Land Preservation Subdivisions

STEAMBOAT PILOT & TODAY

Routt County introduced the land preservation subdivision (LPS) in 1995 as a way to encourage developers to better utilize property and protect open space from future development.

A land preservation subdivision preserves agricultural land and creates additional lots within a smaller area by promoting the clustering of homes within one specific area instead of spreading them throughout a property.

The county didn't suggest a new way of subdividing property without throwing in a little incentive - it awards developers one bonus lot for every 100 acres of land they don't touch.

A landowner who wanted to develop 140 acres could divide his property into four 35-acre lots under Colorado state law. If the landowner wanted to preserve 100 of those 140 acres, he could divide the remaining 40 acres into five lots under LPS regulations.

A land preservation subdivision yields higher profits than subdivided lots when bonus lots and design savings are factored in, county planner John Eastman said.

Clustering houses also reduces construction costs. A land preservation subdivision requires fewer roads and shorter utility and water lines because development is not so scattered.

Potential buyers may find lots in a land preservation subdivision more appealing because they can live adjacent to agricultural land but do not need to bother with fencing, plowing or haying their property.

"LPS lots offer all the benefits of a rural lifestyle without the headache of owning 35-acre lots," Eastman said.

The developers who create a land preservation subdivision and the buyers who build on LPS lots are not the only people who benefit.

Clustering houses maximizes the value of property by setting aside a majority of the land for agricultural purposes.

Buyers share the open space in common and have assurance the landscape will not change, County Planning Commissioner Diane Mitsch-Bush said.

Open space in a land preservation subdivision is honored for 40 years, at which point the county can either approve or deny a request to develop the land.