commission Tuesday, June 16, 6:30 pm Arapahoe Room, Lima Plaza, 6954 S Lima St., Arapahoe Room, Centennial, CO 80112
-
Board of County Commissioners Tuesday, July 14, 9:30 am East Hearing Room 5334 S Prince St., Littleton, CO 80120.
Questions? Contact Ella Gleason at strasburg@publicinput.com or 720-523-6923.