Free wildflower seeds available
A project called Generation Wild from Great Outdoors Colorado is providing free wildflower seed packets at the Ouray and Ridgway public libraries, among other sites across the state.
The campaign is providing more than 100,000 packets of free seeds, called “Wilderflower” mix, named after the Generation Wild mascot, Wilder. The goal is to get kids outside, make a positive impact on the ecosystem and support pollinators.
The seed mix was developed in partnership with Applewood Seed Co. All seeds are regionally native to Colorado, which is important for sustaining the living landscape of bees, birds and other animals. The variety is selected to require less water than non-native plants.
Some flowers included in the mix are: Rocky Mountain beeplant, blanketflower gaillardia, blue flax, black-eyed Susans and narrow-leaf purple coneflower.
Altogether, the program is providing 56 million seeds for planting across Colorado.
Ouray School District to consider home purchase
The Ouray School Board will consider approving $425,000 to purchase a home in the Waterview Homes affordable housing development this week.
According to the agenda for a special meeting for the school board, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today (Thursday), the board plans on consulting with legal counsel before making a decision.
The Waterview Homes project, constructed by the Rural Homes initiative, offered the school district a chance to purchase a home for employee housing. Then the district could rent the home to a district employee who meets the income requirements.
According to Rural Homes, a resident of the home could earn up to 120% of the area median income. Here in Ouray County, a single person could earn up to $86,040, according to AMI amounts provided by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.
The project is being built just north of the Biota building off U.S. Highway 550.
County master plan deadlines extended
Ouray County residents will have more time to comment on the proposed county master plan.
Commissioners said they want to ensure the public has enough time to comment beyond the original July 17 deadline, and it is likely the public-comment period will last into September.
Commissioners said at their Tuesday meeting the public should be able to look at an actual draft document, not just conceptual slides of the draft shared at an open house on July 9. They plan to meet with the Planning Commission in August to create the draft document, so it can be released to the public.
Commissioner Lynn Padgett said members of the public contacted her, saying they had issues finding and commenting on the draft concepts shared earlier this month.
A team made up of the Ouray County Planning Commission, Land Use Department staff and consulting group KLJ Engineering has been working on the revisions to the county’s original 1999 document since February 2023, aiming to adopt the plan by the end of August. The county’s open house was the 29th meeting held on the topic since the revision began.
The proposed master plan is not widely different from the current plan. Though there are some new guidelines around rural development, emergency management, recreation and transportation, the draft reflects the public’s desire to keep zoning, development and density regulations relatively the same as it has for the past 25 years.
County Attorney Leo Caselli said the board has the authority to extend the contract with KLJ and suggested a joint work session with the Planning Commission in August to discuss the plan.
He recommended a public comment period for three weeks to a month after that draft document is released.
