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Postal Customer Issue #126 — Volume 11 Number 8 — Saturday, August 6, 2011
Free
Upcoming Local Events See pages 35-39 for details of these and many other local events. The Return of the Rocky Mountain Chautauqua, Fri.-Sun., Aug. 5-7. (See schedule on page 35)
Family Fun: Ice Cream Social in Palmer Lake, Sat., Aug. 6, 1:30-3 p.m. King’s Deer Garage Sale, Sat.-Sun., Aug. 13-14 “Get Educated” Summer Series–Public School Education Forum 3: Building Community Relations, Part 2, Tue., Aug. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Above: The July 4th Parade in Monument featured The Pikes Peak Highlanders. Photo by Jim Kendrick. See pages 29-31 for additional coverage of Independence Day activities in the Tri-Lakes area.
Art Hop, Thu., Aug. 18, 5-8 p.m. Music by the Creek, Thu., Aug. 18, 6-9 p.m. Pleasant View Estates Community Garage Sale, Fri.-Sat., Aug 26-27, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Taste of Palmer Lake, Sat., Aug. 27, 1-4 p.m. Tri-Lakes Chamber Golf Classic, Fri., Sep. 2, registration at 7 a.m., shotgun start at 8 a.m. ■
In this issue County Planning 1-11 Direction 38 Forum 11-14 Water & San District News 15-19 Fire District News 19-20 Monument News 21-24 WIA News 24 Weather 24 Letters 25 Books, Birds, Arts 26-28 Snapshots of Our Community 29-32 Library Events, History 33-34 Special Events and Notices 35 Our Community Calendar 36-39 OCN information 34, 36, 39, 40
Board of County Commissioners Meeting, July 28
Willow Springs conceptual plan postponed to Aug. 25; Condemnation for Mitchell Avenue extension rejected By Jim Kendrick After three hours of presentations and public comment in a land use hearing on July 28, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously approved a request from the landowners that was made by consultant John Maynard of land planning and architectural firm NES Inc. in Colorado Springs to continue the Willow Springs “Zoning and Conceptual Plan (ZCP) Planned Unit Development (PUD) District” rezone hearing until the Aug. 25 BOCC meeting. The hearing was originally scheduled for July 14 and was postponed first to July 21, then postponed again to July 28. Maynard represented Integrity Bank and Trust Co. of Monument and Hillcrest and HBC Willow Springs LLC of Hillcrest Bank, located in Overland, Kan., the current owners of the foreclosed property. Maynard said the two banks intend “to dispose of these assets” and “minimize their losses.” Development Services Department Project Manager Craig Dossey said the purpose of this kind of PUD plan is to just show “the applicant’s intent for the use on the property” and “creates a presumption of the future zoning.” A zoning and conceptual plan is less defined than a county PUD sketch plan, the more typical entry level development plan for a new project of this size.
District 5 Commissioner Peggy Littleton’s absence was unanimously excused.
Mitchell Avenue controversy continues
Maynard asked for the continuation, stating that the hearing had become two hearings on the “Mitchell Avenue extension issue” and the “land use issue.” Commissioners Darryl Glenn, Steve Hisey, Marsha Clark, and Amy Lathen each stated in turn, during their concluding remarks, that they would not support the Town of Monument’s proposed condemnation of privately-owned land that would split Georgia Ward’s adjacent 40-acre ranch in half for a proposed southward extension of Mitchell Avenue through the center of her county property. Maynard concurred, saying that there has never been any intent by any of the Willow Springs landowners to use eminent domain and they had rejected the town’s request that the Willow Springs Metropolitan District condemn land for the town. The two separate vacant areas in the Willow Springs ZCP that are suitable for development are isolated from each other by the extensive floodplain and mouse habitat surrounding Monument Creek and Teachout Creek. This protected land prevents direct access to Baptist Road from the north central residential area from within the Willow Springs parcel.
Integrity and Hillcrest had included the same right-of-way in this ZCP, which had been required by the Town of Monument as a condition of approval in 2008 for the annexation and PD site plan proposed by the previous landowner, MHW LLC. The proposed Mitchell Avenue extension would have connected the existing southern dead end of Mitchell Avenue to the currently approved future north end of Forest Lakes Drive through Ward’s ranch. These two segments of new road would provide direct access from the north half of the Willow Springs parcel to the west end of Baptist Road. (Continued on page 2)