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OCN > 2410 > El Paso Board of County Commissioners, Sept. 12, 24, and 26 – Development approvals for Black Forest and Palmer Lake projects

El Paso Board of County Commissioners, Sept. 12, 24, and 26 – Development approvals for Black Forest and Palmer Lake projects

By Helen Walklett

During September, the El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a request to extend the Cathedral Pines subdivision in Black Forest, adding eight residential lots. The commissioners also approved land use applications for a Black Forest and a property in the unincorporated county near Palmer Lake.

The Estates at Cathedral Pines

At the Sept. 12 BOCC land use meeting, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve an application by Villagree Development LLC which will extend the Cathedral Pines subdivision, adding eight residential lots in a gated community to be known as The Estates at Cathedral Pines.

The application included a request to rezone 35.09 acres from RR-5 (residential rural) to PUD (planned unit development) and approve a preliminary plan for eight single-family residential lots with open space provision. The currently vacant property is on the west side of Winslow Drive, about 1 mile northwest of the intersection of Shoup and Milam Roads.

The applicant also sought a finding of water sufficiency with regards to water quality, quantity, and dependability. Approval of the preliminary plan with such a finding means subsequent final plats may be approved administratively, i.e. without public hearings.

The application was heard as a consent item, meaning there was no discussion. It came from the Aug. 15 El Paso County Planning Commission meeting with a unanimous recommendation for approval.

Minor subdivision near Palmer Lake

At the Sept. 26 BOCC land use meeting, the commissioners approved a request by Clifford Joyner to replat two existing lots as four single-family lots. The 3-acre property is zoned RR-0.5 (rural residential) and is located on Cloven Hoof Drive, off Highway 105, near Palmer Lake. The subdivision will be known as Ponderosa Pine Estates.

The application came from the Planning Commission’s Sept. 5 meeting with a unanimous recommendation for approval. A member of the public had stated that they wished to call in to that meeting remotely to comment but staff were unable to contact them.

At the BOCC hearing, adjacent neighbors Kimberly and Christopher Heydlauff voiced concerns about whether the new homes would be private or rental properties, a matter which was unclear from the documentation. They also stated that Joyner intended to use an existing easement on their property to access the two southern lots. The Heydlauffs were unable to attend the Planning Commission hearing but had submitted comments that are part of the official record. Ryan Howser, senior planner, Planning and Community Development, stated, “The request does not contemplate whether or not the lots will be owner occupied or rental occupied. That’s not criteria that we can consider with a replat.”

Lori Seago, senior assistant county attorney, told the commissioners that a criterion for subdivision approval is that the lots have legal access and that it was her opinion that they did in this case via the existing easement on the Heydlauffs’ property. She added that this could be challenged in court.

The commissioners agreed that the points raised by the Heydlauffs were not related to any of the criteria to be considered during the hearing and therefore decided not to elevate the application to a full hearing. They encouraged them to work with Joyner to reach a way forward. They voted to unanimously approve the application.

Center Ice View minor subdivision

Also at the Sept. 26 meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved an application by Andrew Alm for a final plat to create two single-family residential lots on a 12.72-acre property zoned RR-5 (residential rural), a quarter-mile north of Hay Creek Road.

The property was created through an illegal subdivision of land in 2002 with the property previously being part of a 70-acre parcel to the west. The final plat application legalizes the existing unplatted lot and plats the property into two new lots of 7.71 and 5 acres to be known as Driftwood Estates. A private water supply well and wastewater septic tank will be installed to serve the lots.

At the Sept. 5 Planning Commission meeting, a nearby property owner raised concerns about adding a well to the neighborhood. He said, “This area, if we use average flows out of the aquifer, from this area we should get 15 gallons a minute. No one gets 15 gallons a minute in that area. I get about a quart a minute so I’m naturally a little bit concerned about adding even more wells to an area where most people already buy water and have it hauled.”

Commissioner Tim Trowbridge responded, “We have very limited control over the water. That’s controlled by the state.” He added, “El Paso County does have a more stringent 300-year requirement that that water supply must be good for whereas the state only mandates 100 so we try and do what we can.”

The application came to the BOCC from the Planning Commission meeting with a unanimous recommendation for approval. Both hearings heard the application as a consent item, meaning there was no further discussion.

Fox Run Nature Center Canopy Walk

Also in September, the commissioners voted to approve a grant submittal to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for the Fox Run Canopy Walk project. The project is one component of the Nature Center at Fox Run Regional Park. The Canopy Walk is intended to be an educational hub. It will start with an observation tower that will allow access to the forest canopy.

The Canopy Walk is estimated to cost $3 million. Parks and Community Services has committed $1.75 million to the project and is currently completing a capital fundraising campaign to complement this commitment. A successful application for $1.25 million from the LWCF would see the project fully funded. Final design and cost estimates for this part of the nature center project are due at the end of the year. Construction is estimated to begin in late 2025 with opening in 2026.

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The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) usually meets every Tuesday at 9 am at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., Suite 150, Colo. Springs. Agendas and meetings can be viewed at www.agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso. Information is available at 719-520-643. BOCC land use meetings are normally held the second and fourth Thursdays of the month (as needed) at 1 pm in Centennial Hall.

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

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