Castle Rock’s development services department has not made the
grade, department director Kathleen Sellman said Jan. 6 during the
town council study session.
“The town has no official zoning map,” Sellman said, adding that
she doesn’t know why.
Sellman said this has been the case for several years.
In a memorandum she presented at the session, Sellman says that
the “development services department’s experience in 2003
demonstrates a need to focus resources even more in three basic
categories” – responsibly allocating resources such as people, time
and money to meet goals; managing and planning for growth; and
ensuring that new development complies with code and approval
conditions.
The document continues “… we learned that fragmented efforts,
spread across many activities, based upon undifferentiated
priorities, and without reliable base date, are not a recipe for
success.”
Sellman proposed steps, which would be implemented over six to
eight months, to try to bring things back on track. Her ideas
included implementing code requirements and development approval
conditions, balancing the demand for building- and
development-related services in the town’s human resources and
putting some important improvement projects on the back
burner.
Sellman said the town is ambitious regarding long-range and
special projects.
Council member Jay Richards said a town zoning map was included
in last year’s master plan, but Sellman said it was not
official.
Town manager Mark Stevens stood behind Sellman’s document,
saying that the town needs to look into making improvements to
build a solid foundation.
Council member Jack Hurd said he supports Sellman’s proposed
priorities, and council member Bill Shaneyfelt said, “Do
it.”
Sellman was given the green light for development services’ 2004
core activities. She will report back to the council in six to
eight months.