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Articles from Vol. 24 No. 5 - May 4, 2024

El Paso County Planning Commission, April 18 – Old Denver Road property requesting rezone to commercial

By Helen Walklett

At the El Paso County Planning Commission meeting on April 18, the commissioners heard a request to rezone an 8.07-acre property at 16050 Old Denver Road from RR-5 (rural residential) to CS (commercial service). The property is one-half mile north of the intersection of Baptist Road and Old Denver Road. The application was originally scheduled as a consent item, meaning there would be no discussion, but was pulled and heard as a regular item at the request of Commissioner Christopher Whitney, who had questions about the interplay of placetype (from the county’s master plan) and zoning.

Discussion at the hearing focused on the existing duplex on the property, which is not an allowed use by right under the CS zoning and would require a variance of use. Staff has proposed a condition to the zoning approval that would see the duplex remain until it’s vacant for more than a year, is removed, or is repurposed for a use permitted within the CS zoning district when commercial development occurs.

Nina Ruiz, with Vertex Consulting Services and representing the owner, All In Investments LLC, said, “If they [the owner] were to develop this property as warehousing, mini-warehousing and outside storage, those types of uses, it’s very possible that they could convert a portion of the structure into an office because they would need an office, and then the other portion could remain a caretaker’s quarters. That would be included within the site development plan.”

There was no public comment. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the application for approval, and it is now due to be heard at the El Paso Board of County Commissioners land use meeting on May 9.

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The El Paso County Planning Commission normally meets the first and (as required) the third Thursday of each month at the Regional Development Center, 2880 International Circle, Colo. Springs. Meetings are live-streamed on the El Paso County News and Information Channel at https://www.elpasoco.com/news-information-channel. Information is available at 719-520-6300 and https://planningdevelopment.elpasoco.com/planning-community-development/2024-hearings-schedule/.

Helen Walklett can be reached at helenwalklett@ocn.me.

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Woodmoor Improvement Association, April 24 – Board member passes away

By Jackie Burhans

The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) board met on April 24 and announced the death of one of its members. The board also heard a response from a resident on a covenant issue and heard director reports.

Board Director Per Suhr passes away

Before hearing director reports, President Brian Bush invoked presidential reports to announce, with great sadness, the death of Covenant Director Per Suhr. He was found deceased in his home on April 19 at age 81. He had just returned from a golfing trip to Laughlin, Nev. with fellow country club members. Suhr was a longtime resident of Woodmoor and had served on the WIA board for more years than anyone could count, including the past nine years alongside Bush. He was also a golfing buddy, friend, and colleague, said Bush, and his wisdom, integrity, and humor will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. The board sends its condolences to his wife Alice, son Drew and daughter Shannon. Vice President Peter Bille will oversee covenant enforcement until the board appoints a replacement.

Resident response

Resident Jennifer Davis returned to the board to respond to the letter she received on her concerns that a neighbor had built a shed inside an easement. Referring to a letter from Bush, she said it had some factual errors. She noted that it said she had 14 days to respond after the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) approval, but since a shed is a miscellaneous project, it did not require noticing of the neighbors. She noted that no one in the meeting was a surveyor but that there were nearby rebar and surveyor caps which could be used to measure the location, and she claimed that it was not “very close” to the easement but two feet into the easement. The letter noted that the ACC approval was based on WIA’s Project Design Standards Manual (PDSM) and covenant restrictions. However, she cited the South Woodmoor Covenants as saying “no buildings, fences, or structures of any type shall be built over, across, in the line of, or in such a manner as to include such easements in the lot or tract.”

Davis further objected to the letter which claimed she was trying to weaponize the covenants and paint her as someone who is trying to cause trouble. She said she called attention to the board that a mistake was made and needed to be rectified and the board does not want to go down that path. The board, she said, is setting a precedent and, by allowing the shed to stay where it is, it would now let others build fences in the easement. She said that the board noted that it did not want to get involved in a lawsuit, but that it might have to and that she had already spoken with counsel. It would be unfortunate, she said, if the neighbors have to get together to get a judge to make the board do its job.

Bush responded that, based on her comments at the previous meeting, the board had sent the covenants administrator out to do measurements and found her allegations to be unsupportable. Although he had noted that overreaching by some HOAs had resulted in difficult legislation, the main reason for the board’s response was that, after re-measurement, it believes the shed complies within an inch or two. We simply disagree on the facts, he said, and the matter has to stop here. You have our decision, he concluded.

Board highlights

  • Bush reported for Treasurer Connie Brown that he had reviewed the financial statements and expenses and income both look good. He noted that the board is making more in interest income than expected, and less in Barn and office rentals.
  • Homeowners Association Administrator Denise Cagliaro said that WIA had mailed 85 third and final notices with a deadline of May 17 before liens would be filed, adding a cost of $350 to their balance. Bush noted that the board has a long-standing policy that, although it would place liens for unpaid dues or fines, it would not proceed to foreclosure on any property.
  • Woodmoor Public Safety (WPS) Chief Kevin Nielsen reported receiving the first reports of bears and reminded residents to keep trash and pet food in their garage.
  • Nielsen said there had been a few reports of Criminal Trespass Auto (CTA), this month, one of which included a stolen laptop its owner was able to track. The Sheriff’s Office found and impounded the vehicle and executed a search warrant and found the vehicle filled with property. All three vehicles in Woodmoor were left outside and unlocked.
  • ACC Director Ed Miller reported 39 projects submitted to the ACC for approval in March for a year-to-date total of 97, which represents a 4.3% increase from the previous year. The project approval rating for 2024 stands at 100%. Bush asked if large projects occurring in the neighborhood were checked for ACC approval. Miller replied that if they were not approved it would be a covenant violation and Nielsen confirmed that WPS calls in large projects to confirm.
  • Board member Cindy Thrush confirmed that chipping days have been set for June 29-30 and July 27-28 at Lewis-Palmer High School. Chipping is free to residents and open to non-residents for a nominal fee.
  • Common Area Director Steve Cutler reported that sprinklers at The Barn would start up after Mother’s Day and flowers would be planted by Memorial Day. He also reported looking at a prototype raptor pole to test where there is a colony of prairie dogs.
  • Bush confirmed that WIA is sending letters to neighbors near The Preserve about spraying noxious weeds. Bille noted that the substance used is environmentally friendly and safe for pets. Cutler noted that the grant WIA had received included resident education.

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The WIA Board of Directors usually meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in The Barn at 1691 Woodmoor Drive, Monument. The next meeting will be on May 22.

The WIA calendar can be found at www.woodmoor.org/wia-calendar/. WIA board meeting minutes can be found at www.woodmoor.org/meeting-minutes/ once approved and posted.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Above: At the April 24 meeting of the Woodmoor Improvement Association, President Brian Bush announced the passing of Covenants Director Per Suhr. Suhr was a longtime resident of Woodmoor and had served on the WIA board for many years in various capacities. He will be sorely missed, Bush said, extending the board’s condolences to his family. Photo courtesy of Woodmoor Improvement Association.

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April Weather Wrap

By Bill Kappel

For the second April in a row, precipitation was below average. However, unlike last year, we have had ample moisture heading into spring and therefore, the lower-than-normal moisture last month isn’t as big of a problem. Along with the drier-than-normal conditions, temperatures were above normal. This was mostly result of overnight lows being well above average and no significantly cold mornings during the month.

The first two days of the month were cool and unsettled with light snowfall from the afternoon of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd. Most of us received 1-2 inches of snowfall, nothing too heavy but enough to remind us that winter-like weather wasn’t over yet. After this quick shot of cool weather and light snow, conditions were quiet for the next two weeks, with only a trace of snow occurring with a brief snow shower on the 6th. Temperatures were generally within 5 degrees above or below normal during the entire period from the 3rd through the 13th, when temperatures warmed to well above normal from the 13th through the 15th. Temperatures reached into the upper 60s and low 70s during this period and was our first real taste of spring.

The mild conditions were ahead of a pattern change that allowed a series of storm systems into the region out of the Pacific Northwest. Most of these bypassed the Front Range without any significant precipitation. Therefore, we didn’t have an upslope or cold air to help with precipitation production. The first change came in during the morning and afternoon of the 16th, when snow showers developed across the area and produced a quick dusting of snow.

Finally, a real cold front with persistent upslope conditions moved in during the morning of the 18th. This brought well-below-normal temperatures and areas of fog to the region. There were some light snow showers and flurries at times as well as this pattern stayed entrenched for the next few days. Highs were held in the 30s to low 40s during the period. A more organized disturbance moved across during the afternoon of the 20th and produced more widespread snow showers, with 1-2 inches accumulating in the region.

Mild and dry conditions quickly returned, with highs jumping into the 60s and low 70s from the 22nd through the 25th. This quick warmup was ahead of our strongest storm of the month. This system began to affect the region during the afternoon and evening of the 26th, with good old rain showers and a few thunderstorms developing. This was associated with a series of low pressures moving through the Intermountain West, toward the Four Corners, then redeveloping over eastern Colorado. This pattern also drew in a lot of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, producing heavy rain at times to our east and areas of severe weather.

Rain showers continued during the evening and early morning hours of the 26th into the 27th. As the atmosphere continued to cool, rain turned to heavy wet snow during the early morning of the 27th. And as is typical this time of the year, elevation was very important for who saw heavy snow and who saw no snow. For most areas above 7,000 feet, 2-6 inches of snow accumulated during the morning and afternoon of the 27th. Unsettled and cool conditions continued on the 28th with a few showers developing, but this was the last moisture of the month. Quiet conditions moved in for the last couple days of the month, with temperatures moving from below normal on the 28th to above normal on the 30th.

A look ahead

May often brings a wide variety of weather conditions in the region, from warm, sunny days to severe thunderstorms and hail, and we are not done with snowfall. We can see very wet weather, sometimes heavy snow and other times our first 90 temperatures of the year. So be prepared for just about anything.

April 2024 Weather Statistics

Average High 56.9° (+0.4°)

Average Low 30.5° (+2.9°)

Highest Temperature 72° on the 14th

Lowest Temperature 19° on the 8th

Monthly Precipitation 1.84” (-1.22”, 38% below normal)

Monthly Snowfall 9.5” (-15.2”, 65% below normal)

Season to Date Snow 136.9” (+19.4”, 15% above normal) (the snow season is from July 1 to June 30)

Season to Date Precip. 7.23” (+1.03”, 15% above normal) (the precip season is from January 1 to December 31)

Heating Degree Days 640 (-49)

Cooling Degree Days 0

Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident. He can be reached at billkappel@ocn.me.

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Letters to Our Community – LPHS After Prom thanks

Thanks to our great community of parents, LP staff, and students, After Prom 2024 was a huge success! We had approximately 450+ students attend the event themed “Around the World in 80 Days.

Many school districts do not offer an After Prom, as the planning and coordination involve a substantial amount of time and money. Both District 38 high schools have such a dedicated group of staff, parents, and community patrons that we have been able to make After Prom a yearly tradition.

Much of the financial support comes from family, community, and local business donations. We would like to recognize the following: Tri-Lakes Printing, Something New Boutique, Arlene’s Beans, Horseshoe Donuts, Broadmoor World Arena, Chick-fil-A Northgate , Mountain High Kettle Corn, Chipotle, City Rock, Costa Vida, Crumbl Cookies, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Glowgolf, IHOP InterQuest, Jeff Schmidt—State Farm, Jennifer Clinard Realtor—Front Range Real Estate Professionals, Josh & John’s Ice Cream , Kendra Scott, Lost Island Miniature Golf & Adventure Park, Main Event, Michelle Provencio, Realtor, The Cutting Edge, Realtors, MOD Pizza, Only One You, Overdrive Raceway, PF Chang’s, Qdoba, Raising Cane’s, Scheels, Slim Chickens, Snarf’s sandwiches ,Texas Roadhouse, Top Golf, Torchy’s Tacos, Vibes Baseball, Water World.

We had over 100 volunteers who helped with duties including purchasing prizes, mailing invitations, organizing/transporting/providing food, decorating, working on the night of the event, and cleaning up the day after.

A special thank you goes to the After Prom committee: Lori Benton, Liz Scott, Jenn Clinard, Michelle Provencio, Nicole Pritchard, and Liz Meggett. Many thanks also to our amazing LP Staff led by Principal Bridget O’Connor, Coach Tupper, and

Paul Lugauer.
Michelle Oliger
After Prom Chair, Lewis-Palmer High School

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Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer.

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Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Military history for Memorial Day

By the staff at Covered Treasures

“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.”—Alexander Hamilton

May is the month to pay tribute to the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. It’s the perfect time to learn the history of the U.S. in relation to the wars we have fought.

Masters of the Air
By Donald Miller (Simon Schuster) $23

Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. This is a story of life in wartime England and in the German prison camps, where tens of thousands of airmen spent part of the war. It ends with an account of the hunger marches that the captured airmen were forced to make near the end of the war through the country their bombs destroyed.

Valiant Women
By Lena Andrews (Mariner Books) $33

Valiant Women is the story of the 350,000 American women who served in uniform during World War II. These incredible women served in every service branch, in every combat theater, and in nearly two-thirds of the available military occupations at the time. They were pilots, codebreakers, ordnance experts, gunnery instructors, metalsmiths, chemists, translators, parachute riggers, truck drivers, radar men, pigeon trainers, and much more. They were directly involved in some of the most important moments of the war, from the D-Day landings to the peace negotiations in Paris.

The War to End All Wars
By Russell Freedman (Clarion Books) $12

This book for young readers illuminates the complex and rarely discussed subject of World War I: The tangled relationships and alliances of many nations, the introduction of modern weaponry, and top-level military decisions that resulted in thousands upon thousands of casualties all contributed to the “great war,” which people hoped and believed would be the only conflict of its kind.

What Was Pearl Harbor?
By Patricia Brennan Demuth (Penguin Workshop) $8

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese war planes appeared out of nowhere to bomb the American base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It was a highly secretive and devastating attack: four battleships sunk, more than 2,000 servicemen died, and the United States was propelled into World War II. In a compelling, easy-to-read narrative, children will learn all about a pivotal moment in American history.

The Vietnam War
By Geoffrey Ward & Kenneth Burns (Vintage) $25

More than 40 years have passed since the end of the Vietnam War, but its memory continues to loom large in the national psyche. This book offers a fresh and insightful account of the long and brutal conflict that reunited Vietnam while dividing the United States as nothing else had since the Civil War. Most of the voices that echo from these pages belong to less exalted men and women—those who fought in the war as well as those who fought against it, both victims and victors—willing for the first time to share their memories of the war as it really was.

Colorado Women in World War II
By Gail M. Beaton (University Press of Colorado) $34

This book interweaves nearly 80 oral histories of World War II—including interviews, historical studies, newspaper accounts, and organizational records—and historical photographs (many from the interviewees themselves) to shed light on women’s participation in the war, exploring the dangers and triumphs they felt, the nature of their work, and the lasting ways in which the war influenced their lives.

The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
By Stacy Schiff (Back Bay Books) $22

Samuel Adams helped to mastermind the Boston Tea Party. He employed every tool available to rally a town, a colony, and eventually a band of colonies behind him, creating the cause that created a country. For his efforts, he became the most wanted man in America: When Paul Revere rode to Lexington in 1775, it was to warn Samuel Adams that he was about to be arrested for treason. This book highlights Adams’ improbable life, illuminating his transformation from the aimless son of a well-off family to tireless, beguiling radical who mobilized the colonies. Arresting, original, and surprisingly dramatic, this is a long-overdue chapter in the history of our nation.

Until next month, happy reading.

The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at ocn.me@books.

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