OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > 2306 > El Paso Board of County Commissioners, May 2, 9, and 16 – Approval of three commercial multi-tenant buildings off Struthers Road

El Paso Board of County Commissioners, May 2, 9, and 16 – Approval of three commercial multi-tenant buildings off Struthers Road

By Helen Walklett

At the May 16 El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) land use meeting, the commissioners voted to approve a preliminary plan for the Cathedral Rock Commons Commercial development, which will create three commercial lots on property directly south of the Big R store off Struthers Road in Monument.

Cathedral Rock Commons Commercial

At the May 16 meeting, the commissioners approved a preliminary plan request by Store Master Funding VIII LLC, the owners of the Big R Store, to create three commercial lots and a tract on the 10.25-acre property at the northeast corner of Struthers Road and Spanish Bit Drive. The land is zoned commercial community. The application came from the Planning Commission with a recommendation for approval following its April 20 meeting.

The existing Big R will be on the 6.2-acre lot 1. Lots 2 and 3 will each be less than 2 acres and will have three commercial multi-tenant retail buildings on them, connected via a shared driveway to the Big R store to the north. The applicant anticipates the properties will include businesses that cater to the rural aesthetic that supports the existing Big R store. The first building to the east will potentially have three retail tenants as will the middle building which will also have a drive-through. The third building on the west side of the drive will house a possible wheat grass business and restaurant.

The application was heard as a consent item, meaning there was no discussion.

Loop Water Authority update

At the May 9 BOCC meeting, the commissioners received an update on the Loop Water Authority water reuse project which will build infrastructure to allow water flowing south to be reused by being stored in Calhan Reservoir and pumped back north to customers after treatment. The project received $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding from county in September 2022. See Loop Water Authority article on page < 22 >.

Cherokee Metropolitan District (CMD), Donala Water and Sanitation District, the Town of Monument, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District formed the El Paso County Regional Water Loop Authority (EPCRWLA) in November 2022.

Amy Lathen, CMD general manager, told the commissioners that the four organizations were working together to deliver renewable water sources to customers in the northern part of the county. She said the renewable and reuse water would take some of the pressure off the Denver Basin wells and preserve water resources in the parts of the county that are not part of Colorado Springs Utilities’ water resource system. Lathen stressed that the authority was very open to other districts joining as they see the benefit of the project.

Jessie Shaffer, district manager, Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and president of EPCRWLA, said water quality testing had begun and that the authority was working to hire a project manager to get the project to the construction phase. He hoped to have the person in place in June.

Kevin Brown, CMD water resource engineer, said a schematic design would be worked on over the next six months. This would identify the pipeline route, required pipe sizes, and where pump stations and other infrastructure should be located. This information would then allow the project to move forward with land acquisition.

Commissioner Stan VanderWerf stated he remained really supportive of the concept, commenting, “I really honestly feel we’ve been great and responsible stewards of our precious resources here in this region, including water, and this is just another great example of trying to continue that legacy.

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

Other El Paso County Board of County Commissioners articles