‘Dr. Cog’ offers Weld planning cure

Rapid growth in three southeastern Weld County towns is prompting discussions about increasing the area’s ties to the metro-Denver area.

Officials from Dacono, Frederick and Firestone are considering joining the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and possibly even the Regional Transportation District. The talks are coming on the heels of a residential boom that made Weld County one of the fastest-growing counties in the state and the nation in recent years.

According to U.S. Census data, Weld County’s population grew 24 percent from 2000 to 2005. During the same time, Colorado’s population grew at a rate of 6 percent.

Dacono, Firestone and Frederick – often referred to as Tri-Towns or Carbon Valley – have seen explosive growth. Residential and commercial growth in the small towns has led to a federal mandate requiring the Denver-area metropolitan planning organization to include the Weld County cities in its future plans. Denver’s metro-area planning is handled by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, known by the acronym that translates conversationally to “Doctor Cog.”

The southwest area of Weld County has been part of the Upper Front Range Transportation Planning Region. Last summer, DRCOG and the transportation planning region entered into an agreement recognizing that population growth patterns will require the Tri Towns to be part of the Denver-area planning.

“Census data indicates the southwest portion of the (transportation planning region) in Weld County is experiencing increases in population density that will relegate it to a different status in the arena of transportation planning,” read the background information. The memorandum outlined DRCOG’s requirement to include southwest Weld in its 2035 transportation plans.

‘Urbanized cluster’

According to Federal Transportation Administration requirements for MPO planning, an MPO must include any contiguous and urbanized area in its future planning. U.S. Census data from 2000 pushed portions of southwest Weld into the “urbanized cluster” designation.

“The Denver metro area is starting to urbanize into southwest Weld County,´ said Karin McGowan, policy development and communications director for DRCOG.

McGowan explained that Frederick, Firestone and Dacono must be included in the MPO’s transportation plan, but the municipalities do not have to be members of the council. Beyond the MPO duty of transportation planning, the metro agency offers paid members growth planning, data resources, training and testing for public services, services for the aging population, etc.

“Almost all of our members are members of both (the MPO and council),” McGowen said, but it is not a requirement. “We’ve been in discussions with southwest Weld County for more than a year.”

The decisions to join DRCOG as a member are still up in the air in Frederick, Firestone and Dacono.

“They’re getting to know us, and we’re getting to know them,´ said Frederick mayor Eric Doering. “We’re in the courting process.”

Council members will discuss joining at a  March 15 town board meeting, which occurred after this story went to publication. DRCOG is expected to present at the meeting.

“We’ve been looking at a variety of options,” Doering said. “It seems that DRCOG is the logical place to look.”

Doering added that he hopes the council decides to become a full member of DRCOG.

Common ground

Dacono town administrator Karen Cumbo is prepared for the inevitable inclusion in the MPO and agrees with Doering that the area should be a part of regional transportation planning.

“We have more in common with the Denver metro area than we do with Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley,” she said.

Data from DRCOG shows that Frederick, Firestone and Dacono residents are commuting more to DRCOG communities than to any other area. Except for Lochbuie, the towns had the highest percentage of DRCOG commuters than any of the communities in the study.  Just more than 82 percent of the towns’ populations were reported to be commuting into the DRCOG area.

But Dacono doesn’t appear to be as likely to become a full member.

“What is still up in the air is actually joining DRCOG,” she said. “It’s challenging for us.”

Dacono is smaller than Firestone or Frederick. According to Census data, Dacono’s 2005 population was 3,529 – an increase of about 18 percent. Compared with Firestone’s 6,410 and Frederick’s 6,620 – with more than 100 percent population growth each – Dacono is still looking to accelerate its growth.

“Our fundamental concerns deal with making our own decisions about growth and not be lost in part of a large group,” Cumbo said.

DRCOG’s growth plan, Metro Vision 2030, stresses the need for collaborative growth planning because of the impacts that extend to the region.

“DRCOG is a tremendous resource,” Cumbo said, referring to transportation planning and federal funding for road improvement. “One of Dacono’s concerns is that as a small player, we don’t stand a chance.”

Safety in numbers

Cumbo said that the processes for applying for funding alone would be daunting for the town to take on. Dacono does not have an in-house engineer, instead working with a planner on contract who is paid by the hour.

Dacono, like Frederick, is also considering joining RTD.

“Dacono is very interested in doing that,” she said.

Cumbo said that a ballot measure several years ago to approve joining the district was turned down. She feels that the interest is growing, but probably won’t be introduced to the voters this year.

Doering said that it is likely that extending RTD to southwest Weld County will likely require all three towns to join.

Firestone mayor Mike Simone and Town Administrator Cheri Andersen did not respond for comment in time for publication.

In the past few years, there have been several instances in which the Southwestern Weld towns and the county have clashed over growth planning. Just last year, consultants hired by Weld for the purpose of looking at the area’s growth suggested that officials from the towns and the county make use of a professional mediator.

Doering said that a decision to join DRCOG would not be reflective of any previous conflicts between Frederick and the county. Weld County Commissioner Doug Rademacher said that the Tri Towns’ inclusion in DRCOG would not put a rift in Weld’s growth plans, but would require some dialogue.

“The county position has always been that it’s up to the municipalities,” Rademacher said.

Rademacher said he expects there to be a work session in the near future bringing the county, municipalities and DRCOG to the table.

“The county and DRCOG will probably have some issues to iron out,” he said, citing planning and growth issues.

Joining DRCOG would not affect Weld County’s plans, which are in the preliminary stages, for a possible countywide transportation tax. The proposed regional transportation authority tax is still being changed on an almost weekly basis, Rademacher explained.

The option proposes that the RTA include all of Weld County and be funded by a half-cent or one-cent sales tax. Half of the sales-tax revenue would become part of a capital fund for projects selected by a governing board. The other half would go back to the jurisdiction of origination to be managed and accounted for.

If the southwestern Weld municipalities decided to join RTD, they would likely have to opt out of the tax.

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