Community Canvas - Steamboat Springs Community Plan

The City of Steamboat Springs, in partnership with Routt County, is engaging the entire Steamboat Springs community to co-develop a new long-range guiding document that will capture our shared values and describe a framework for unified action. The new plan will provide the policy framework for regulatory tools like zoning and other policies and programs designed to address current and long-term needs identified during the community-driven process.

The current Steamboat Springs Area Community Plan was adopted in 2004 and that plan's vision was reconfirmed through a public process in 2014. Routt County adopted a new Master Plan in August 2022, setting the stage for a new locally relevant and regionally responsible Steamboat Springs Community Plan.

The following sections provide additional project information, including community engagement activities held in 2024 to inform the new Community Plan.

Project Goals

Document a shared understanding of opportunities and needs as informed by community members.
Build on the analysis and findings from previous and contemporary plans (e.g., Climate Action Plan).
Create an accessible and values-driven plan that supports informed and consistent decisions that reinforce community values and identity.
Identify and drive achievable actions while leaving room for innovation as we continue to observe and learn.
Establish approaches, methods, and tools to monitor performance and successfully manage change.

Project Team

Through a competitive bidding process, the City of Steamboat Springs selected a team of consultants led by SE Group to assist in creation of the new Steamboat Springs Community Plan. The Area Plan Coordinating Committee, comprised of elected and appointed officials from both the city and Routt County, will oversee the project. A Community Canvas Advisory Committee was formed in August 2024 to review findings from broader community engagement efforts and to provide input on various elements of the new Community Plan.

Study Area

This plan is focused on the City of Steamboat Springs and areas where future growth of an urban density may be deemed appropriate and annexation into the city encouraged, when annexation criteria are met.

Timeline

Public Engagement Activities in 2024

The Community Canvas project used a variety of mediums to gather input from community members and interested stakeholders. Several background documents and summaries of community input can be found in the Project Documents area of the project webpage.

Community Plan Open House - The Community Plan Open House was held on June 5, 2024, at Olympian Hall. Open House participants reviewed a series of informational posters related to various planning topics (transportation, housing, economic development, recreation, etc.) and provided their observations of how the community has changed in recent years and described their views on community values and priorities for future actions.

Topic Area Focus Groups – The Community Canvas project team facilitated a series of focus groups throughout the summer of 2024. Focus group participants reviewed existing conditions analyses and provided technical input on various topics – i.e., housing, land use, sustainability, transportation, etc. Focus groups with key community partners were held as well – i.e., Routt County Planning, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, Young Professionals Network, etc.

Community Canvas “Pulse Surveys” – In parallel to in-person engagement efforts, the project team released a series of brief surveys available to subscribers to the city’s community engagement and data insights platform (Polco). In addition to supplementing in-person engagement, the Community Canvas-specific surveys added to community insights collected through the 2024 Community Survey.

Community Plan Pop-Up Events – City Council and staff hosted a booth at the Main Street Steamboat Farmers Market (June – September). The City Council booth has traditionally served as an informal way for residents and visitors to engage with City Councilors throughout the summer. This year’s booth also served as a primary means for people to learn about the Community Canvas project and to provide feedback on community issues, as well as their thoughts on priorities that could be identified in the new plan.

Community Partner Presentations – Throughout 2024, city staff provided Community Canvas project updates, shared information about upcoming engagement opportunities, and facilitated discussions with to numerous community partner organizations.

Community Canvas “Tradeoffs” Workshop – In September, the project hosted an interactive discussion to help community members and stakeholders explore the potential tradeoffs between key policy choices. The workshop included a review of trends observed and analyzed in the existing conditions and background research and analysis as part of the project. Workshop participants discussed and prioritized potential strategies that could address concerning trends and help the community get back into alignment with values identified through the Community Canvas project.