Conclusion

It is important for you to know that life in rural mountainous country is different from life in the city. Our County government strives to offer rural residents the best services possible, but are not able to provide the same level of service that city governments provide. To that end, we are providing you with the following information to help you make an educated and informed decision to purchase property in this beautiful area.

ACCESS ISSUES

Just because a road or trail is there does not mean you have a legal right to use it. If you gain access across property belonging to others, it is wise to obtain legal advice and understand the easements that may be necessary for the use of this access.

School buses travel only on maintained county roads that have been designated as school bus routes by the school district. You may need to drive your children to the nearest school bus stop so they can get to school.

Make sure you know what type of maintenance to expect and who will provide that maintenance. Clear Creek County maintains approximately 200 miles of roads, but there are several County or Public roads with no maintenance at all - no grading or snow plowing! The maintenance of some roads are the responsibility of the landowners who use those roads or homeowners associations.

In extreme weather, even county maintained roads can become impassable. Tire chains are a necessity for all vehicles. You may need a four wheel drive vehicle with chains for all four wheels to travel during those episodes, which could last for several days. Please note it takes time to make roads passable during inclement weather conditions. Your road may not be the first on the list - have patience - and adjust your driving speed to suit the road conditions. Check with the County Road and Bridge Department for information on maintenance of your road.

Natural disasters, such as floods, can destroy roads. Clear Creek County will repair and maintain county roads, however, residents served by private roads and/or bridges could be hit with large bills for repairs and/or reconstruction after natural disasters.

All of the roads in Clear Creek County are in mountainous terrain and most are unpaved. Unpaved roads generate dust, this is a fact of life for rural residents. Unpaved roads are rarely smooth and are often slippery when they are wet. You will experience an increase in vehicle maintenance costs when you regularly travel on unpaved roads.

Mail delivery is not available to all areas of the county. You may need a post office box in the nearest community to receive mail. Ask the local postmaster what type of delivery you may expect.

Newspaper delivery is similarly not always available to remote areas. Check with the newspaper of your choice before assuming you can get delivery.

Standard parcel and overnight package delivery can also be a problem for those who live in rural areas. Confirm with the service provider as to your status.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

WATER CONSIDERATIONS

If you have access to a supply of treated domestic water, the tap fees can be expensive. You may also find that your monthly cost of service can be more expensive when compared to municipal systems.

If you do not have access to a supply of treated domestic water, you will have to locate an alternative supply. The most common method is use of a water well. Permits for wells are granted by the state engineer and the cost for drilling and pumping can be considerable. The quality and quantity of well water can vary considerably from location to location and from season to season. It is strongly advised that you research this issue very carefully.

Not all wells can be used for watering of landscaping and/or livestock. Permits from the state engineer may restrict water to use within the house. If you have other needs, make certain that you have the proper approvals before you invest. It may also be difficult to find enough water to provide for your needs even if you can secure the proper permit.

If there is water flowing through your property, you can not assume you have the right to use it. Water rights that are sold with the property may not give you the right to use the water without coordinating with a neighbor who also uses the water. Other users may have senior rights to the water that can limit your use or require you to pay for the over sizing or other improvements.

If you have water flowing across your property there is a good possibility that the owners of the ditch have the right to come onto your property with heavy equipment to maintain the ditch.

It is important to make sure that any water rights you purchase with the land will provide enough water to meet your needs.

What appears to be a dry gully could become a river during the summer months. Flowing water can be a hazard, especially to young children. Before you decide to locate your home near a dry gully or an active ditch, consider the possible danger to your family.                                                                                 

Sewer, electric, gas, telephone, and other services may be unavailable or may not operate at urban standards. Please review your options prior to purchasing property.

If sewer service is available to your property, it may be expensive to hook into the system and repairs may take longer and be more costly than in a town or city.

If sewer service is not available, you will need to use a County approved treatment process. The most common treatment process is a septic tank and leach field. The type of soil available for a leach field will be very important in determining the cost and function of your system. You should have the system checked annually by a reliable sanitation firm and/or a qualified engineer.

Septic systems may be adversely affected by previous mining activities and it may be necessary to hire an environmental engineering firm.

Electric service is not available to every area of Clear Creek County. It can be very expensive to extend power lines to remote areas, so you may wish to consider an alternative power supply such as solar energy.

It may be necessary to cross property owned by others in order to extend electric service (and other utilities) to your property in the most cost efficient manner. It is important to make sure that the proper easements are in place to allow lines to be built to your property.

If you are purchasing land with the plan to build at a future date, there is a possibility that electric lines (and other utilities) may not be large enough to accommodate you if others connect during the time you wait to build. Check with the provider before purchasing property.

If power is available, the cost is usually divided into a fee to hook into the system and then a monthly charge for energy consumed. You should know both costs before making a decision to purchase a specific piece of property. If you have special power requirements, you should know what level of service can be provided to your property.

Power outages can occur in outlying areas with more frequency than in more developed areas. A loss of electric power can also interrupt your supply of water from a well (your pump won’t work). You may also lose food in freezers or refrigerators and power outages can cause problems with phones and computers as well. It is important to be able to survive for up to a week in severe cold with no utilities if you live in a remote area.

Natural gas is not available in all areas of Clear Creek County. Many residents use propane for heating their homes, although wood burning and solar energy are also very popular. Propane trucks can only access your home if your driveway is clear and safe for large trucks. Plan ahead and order propane and wood before snow makes roads impassable. Consider all your options before purchasing property.

Telephone communications can be a problem, especially in remote areas of Clear Creek County. Service may be expensive and take months to receive, depending on the location of your property. Call the phone company well ahead of building or moving to ascertain availability and cost of service. If you have a private line, it may be difficult to obtain another line for FAX or computer uses.

Cellular phones do not work in all areas. Check with your cellular provider to determine specific coverage areas.

Trash removal can be much more expensive in a rural area than in a city. Trash removal is not available in all areas and your only option may be to haul your trash to the transfer station yourself. It is illegal to create your own trash dump, even on your own land. Clear Creek County enforces junk and rubbish regulations.

Recycling is more difficult because pick-up is not available in most areas. Clear Creek County encourages recycling, so please check with the local disposal services for recycling options.    

Mining has been a major economic activity in this area since 1859. It has affected the quality, accessibility, size and shape of land parcels. If you are considering the purchase of a mining claim, there are some things you should consider:

Surface rights and mineral rights may be separate. Many property owners do not own the mineral rights under their property. Owners of mineral rights have the ability to change the surface characteristics in order to extract their minerals. It is very important to know what minerals may be located under the land and who owns them.

Most of the rural land in Clear Creek County can be used for mining. Be aware that adjacent mining uses can expand and cause off-site impacts.

Mining claims often overlap each other. This could severely limit any surface rights you may have. The Bureau of Land Management can help you determine which claims have surface priority.

Mining claims may have very primitive (or no) access. Thorough research must be done to verify access to a mining claim.

Mining claims in Clear Creek County are zoned. Check with the Clear Creek County Planning Department to verify permitted uses on a particular mining claim. Ownership of the land does not guarantee you the right to build a residence.

Mineralized areas sometimes have water of questionable quality. Some mining claims have tailings or dumps which could contain toxic substances. It is wise to have your well water and soil tested. Permits may be required for the discharge of any water from tunnels, tailings and dumps, even if the mine is inactive.

Open shafts and tunnels from previous mining activity can be extremely dangerous and the owner of the claim is liable for them. Owners may also be responsible for the clean up of any previous mining activities, which may be extremely expensive.                                                                            

CONSIDERATIONS FOR PURCHASING VACANT LAND

There are many issues that can affect your property. It is important to research these items before purchasing vacant land.

Not all lots are buildable. The Clear Creek County Assessor has many parcels that are separate for the purpose of taxation that are not legal lots in the sense that a building permit will not be issued. You must check with the Clear Creek County Planning Department to know that a piece of land can be built on.

Easements may require you to allow construction of roads, power lines, water lines, sewer lines, etc. across your land. There may be easements that are not of record. Check these issues carefully.

You may be provided with a plat of your property, but unless the land has been surveyed and pins placed by a licensed surveyor, you cannot assume that the plat is accurate.

Fences that separate properties are often misaligned with the property lines. A survey of the land is the only way to confirm the location of your property lines.

Many subdivisions and planned developments have covenants that limit the use of the property. It is important to obtain a copy of the covenants (or confirm that there are none) and make sure that you can live with those rules. Also, a lack of covenants can cause problems between neighbors.

In some areas homeowners associations (HOAs) are required to take care of common elements, roads, open space, etc. A dysfunctional homeowners association or poor covenants can cause problems for you and even involve you in expensive litigation.

Dues are almost always a requirement for those areas with a HOA. The by-laws of the HOA will tell you how the organization operates and how the dues are set.

The surrounding properties will probably not remain as they are indefinitely. You can check with the Clear Creek County Planning Department to find out how the properties are zoned and to see what future developments may be in the planning stage. The view from your property may also change.    

Residents of the mountains usually experience more problems when the elements and the earth turn unfriendly.

The physical characteristics of your property can be positive and negative. Trees are a wonderful environmental amenity, but can also involve your home in a forest fire. Building at the top of a forested draw should be considered as dangerous as building in a flash flood area. Defensible perimeters are very helpful in protecting buildings from forest fire and inversely can protect the forest from igniting if your house catches on fire. If you start a forest fire, you are responsible for paying for the cost of extinguishing that fire. For further information, you can contact the Clear Creek County Development Site Inspector or the Colorado State Forest Service.

Steep slopes can slide in unusually wet weather. Large rocks can also roll down steep slopes and present a great danger to people and property.

Expansive soils, such as Bentonite Clay (which is common in the foothills) can buckle concrete foundations and twist steel I-beams. You can know the soil conditions on your property if you have a soil test performed.

North facing slopes or canyons rarely see direct sunlight in the winter. There is a possibility that snow will accumulate and not melt throughout the winter.

The topography of the land can tell you where the water will go in the case of heavy precipitation. When property owners fill in ravines, they have found that the water that drained through that ravine now drains through their house, or their neighbors house.

A flash flood can occur, especially during the summer months, and turn a dry gully into a river. It is wise to take this possibility into consideration when building.

Spring run-off can cause a very small creek to become a major river. Many residents use sand bags to protect their homes. The county does not provide sand bags, equipment or people to protect private property from                           flooding.        

Nature can provide you with some wonderful neighbors. Clear Creek County is home to elk, deer, big horn sheep, bear, mountain lion and the usual small mammals of the forest. Keep in mind that this is their home - you are a guest in their midst. Respect the rights of wild animals and take precautions to avoid undesirable encounters.

Do not feed the animals. Although you may think you are helping them you are not, and you may be creating a potentially dangerous and unlawful situation.

Be on the look out for animals on the roads, especially at night. Enjoy wildlife from a distance and control your pets.

Dispose of trash in closed animal proof containers and remove the containers from your property weekly.

Do not leave pet food outdoors and do not leave pets (especially small ones) on chains or ropes if you are going to be away from your property.

Dogs found to be harassing wildlife may be shot by an Animal Control Officer or Wildlife Officers.

Licenses are required for dogs and may be obtained from the Animal Control Office.

Keeping horses, llamas, and smaller livestock is common in the County. Check with the Planning Department to make sure your property is properly zoned for these animals.

Trapping, fishing and hunting are forbidden without permits and is only allowed in certain areas during certain seasons. For information on licenses and permits, contact the Division of Wildlife.                  

PUBLIC LANDS & RECREATION

Parks in rural areas do not provide the range of services/amenities found in urban parks. Access to utilities, particularly water, in remote locations may limit the types and extent of development that may realistically occur.

Several miles of trails beckon hikers, bikers, horseback riders and four wheelers to enjoy the local landscape. Most trails allowing legal or authorized access can be identified by checking with the U.S. Forest Service’s district office in Idaho Springs.

Some trails have been created through casual use over time and may enable illegal access or trespass on public or private land; use of these types of trails is discouraged. Again, please check with the U.S. Forest Service or other appropriate agency.       

COMMUNITY SERVICE

A rural area like Clear Creek County cannot provide all of the services that urban areas do. We rely on the participation of our residents to provide many services which would otherwise be unavailable. While some of the agencies have paid staff, most of the fire, ambulance and search and rescue services are provided by volunteers. These people are highly trained professionals and the agencies are very well equipped. We urge all Clear Creek County citizens to make a commitment to enhancing our quality of life by volunteering in our communities. Some organizations you may want to contact are:

Fire Departments and Ambulance Associations
Clear Creek County Advocates
Local historic societies
The Senior Center
Elks Lodge
Local libraries and churches
4-H Club
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts
Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District
Other organizations which are frequently listed in the local newspapers

There are also several opportunities to serve on various boards, committees, and task forces for the County and the Clear Creek School District. The school district also encourages volunteers for classroom assistance and clerical duties.                                                                                         

CONCLUSION

Even though you pay property taxes to the county, the amount of tax collected does not cover the cost of the services provided to rural residents. In Clear Creek County, the mining industry, through taxes and services to our citizens, subsidizes the lifestyle of those who live in the country by making up the shortfall between the cost of services and the revenues received from rural dwellers. Tough times usually follow when the mining industry goes into decline.

This information is by no means exhaustive. There are other issues that you may encounter that we have overlooked and we encourage you to be vigilant in your duties to explore and examine those things that could cause your move to be less than you expect.

We have offered these comments in the sincere hope that it can help you enjoy your decision to reside in our county. It is not our intent to dissuade you, only inform you.

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