This chapter is designed to provide a "snapshot" of land use trends in Monument and a scenario of suitable future land use. The first section of this chapter provides an analysis of current land use patterns, while the second section examines the potential future land use opportunities in Monument.

An evaluation of available land use data provides the following characteristics of the existing land use pattern in Monument:

1. Residential development in Monument encompasses a variety of housing types, including single family, multifamily, and mobile home units. In one respect, this variety of housing types gives the Town a sense of visual and residential diversity. In another respect, visual diversity if allowed to continue unchecked, can lead to a hodgepodge of unit types and accompanying incompatibilities.

2. Detached single family dwelling units constitute the largest percentage of all housing units and the major land use category.

3. Substantial areas of vacant land exist within the corporate limits.

4. Growth is occurring in a linear pattern.

5. Existing commercial development is of two types: Highway-oriented business and local service-oriented business, including home occupations.
6. Significant portions of the Town are zoned PD (Planned Development) and are primarily vacant.
7. Monument Industrial Park is for the most part undeveloped. The accessibility to major rail and truck arteries helps make Monument an attractive area for industrial development. The location and visibility of industrial areas and the market trends in the area dictate a campus design style for industrial development, with extensive landscaping and buffering.
8. The proximity to I-25 and the current land use pattern at the I-25/Highway 105 interchange indicates that Monument has a high potential for commercial land uses.
9. The Monument Creek drainage-ways and the school grounds have the potential for additional improvements as open space and recreation sites.
10. The Town lacks an even distribution of active recreational facilities.

Map 3, Land Use Opportunities, is designed to help the Town of Monument achieve an efficient and coordinated development pattern. The map provides guidelines for the location of general categories of land uses. These locations reflect several criteria: planning issues, objectives, and policies; existing land use and capability data; growth projections; and opportunities/constraints analyses. Certain areas outside the corporate limits are included on the map because they are potentially within the Town’s urban service area. Although it was beyond the scope of this study to conduct a detailed economic analysis, the extent of land use allocations was based on anticipated growth and market demand levels for Monument.

While the Land Use Opportunities Map provides guidelines for the location of general categories of land uses, the merit of each development proposal must be evaluated in light of its design elements; more detailed site data; and the Town’s planning issues, objectives, policies and programs. The map represents one interpretation of these planning issues, goals, policies, and programs and the existing land use and capability data. Development proposals which provide better responses to these criteria should be welcomed. By stressing the planning issues, goals, policies, and programs rather than a map which provides a single solution, the Town will have the flexibility to respond to changes in the rate of growth and market demand and thus to capture the creative development which it desires.

The Land Use Opportunities Map does not replace the Zoning Map. Instead, it serves as a guideline for future zoning decisions. The principles which make up the map include:

6. RESOLUTION 22-94