Controversial Willow Springs development is a go, county says

El Paso County commissioners gave the go-ahead to a controversial residential development south of Monument on Thursday, angering some nearby residents who said the project will harm traffic, safety and the school system in the Tri-Lakes area.

The Willow Springs development could become home to 450 homes.

Commissioners on a 3-1 vote approved rezoning and a conceptual plan for the project. Commissioners Dennis Hisey, Peggy Littleton and Amy Lathen supported the request, saying the applicants met conditions the board requested in July, such as addressing road and public safety issues, and had a right to move forward as property owners.

“This is an atrocity,” resident Trish Burns said.

Commissioner Darryl Glenn, who represents the district where the project is located, was opposed, saying he wasn’t satisfied the proposed emergency access routes are sufficient, and current roadways can’t handle increased traffic. A motion Glenn made to deny the application failed for the lack of a second from another board member. Commissioner Sallie Clark was absent.

Two banks, through foreclosure, last year acquired Willow Springs, 248 acres west of Interstate 25 on the north side of Baptist Road.

The property is for sale, but the banks  sought rezoning to make it easier for prospective buyers to proceed with development, according to the applicants’ representative, John Maynard, of Colorado Springs-based land planning and architectural firm NES Inc.

Residents took issue with the formula the county uses to determine density, or how many houses will be allowed on the land. Under the county’s formula, it’s 1.82 dwelling units per acre. Under the residents’ calculations, it’s 0.55 units per acre.

“It’s upside down math, and people are stunned,” Burns said. “We’ve been misled.”

County planner Craig Dossey said the formula the county uses, which encompasses the entire site and includes open space and roads, is correct.

The county’s planning staff acknowledged it had mistakenly written the wrong number regarding density on one page in the proposal and corrected it during a break.

Commissioner Hisey said when the applicant returns for preliminary design approval, it’s highly likely that the number of homes the property can sustain will be far less than 450, which is the projected maximum. The land precludes development on 106 acres because it’s a protected Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat and will be designated as open space. A 4.5-acre park and 11 acres for right-of-way also are included in the plan.