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Tri-Lakes Forum grapples with growth

View photos of the Tri-Lakes Forum Jan. 21

More than 40 people attended the Tri-Lakes Forum on the evening of Jan. 21, proving that growth and concerns about its impact on the area is a topic that still attracts a crowd.

The forum, entitled "The Changing Face of the Tri-Lakes Area," was sponsored and hosted by the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Marylou Doehrman, the chamber’s executive director.

Panelists were Darryl Edwards, Mountain View Electric’s manager of member services, Monument Mayor Betty Konarski, Palmer Lake Mayor Nikki McDonald, and Woody Woodworth, owner of the High Country Store in Monument. Rick Blevins, of Monument Marketplace developer Vision Development, Inc., had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency.

Doehrman introduced the session saying, "We want people to have a voice in the changing face of the Tri-Lakes area." She expressed concern about the fragmentation of the area, e.g., Monument, Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, Gleneagle, and said the chamber is willing to create a task force to address problems.

Edwards presented a series of facts about Mountain View Electric (MVE):

McDonald presented some background on Palmer Lake:

Woodworth discussed his involvement in the community and the state of the local economy:

Konarski, mayor of Monument since Sept. 11, 2001, presented her vision for Monument and the area:

In response to a question about the feasibility of the consolidation of services, Konarski said, "You have to get a lot of egos out of the way. You need to see past all that. You the voters control all that."

Regarding the inefficiencies of overlapping and fragmented delivery of services, Konarski added, "People in Jackson Creek can afford to pay just so much in taxes. They are the most heavily taxed in our area."

Referring to budgetary limitations in Palmer Lake, Konarski said, "Nikki just said she is a dying municipality." McDonald replied that she had not said that, but acknowledged that having a largely residential tax base makes it difficult to fund services.

Emphasizing the importance of sales tax revenue, Monument landowner John Dominowski said Monument property taxes are $270,000 and the police budget is $600,000.

Woodmoor resident Benny Nasser said, "The thing that is going to drive this is water."

Konarski replied, "[Protect Our Wells] is scared spitless. They already have wells going dry. Parker drilled a new well and is getting miniscule water out of it." She suggested the Monument and Palmer Lake water systems should be interconnected to help with storage and in times of drought.

In response to a question as to the source of water for the Monument Marketplace, Konarski replied that the Triview Metropolitan District has adjudicated wells.

Regarding how to invigorate the downtown Monument area similar to the old town in Castle Rock, Woodworth said, "You can’t have empty lots. You have to have sidewalks, streetlights, and shops that are open consistent hours."

Maria Tillberry, owner of the Expectations salon in Monument, asked, "How many years have we been waiting for sidewalks?" Konarski replied, "Since 1991. It is why you need a ‘big box’ [store]." She added, "It is no good to beautify the downtown when nobody is open after 6 p.m. and half the lots are empty."

Dominowski added, "I have been going to [Monument] Board of Trustees meetings for 16 years waiting for sidewalks to be put in the budget." Despite that, Dominowski lauded the efforts of the board of trustees to balance competing interests. He said, "The future is bright for Monument."

There was a divergence of views on the turnout for the meeting. Doehrman asked, "How do we get the rest of the people to get involved? We want to see representation from every area we cover." Dominowski replied, "This many people is incredible. Compare it to the Board of County Commissioners with three people." He expressed concern that if future meetings are too big or too structured, people will not feel as comfortable expressing their views.

The consensus was that the chamber should plan to hold another forum in about two months and include representation of local special districts (e.g., fire, water, sewer).

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For more information, contact the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce at 481-3282.

View photos of the Tri-Lakes Forum Jan. 21

At its first meeting of the New Year, on Jan. 5, the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) unanimously appointed George Case, from the Police Advisory Committee, to replace Doug Warner as trustee until the April election. The board endorsed the Comprehensive Plan Update passed by the Planning Commission in August and started the process of considering two separate annexation and rezoning proposals for a wholesale gift business and a 140-acre subdivision. They also amended town zoning and subdivision regulations concerning recoupment, downtown water, and parking, and commercial public land dedication. Trustee Byron Glenn was absent. There were 10 citizens in attendance for the regular meeting.

Draft Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan: Monument Assistant Town Manager and Town Planner Mike Davenport reviewed the progress made to date on the draft Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan and discussed a related Greater Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant as well as future GOCO grant applications. The draft plan, prepared by graduate students in urban planning at the University of Denver’s Colorado Center for Community Development, was submitted to GOCO on Dec. 17 for final payment. . The draft plan also shows GOCO how future grants would help support fulfillment of the plan’s goals and specific objectives. Davenport proposed the following steps for review and adoption of the master plan:

Davenport summarized the history of the master plan’s development and reviewed its major recommendations. He said that a section on creating a park and recreation area around Monument Lake needs to be added to the plan. Mayor Betty Konarski endorsed the plan’s comments that Monument is the northern gateway to the Pikes Peak region. She said the plan’s philosophical stand on connecting east and west Monument by trails crossing I-25 should not be lost during BOT turnover after the April election.

Konarski also noted that a key feature of the master plan is the requirement for view shed analysis of any commercial development adjacent to I-25 to protect motorist sight lines of the Front Range. (A view shed is a zoning area where building heights are restricted to prevent scenic views from being blocked by new construction.) Davenport noted that the viewshed regulations are not often seen in master plans.

Trustee Dave Mertz asked Davenport if all wording and maps were consistent between the Comprehensive Plan and the master plan; Davenport said yes. Mertz added that the proposed timeline for master plan adoption was too optimistic; Davenport said it would probably take twice as long as his ideal forecast. Davenport also said the strongest citizen comment was a general dislike of using the Preble’s mouse as a town mascot/icon; otherwise, the response to date was uniformly positive. Konarski suggested a BOT work session to provide the PC with budget priorities for the plan, because implementation depends so heavily on grants and grant timing.

New GOCO grant application: Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg discussed the status of the town’s GOCO grant applications for the spring 2004 cycle. Applications for the various types of GOCO grants (open space, local parks, and outdoor recreation) are due the first three days in March. The town will ask GOCO to subsidize 70 percent of the cost of purchasing three parcels of Denver and Santa Fe Western Railroad land west and south of Limbach Park for park expansion and for parking spaces. One parcel would expand the park west to the railroad tracks, and one parcel would expand the park south to connect with another parcel dedicated to the town by the developer of the Monument Addition No. 5 subdivision. The third parcel between Mitchell and the railroad tracks, south of Second Street, would be used for off-street parking. Monument has the right of first refusal to purchase this land from the railroad. The contract being negotiated will delay payment to the railroad until early 2005.

Newsletter: After receiving comments on frequency and content of the town’s newsletter, Konarski said that monthly delivery would continue and asked that the mailing list–about 1,200 resident and business license addresses–be updated. She added that copies of the newsletter would continue to be distributed to seniors at the Monday and Thursday lunches.

Triathlon: Konarski then noted that a triathlon will be scheduled for Monument July 10-11, if Monument Lake can be filled in time—after Fish and Wildlife confirmed that there would be no restriction on holding the event’s swimming competition in the lake.

The special meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m.

Warner Commendation: A resolution commending Doug Warner for his service as trustee was approved unanimously. Warner was unable to attend the meeting because of increased business obligations, which was his reason for resigning from the board in December. His service on the Parks and Landscape Committee and the Advisory Committee to the Regional Building Commission were also commended.

Case Appointed Trustee: George Case is a 13-year resident who served on the Police Advisory Committee for six years. Konarski reminded him that he would have to stand for election in April if he chose to continue serving. He was approved 5-0. Town Clerk Judy Skrzypek administered the oath of office and Trustee Case took his place on the board for the remainder of the meeting.

Police Advisory Committee Goes Dormant: The Police Advisory Committee’s number of vacancies increased from two to three after Case’s move to the BOT. Trustees cannot also serve on any of the three advisory committees. The committees each have five members. The Police Advisory Committee will now go dormant due to a lack of a majority for a quorum. The Public Works Committee (PWC) similarly went dormant when the number of vacancies increased from two to four after its July 2 meeting. Larry Neddo, the one remaining active PWC member after Mike Wicklund’s and Faye Elbaum’s terms expired, moved to the Planning Commission (PC) on July 21. Furthermore, the lone remaining active advisory committee, Parks and Landscape, has one vacancy due to the move of Ed Delaney to the PC on Oct. 6, with no volunteer to replace him at this time.

Annexation of Wahlberg Property: Davenport said that Steven Barr of Colorado Commercial Builders, Inc. requested, in a Dec. 31 fax, to appear before the BOT to make a presentation regarding possible annexation of 140 acres southeast of Highway 105 and Knollwood Drive. The property is listed in the August 2003 update of the Comprehensive Plan as a possible site for annexation. Barr is proposing mixed use, commercial and residential, development, of the parcel.

Davenport observed that while state law calls for annexation and rezoning in a sequential manner, the common practice is for there to be agreement in principle on the proposed development and the required zoning to implement it. He said the purpose of the presentation was to give the trustees an opportunity to ask questions of the developer in a public session, to preclude any controversy over direct contact by Barr with trustees prior to application hearings. Steve Shuttleworth spoke for Barr at this meeting and was accompanied by Chuck Schoeninger.

The development is called the Village Center at Woodmoor. Davenport noted that this was the first annexation action under the revised Comprehensive Plan and revised zoning and construction regulations.

Shuttleworth displayed a detailed sketch plan. The parcel is L-shaped, looking eastward along Highway 105, with a small cutout (lower left corner of the "L" on the northwest corner) that includes the Woodmoor Veterinary Hospital and the new modular Integrity Bank building. The northwest portion of the parcel would have commercial lots, the northeast portion patio homes, and along the southern boundary would be single family homes. The single direct access to Highway 105 would be aligned with the existing Mormon church entrance near Lake Woodmoor Drive. Another subdivision entrance would be on Knollwood, south of 105. The developer is negotiating with the owner of the property between the Wahlberg parcel’s Knollwood access and Jackson Creek Parkway for direct access to the parkway, as called for in the Comprehensive Plan.

Mertz noted that the Comprehensive Plan’s land use map showed community commercial zoning, which is different than what’s being proposed for this parcel. Davenport said that a different developer had suggested the use shown on the older map. He noted the new developer’s changed plans are consistent with the guidelines of the recently revised Comprehensive Plan, however.

Davenport discussed the overall annexation timeline. The BOT must next hold an eligibility hearing in at least 30 days to determine if the proposed annexation meets minimum state requirements; he suggested Feb. 16. If the proposed annexation is found eligible, the BOT must hold an annexation hearing 30-60 days thereafter; he suggested April 5. He said the BOT can and should also simultaneously review proposed zoning, platting, site plans, and the development agreement to expedite the annexation in a customary manner. He added that the site plan would go through the Planning Commission before the BOT had to make its final annexation and zoning decisions.

The current plan is for detached duplex patio homes, rather than apartment buildings, with prices starting at $175,000. A sit-down restaurant, drive-through bank, and office space are also planned. Shuttleworth pointed out the green open space on the sketch plan, but noted that this sketch was a "bubble plan" and not firm at this time. He added that he would need help from the town in securing Jackson Creek Parkway access.

Review of 2003 Update of the Comprehensive Plan: Davenport observed that although the PC has final authority on adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, per Colorado state statute, the commission’s policy is to seek endorsement of the Comprehensive Plan and subsequent revisions (to include the component Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan) from the BOT because the trustees must subsequently approve the funds to implement all aspects of the plans.

Davenport gave an abbreviated summary of the changes in the update and written comments received. He noted that the PC had decided against changing Forest Lakes Tech Center–the southernmost commercial area between I-25 and the railroad tracks, bordering the Air Force Academy–from light to heavy industrial (Planned to Mixed Industrial). The Schuck Corporation had requested the zoning change to allow a concrete batch plant to be built just east of the Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility shared by the Donala, Triview, and Forest Lakes water districts. Davenport reviewed the concerns of possible height conflicts with the Academy’s auxiliary runway immediately south of this location and noted that the plan now requires Schuck to notify any developer of this parcel about runway noise and hazards before construction begins.

The Comprehensive Plan calls for annexations on a case-by-case basis, with two annexations pending: the Wahlberg and Kerr annexations. Discussion of the Kerr annexation was deferred until later in the meeting as a separate agenda item.

Also in the revision to the plan:

A note regarding plans to add a park and athletic fields just south of Lewis Palmer High School, subject to variations caused by possible future school expansion, has been added, though the land use map has not been revised to show this change. The fields would be southeast of the intersection of Higby Road and Jackson Creek Parkway.

By resolution, the BOT (including Case) endorsed the revision to the Comprehensive Plan 5-1. Trustee Frank Orten voted no because the plan did not reduce the public land/open space dedication requirement for commercial development below 10 percent. He stated that this requirement is driving commercial development into nearby unincorporated county property, costing the town needed tax revenue.

Town consultant Community Matters, Inc. will now make all final corrections to the text and drawings and publish the finished revision in February.

2003 Comprehensive Update of Zoning and Subdivision Regulations: Konarski recused herself from this issue. Due to the absence of Mayor Pro Tem Glenn, the board unanimously appointed Mertz to be interim chair. The BOT has held several hearings on this issue, taken a number of comments, and returned the draft consolidated regulations to the Planning Commission for further review. The PC made new recommendations in November, which were incorporated. Davenport said that although the comprehensive update is not ready for BOT consideration, three regulation issues need to be addressed promptly for existing and potential development applicants: recoupment requirements, water and parking requirements in the downtown area, and commercial public land dedication requirements.

Board discussion focused on public land dedication. Orten felt that any land dedication was counterproductive to business development within the town. Mertz favored 20 percent. The other trustees favored 10 percent as a satisfactory compromise. Mertz reluctantly agreed to 10 percent, after suggesting 15 percent as a compromise. The three changes to existing zoning and subdivision ordinances passed by a vote of 4-1. Orten voted no, opposing the 10 percent dedication requirement for nonresidential development, and Konarski abstained. These changes to existing zoning and subdivision regulations will be incorporated in the final comprehensive revision.

Downtown Street Sweeping: On Dec. 15, Trustee Glenda Smith had voted no on the 2004 budget because downtown street sweeping was not included in the budget. At that time, she requested that Public Works Superintendent Tom Wall estimate the 2004 costs for sweeping downtown streets twice a month. At the January meeting, he said it would cost about $6,500 for the year—$3,500 for the first six months. Konarski asked Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg to add an agenda item for July where Wall will report actual expenses and compare them to his estimate for the first six months. At that time, the BOT will determine if downtown street sweeping will actually cost $6,500 for the year and then decide how to pay for this unbudgeted expense—either from unused Public Works funding, if available, or from the BOT contingency fund. The street sweeping proposal and July analysis were approved unanimously.

Floodplain Administration Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA): The IGA, between Monument and El Paso County, was first signed in July 1985 and is renewed annually. It passed unanimously. Kevin Stilson, county floodplain administrator, presented a plaque from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) honoring the county’s community rating improvement on Oct. 1, 2003, which significantly reduced flood insurance rates countywide.

Town Well No. 7 Contract: Water consultant John C. Halepaska and Associates received two bids to lower the pump in well 7 (Arapahoe aquifer) to protect it from sand, silt, and other solids. The new pump and motor are larger, requiring the diameter of the well to be increased. The winning bid was from AmWest for $61,995. The amount budgeted in 2002 under Water System Capital Improvements for well 7 was $75,000 and has been carried forward twice (from 2002 and again from 2003). Well 7 is located east of the Santa Fe Trail parking lot on Highway 105.

Town Well No. 9 Proposal: Wall noted that seven bids were received for the new well (to be called No. 9) and on-site water treatment plant, which was to be built at the south end of the Village of Monument subdivision (under construction southwest of Santa Fe Avenue and Old Denver Highway). He called the bids "cost of service estimates" and said it was clear that the original budget of $840,000 was not enough. "Based on the quotes received, it is likely the original scope of work could not be completed for under $1,100,000." He added that treating the water from well 9 at the well 8 treatment plant "has the potential to save over $100,000, depending on the level of in-house versus contracted services."

Town engineering consultant GMS, Inc. indicated in its letter of Oct. 10 that $620,000 could be saved by not building the well 9 treatment plant. However, GMS estimated this alternative would incur new costs of $206,100 for a new 7,360-foot transmission pipe from well 9 to well 8 at Beacon Lite and Second Street. Another $327,600 would be required to increase the water treatment capacity at well 8 to properly treat the average flow of 175 gallons per minute from well 9. Water from well 3 is already being pumped to well 8 for treatment.

However, the GMS savings indicated on Oct. 10 were based on the BOT making a decision by the end of October. GMS also said its cost estimates were "provided without the benefit of any detailed preliminary or final design or construction documents." GMS was the only company to offer to coordinate bidding for Wall’s revised concept. Wall proposed that he "redirect the engineering and design phases to the town’s existing consultants of John Halepaska and Associates, Inc., GMS, Inc., and/or the town engineer." These two firms are the town’s primary water and engineering consultants, respectively.

The board unanimously approved Wall’s revised water treatment concept for well 9, based on these very preliminary cost estimates.

New Method of Compensation for Water Department Employees: Both new workers who will operate and maintain the Triview Metropolitan District water system, along with four current Public Works water employees, will be trained to the higher standards required by Triview. Pay scales are to be revised upward to match the higher qualifications. Additional salary cost is $4,992 for 2004, $3,328 for 2005, and $3,120 for 2006. Training costs are already budgeted for the most part. Wall will prepare a final figure for approval as an expense over $5,000.

Disbursements over $5,000: Payments of $12,677.44 to GMS for engineering services, $5,729.79 to Halepaska for well 7 consulting, and $6,539 for well 6 pump installation were approved unanimously without discussion.

Planning Commissioners Reappointed: Ed Delaney, Larry Neddo, and Kathy Spence were reappointed through 2005. The appointment of Planning Commissioner Chairman Bob Mooney was extended through 2005 to ensure continuity.

Kerr Annexation: John Kerr, of Present Perfect Gifts, presented an annexation petition on Jan. 2 for a wholesale business to be located on the northeast corner of Second Street and Mitchell Avenue, west of the railroad tracks. Davenport recommended that the BOT schedule an eligibility hearing for the Kerr Addition No. 1 on Feb. 16. JKerr Properties, LLC is buying the 1.28-acre lot from Union Pacific Railroad Company. Davenport said the planning staff has advised Kerr "that the building, although a wholesale warehouse, must look like a downtown retail business to be in character for approval as a downtown business." Kerr plans to eventually open a small retail outlet in a portion of the building.

Part of the railroad land is the east half of Mitchell Avenue, which the town would not annex based on a 10-year-old policy of all or nothing on annexing roads. In all, 1.84 acres would be annexed. The board unanimously approved the Feb. 16 eligibility hearing date and will begin notification procedures for neighboring landowners and for the public hearing.

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. to go into executive session regarding a negotiation. No announcement was to be made following this executive session.

The next regular BOT meeting date was changed to Tuesday, Jan. 20, because Jan. 19 was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Web site exclusive: View a photo of the proposed Kerr Annexation

Ernie Bigg’s Lake of the Rockies campground dominated the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting on Jan. 20 that lasted well over three hours. The existing recreational park’s re-plat was approved but the sketch plan for Lakeside Manor Estates was withdrawn when it appeared the plan would be voted down. The application from the Chick and a Windshield repair business to operate in the King Soopers and Safeway parking lots was approved unanimously. Trustee George Brown was absent.

Because of heavy snow and traffic delays for a number of speakers, by unanimous vote of the board, the meeting agenda was not followed. Some agenda items were interrupted to complete others when some speakers arrived and had to leave as soon as possible. NOTE: This report arranges the events to correspond with the sequence of the published agenda for ease of understanding. – Ed.

Judge Ciccolella Reappointed: Town Clerk Judy Skrzypek administered the oath for the judge’s new term. Because his initial term was off cycle by one year from the two-year terms required by town code, the expiring term was for only one year. This new term now complies with code and runs to December 31, 2005.

Chick and a Windshield: Karen Evans requested a business license for her parking lot windshield repair operations in two Monument shopping center parking lots. Husband and business partner Tim Evans spoke for the applicant, who could not attend due to illness. She had written the recently adopted regulation for the town of Monument that applies to four types of businesses that are not located in permanent stick-built structures. Konarski asked why they hadn’t had a license in four years of operation. Town Planner Mike Davenport answered for Evans, saying that they had paid for a license each of the four years, but the town had never issued one because they didn’t know how to write one for a parking lot business until creation of the ordinance they had written for Monument. Karen and Tim Evans received no compensation from Monument for numerous hours of research and writing the regulation. Konarski asked Evans why they had not paid taxes in four years. Trustee Dave Mertz answered for Evans, reminding Konarski that there are no taxes for repair businesses. Davenport said there was no way to renew his license at this hearing because he had never been issued the four licenses he had paid for. Evans’ application for a "new" license passed unanimously.

Lake of the Rockies Master Plan Replat: Before the hearing began, Trustee Glenda Smith asked several questions of Trustee Byron Glenn. She asked Glenn if he was still employed at Manhard Consulting; he said no. He added that Manhard now serves as a consultant to his current employer. She asked him if he had referred Biggs, owner of Lake of the Rockies, to a consulting firm for this project, or Manhard Consulting in particular. Glenn said Biggs had approached him to ask if Manhard would do the consulting for these two actions. Glenn then introduced Tim Nelson of Manhard Consulting to Biggs as a potential consultant for Biggs’ replat and development of Lakeside Manor Estates before leaving Manhard. Smith then asked Town Attorney Gary Shupp if Glenn’s relationship to Nelson and Biggs created a conflict of interest problem. Shupp said it did not create an actual conflict of interest and could only create what might appear to some to be an appearance of one. Glenn then said he did not need to recuse himself from the discussion because there was no conflict of interest nor the appearance of one.

Konarski asked if the hearing on the replat and the sketch plan were separable because they involve the same parcel. Davenport said he had consulted Shupp and confirmed that they were different processes, covering separate parts of the parcel. The replat also concerns many irrevocable vesting rights while a sketch plan hearing is just a process to see whether or not the town would have significant problems with an applicant’s proposed usage of a property. The sketch plan application does not contain enough information to justify amending a PD site plan. Nelson said he preferred that the two agenda items remain separated. Konarski agreed to go with the agenda everyone else had agreed to follow before the meeting.

Glenn then said, "Because of the animosity implied by Trustee Smith’s questions and the people in the audience, I think it best to recuse myself at this time even though there is no need." Shupp prompted Glenn by saying "Based on a perception rather than a legal conflict?" Glenn said yes and left the hearing room.

Davenport gave a detailed overview of the controversial history of the ten years of changes made on the Lake of the Rockies property "…developed differently than the approved 1993 [master development] plan," often without town approval. The planning commission approved the master plan on April 28, 1993 and the BOT approved the master plan on May 10, 1993. The purpose of the replat application was to "revise the plan to reflect what actually has been developed on the site." Davenport then said that the Monument post office had just informed him that written notices had not been delivered to five neighboring property owners. Submitted neighbor concerns were:

The latter is related to the drainage report that was required by the planning commission on Dec. 10. The report was not available at this hearing. Most of the flooding occurs on the property of Bob Mooney, chairman of the planning commission.

Nelson reviewed completed corrections requested by town staff and the planning commission. Several of the trustees reiterated citizen concerns. Nelson acknowledged these concerns saying he had only been associated with this replat for a short time. He and the trustees agreed that a grading plan rather than a full drainage report would be sufficient to resolve the flooding issue.

Local attorney Tim Schutz addressed the board, recommending approval of the replat, saying that what has been done in the past ten years is hard to reverse. Konarski said, "I’m shocked. I’m surprised." However, he asked that the town vigorously enforce the replat’s constraints, particularly those regarding occupancy of RVs when the trailer park is closed. Mertz said that the replat simply legalized a decade’s worth of deliberate violations by Biggs, which made him angry. He noted that some RVs were decorated with illuminated Christmas lights throughout the holiday season. There was agreement among board members that this is an enforcement issue. Nelson also said that the town should enforce its ordinances. Mertz added that town ordinances should be reviewed "to see if we need a new one."

After the meeting Chief Kissell discovered that there is no ordinance prohibiting permanent occupancy and no way to ask the RV occupants to leave even though the park is closed. Shupp was asked to research the legal definition of permanent residence to facilitate drafting an ordinance to preclude occupancy while the park is closed.

Trustee Mertz extensively questioned Nelson about the wooden screening fence along Mitchell Ave., noting it was not an adequate size to screen most of the RVs in the storage are. Davenport expressed concern that it would deteriorate over the years. Mertz added that it might become as ugly as the RV storage along I-25 by the weighing station and give a trailer park appearance to what the town hopes is the entrance to a Monument Lake park that would become the major tourist attraction in the north end of the county. He asked that more buffering be required to help hide the unauthorized storage location. The replat was approved with these conditions, 5-0, Glenn abstaining.

Lakeside Manor Estates Sketch Plan: Early in 2003, Monument obtained a right-of-way for a 40-foot dirt road leading to the lake along the northeastern edge of the RV property. The "park lane" separated/isolated a portion of Biggs’ property. This proposed subdivision of six residential lots is on this separated portion. Trustees were concerned about the inadequacy of the park lane access for a permanent residential subdivision. For example, a moving van could not negotiate the 90-degree turn encountered at the edge of the lake when approaching from Mitchell Avenue. Schutz said he had strong concerns about "horse-trades" of land in the condemnation negotiations that were never reviewed at a public hearing, precluding neighboring citizen comment about the park lane’s size or apparently inadequate configuration. He expressed concern that negotiations to obtain land for appropriate curve radii along the park lane would be done with similar "horse-trading" that again precluded public comment or review. Several trustees expressed concern that unauthorized actions would be taken by Biggs in the future, given the record since 1993. Konarski asked if Biggs would be willing to have flood plain and Preble’s meadow jumping mouse assessments done before sketch plan approval. Nelson said it would be cost prohibitive to do so without assurances of approval of the sketch plan ahead of time. When it was apparent the trustees were going to reject the sketch plan because of all the unresolved issues, Nelson agreed to withdraw the sketch plan.

Meeting location schedule: Town Clerk Skrzypek recommended that all BOT meetings be held in Town Hall until after the trustee election in April, due to lack of attendance at Creekside Middle School sessions. The board approved unanimously.

Lease-purchase for public works trucks: Glenn asked if it was a necessity for the four newly purchased pickup trucks to be all four-by-fours and why they were all to be Chevrolet "Silverados." Public Works Superintendent Tom Wall said two trucks were for the two new water employees that would be working at Triview Metropolitan District, taking over day-to-day water operations from Donala completely as of Feb. 1. The other two trucks are replacement trucks. Wall added that although "Silverado" was a luxury model of pickup in the past, the brand name now means four-wheel-drive. The board approved unanimously.

Annexation policies: Davenport gave an overview of procedures for annexation of two parcels that was identical to those given to the parks and landscape committee and the planning commission. (These procedures are reported on in articles about those meetings and not repeated here.) Notification of annexation for the Wahlborg property was approved unanimously with the eligibility hearing date set for Mar. 1.

Health care: The maximum reimbursement limit for one year for a town employee was increased from $2,500 to $7,000. Also, due to new hires, medical insurance payment authority was increased from $14,000 to $15,000 per month. The board approved unanimously.

December financial report and disbursements over $5,000: Both were approved unanimously.

Monument Police Department statistics for 2003: The police department handled 1,103 cases: 460 criminal, 97 traffic accidents, 164 incidents, and 382 supplemental actions. Total number of summons issued was 482.

BOT election schedule: Skrzypek is the town election official. She distributed a seven-page schedule that lists numerous ballot requirements to help trustees and staff stay on schedule. The option of a mail-in election was rejected previously as too costly. Voting will take place at Town Hall and Creekside Middle School on Apr. 6.

El Paso County Department of Transportation Director John McCarty and County Commissioner Wayne Williams solicited support from the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) on Feb. 2 for the joint El Paso County-Colorado Springs proposal to institute a countywide regional transportation authority (RTA.) This RTA would be larger, but similar to the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority; the same Colorado statute defines both. McCarty also discussed using a special county 1 percent sales tax through 2015 as a way to raise additional tax revenue for funding specific countywide road and bridge building and repair projects as well as expanding city-county transit service. A permanent 0.45 cent sales tax dedicated to the RTA would remain in effect after 2015, when the one-cent sales tax sunsets.

The regular BOT meeting was comprised mainly of awards ceremonies and routine approvals of payments for services. All trustees were present.

Mayor Betty Konarski opened this meeting, at 5:30 p.m., by saying that McCarty had asked the town for time to present the RTA proposal. He will also brief every other town and city in El Paso County, other than Colorado Springs, over the next few months. His purpose is to help each of these towns and cities think about the RTA proposal and prepare for meetings and administrative actions needed prior to the November ballot. Williams accompanied McCarty for the presentation, also urging the town’s support of the RTA and one-cent county sales tax ballot initiative. McCarty gave what he said was essentially the same information as the briefing presented at the Community Summit on Transportation in Centennial Hall on Jan. 14. He noted, for clarification, that the paper copy of the briefing slides he distributed was the version used in a preliminary briefing to gain approval of the County Commissioners and City Council on Dec. 29 for the slightly different slide presentation made at the press conference on Jan. 14 in Centennial Hall.

The details of the RTA proposal are not repeated here in this article as they are unchanged from those reported in the related OCN article on the Jan. 14 transportation summit, page 27.

McCarty said, "In order to make it an attractive ballot issue, the RTA ballot language would provide a high level of certainty on how revenues would be expended." The ballot language will give detail on which projects will be done and how much money will be allocated to each. These features are included due to lessons learned from the defeat of the water bond issue (Referendum A), which he said resulted from lack of specifics on where water projects would be initiated. The RTA board would meet at the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) building, since most of the RTA board members would also be on the PPACG board. PPACG staff would perform administrative services and funds distribution at very low cost since they are already familiar with, and involved in, the planning of these projects. The RTA board would be a "weak board" that would not set policy, but simply carry out the directions of the ballot language. McCarty promised that neither the city nor county would reduce current funding for road and bridge building and repair projects or transit service not paid for by the RTA.

However, McCarty said the options to also include a $10 vehicle registration fee and a 2 percent visitor’s tax had lost significant support since the Jan. 14 presentation and most likely will not be part of the final wording of the ballot proposal. The Colorado statute that permits creation of rural/regional transportation authorities allows these two options. While the sales tax is projected to raise about $60 million per year, the Jan. 14 presentation asserted that the vehicle registration fee would raise $6.5 million per year and the visitor’s tax would raise $1.2 million per year. He said many other revenue options allowed by the RTA statute were rejected as unattractive to voters, but did not discuss them.

If the BOT votes to participate in the RTA, the town would have one representative on the new RTA board if the vote in November were favorable. If the BOT does not agree to join the RTA, Monument residents would not vote on the ballot issue and the town would not be able to collect a share of the 35 percent of additional sales tax revenue for road and bridge building and repair. The town’s repair funding would probably be over $140,000 per year, according to rough calculations made by McCarty and Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg. Alternatively, the town could form its own regional transportation authority with one or more county towns, for example Palmer Lake and/or Peyton. A Monument RTA could levy its own 1 percent sales tax, keeping its share of all the revenue for construction and transit, as well as repairs. Konarski pointed out that the upgrade of the Baptist Road corridor, the top in priority of five projects for the county whether the RTA passes or not, would be completed whether or not Monument participates in the November ballot. There was no discussion on whether or not Monument residents would likely vote for a one-cent sales tax increase under either scenario. McCarty added that there is also a provision in the Colorado RTA statute that would allow Monument to join the countywide RTA after it is created, by carrying out the same hearing and ballot process in a subsequent year.

Several board members expressed unease about the present lack of specificity of the proposal since there is currently no draft of the ballot language. However, they acknowledged McCarty’s and Williams’ statements that this is the only practical way to raise revenue to meet the imminent county transportation crisis. Williams also noted that the joint RTA precludes the possibility of the county or the city forming their own RTA ahead of the other, reducing the likelihood of passage of the second RTA. He added that while the county can demand that developers build streets and collectors within a development, the commissioners cannot demand that developers also build arterials. The RTA is the only agency that keeps up with the demand for arterials, given current TABOR and Gallagher Amendment constraints. Trustee Glenda Smith asked if BRRTA would go away with passage of this proposal, adding that BRRTA was quite unpopular with citizens. Williams said BRRTA will go away in any event once all the houses in Jackson Creek are built, since there would be no more road use fees to collect. He added that BRRTA’s unpopularity was a reason the RTA proposal language is going to be so specific in setting limits on the RTA’s authority.

Trustee George Brown expressed concern about cost increases in the first projects draining all the available money before the final projects could be started. Williams said that while they can fluctuate, sales tax revenues often rise more rapidly than inflation in a good economy, which would help prevent Brown’s scenario from occurring. Related projects are also grouped together as "corridor projects" to make sure there is a high likelihood a corridor project is completed. For example, five separate Baptist Road projects have the top five priorities on the current county capital improvement list, making the Baptist Road corridor the top priority corridor. Furthermore, Williams noted, Baptist Road is being widened to six lanes right away at the Jackson Creek Parkway intersection, rather than widening to only four lanes now and then to six lanes five years from now. This avoids Baptist Road always being under construction, like Woodmen Road.

Sonnenburg asked how often population figures would be updated to recalculate Monument’s proportion of road maintenance revenue, noting that Monument is the fastest growing town in the county. The current population of Monument is 3,500, and the county has roughly 500,000 residents. Monument’s share is calculated by dividing 3,500 by 500,000 or 0.7 percent. Sonnenburg said Monument’s share should rise significantly each year through 2015. No decision has been made on how frequently town and city shares would be recalculated.

McCarty said the RTA issue would consist of three separate questions, possibly written in a way so passage of at least two would mean passage of all three. The questions would separately ask for authorization of the RTA, the one-cent sales tax, and specific "de-TABOR-ing" of the RTA revenue. McCarty will be soliciting all towns and cities, other than Colorado Springs, to provide their final comments and recommendations on the issue by April 1 so the statutory three-hearing sequence required of each participating town or city can occur prior to the November election. McCarty also noted that there are other proposals being made, such as delaying the tax sunset past 2015 to at least 20 years so the funds could be partially or completely bonded. However, Williams noted that the alternative proposals all make the RTA issue less attractive to voters. McCarty assured board members that PPACG administrative costs would be very low because they would need no significant staff increases to process revenue checks received from the states and disbursed to the towns and cities. The RTA would reimburse PPACG for staff time as its accounting consultant.

The special meeting adjourned at 6:27 p.m.

Minutes for Jan. 20 BOT meeting: The draft minutes for the regular BOT meeting of Jan. 20 were not approved, as several trustees noted omissions of their comments in the second half of the meeting. Dialogue that was said to be missing centered on opposing comments made regarding the unauthorized actions taken by Ernie Biggs during the past 10 years at the Lake of the Rockies campground. Several trustees noted that their comments opposing the sketch plan for Bigg’s proposed subdivision development on the north shore of Monument Lake were also missing from the minutes. Sonnenburg noted that the last two of the three tapes used to record the three hour and 30 minute meeting on Jan. 20 were found to be blank when Deputy Clerk Irene Walters was transcribing the minutes and that affected trustees should contact her to provide additional content. A motion to defer approval of these minutes until they could be completed passed unanimously.

Plaques presented to Intel: Intel Corporation donated over $3,000 worth of protective equipment including decontamination goggles, gloves, NOMEX suits, and boots that will be used by Monument police in securing and investigating suspected methamphetamine labs. In December Sergeant Steve Burk and Master Patrol Officer Rob Stewart completed Drug Enforcement Association training at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Va., for these types of drug labs. Stewart assisted Police Chief Joe Kissell in presenting a plaque of appreciation to Dan Robbins, Intel’s facility maintenance manager (and also a Monument Police Department Chaplain), and Judy Cara, Intel’s public affairs officer. Cara said the Monument plaque would be displayed in the main lobby of the Intel plant on Garden of the Gods Road.

John Stearns joins Police Advisory Committee (PAC): Stearns, lending manager and bank officer for TCF National Bank, was approved unanimously, becoming the third active member of the committee—in effect, replacing George Case, who resigned to become a trustee in January. Stearns’ appointment reactivates the PAC because if all three current members attend there will once again be a quorum for the five-person committee. He has over 15 years’ experience in emergency services, including 10 years of medical, firefighting, and law enforcement in the Air Force, and currently volunteers in the Fire Marshall’s Office of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers for the other two PAC positions are still being sought.

Monument Villas Townhouses: Ted Whitman, association manager for Mountainside Property Management, Inc., represented the homeowners of Monument Villas Townhouses, speaking for eight residents in attendance. They are requesting street maintenance for the private roads in this development, Villa Grove and Paula Circle. Trustee Glenda Smith noted that she was on the BOT when this development was initially approved and said the town staff would have to do some research on whether or not these roads meet standards. Whitman said the town plows all the neighborhood streets except the two private roads in Monument Villas, adding that adjacent roads appear to be of similar width and construction.

Trustee Byron Glenn asked why a developer usually asks for approval to build private roads in a development. Town Planner Mike Davenport said that usually private roads are approved but not accepted for municipal ownership because they are too narrow and/or their construction quality does not meet town standards. Case said that the PAC recommends against private roads. Davenport confirmed that the town discourages private roads, but they are not prohibited. Trustee Frank Orten asked if this was really a request for Monument to take ownership of these roads; Whitman said yes. Smith said the board should not vote until staff could ascertain the maintenance history of the roads. Konarski asked if they met specifications. Public Works Superintendent Tom Wall said the townhouses only had 7-foot setbacks so the developer could make more money and did not know if the roads’ quality met town standards.

Konarski said, "We’re being asked to maintain these roads forever." She asked what compensation the town would receive for taking on this responsibility. Orten asked if a waiver was required to accept them.

Monument Planning Commissioner Lowell Morgan asked to speak from the audience. He noted that he was a trustee when the board approved this development in 2000. He said that Mayor Si Sibell and the trustees were adamant that the roads would have to be private because of the setback issue and that the roads were only 35 feet wide as he recalled, far less than the prevailing 60- and 50-foot requirements in force at that time for plow maneuverability and safety. Konarski asked again for compensation to warrant taking on added costs for maintenance. Orten said he would need to review a list of all private roads in town before voting. Trustee Dave Mertz agreed, saying the BOT should not risk setting a bad precedent without more information. The item was continued, pending further staff research on all the questions raised.

Glenn Receives Plaque: Rolf Philipsen of the El Paso County Regional Building Department presented a plaque to Byron Glenn honoring "two years of service on our governing board." Glenn filled the rotating position given in turn to each town in the county. Green Mountain Falls will now provide a board member to replace Glenn.

Franchise Audit Proposal: Treasurer Judy Skrzypek introduced Jon Brown of Mark V Professional Consultants, who is offering expertise for auditing the town’s franchise contract with Adelphia, Inc. Brown’s written offer is on the letterhead of ARK Professional Consultants. Sonnenburg then solicited a competitive written proposal from Revenue Recovery Group, Inc., the only other firm in the area that does this kind of work. Skrzypek recommended that Brown perform the audit if the BOT wants to consider his proposal. Trustee George Brown asked how far back audits of Adelphia, Qwest, and Aquila would go. Jon Brown said it would depend on the length of the contracts and when major technological changes occurred in each industry. George Brown asked if he had done these kinds of audits before. Jon Brown said he had recently retired from a full career of negotiating franchise agreements for these types of companies, but had not performed an audit "from the other side of the bargaining table." He was offering his services because he felt that small towns and cities bargained ineffectively, not getting what he thought was a fair return and using contract language that had not changed in decades. George Brown asked Skrzypek to check Jon Brown’s references. Orten noted that this kind of consulting is relevant to any large company or town using franchise services and is well worth doing. Citizen John Dominowski endorsed the proposal for Brown to review contracts and town ordinances. A motion to have Brown review the town’s contracts and ordinances passed unanimously.

Definition of Permanent Resident: A controversial issue regarding Lake of the Rockies deliberations on Jan. 20 was the plat restriction of "one permanent residence" on the recreational vehicle (RV) park property. Citizen Tim Schutz and several trustees expressed concern at that meeting that people were living in RVs at Lake of the Rockies year-round, making the RV facility a de facto "trailer park," in violation of zoning regulations. He pointed out that Lake of the Rockies is closed November through February, yet citizens have observed the display of Christmas lights on RVs in Lake of the Rockies throughout the holiday season. Some trustees said that approval of the replat of Lake of the Rockies at that meeting legalized 10 years of violations by owner Ernie Biggs, then voted for the replat’s approval. There is no town ordinance prohibiting RV occupancy when the park is closed, because there is no effective way to define what constitutes permanent residency. Town Attorney Gary Shupp was asked at the Jan. 20 meeting to research the issue in order to advise the BOT about how to write such an ordinance.

Shupp recommended that the BOT leave the permanent residence issue alone for now, saying there is no good case law or example of an ordinance from another town or city that adequately spells out "intent to become a permanent resident." Case law regarding homeless people in large cities was discussed, showing that legal definitions regarding the location of a residence have become too ambiguous to predict how any Monument ordinance might fare in court. Federal Housing and Urban Development requirements for mobile homes have similarly made it difficult to define permanent residency with respect to the type of mobile dwelling that would qualify as a potential permanent residence. After much discussion, the board continued the issue, asking for further research by the staff to avoid devising an ordinance too bureaucratic and difficult to enforce.

Fee schedule: The town’s 2004 fee schedule was approved unanimously. There were only minor changes made to some cemetery fees, notary fees, and park reservation fees. The specifics of the changes were not discussed.

Emergency Snow Routes: The emergency snow route list was amended to add the Second Street extension, the Beacon Lite extension, and Jackson Creek Parkway. The three additions passed 6-1. Smith voted no because McShane Place was not included as an emergency snow route.

Additional items: The following agenda items were all approved unanimously, with only brief discussion:

Batch Plant Lawsuits: Shupp reported that the town’s two batch plant litigations, with Transit Mix and Ready-Mix, were moving forward toward trial because, as expected, no pre-trial settlements could be reached.

Home Depot: Glenn, who is also president of BRRTA, asked Davenport if Home Depot, currently under construction at the Monument Marketplace, would be allowed to open on July 1 if U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mouse habitat reviews delays widening of Baptist Road from Jackson Creek Parkway to I-25. Davenport said the town could waive the restriction on Home Depot operation without road widening up to six months, based on traffic studies by several consultants. Glenn asked about whether a six-month extension would be compromised by winter weather; Davenport said no, because there was no expectation that mouse delays would be significant.

The one-week delay in trenching from Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 was caused by the Colorado Department of Transportation, CDOT, not Fish and Wildlife, according to developer Rick Blevins’ statement at the Triview Metropolitan District board meeting on Jan. 28. He said CDOT wanted a week to review the Fish and Wildlife authorization paperwork before letting Baptist Road trenching begin.

The board unanimously agreed to change the next meeting to Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. due to the President’s Day holiday on Monday. The meeting adjourned at 8:03 p.m.

Web site exclusive: View a photo of the Parish Education Center

The Monument Planning Commission (PC) reviewed proposals for Jackson Creek Market Village and its goals and schedule for 2004 at its Jan. 14 meeting. Chairman Dave Mooney and Commissioner James Thresher were excused. Commissioner Lowell Morgan chaired the meeting.

Regency Park 4th Amendment: Monument PRD, LLC requested rezoning of the 5.8 acres east of the King Soopers shopping center, which is managed by Regency Corp., from residential to light (area) commercial (PCD). This proposed PCD rezoning is less dense commercial zoning than the rezoning that would be required for a big-box store like a Wal-Mart supercenter on the parcel directly across from King Soopers.

Monument PRD’s shopping center land is part of a 10.1-acre parcel formerly called Academy View. It borders Baptist Road and Lyons Tail, west of Leather Chaps. The remainder of the parcel, adjacent to Lyons Tail, would still be zoned PCD-10, which is residential with a maximum density of 10 units per acre. Although Monument PRD is not related to Regency Corp., the proposed shopping center will look like an expansion of the existing retail facility. The new center will use the existing eastern access and right-in/right-out connection to Baptist Road. No other entrance is planned. Considerable excavation will be required to attain an elevation that can use the eastern access lanes. This dirt will be used to create a slope up to the townhouses.

Miles Grant and his engineering consultant, Wendell Ayers of Paragon Engineering Consultants, Inc., represented the property owner. They made no formal presentation but did display a different alignment for the eight townhouse buildings than had been provided in the pre-meeting review packages, as requested by the town planning staff. Town Planner Mike Davenport described the new building arrangement as "more interesting" in terms of available open space and views for residents.

Commissioner Kathy Spence was concerned that the center proposal included drive-through businesses that were not shown in previously submitted drawings. She asked how the town would benefit from an even denser, more profitable land use requiring more garish and larger signage. Davenport said that increasing the number of stores would make the two centers more "resilient" if the Wal-Mart proposal is approved by the county. He added that there is no restriction in the proposed PCD zoning that precludes drive-through businesses.

Spence said the kids in the 40 proposed townhomes "would have no place to play." Davenport replied that the new layout of the townhouse buildings would permit much more open space between the buildings.

Spence reiterated her concern with last minute changes that increased density. Commissioner Tom Donnellan suggested rezoning the residential to PRD-8. Town Attorney Gary Shupp interrupted the discussion to say that public meetings are not the place for zoning negotiations and that the PC could only vote yes or no on the printed proposal. Davenport added that townhouses located well above the roofline of the two shopping centers were an excellent transition for the rest of Jackson Creek. Grant expressed a desire to work with the town to have a pleasing set of proposals that would be well received by the community.

There was a brief discussion about the drainage issues involved. Slopes and landscaping will be used instead of a 30- to 40-foot vertical retaining wall, so there are significant elevation differences between the shopping center and the townhouses. The 4th Amendment rezoning was unanimously approved, with the condition that the staff’s proposed changes, per the town’s engineering consultant GMS, be incorporated prior to Board of Trustees review and final approval.

Jackson Creek Market Village Preliminary Plat and Site Plan: In conjunction with its rezoning proposal, Monument PRD, LLC proposed preliminary specifics for its shopping center and townhouse developments, consistent with the split in zoning, noted above, on this 10.1-acre parcel. The county highway department had turned down the developer’s request for modification of the existing right-in/right-out access to the Regency Corp. property. The county requested the name change because another development already uses the name Academy View.

Grant noted that the new stores would be about 12 feet below the current ground elevation, on average, and that the lowest foundation of the townhouses would be at least 35 feet above the roofline of the shopping center. At the request of town staff, the townhouses have been realigned on the 4.3-acre residential portion of the property to maximize views for all residents. He said the maximum slope for the new shopping center is 4 percent, to make it look like a continuation of the Regency Corp. property.

Spence asked how townhouse residents would walk to the stores, considering the slope. Grant said it was a design challenge not to have steps that descend into what appears to be an intimidating alley between the two shopping centers. Spence said she didn’t want a McDonald’s drive-through with huge light-polluting arches, reminding Grant that the 40- and 50-foot fast-food signs on Highway 105 were built before the town restricted new signs to 25 feet. Grant replied that there would be a single sign on the southwest corner of the retail property, comparable to the existing Regency sign to make the two centers look as one. He noted that fast-food stores on Highway 105 are negotiating to move to these two pads.

Davenport said the townhouses were much lower density than the maximum permitted for residential housing, which is a plus. Grant added that commercial sales revenue was another plus as revenues from Highway 105 stores decline. Spence asked if the townhouse design would be acceptable to the patio home owners across Lyons Tail. Davenport said stonework and gables would make the townhouses more attractive than the patio homes, rather than detracting from the neighborhood. Grant agreed, saying to allay Spence’s concerns he will provide specific illustrations for PC review before construction begins. Spence asked if the new shopping center’s lighting would be as inoffensive as those in the King Soopers center. Grant said it would be quite similar for continuity and equally unobtrusive. The plans were approved unanimously.

2004 Schedule: Davenport reviewed the draft PC goals and schedule for 2004. Morgan noted his surprise that there was no reference in the schedule to the PC reviewing the addition by St. Peters Church of elementary school classes on church grounds. Davenport said discussions were too preliminary to have prepared formal documentation, but a K-3 program was being discussed for the current three-story parish education center, which would grow to K-6 over the years. Morgan emphasized the need to use new procedures to solicit widespread community review and comment. The demise of two of the town’s citizen advisory committees makes it harder for citizens to voice concerns, he added. Spence said the PC would need all the town’s documentation regarding the original approval of the parish education center for review well in advance of the hearings. Morgan concurred, saying the history of that approval was complicated. Several waivers to existing restrictions on a building that size in a residential neighborhood were approved at that time. All agreed that neighbors’ comments must be solicited and considered before approving a heavier use of the building.

Spence asked what changes would be made if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changes the protected status of the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. Davenport said it would open the possibility of requiring Triview Metropolitan District and the Jackson Creek developer to build the "field of dreams" sports field originally planned near Creekside Middle School before the mouse issue emerged. Davenport reminded the PC that another sports field complex just southeast of Lewis-Palmer High School is also being proposed in the pending draft Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan, and that mouse issues would not hold up this other field complex.

The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. The next meeting is Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

Web site exclusive: View a photo of the Parish Education Center

The Monument Parks and Landscape (P&L) Committee reviewed proposals for Jackson Creek Market Village (formerly called Academy View), Limbach Park expansion, and annexation of the Wahlborg Property and the Kerr Addition on Jan. 13. Some items from the Dec. 9 meeting were also reviewed because there was not a quorum at that meeting. All members of the committee were present.

Highway Signage: Linda Pankratz asked Town Planner Mike Davenport to clarify the Dec. 9 minutes’ listing of sources for funding for signage at exit 161 on I-25. Two signs that say Tri-Lakes and list Monument, Woodmoor, and Palmer Lake will be built on the shou