Get Involved | FAQ | Storytelling | Stay Connected | Resources
Final Vision Plan Released! We're excited to announce the release of the draft West End Vision Plan. After 14 months of collaboration, more than 715 community members, and 120+ meetings, the Vision Plan is ready to share. This Vision belongs to the community. Let’s keep showing up, working together, and bringing it to life! Thank you West End!
(note, we recommend downloading the PDF for the best viewing experience)
About the Project
The West End is creating a community-led strategy for the future. This plan will provide us with a shared direction that will help preserve what we love about the West End and envision an even better future.
The past decade has brought a lot of change, from the loss of the coal industry, to a spike in tourism during COVID, to debates around the Dolores Monument proposal and Norwood Solar Farm. While a regional plan can’t simply solve these challenges, it can provide tools and a voice for us to say what kind of community we’d like to be in the future.
To achieve this goal the Towns of Naturita, Norwood, and Nucla, and West End Economic Development Corporation (WEEDC), with support from our non-profit partner Community Builders, have come together to engage the community and establish a shared path forward: the West End Vision Project. The key part of this process is input from the community, so the ideas in the plan will come from you, the people who live and lead in the West End.
Get Involved!
The West End Vision Plan is complete! Now that we have clarity about where we want to go as a community, it’s up to all of us to help get there. This is a marathon, not a sprint, but the work ahead is worth it: building a West End that is more livable, welcoming, vibrant, collaborative, and successful. We hope everyone will stay involved in helping implement our shared vision! Current ways to get involved:
- Volunteer at a local organization. Many local institutions, non-profits, and community groups are helping implement the Vision Plan. Increasing local volunteer capacity is crucial to achieving the Plan's goals and strategies.
- Explore the Action Plan. Review the projects, programs, and actions in the Action Plan to find projects or priorities you’re passionate about, then reach out to the partners to join the effort.
- Join the Plan Stewardship Committee. Please reach out to Makayla Gordon (mgordon@choosewestend.org) if you are interested in being a part of the group of fabulous local volunteers that help ensure continued collaboration, action, and accountability for the Vision Plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you define the “West End”? The West End might mean different things to different people, but for the purposes of this project, the West End is the region from the Paradox Valley to Norwood Hill and includes Nucla, Naturita, Norwood, Redvale, Paradox, Bedrock, and Gateway.
Who’s guiding the West End Vision Project? The WE Vision team is the Towns of Nucla, Naturita, and Norwood, WEEDC, and the Chambers of Commerce, with help and support from lots of volunteer community members, local businesses, San Miguel County, and our non-profit partner, Community Builders. But really YOU, the community, are the ones calling the shots!
Who engaged in this process? We're excited to say that many amazing folks have given us their time and input! More than 715 West End residents have participated in the process - most through in-depth discussions. We've worked hard to reach a broad mix of newcomers and old timers, seniors and youth, ranchers and small business owners, and everyone in between! Thank you West End!
How will this help our communities? The Vision Plan gives us a clear vision for our future, a stronger voice to respond to outside interests, better access to funding, increased efficiency and collaboration, and clear action steps to improve things like our housing, infrastructure, services, and economy.
How was the Vision Plan funded? Half of the funding is from local sources (through WEEDC, fundraising, and contributions from each of the West End communities and counties) and half is from our non-profit partners, Community Builders (through Colorado-based foundations including Gates Family Rubber and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority).
Community Storytelling Series
Facts, numbers, and strategies are important to how we move forward. But so are stories and how we talk about and see ourselves as a community. Since the beginning of time, humans have used storytelling to share knowledge, pass down values, and build a sense of belonging. Here in the West End, our stories matter. They reflect our history, our resilience, and the values we want to carry forward. That’s why we launched a storytelling series, sharing the voices of those who make this place home!
Stay Connected
Follow along for occasional updates on our Facebook page: bit.ly/WestEndPlanFB
Reach out to Makayla Gordon (mgordon@choosewestend.org) for more information.