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South Ark Neighborhood Plan
A Vision for the City-Owned Portion of the Former Vandaveer Ranch

The City of Salida is embarking on a community process to create an ideal site plan and update regulations for the approximately 100 acres of City-owned land along the South Arkansas River south of Highway 50 (previously known as a portion of the Vandaveer Ranch Planned Development/property).
Where Is It Located?
The area currently being planned includes approximately 100 acres of land, ~40 acres of which is intended to remain as open space for natural processes and passive recreation areas (shaded green areas along the river within the floodplain and along the hillside where the frisbee golf course is currently located.)
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The planning area does not include other portions of the original Vandaveer Ranch Overall Development Plan (VPA-2 through VPA-5) which were sold to private entities several years ago. The map on the right depicts the current entitlements (what’s currently allowed to be developed) for these areas.
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This plan will update entitlements for the City of Salida owned properties (VPA-1, VPA-7, VPA-8 through VPA-9) to reflect the final conceptual design arrived at through this planning process.
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Heart of the Rockies Disc Golf Course
Public Engagement Opportunities / Results
Master Plan Alternatives - Summary July 31, 2023
What Might It Include?
This land has outstanding potential to create a new neighborhood and area that will serve the community of Salida for future generations. It is anticipated that, at a minimum, the site will provide passive and active recreation opportunities and new housing options. The types of recreation and housing, along with other potential uses, will be explored with the community and tested to determine if there is enough land to accommodate all desired uses, and to ensure that what is identified is feasible (i.e. that the city or private developers can build it.)
A Note About Recreation:
Plans for other parks within Salida's system will have a bearing on what may best be located in the South Ark Neighborhood. The City’s Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Trails (PROST) Master Plan (2020) includes long-term concept plans for Centennial and Marvin Parks:
Centennial Park
- Outdoor soaking pools
- Potential expansion of Aquatic Center to include a Community / Recreation Center.
- Retaining tennis courts, playgrounds, skateparks, and recently constructed splashpad on-site.
Marvin Park
- Relocation of City's baseball fields to different location
- Conversion of park to more passive recreation space along river.
- Providing enhanced river access for fishing and boating.
- Hockey Rink? Community / Recreation Center?
Conversations in this planning process will include the potential to relocate some (or all) of the baseball fields to the South Ark Neighborhood site or another location in the city. It also shows a future South Arkansas River Trail and connection through the site to CR 107 to connect to the Methodist Mountain trails system For more information click PROST MASTER PLAN .
A Note About Housing:
The 2022 Chaffee County Housing Needs Assessment indicates significant housing needs to support the local workforce and retirees over the next 5 years:
- 1,105 Housing Units Total
- 755 for Workforce
- 350 for Local Retirees
- 690 in Salida Specifically
- 415 Rental Units (most of which to serve low-to-moderate incomes)
- 275 For-Sale Units (also for a mix of incomes)
This neighborhood plan will take into account the housing assessment and future market conditions. For more information click HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT .
PROJECT TIMELINE/HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Haven’t we already done some master planning processes for this site?
Previous planning efforts for the “Vandaveer Ranch” have been conducted; however those plans have not been realized for a variety of reasons. Here is a brief timeline of related events:
2004
Aprox. 200 acres of Vandaveer Ranch Purchased by City of Salida
2006
1st Overall Development Plan (ODP) created for the area
2008-2010
Great Recession
2011
ODP Amended
2011 / 2012
Property transferred to quasi-governmental Salida Natural Resource Center Development Corp. (SNRCDC) to administer.
2017 / 2018
Over half of original area (on eastern side, mostly along Hwy. 50) sold to private developers.
2018
Remaining ~100 acres on western side of ODP transferred back to City of Salida.
This current master plan aims to go well-beyond what previous planning processes have done. In addition to looking at specific housing and recreation opportunities, etc. this process will also look at everything from topographic and hydrological constraints to preliminary engineering for water and wastewater lines (there are currently none within the site), street profiles, current market analyses, and to create a plan that can be marketed to a developer (or developers) that can implement it in a timely and cost-effective fashion.
Tuesday Jan. 31, 2023 @ 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Open House @ Salida SteamPlant Free light snacks and refreshments, plus cash bar. Childcare provided for children 1+ and walking.
March 27th - 30th
Site Tour #1 March 27th 12pm - 1pm @ Eastern Entrance to site on CR 104 Site Tour #2 March 27th 3pm - 4pm @ Eastern Entrance to site on CR 104 Site Tour #3 March 28th 2pm - 3pm @ Eastern Entrance to site on CR 104 Community Workshop #1 March 28th 11:30am - 1pm @ SteamPlant Ballroom Community Workshop #2 March 28th 5:30pm - 7:30pm @ Salida High School Auditorium Open House March 30th 5:30pm - 7:30pm @ SteamPlant Ballroom
Open House #1
Design Charrette & Open House #2
For More Information Contact: Bill Almquist - bill.almquist@cityofsalida.com
Join the South Ark Neighborhood Plan Facebook page to stay informed in the process.
The Site
Background Information and Maps
Final Plan
Come back for more information. We will include final deliverables and additional marketing materials.