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December 17, 2014 VOLU M E 53 | I S S UE 50 | 7 5 ¢
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WP Planning set to tackle code amendments Commissioners look over priorities for 2015 By Norma Engelberg Contributing writer
Getting a jump on 2015, at its Dec. 11 regular meeting the Woodland Park Planning Commission recommended approval of an amendment to the city code that requires a 25-foot setback for outside display at vehicle sales businesses. As part of his experience as a city intern, Cy Abbott, a high school student from Colorado Springs Christian School, has worked on the amendment since a request from Bad Rock Automotive for a conditional use permit to create a used-vehicle lot. “Auto sales are a permitted use in service commercial zones and conditional uses in other commercial zones,” Abbott said. “The city code requires 25-foot setbacks for these lots but doesn’t enforce it. This setback requirement is obsolete and a detriment to business.” He also pointed out that other Colorado cities, both large and small, don’t have such display setbacks.
New Planning Commissioner Gerald Penland, center, attended his first planning commission meeting and work session on Dec. 11. Also at the table are Planning Commissioner Charles Schroeder and City Planner Lisa Parnell. Photo by Norma Engelberg Woodland Park Planning Director Sally Riley explained that this setback requirement dates to before the city created its current zoning matrix in 1996. With the city’s design standards requiring a 15-foot street yard between parking lots and paved roads, the planning department thought the 25-foot setback was unnecessary. Commissioner Marti Propes, who eventually cast the sole no vote on this ordinance, complained that a motorcycle/ATV sales business in the city’s downtown displays its vehicles a lot closer to the street than 15 feet and that it looks like a junk yard to her. Other commissioners dis-
agreed with her assessment and Riley explained that this sales lot already existed before 1996 and is “legal nonconforming” or “grandfathered.” Commissioner Charles Schroeder asked the city to pay special attention to lots that might obstruct views at intersections. Riley said these view triangles are very important and will be protected. This amendment ordinance goes to Woodland Park City Council for first reading on Jan 15 and public hearing on Feb. 5. Abbott said he plans to make the presentation at the public hearing even though his internship will be over by then.
Riley reported that, in October, the building department conducted 12 plan reviews and 179 inspections and issued 31 permits. Commission Chair Jon DeVaux said the Jan. 8 planning commission meeting will likely draw a crowd. It will look at a request by Charis Bible College to amend its planned unit development permit to add 700 seats to the auditorium and a 1,000-space parking garage. With regular business finished, Riley started a code amendment work session. She then listed the planning department’s accomplishments, including setting
tiered water and wastewater fees, standardizing most public posting timelines and creating both the domestic fowl ordinance and accessory dwelling unit codes. Amendments she suggested the commissioners work on in 2015 include adding a variance process to the a domestic fowl ordinance, prohibiting trash cans being left out overnight to give the city’s Bear Aware Campaign some teeth, adding accessory structures to commercial zoning codes and several amendments to the sign codes. All potential amendments were prioritized by urgency and difficulty but no matter where sign amendments landed on the urgency scale, all were listed as most difficult on the difficulty scale. Riley said anything the city does with signs requires input from a lot of people. One amendment would have required public notices when developers request permits for “speculative grading.” Riley explained that grading is usually part of a development plan but sometimes developers want to grade properties that don’t have such plans to make them more marketable. There is no provision in the code that requires neighbors to be notified when such a request comes to the planning department. Commissioners went a step farther and said why not just prohibit speculative grading altogether. With the commissioners’ stamp of approval the planning department will start working on amendments as future case load permits.
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Commissioners approve lean budget By Pat Hill
phill@coloradocommunitymedia.com
PIKES PEAK COURIER (USPS 654-460)
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P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
With the failure of Amendment 68 in the November election, the 2015 budget for Teller County reflects an invisible sigh of relief for the taxpayers as well as the finance office. If voters had approved the amendment, there was the distinct possibility that video lottery terminals would offer gamblers another type of betting other than in Cripple Creek Pueblo, for instance. “A statewide ballot issue (Amendment 68) that would have affected our local sales and gaming taxes was soundly defeated in November, making it unnecessary for us to reduce proposed 2015 revenues for expenses for adoption,” states the budget message. With that good news added to a lean balance, Teller County commissioners approved the 2015 budget Dec. 11. A jump from the past two years, nonetheless, the budget of $26,809,633 reflects a conservative approach by commissioners Marc Dettenrieder, Dave Paul and Norm Steen. Of the total, $1,059, 981 signals revenue gained from grants. The budget includes placing a high priority on building contingency funds for future wildfire concerns through the allocation of property-tax revenues, which are 38 percent of all revenue collected. However, revenue from property taxes shows a 3.1 percent declines, a reduction of $7,657,586. The budget contains a measure of hope for the Sheriff’s office as next year’s allocation includes funding to begin preliminary rehabilitation of the Harris building in Divide. There won’t be much hiring next year, as the budget eliminates 12 unfilled positions, in order to preserve the county’s pay-for-performance compensation plan to current employ-
Denise Sloan, unit lead case manager, was honored by Teller County commissioners Dec. 11 for her 15 years with the Department of Social Services. Congratulating Sloan is commission chair Dave Paul; at right is Pam Elliot, economic assistance program supervisor for DSS. Photo by Pat Hill ees. In offering benefits to the employees, the county is complying with the current requirements of the Affordable Care Act, states the message. While ending its agreement with the city of Woodland Park to provide building permits, the county made up the shortfall by not filling vacancies in that department.
Vicki Caldwell, budget officer, presented the document to the commissioners. The budget is available on the county’s website at www. co.teller.co.us. Also that day, county treasurer Bob Campbell reported that 400 properties sold during the tax-lien sales for a total of $198,000. To accommodate the holiday, the commissioners meet off-schedule, on Dec. 18.