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Planning Parameters

Planning parameters are descriptive statements about development intent that help shape the eventual design and land use solutions for the Gunnison Rising Master Plan. These parameters have been used as guidelines in the determination of proposed land uses. These parameters will be used as direction setting concepts for detailed site specific design and layout of individual parcels.

 Master Plan Component Parameters

 State Highway 50

      • Highway 50 bisects Gunnison Rising into two portions. For the purpose of this study, these have been identified as Gunnison Rising North and Gunnison Rising South. 

      • Access points along Highway 50 have been provided in ½ miles increments per CDOT requirements measured from Adams Street to the east. In addition, the access points to Gunnison Rising South are perpendicular to existing access points along the north side of Highway 50.

      • Approximately a total of 18-acres of right-of-way will be dedicated along both sides of Highway 50.

Residential: .25-2 dwelling units /acre

      • This land use type will be primarily single-family detached units.

      • This land use is located in the northern portions of Gunnison Rising North and contains approximately 459-acres.

      • Approximately 151 dwelling units are projected in this land use category.

      • Clustering of residential homes or the use of large lot development is proposed to allow this use to fit sensitively to the natural terrain. 

Residential:   2-5 dwelling units / acre

      • This land use type can accommodate primarily single family detached units, however, some clustering of residential units may occur in this land use category.

      • This approximately 169-acrs of land lies within Gunnison Rising North and is north of the ditch. 

      • Approximately 473 dwelling units are projected in this land use category.

      • This land use lies within Gunnison Rising North.

 Residential:   3-8 dwelling units / acre

      • This land use type will primarily accommodate smaller lot single-family development. 

      • This land use lies within Gunnison Rising South and contains approximately 97-acres. 

      • Approximately 388 dwelling units are projected in this land use category.

      • This land use is located within the eastern portion of Gunnison Rising South between the Recreational Resort land use and the Business & Research Park and Commercial land use parcels.

      • Two access points have been identified for this land use.

      • The 100-year floodplain occurs along the southern portion of this land use area. This area shall be used as a buffer/transition between developed areas and the proposed federal government property to the south. 

 Residential Village: 12 – 24.99 dwelling units / acre

      • This land use designation refers to clustered single-family, multi-family, and mixed-use development.

      • This land use lies within Gunnison Rising North and contains approximately 76-acres.

      • Approximately 426 units are projected in this land use category.

      • This land use is located south of the irrigation ditch, north of Highway 50 and east of the Commercial/Mixed-Use land use.

      • A 3-acre Civic/Park Feature has been included within this land use. 

 Recreational Resort

      • This land use will provide a variety of seasonal and year-round uses supporting the tourist industry. Uses might include a high-end recreational vehicle area, a traditional campground, and river cabins along the Tomichi Creek.

      • The existing residential home and surrounding area adjacent to the outcropping along Highway 50 is proposed to be utilized as a “Base Camp Resort” for this land use category. This might include spa amenities, some limited commercial uses, outdoor activity rentals, restaurant/café, and other uses typical for tourist based development.

      • This land use contains approximately 118-acres and is located within Gunnison Rising South.

      • It is anticipated that approximately 400 seasonal units may be accommodated with approximately 10,000 square feet of non-residential use.

 Commercial & Commercial/Mixed Use

      • A 10-acre Commercial land use area is located within Gunnison Rising South on the eastern portion adjacent to the Residential 3-8 du/ac and the Business & Research Park land use parcels.

      • Approximately 59,000 square feet of non-residential square footage is anticipated for this land use.

      • A 44-acre Commercial/Mixed Unit land use is located within Gunnison Rising North east of Western State College and west of the Residential Village 5-15 du/ac.

      • Approximately 202 residential dwelling units are projected for this land use category, in addition to approximately 174,000 square feet of non-residential square footage. The intent for this land use area is to create a village area that can accommodate residential, commercial, and office development.

      • The City’s Entrance Overlay Zone (EO) currently ends at the westerly property boundary on both sides of Highway 50, however, it is anticipated that this EO Zone will likely be extended to the east.

 Business and Research Park

      • Two Business and Research Park land use areas are proposed within Gunnison Rising South. 

      • An approximately 45-acre area is located adjacent to the airport. 

      • An approximately 79-acre area is located to the most easterly portion of the site, adjacent to the Signal Peak Industrial Park and the Residential 3-8 du/ac land use area.

      • A lower density of uses is anticipated within the Business and Research Park area to the east, whereas higher densities of uses are located adjacent to the City of Gunnison.

      • These uses provide for areas for economic development within the City of Gunnison.

 Western Pavilion/Equestrian Center and Equestrian Meadows

      • The Western Pavilion/Equestrian Center land use is located east of the Airport within Gunnison Rising South and contains approximately 20-acres.

      • The Equestrian Meadow land use is located adjacent to Highway 50 and east of the Business and Research Park land use and north of the Western Pavilion land use. The Equestrian Meadow area contains approximately 51-acres.

      • The Western Pavilion/Equestrian Center area contains the existing I-Bar Pavilion. Possible expansion of this use is anticipated in conjunction with the Equestrian Meadows.

      • It is anticipated that the Equestrian Meadow land use area will remain open with equestrian uses, i.e. horse grazing area associated with the Western Pavilion land use area. 

      • It is projected that approximately 35,000 square feet of seasonal non-residential square footage will be associated with both land uses.

US Federal Government

      • The US Federal Government land use that encompasses all of the Tomichi Creek within Gunnison Rising South contains approximately 369-acres.

      • The area currently lies within the Gunnison Rising Master Plan boundary, however this area of land will be purchased by the Bureau of Reclamation for vegetation and wildlife habitat preservation with limited public access to Tomichi Creek.

Park/Open Space, Trails and Buffer

      • In accordance with City Standards, at least 20 percent of the total gross area of Gunnison Rising is required to consist of common open space. Total open space dedication for Gunnison Rising is approximately 333-acres. 

      • The US Federal Government land use area meets the open space dedication requirement for Gunnison Rising, however, an additional 82-acres of open space has been identified within Gunnison Rising.

In addition, an extensive trail system is proposed throughout the entire site. The location of the trail system has been illustrated on the Master Plan. The exact location of this trail will be determined during the Development Plan stages of the site.

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