Regulations & Guidelines
Copies of the following are available in the Community Development Department:
Land Use Resolution
The regulation that governs most land development in the unincorporated areas of Gunnison County. Gunnison County established zoning in the early 1960’s, then abandoned zoning to adopt a "performance-based" (or "form-based") land use regulation in 1978. The Gunnison County Land Use Resolution evaluates applications on their ability to mitigate the impacts they create, based on locational, design, infrastructure and resource protection standards.
- Click HERE for a .pdf version of the Resolution. In its .pdf form, the document is approximately 3 MB.
The regulation that governs most land development in the unincorporated areas of Gunnison County.
See the bottom of this page for disclaimer regarding electronic versions of documents available from the Gunnison County Community Development Department.
Proposed Amendments to the Land Use Resolution
Proposed amendments to sections of the Gunnison County Land Use Resolution related to floodplain regulations, which are necessary to comply with regulatory changes in the Department of Homeland Security FEMA - National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and State of Colorado – Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) requirements; including language for adoption of the 2013 Gunnison County Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). For additional information contact the Community Development Department.
- Click HERE for a copy of the proposed amendments.
- Click HERE for a copy of the May 7, 2013 Public Hearing notice.
Amendments Adopted Since Last Printing of the Land Use Resolution
The following adopted Gunnison County Resolutions are all of the amendments to the Land Use Resolution.
ISDS Regulations
The Individual Sewage Disposal System Regulations include standards and requirements for installing an individual sewage disposal system (septic tank/leach field; composting toilet; gray water systems, etc.).Offline; amendments and reformatting of the document are ongoing. Hard copies of the current document are available in the Community Development Department.
These Regulations govern all aspects of permits, performance, location, construction, installation, maintenance, alteration, use and repair of individual sewage disposal systems (ISDS) in Gunnison County except those aspects that are specifically reserved by law solely to the State of Colorado. Whenever it is uncertain as to whether an ISDS should be reviewed under these Regulations or State regulations, the more stringent and restrictive applies.
The purpose of these Regulations is to protect public health, safety and welfare; to protect the quality of the environment; to eliminate or control the causes of diseases and infections; to reduce the pollution of the air, land and water; and to regulate waste from residences, businesses, industrial buildings and other uses. It is declared to be in the public interest to establish regulations regarding individual sewage disposal systems in Gunnison County, Colorado and to provide the authority for the administration and enforcement of such regulations.
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the current regulations.
Special Development Project Resolution
Regulations for projects of significant impact, and those that involve matters of state interest.
Gunnison Sage-grouse Regulations
Regulations included within the Gunnison County Land Use Resolution that affect development within "occupied habitat," or within 0.60 miles of a Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek.
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the Development in Gunnison Sage Grouse Habitat Information Sheet.
The Gunnison Sage-grouse, a unique species of North American grouse, is a year-around resident of Gunnison County. In 1995 local Stockgrower’s, environmental groups, Gunnison County and State and Federal agencies formed a “Local Working Group” to address concerns about the future of this species. This group presented the Gunnison Sage-grouse Conservation Plan in 1997. In response to a petition in 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Gunnison Sage-grouse as Candidate species for threatened or endangered status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA.) In 2005 the status of the species was upgraded on the Candidate list for consideration of listing.
On April, 12, 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that after review, the Gunnison Sage-grouse was not warranted for listing under the ESA, stating that threats to the species are “neither imminent nor of such magnitude that they threaten or endanger the existence of the species.”
Gunnison County is working to ensure the listing does not occur in the future. As part of that effort, regulations were adopted to guide the locations of buildings, driveways and roads, individual sewage disposal systems, and other land development activities, as much as possible, out of the bird's habitat, mating and brooding areas.
Development within 0.60 miles of a Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek, or within "occupied habitat" for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse is regulated by the Gunnison County Land Use Resolution.
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the Request for Sage-Grouse Pre-Application Conference form: If your parcel is shown on the County/division of Wildlife maps as being in Gunnison Sage-Grouse habitat, or within 0.6 miles of a Gunnison Sage-Grouse lek, you may request a pre-application conference with the County staff (and, as available, a representative from the Colorado division of Wildlife) to review your potential development design.
- Click HERE to link to the Colorado division of Wildlife's web page about the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
- Click HERE for more information about the Gunnison Sage-grouse and Gunnison County's involvement in protecting the bird.
Regulations for Oil & Gas Operations
The Gunnison County, Colorado Regulations for Oil and Gas Operations were adopted by the Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners on August 28, 2012 via Resolution #2012-25. To view, click on the appropriate portion of the resolution as follows:
Crested Butte South Special Area Regulations
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the Regulations. Regulations that govern land use in Crested Butte South subdivision, approved as a “Special Area” by the Board of Commissioners and administered by the subdivision’s property owners’ association.
North Fork Valley Coal Regulations
Regulations governing the development of coal mining operations in the North Fork Valley of Gunnison County.
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the Regulations.
Gold Basin Industrial Park Special Area Regulations
Regulations governing the use of leased sites in the Gold Basin Industrial Park Special Area south of Gunnison.
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the Gold Basin Industrial Park Special Area Regulations.
Guidelines for Reviewing Land Use Change Permit Applications Within the Gunnison Three-Mile Area
Gunnison County and the City of Gunnison have adopted an intergovernmental agreement concerning land uses within the three-mile area outside the city limits of Gunnison. The agreement required that the County's review of Land Use Change Permit applications proposed within that three-mile area include a defined review by the City. While the City does not have "veto power" over those applications, its review and recommendation carries significant weight in the County's review. The two Planning Commissions, in July, 2003, defined and agreed to a review process.
- Click HERE for a .pdf copy of the Guidelines for Reviewing Land Use Change Permit Applications Within the Gunnison Three-Mile Area.
"Are You Firewise?": Guidelines for Protecting Against Wildfire
- Click HERE for a copy of the Colorado State Forest Service's guidelines for protecting your home against wildfire.
Upper Crystal River Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan
- Click HERE for a copy of the Upper Crystal River Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Contact Information
Blackstock Government Center
221 N. Wisconsin Street
Gunnison, CO 81230
Phone: (970) 641-0360
Fax: (970) 641-8585
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