Planning & Zoning Staff work closely with other county departments, including Road and Bridge, Building Safety, and Environmental Health, to assist landowners in using their property, and to enforce the adopted Land Use Code to protect surrounding property owners from incompatible land uses. The Planning Department staff is responsible for advising the Board of Commissioners, the Planning Commission, and the public on land use and development issues. The planning staff accepts and reviews all land planning applications according to the Chaffee County Land Use Code and adopted County plans. The staff also prepares updates and revisions to the County's Land Use Code for review by the Board of Commissioners to keep up with the changing values of the County's residents.
Public Hearing Packets
Information and packets related to all Planning & Zoning matters set for public hearing is linked to the scheduled hearing date within the County's CivicClerk platform.
The County's land area is approximately 649,508 acres, which is equal to approximately 1014 square miles. Of this area, a large majority is managed by various federal, state and local government entities, including the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the State Land Board, and the state Divisions of Wildlife and Corrections. Excluding the incorporated municipalities of Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs, there are approximately 120,000 acres of privately owned land in Chaffee County.
On November 19, 2024, Chaffee County officially adopted a new Land Use Code and Zoning Map. The updated Chaffee County Land Use Code went into effect January 1, 2025. You may find the Land Use Code document and a link to the zoning map on the Land Use Code subpage. For more information on the Land Use Code Rewrite Project, please visit www.TogetherChaffeeCounty.org.
Chaffee County maintains a searchable GIS map which can provide parcel-level information on zoning, floodplains, steep slopes, wildfire risk and wildlife habitat mapping, and other helpful information. This resource is available here.
Chaffee County regulates the short-term rental (STR) of residential structures for lodging purposes through a licensing program. The County's STR regulations can be found here. The current Fee Schedule for STRs can be found on the Application Forms and Fees subpage. For questions on STR licenses, contact Brandon Wolff or call 719-530-5570.
Please submit all Special Event Applications online using the Special Event Permit Application Form.
Payment of the application fee can be taken over the phone via credit card (incurs an additional $5 service fee by the card processor), paid by check in person, or mailed to the Planning Department, Attn: Special Event Permit Application, PO Box 699, Salida, CO 81201
If you have questions about Special Events, please email the Planning Department or call 719-530-5630.
A calendar list of approved Special Events and pending applications - including event dates - may be found here. This may be used as a guide for planning additional events in order to avoid conflicts. Please note that this list may not always be updated in real time, so please contact the Planning Department for additional information.
Requirements for Special Events may be found in Section 5.2.9.5 of the Chaffee County Land Use Code.