SURVEY

Overall Sentiment: The rural character of Missouri Heights is highly valued by residents, with the majority considering it "Important."

Key Concerns & Threats:

• Water Availability: Long-term water availability is a "Very Concerned" issue for most respondents.

• Residential Density: "Residential development on 5 acre or smaller lots" is frequently perceived as a high or medium threat.

• Commercial/Industrial Development: "Industrial development" and "Commercial development" are consistently ranked as "High" threats to rural character.

• Dark Skies & Wildlife: "Lighting which diminishes dark sky and view of stars" and "Loss of wildlife" are also largely seen as "High" threats.

• Traffic: "Significant increases in traffic" is generally considered a "High" or "Medium" threat.

Qualities Important for Rural Character Preservation:

• Respondents consistently rated "Minimize outside lighting and dark sky preservation," "Predominantly quiet environment," "Low traffic levels," and "Wildlife protection and connectivity with open spaces" as highly important (scores of 4 or 5 out of 5).

• "Rural designed roads" also received high importance ratings.

• "Prohibition of Short-term rentals" and "Prohibition of commercial/industrial uses" were frequently rated as highly important.

Preferred Residential Density:

• The most preferred future average residential density is "Residential lots averaging 2 to 5 acres," followed by "Residential lots averaging 10 or more acres."

KMOHR Focus Areas:

• The top issues for KMOHR to focus on are "Advocating for Water Studies," "Preserving Rural Character," "Mitigating Wildfire Hazard," and "Preserving Dark Skies."

• "Ensuring Public Safety," "Coordinating with Local Government," "Monitoring Land Use," and "Tracking Land-Use Applications" are also considered important.

Funding for KMOHR:

• A "hybrid structure with dues, solicitation of project-specific contributions, and endowment" is a popular suggestion for raising funds. "Annual membership with dues" and "Solicitation of financial contributions when an issue arises" are also frequently mentioned.

Land Use Perspectives (based on a subset of responses):

• Prohibited: Many respondents believe that "Manufactured Home or Tiny Home," "Cottage Clusters," "Group Home," "Bed and Breakfast," "Campground," "Commercial Agritainment," "Commercial Agriculture, Ranching, or Silviculture" (though some would allow it by right or review), "Agricultural Support Sales and Service," "Cemetery," "Place of Assembly," "School," "Battery Energy Storage System (Utility Scale)," "Land Application of Domestic or Industrial Sludge," "Solar Farm," and "Wind Energy Conversion Systems" should be prohibited or require review/approval.

• Allowed by Right: "Detached Dwelling Unit" and "Parks (Active, Passive, Wilderness)" are often seen as allowed by right.

Demographics of Respondents:

• The majority of respondents are full-time residents of Missouri Heights, predominantly from Eagle County (though Garfield County is also well represented).

• Most have lived in Missouri Heights for "More than 15 years" or "8-15 years."

• The most common household size is "2 people."

• Their Missouri Heights home is primarily their "Primary" residence.

• Most do not own a short-term rental.

• There's mixed sentiment regarding whether County elected/appointed officials adequately protect property interests, with many expressing "Don't know" or "No."

• The most common age group is "70-79," followed by "50-59" and "60-69."