Community Builders delivered a presentation of the draft West End Vision plan at the Nov. 12 San Miguel County work session, asking county leaders to review the document during a partner review window that runs through Dec. 1 and to consider regional adoption in January. "We've engaged over 700 residents since last September over the course of 120 meetings and with the help of more than 50 local volunteers," said Mackenzie Taylor of Community Builders, summarizing the outreach that informed the plan.
The draft plan organizes community input into values, a consolidated vision and eight long‑term goals, which the consultants translated into roughly 45 strategies, 15 policy recommendations, five collaborative structures and about 16 potential projects. Taylor said the plan separates "quick wins" — low‑cost, near‑term actions such as compiling a regional resource directory and formalizing intergovernmental coordination — from "big moves" that require larger investments, like utility upgrades and establishing a West End housing entity.
Commissioners asked about how towns and counties would align development approvals. Taylor said alignment could be achieved through buffer zones or overlay districts so local town codes better apply at town boundaries instead of a one‑size‑fits‑all county standard. Commissioners also urged staff and Community Builders to coordinate with existing resource directories such as Tri County Health Network to avoid duplication.
The presentation included specific asks: Community Builders will circulate the draft and slides to commissioners, the partner review period runs through Dec. 1, community review events are planned in December, and the team will return with a final draft and a request for adoption across the five jurisdictions in January. The commissioners expressed support for the process and asked staff to circulate the materials for review before any formal action.