FAQs

Weld County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Colorado. The County Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 2020 and much has changed since then. The comprehensive plan helps the county plan for future growth, balance development with agricultural preservation, guide infrastructure investments, and maintain our unique rural and community character. The comprehensive plan is a guide for Weld County to ensure development and growth are consistent with the vision and priorities of the community.

Work on this guide began in Fall 2025 and is anticipated that the plan will be adopted by the end of 2026.

The comprehensive plan will be developed with input from Weld County farmers and ranchers, residents, business owners, municipal leaders, elected officials, and other stakeholders through public workshops, surveys, and advisory groups. County staff and the consultant team will engage with numerous stakeholder groups in the community, including a series of focus group conversations with technical experts on a variety of plan topics.

A working group will provide guidance and high-level perspective throughout the life of the project. We will have several opportunities for the general community to participate, both online and in-person, including open houses, surveys, and community events. 

We hope to see you at one of the community workshops in the coming months and look forward to your participation! Stay tuned to this webpage and our social media channels for updates on how to get involved. 

The comprehensive plan is a policy document and does not change any existing zoning designations. It serves as a guide for the community, staff, and decision-makers for evaluating future development.

A Future Land Use Map (FLUM) depicts the future land use categories that will be reflected in the plan. Those categories are general in nature (industrial rather than residential, for example). The county’s zoning map indicates each property’s zoning, which is regulatory and more specific. The county’s zoning code lists the uses allowed in each zone district, as well as setbacks and other regulations. A FLUM guides, but does not dictate, future changes to the zoning map.

The comprehensive plan is a vision and policy guide, not legal regulation. It is aspirational and does not change the regulatory zoning on a property. Zoning regulations are the laws that control what can be built and where. The plan provides the foundation to guide future land-use decisions and is incrementally implemented when property owners seek rezoning permission.

Community input is essential to shape the vision and values represented in this plan for the unincorporated areas and prioritize infrastructure investments that interface with municipalities. The comprehensive plan may shape decisions about where different types of development or ag preservation are desired.