Overview
Since the City of Cody was incorporated in 1901, the it has grown into the thriving western community it is today. Cody’s growth has been steady over the past 20 years, as illustrated by the 1990 Census population of 7,897, the 2000 Census population of 8,835, the 2010 Census population of 9,520, and the current estimated population of approximately 10,000.
After decades of consistent growth, Cody has a strong economic and residential base. A important decision lies in how to best supplement, strengthen, and preserve the existing base while continuing to encourage and support an expanding and vital economy. Cody must consider the impacts, benefits, and opportunities for future growth, infill development, affordable housing, recreational opportunities, environmental considerations, and year-round tourism destination to the local economy.
A great deal of thoughtful work went into creating the initial 1997 Master Plan, which has been the community’s strategic long-term vision for guiding the Cody's long-term growth. Cody has successfully accomplished several of the goals outlined in the 1997 Master Plan.
As stated in the 1997 Master Plan, “Visions for the future of Cody must be dynamic and evolve as the City of Cody evolves.”
Cody is a community that continues to be interested in supporting good urban form, protecting its distinctive Western character, and balancing the desires of individual citizens with the realities of maintaining and enhancing the living environment of the community. Many elements of the 1997 Master Plan are still relevant today, and the update built on these strengths.
Updates to the existing plan focused on the following areas:
What is the Master Plan?
The Master Plan is a document that states Cody’s values, vision for itself, opportunities for achieving the vision, and goals and actions for the future. The Master Plan will guide investment, policy, and land use decisions in Cody for the future. The Plan relies on broad public input to be truly representative of public interests and desires.
The Plan addressed the following topics:
Why does the Master Plan matter?
The Master Plan influences policies that have a direct bearing on the quality of life in Cody. City leaders look to the Master Plan for direction on land use, transportation, housing, parks, trails, and open space, and community economic issues.
Who uses the Master Plan?
The Master Plan is designed to be used by anyone interested in the future of Cody and can be useful in different ways by different groups:
How is the Master Plan used?
The Master Plan provides basic guidance for land use decisions and public improvements, promoting community development in ways that foster prosperity for current and future residents. As an adopted City document, decision-makers will refer to the Master Plan when budgeting and scheduling capital improvements, and in the preparation of zoning, subdivision and other development regulations.
What does the Master Plan recommend?
The recommendations of the Master Plan begin with a vision based on the values identified in the Cody 2020 Community Values report. The vision sets forth broad principles to guide the future of the City's development and serves as the foundation for more specific recommendations. Based on these principles, detailed policies and action items outline how the vision can be realized.
After decades of consistent growth, Cody has a strong economic and residential base. A important decision lies in how to best supplement, strengthen, and preserve the existing base while continuing to encourage and support an expanding and vital economy. Cody must consider the impacts, benefits, and opportunities for future growth, infill development, affordable housing, recreational opportunities, environmental considerations, and year-round tourism destination to the local economy.
A great deal of thoughtful work went into creating the initial 1997 Master Plan, which has been the community’s strategic long-term vision for guiding the Cody's long-term growth. Cody has successfully accomplished several of the goals outlined in the 1997 Master Plan.
As stated in the 1997 Master Plan, “Visions for the future of Cody must be dynamic and evolve as the City of Cody evolves.”
Cody is a community that continues to be interested in supporting good urban form, protecting its distinctive Western character, and balancing the desires of individual citizens with the realities of maintaining and enhancing the living environment of the community. Many elements of the 1997 Master Plan are still relevant today, and the update built on these strengths.
Updates to the existing plan focused on the following areas:
- Carefully creating an updated and visionary planning document
- Reviewing existing policies and tools to analyze their effectiveness towards achieving an updated vision for the community
- Looking ahead for new opportunities
- Revisiting the past to identify areas that need improvement
- Creating a refined future land use plan that identifies the short- and long-term desires of the community
- Identifying market demand for Cody and the surrounding region with respect to influence on land use decisions and housing
- Creating an implementation plan that includes both physical and policy recommendations to support the update
What is the Master Plan?
The Master Plan is a document that states Cody’s values, vision for itself, opportunities for achieving the vision, and goals and actions for the future. The Master Plan will guide investment, policy, and land use decisions in Cody for the future. The Plan relies on broad public input to be truly representative of public interests and desires.
The Plan addressed the following topics:
- Land use and zoning
- Transportation
- Housing
- Economic development
- Parks, recreation, and open space
- Natural resources and sustainability
- Airport compatibility
- Utilities and urban services
- How to make decisions on public and private land development proposals
- Expenditure of public funds
- Financing options
- Future regulations
- Cooperative efforts with other agencies and groups
The Master Plan influences policies that have a direct bearing on the quality of life in Cody. City leaders look to the Master Plan for direction on land use, transportation, housing, parks, trails, and open space, and community economic issues.
Who uses the Master Plan?
The Master Plan is designed to be used by anyone interested in the future of Cody and can be useful in different ways by different groups:
- Residents may be interested in the location of parks, schools, or community facilities.
- Business and property owners may be interested in land use recommendations or development policies for their property and surrounding areas.
- Topics such as the economic development goals of the City are a priority for policy makers.
The Master Plan provides basic guidance for land use decisions and public improvements, promoting community development in ways that foster prosperity for current and future residents. As an adopted City document, decision-makers will refer to the Master Plan when budgeting and scheduling capital improvements, and in the preparation of zoning, subdivision and other development regulations.
What does the Master Plan recommend?
The recommendations of the Master Plan begin with a vision based on the values identified in the Cody 2020 Community Values report. The vision sets forth broad principles to guide the future of the City's development and serves as the foundation for more specific recommendations. Based on these principles, detailed policies and action items outline how the vision can be realized.