Introduction to the Key Land Use Concepts

The following section describes the key land use concepts as shown in the Future Land Use Plan (see Chapter 3 of ShapeCheyenne). The plan identifies land uses and a pattern for development of the Cheyenne Area in the future. The plan illustrates the distribution of residential, business and industry, mixed-use, and public or civic land uses. In addition, it is intended to lead to development of future places with the following characteristics:

1. Urban development focused within an Urban Service Boundary;


2. Balanced mix of housing and jobs;


3. Neighborhoods with housing choices;


4. Variety of vital "Activity Centers;"


5. System of parks throughout our neighborhoods and community;


6. Connected transportation system;


7. Viable agricultural and rural lands;


8. Natural/cultural resource conservation;


9. Attractive community gateways and Interstate corridors; and


10. Flexibility in land use categories.

1—Urban Service Boundary

The plan illustrates an Urban Service Boundary (USB), which is the major growth area for the community. Generally, the USB follows the sewerable boundary where water and sewer can be provided. Most urban development will occur within this area. While a majority of the land within the Urban Service Boundary is already developed in the City of Cheyenne, a considerable amount of vacant land still remains within the USB that will become the community's future neighborhoods. New urban residential neighborhoods, within supporting businesses and services, will be directed into this area that is generally contiguous with existing development.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about the Urban Service Boundary

See Principles and Policies in Chapter 2, 1: Growing as a Community of Choice. See Future Land Use Plan map in Chapter 3.

2—Balanced mix of land use types (Housing and Jobs)

The plan includes lands for future residential neighborhoods and employment and service areas in a balanced manner—to meet the needs for growth over the next 25 years and beyond. The city and county will periodically review the plan to determine if the balance of land uses continues to be appropriate.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Balanced Mix of Land Uses

See Principles and Policies in Chapter 2, 1: Growing as a Community of Choice. See Future land Use Plan in Chapter 3.

3—Neighborhoods with Residential Choices

Neighborhoods are the building blocks of the Cheyenne community, as described in the "Foundations" chapter, and as shown on the Future Land Use Plan. The plan encourages future residential development to occur in urban neighborhoods with a variety of housing choices and other amenities.

The plan still provides an option for rural residential development, but this type of development is not preferred because of the costs to serve it. To the north of the city some large lot residential (residential development on 5-10 acre lots) will continue to take place, but the city and county encourage clustered development. Agriculture may continue in this area also, although at a lesser scale.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Information about Neighborhoods and Housing

See Principles and Policies in Chapter 2, 2: Creating Livable "Hometown" Neighborhoods. See Chapter 3, Land Use Plan: categories under Agriculture and Rural, Urban Residential, and Mixed‐Use Types, including Urban Neighborhood Development Principles, and Future Land Use Plan map.

4—Variety of Vital "Activity Centers"

One of the key concepts of the plan is the notion of mixed-use activity centers. These are places designed to be pedestrian-oriented, with high quality of design and cohesive site development, and with a mix of complementary uses, such as retail services and higher density housing (even loft style apartments).

The plan identifies different kinds of future "activity centers" for services and businesses and employment (see Future Land Use Plan). Activity centers range from small retail services near housing—Neighborhood Business Centers (which are not shown on the plan), to Mixed-Use Commercial Activity Centers, to larger centers for Community and Regional-scale Commercial and Employment.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Activity Centers

See policies in Chapter 2, 3: Fostering a Vital Economy and Activity Centers. See Chapter 3, Land Use Plan: categories under Mixed‐Use, and Business and Industry Types, including Criteria for Activity Centers and Mixed‐ Use Design Principles.

5—Connected and Coordinated Transportation System with Future Transit Corridors

The plan promotes land use patterns in the Urban Growth Boundary that are conducive to supporting a variety of transportation alternatives and mobility in the community. For example, the mixed-use activity centers should include a mix of compatible land uses and be designed to be safe and comfortable for pedestrians and should be located along future transit corridors. Developing land use patterns that are more mixed can allow people to live in neighborhoods where they are able to drive shorter distances to services and jobs, and where they may be more inclined to walk, ride a bike, or use transit.

This plan addresses road hierarchy network and necessary transportation improvements and recommends reserving future rights-ofway for future major streets (as shown on the Future Land Use Plan and transportation plans) so streets will be connected and efficient. This Plan and the Transportation plan also propose a looped trail system enhancing the Greenway trails system.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Transportation

See policies in Chapter 2—4: Developing a Connected and Diverse Transportation System. See Cheyenne Transportation Master Plan.

6—System of Connected Parks throughout our Neighborhoods and Community

A parks and open space system is made of numerous types of parks, open space and recreational facilities and amenities that are important to the Cheyenne area's identity and livability. The Greenway and connecting trails are also important. This Plan generally describes the desired location, design, and types of parks and recreation facilities that should be planned and constructed in our community. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan provides more detail.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Parks, Recreation and Trails.

See policies in Chapter 2—6: Celebrating a Legacy of Parks and Open Space. See Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

7—Viable Agricultural and Ranch Lands

The plan illustrates part of the Cheyenne area to the south of the Urban Service Boundary that should promote agricultural and rangeland and cropland conservation. This is the area where large parcels are largely held by a few landowners and where ranching is currently taking place. In the future, some large lot residential (35 acre+ subdivisions or clustering) could occur, but the primary activity will continue to be ranching and agriculture. This plan strives to maintain and strengthen the viability of these economic activities. The plan also encourages clustering development, rather than dispersed development. Landowners can also transfer development from one portion of a property to delineated "receiving areas" within the Urban Service Boundary to conserve open space and maximize efficiency of utilities and roads.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Agriculture and Ranch Lands

See policies in Chapter 2, 3: Fostering a Vital Economy and Activity Centers, and 5: Celebrating our Character and Varied Heritages. See Chapter 3, Land Use Plan: categories under Agriculture and Rural Type, including Rural Design Principles and Future Land Use Plan map.

8—Natural/Cultural Resource Conservation

The Future Land Use Plan identifies Natural/Cultural Resource Areas in several locations:

• Land adjacent to the U.S.D.A. Research Station and west of F.E. Warren Air Force Base;


• The northeast corner within the Cheyenne Planning Boundary; and


• Along the ridgelines, steep slopes and Crow Creek south of the city and east of I-25 and the Gateway Planning District.

These areas are presently undeveloped lands rich with natural and cultural values, including ridgelines, creeks and riparian areas, prairie landscapes, historic ranchlands and structures, and wildlife habitat. In some cases, they may also include natural hazard areas, such as steep slopes or floodplains. This plan promotes conserving these areas and designing development to protect the resources and integrate into the landscape. Floodplains and other hazard areas should be kept free of development to the maximum extent feasible. The plan policies and strategies will chart the course for using a combination of voluntary and mandatory techniques that are fair to landowners, but that accomplish the goals of steering development away from resources or carefully designing it to minimize impacts.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Natural and Cultural Resource Conservation

See policies in Chapter 2, 5: Celebrating our Character and Varied Heritages. See Chapter 3, Future Land Use Plan map.

9—Attractive Gateways and Interstate Corridors

The plan shows "green" buffers along the interstate corridor in the location of gateways identified on the Structure Plan. The intent is to keep development away from the interstates to the extent possible, or design it in such a way to minimize marring the visual quality of the community's regional gateways. This is also the area where the community will focus its investment in public right-of-way improvements, such as landscaping or signage. Regional gateways are generally located at interchanges and other primary entrance points for the Cheyenne community. The Structure Plan shows the major regional gateways as well as community and district gateways.

ShapeCheyenne: Where to Find Information about Land Use Categories and Interpreting the Plan

See Chapter 3.

10—Flexible Land Use Categories

The Future Land Use Plan does not predetermine land uses or densities for given parcels of land. Instead, it illustrates general categories with preferred character types and policies and criteria to describe the interest in creating a mix of uses and compatible densities within new neighborhoods. This allows more creative and efficient use of land according to this plan's principles and policies. The plan includes criteria to locate activity centers, including mixed-use centers.

For properties that are greater than five acres in contiguous ownership and where mixed-use activity centers are proposed, the city and county encourage a developer to create a mixed-use concept plan prior to development review to ensure the mix of uses is compatible with surrounding uses and achieves the desired overall mix. This Plan recommends incentives for projects to conform to plan foundations.