Looking to the future: Mesa County’s new master plan is almost done

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Mesa County has undergone rapid change in a very short amount of time. Substantial growth in recreation and tourism, rising population, and a diversifying economy bring with them the winds of change.

To prepare for the future, the county is revising its master plan to promote orderly growth. The plan Mesa County has used for the past several decades was created in 1996 and has been revised on a few occasions, but Mesa County says that times are changing and bringing new opportunities.

In order to use those opportunities, the county says it must change its approach. In a mostly-complete draft of proposed changes, Mesa County said, “The previous Mesa County Master Plan, adopted in 1996, is no longer conductive for fostering economic resilience and sustaining qualities necessary to create a desirable place to live, work, and visit.”

“The communities and lands of Mesa County have changed dramatically over the last few decades. With a history of boom and bust cycles in the energy industry, rapid growth in the region and increasing popularity of high desert recreation, Mesa County is facing new horizons,” continued the county.

According to the draft, the master plan is designed to give the county and residents a vision and framework for how the land and people of Mesa County will develop in the next five to 10 years.

The master plan is currently 95 percent complete. At the moment, the plan is available for public comment. Additionally, two open houses will take place on April 27 and May 2 at 200 S. Spruce Street in Grand Junction. If you want to make your opinions on the new plan heard, that’s the time to do it.

More information on the plan can be found at the Mesa Together website.

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