Project Description:

The Town of Ridgway recognized the need to update its landscape regulations to prioritize water conservation while providing greater clarity and flexibility for the community. Both the 2019 Master Plan and the 2020 Strategic Plan identified low-water landscaping as a high priority, and community members had expressed concerns about the complexity and inconsistencies in the existing code.

CPS was tasked with drafting amendments to the regulations for Planning Commission review and recommendation to Town Council. To address these challenges, CPS consolidated all scattered landscaping provisions into a single, dedicated chapter to get rid of confusion and improve consistency. The team also introduced new definitions to clarify requirements, created a comprehensive table of landscape standards organized by zoning district and by live versus non-live groundcover, and established minimum tree and shrub requirements. Together, these updates streamline the code, provide clearer guidance to property owners, and support more effective administration and enforcement by staff and decision-makers.