This is an important time in Fruita. In February 2020, the City Council formally adopted “Fruita in Motion”, the City’s 10-Year Master Plan for Growth and Development.
This plan identified the community’s goals and priorities for city planning development through 2030. The plan maps areas of the city best suited for: 1) Commercial and business development; 2) Residential single family home subdivision development; and 3) Multi-family apartment and town home complex development.
During the process of updating the master plan, the city held over 40 public meetings with city residents, seeking their input on this plan that guides city growth and development.
Shortly after the City Council adopted the Fruita in Motion Master Plan, city staff began work to align the city’s supporting Land Use Codes and Standards and the Master Circulation Plan for future city street and trail development. City staff again held public meetings for residents to share their input to the planning process.
After approving updates to the city’s Master Plans and Land Use Codes, having sought and obtained the advice and consent of city residents, City Council members now have an obligation to ensure ongoing and future development projects follow those plans.
While considering projects submitted by developers seeking to build single family residential subdivisions, rental apartments, attached town home complexes, and commercial enterprises on a given section land, council members should ask themselves two key questions: 1) Does the project conform to the type of development as charted on the city’s master plan map for that piece of land and area of the city; and 2) Will the type of development or structures to be built be compatible with neighboring property use. The answer to both questions must be yes, before the council grants its approval.
As your representative on the city council, I will always ask my fellow council members those two questions on every land development request.