What better way to ring in the New Year than by providing input on the future of Glenwood Springs in the year to come?

That’s exactly the opportunity that residents have — now through Jan. 6 — to give their initial comments on the draft Comprehensive Plan.

People typically don’t get excited about such things — it’s far too easy to think about them as merely bureaucratic documents — but they can often play a key role in how we grow and what we prioritize as a community.

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And, for better or worse, it is a lot easier to have a say during the development of the comprehensive plan than it is after the fact. Think about all the times you have heard or felt yourself that you didn’t get a say until it was too late to change something. Weighing in on the comprehensive plan is a great way to avoid that feeling in the future.

The draft plan itself is the result of considerable community outreach and input, which began in summer 2021 with a community survey, followed by numerous open houses. Critical to the process has been working of the Glenwood Springs Planning Commision, a resident board that “is responsible for reviewing and providing recommendations to City Council regarding zoning, annexations, large public and private projects and other activities that involve long-range planning. This commission also makes decisions on certain development proposals.” 

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We think it is also important to note the work undertaken by the city of Glenwood Springs to reach out to our Latino community members as part of this process, as well. 

That process helped identify a range of themes: the importance of open space, community resilience in the face of recurring interstate closures, completing the Sixth Street master plan, further programming for community youth and more. 

From these themes, the comprehensive plan then dives into challenges and what a vision and accompanying goals could look like for Glenwood Springs. Some of the goals in the draft plan are promoting long-term sustainability and diverse economic development, addressing transportation needs, support social diversity, preserve cultural resources and many others.

While only a draft document, we think it lives up to its name: comprehensive plan.

But, perhaps there’s something you want to further emphasize or a concern that was somehow missed: You can still have your say on this important guiding document by going to the online comment form set up by city staff on SurveyMonkey.

Doing so is a great opportunity to have your say in the future of our community, and that’s something we wholeheartedly support.

The Post Independent editorial board members are Publisher Peter Baumann, Managing Editor/Senior Reporter John Stroud and community representatives Mark Fishbein and Danielle Becker.