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Below: As seen from Jack’s Valley at the Air Force Academy looking east, the north end of Phase 1 of the Team O2 development is south of (to the right) of the access road to the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The south. end of the development is near the Air Force Academy boundary. With the other four phases, the project would stretch north to Baptist Road. Photo by Mike Wicklund

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Below: Ed Hilligras of Team O2 Investments, LLC gave a short slide presentation on their plans to develop a destination water park resort, retail, and commercial office space on the vacant property bounded by Baptist Road to the north, I-25 to the east, the Air Force Academy to the south, and the Santa Fe Trail to the west. This vacant parcel is currently zoned industrial. Photo by Jim Kendrick

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Below: Monument Police Chief Jacob Shirk presented Citizen Awards and Certificates of Appreciation to King Soopers Retail Investigators Chad Albaugh and Steven Pollard. On May 24, 2006, they recognized two individuals passing fraudulent checks in the store. Albaugh and Pollard arrested the two individuals in coordination with the Monument Police Department. Further investigation led to felony indictments and arrests of three accomplices and seizure of equipment used to make the fraudulent checks. Photo by Jim Kendrick

At the beginning of the Oct. 16 Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting, Team O2 Investments, LLC gave a brief overview of its proposed water slide resort development to be constructed at the south end of the vacant land bordered by Baptist Road, I-25, the Air Force Academy, and the Santa Fe Trail. About a year ago, this proposal had been presented to the city of Colorado Springs for a development known as the Outrageous Oasis (O2) at a location near Northgate Road, but no agreement was reached. Potential water use was a significant issue in that proposed development.

After the public portion of the BOT agenda had been completed, the board went into executive session for real estate negotiations. During this lengthy session, behind closed doors with the developer, the trustees negotiated an incentive package for the project. Long after citizens and the press had left Town Hall, the board unanimously approved an incentive package for the developer, Team O2, that will be finalized at the next BOT meeting on Nov. 6.

The BOT agreed in principle to rebate all user fee revenues plus the town’s share (2 percent) of Monument’s 3 percent sales tax for a 10-year period that begins when the resort opens. The rebates are an inducement to the developer to build the water slide resort within the town’s boundaries. This rebated revenue may be used only for "public" improvements such as landscaping, road enhancements, street lighting, and decorative fountains. Under the agreement, the rebate could not be used for buildings or furnishings.

Water and sewer utility service for the water park will be provided by the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District rather than by the town’s Public Works Department and Monument Sanitation District.

Sales tax revenue is shared by the town and the Forest Lakes district on a 2-to-1 basis, in contrast to the 50-50 split the town has with Triview Metropolitan District. The metro district would still receive its 1 percent share of the 3 percent Monument sales tax from Team O2 Investments, LLC under the proposed agreement.

The resort development would still be subject to town property taxes and Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) traffic impact fees, as well as the proposed temporary BRRTA 1-cent sales tax if ballot question A is approved by BRRTA voters in the Nov. 7 election.

Team O2 property taxes will be allocated directly to the Monument Police Department. If there are more than 357 calls per year during the 10-year rebate period, the direct costs of the additional calls will be taken from the rebated 2 percent sales tax revenue.

No additional incentives from the town or any from the metro district had been publicly announced before OCN’s publication deadline for this edition.

Mayor Byron Glenn reported that he and Town Manager Cathy Green had met with Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Board President Jes Raintree and Assistant Superintendent Ray Blanch to discuss ways that the two boards could work together on athletic facilities and improvements on Higby Road.

Glenn also reported that the town is looking for a citizen volunteer to fill a slot on the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government’s Citizen Advisory Committee. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact the town at 884-8017.

Glenn said that County Commissioner Wayne Williams, a member of the Colorado Transportation Advisory Committee, had told him that the committee had directed the Colorado Department of Transportation to complete its top seven road projects by 2026. The Baptist Road interchange improvement and widening of I-25 north through Monument are two of these projects.

Glenn also noted that the number of building permits issued by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department this year was down to 3,200 from 4,500 at this time last year.

Monument Police Chief Jacob Shirk presented Citizen Awards and Certificates of Appreciation to several people for two separate actions.

On May 24, King Soopers retail investigators Chad Albaugh and Steven Pollard suspected that two individuals were performing check fraud throughout El Paso County. After their transactions were videotaped, the two suspects were arrested in coordination with the Monument Police Department. Further investigation led to felony indictments and arrests of three accomplices with the help of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Springs Police Department, and U.S. Postal Service Inspector General’s Office.

Cheryl Marshal of the Palmer Divide Public Safety Group; Laura Vertucci, assistant to the director of D-38 Auxiliary Services; and Monument Police Officer Steve Blaskowsky provided highly noteworthy coordination for the town’s first Emergency Preparedness Fair for the Palmer Divide Public Safety Group on Sept. 16 at the Lewis-Palmer High School.

Ed Hilligras and Ty Candreia of Team O2 Investments, LLC gave a short slide presentation on their plans to develop the vacant property, which is currently zoned as industrial. Their proposal included a family destination resort plus retail and commercial office space.

The firm’s headquarters and executive offices would be moved to this location during an eight-year development plan. The parcel will be developed sequentially, from the south end of the parcel to the north end.

Phase 1 of the proposed development, would take two years to complete. Phases 2 and 3 in the middle of the parcel, between the northern boundary of the Academy and Jackson Creek, would be built in years two through six. Phases 4 and 5 at the north end would be constructed in years five through eight. The latter four phases would include restaurants, retail, and office buildings. The filing sketches only showed the boundaries of the filings and notional roads.

Sketches of the exteriors of the proposed resort buildings featured stucco with timber and stone enhancements and green metal roofs. Hilligras also noted they were similar to drawings and sketches previously presented to the town.

Hilligras proposed a dedication of one to two acres on the southeast corner of Old Denver Highway and Baptist Road for a fire station, which is the northwest corner of the parcel.

Green said the Board of Trustees was in a peculiar position of having to act as its own economic development corporation in conducting confidential real estate negotiations with Team O2 due to the highly competitive nature of luring the developers to Monument.

The preliminary/final plats for Filings 9 and 10 of the Monument Marketplace were unanimously approved. Filing 9 is 1.6 acres for a 10,000-square-foot retail pad on the northwest corner of Jackson Creek Parkway and Leather Chaps Drive. Filing 10 is 1.3 acres for the clock tower and plaza in the middle of the west side of the center, next to I-25.

Trustee Travis Easton proposed making repairs of a manhole lid, grate, and orifice plate in the drainage next to Home Depot as conditions of approval for the filings. Vision Development project manager Rick Blevins objected, saying the drainage issues were "totally nonrelated" to the two plats. Town Attorney Gary Shupp agreed with Blevins.

Trustee Tim Miller asked Blevins to install reflectors on left turn lanes in the median of Jackson Creek Parkway before it snowed again. Blevins and Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara said the median belongs to Triview Metropolitan District.

Glenn asked Kassawara about the status of screening for Vision Development’s trailers in the storage and construction areas north of Leather Chaps and near the electric substation. Blevins said the trailers would be permanently removed within a week or two, resolving the issue. Blevins noted that sales of single-family homes had slowed considerably, but two new developments with lower-priced houses will soon begin sales, and this may offset the lull.

The board also retroactively approved its own plat for the ongoing expansion of the water treatment facility on the northwest corner of Beacon Lite Road and Second Street. Engineering consultant GMS, Inc. had discovered that the town had never platted this parcel prior to construction of the original water treatment plant, while GMS was seeking a building permit from Regional Building for the expansion of the plant.

All three plat proposals had been unanimously approved by the Planning Commission.

Public Works Director Rich Landreth presented an overview of his department’s 2007 budget. There are new water budget line items to more easily track expenditures for:

Some other highlights were:

Discussion: Green said the town would not sign an expanded maintenance contract unless all costs were recovered by the town for this labor-intensive endeavor. Glenn said the town will take over all these operations in the future "when Triview goes away." Triview is a developer district that is to be dissolved after all road and utility construction is completed and the district has paid off its bond debt, which is currently $47.1 million.

Landreth said he would like to perform all Jackson Creek utility services for Triview or none at all, due to repeated problems by another contractor over-sanding Jackson Creek roads. Easton asked if the board could have a joint meeting with the Triview board to discuss all these issues.

Trustee Dave Mertz asked who would be responsible for cleaning up Lyons Tail Road of all the mud and gravel from construction trucks between Jackson Creek Parkway and Leather Chaps Drive. Glenn noted that the property owner for the townhome construction site should also repair the large pothole in Lyons Tail near the temporary driveway for all the dump trucks that has been caused by failure to reseed parts of that parcel after the vegetation was removed by grading. Landreth said Triview District Manager Larry Bishop was responsible for those problems.

Glenn said he will ask the board to annex Baptist Road and Higby Road after all planned improvements are completed by El Paso County, as well as Old Denver Highway, so that the town could have more complete control of these major roads within its boundaries.

The board unanimously approved eight payments over $5,000 that were proposed by Treasurer Pamela Smith:

Smith noted that the two water loan prepayments were approved at the Oct. 2 BOT meeting as part of the 2006 budget restatement.

Development Services Director Tom Kassawara reported that developer BK-LOR, LLC is preparing a preliminary/final PD site plan for the Lake of the Rockies project. He also said that CDOT had not yet approved a traffic signal for the intersection of Highway 105 and Knollwood Drive, even though all required documentation had been submitted by all the responsible property owners who are sharing the cost of installation.

Kassawara also said that the BOT and staff concur with the YMCA’s proposal to have a traffic light installed at the new YMCA access on Jackson Creek Parkway north of the existing Higby Road traffic signal. An agreement has been worked out by staff so that this new YMCA access will be aligned with a new access to the north parking lot of Lewis-Palmer High School from Jackson Creek Parkway. The signal will probably be an "on-demand" light that only changes when triggered by the presence of a vehicle exiting the YMCA or school parking lots.

The existing traffic signal at the Higby Road intersection will eventually be deactivated—eliminating any potential sequencing problems with the YMCA traffic signal—when a new segment of Higby Road is built west of the Harness Road intersection. The new southwesterly alignment will intersect Jackson Creek Parkway closer to the Monument Marketplace. Bowstring Drive will be extended south of its existing intersection with what will become "Old" Higby Road, across the new segment of Higby Road, to connect with the recently constructed segment that intersects with Leather Chaps Drive. That segment serves as the primary access to the Remington Hills development.

Glenn said the town should vacate the segment of "Old" Higby Road between Bowstring and Jackson Creek Parkway, so the high school can use it for a primary access road and parking for football games and other school events.

Chief Shirk reported that the police had posted the skateboard park as closed and would arrest trespassers. Landreth added that boulders had been placed in the parking lot to preclude loitering in automobiles. Shirk also said that his officers are visiting area schools several times a week, and he is coordinating with school administrators of Grace Best Elementary School and Creekside Middle school to let them know about juvenile arrests related to those schools. He will also coordinate with private schools within the town boundaries.

Green reported that one of the two owners of the completed homes in Trails End that have a combination of stucco, stone, and lapboard siding was unhappy that the town had prohibited his existing siding. Green suggested that the board meet with this owner to discuss if he could be granted an exception to the policy decision made after he moved in, or negotiate how stucco would have to be applied to the sides and rear of his home by builder Richmond Homes. The board agreed to Green’s proposal for a meeting.

The board went into executive session at 8:05 p.m. to receive advice on specific legal questions and to conduct real estate negotiations. After the board returned to regular open session, it unanimously passed a motion to approve a memo of understanding between the town and the other agency members of the Palmer Divide Water Group to pursue alternative water resources.

A second motion to approve, in concept, an economic development incentive package to Team O2 Investments LLC for the development of a destination family resort in Monument also passed unanimously. The details of the agreement is expected to be the subject of a resolution at the Nov. 6 Board of Trustees meeting. (See the unanimously approved "Draft in Progress").

The board unanimously approved a resolution for a proclamation that designated October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and urged women to seek early detection of this "most common life-threatening disease."

The board unanimously approved a resolution appointing Planning Commissioner John Kortgardner to fill the specifically designated planning commission seat on the Monument Board of Adjustments.

The next BOT meeting will be on Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the first and third Monday of the month.

Draft agreement with Team O2

"Its purpose is to provide certain financial incentives to Team O2 Investments, LLC, for the purpose of developing a destination family resort in Monument.

THE PARTIES therefore state as follows:

1. The Town has determined that the promotion of economic development and employment opportunities and the retention of existing business and employment opportunities are in the best interests of the citizens of the Town of Monument.

2. Team O2 Investments is in the process of developing plans for a destination family resort located in Monument, Colorado.

3. The Town Board of Trustees has determined that the following financial incentives are appropriate and shall be conveyed to Team O2 Investments, LLC.

1. The Town of Monument will rebate 100% of the Town’s portion of the sales tax, not to exceed any collection limitations imposed by the TABOR amendment, for a ten year period of time. The ten years will begin the day the resort opens for business and will be inclusive of all development located within the resort district.

2. The Town of Monument will rebate 100% of its portion of the users fee tax to Team O2 Investments LLC at the time a land use permit is signed off by the Town of Monument.

3. The Town of Monument will not rebate the Town’s portion of property tax, and will instead provide these funds to the Monument Department of Law enforcement for the purpose of public safety. If calls originating from the resort district exceed 357 calls per year, an amount of funds equaling the cost of additional calls will be withheld from the sales tax rebate. The calls will be monitored on an annual basis."

Applications for three new business licenses and three new sign permits were reviewed by the Palmer Lake Town Council at its workshop on Oct. 5. The council also discussed an ordinance amending portions of the ordinance on construction within the hillside overlay zone.

Edward Sexton and his partner, chef Franco Pisani requested a new business license to open a restaurant at 75 S. Highway 105. The council had approved the restaurant’s liquor license in September. Sexton noted that Pisani had previously been a chef for the Villa Inn, the restaurant was scheduled to open on Oct. 25, and staffing has been the biggest challenge for the owners. The council agreed to make the new license a consent item for the regular council meeting on Oct. 12.

Julian Drummond requested a new business license for a paper and janitorial supply distribution company to supply restaurants, churches, and hotels. Drummond said the business would primarily be a wholesale warehouse supporting deliveries of merchandise only, though he might open a small retail space. Drummond said he would obtain a sales tax license prior to adding a retail facility. The council agreed to make this new license a consent item.

Madeleine Bucher requested a new business license for Bucher Design Studio, an architectural firm that is moving from its former Monument location of four years to 300 General Palmer Drive, in the space formerly occupied by Children’s Hope Chest. The council agreed to make the new license a consent item.

Gretchen Anthony said the sign for her bakery at 780 Highway 105 Suite B is very simple — "Bakery" — so motorists can read it quickly in a congested area. Economic Development Trustee Susan Miner asked why the council was reviewing the permit after the sign had been erected. Mayor Max Parker said that until very recently, the Planning Commission had approved sign applications, but now they were being referred to the council.

Trustees Gary Coleman and Jim Girlando said that it would take too long for the Planning Commission and Town Council to schedule hearings for sign approvals. Miner suggested that new businesses apply for sign permits and new business licenses simultaneously to help expedite their transitions to new town locations. Business signs are normally approved by staff in other towns.

Coleman thanked Anthony for her charitable events that raise money for the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

The council agreed to make the new sign permit a consent item.

Barry Peterson and Lori Megginson requested a sign permit for their grooming supplies business at 780 Highway 105, Suite F. This sign had already been installed as well. The council agreed to make the new sign permit a consent item.

Lauren and Marilyn Burlage asked that the sign for their previously approved new feed supply business at 773 Highway 105 be located "as close as possible" to their highway frontage. They currently operate the business, which was approved in March, at a temporary location on their donkey ranch at 500 Highway 105. They opened the business there in August.

The Burlages do not plan to build permanent structures at this time on this vacant lot where they will move their new business. The Burlages had not signed a lease for the permanent location prior to this hearing.

Planning Commissioner Gary Atkins initiated a lengthy discussion by saying he had "second thoughts" about how the town approves new business licenses and related sign requests after he had voted in favor of those for Groomstar’s temporary and permanent locations during several commission hearings. Atkins said that there were no drawings at the Planning Commission workshop and regular meeting reviews to show the location or foundation and lighting details for the sign even though they are required by the town’s ordinance. His concerns about the business’s access, parking, and utility requirements were deferred until after the sign permit issue was resolved.

Girlando advocated development of a checklist for sign applications for staff to provide citizens. Flake suggested that applicants be given a copy of the town’s voluminous and complicated sign ordinance. Miner said that long approval cycles for signs leads to businesses posting banners for extended periods, further harming new starts.

Trustee Richard Allen noted that the business license was approved before a permanent location had been determined. He asked why the business was still operating at a temporary location seven months after the new business license was approved and what the council should do if the negotiations for the vacant lot at 773 Highway 105 were to fall through. Parker said he and Planning Commission Chair John Cressman had met with Burlage to analyze the shortcomings of town regulations regarding a business like his. Burlage said negotiations for other locations had fallen through.

During public comment on the sign permit, Atkins again expressed his "second thoughts" about the lack of any permanent buildings on the site. Burlage said his proposed lease would not allow permanent structures, so he intended to install a temporary feed barn and a mobile mini-office building, similar to those leased for construction sites in order to meet that specific lease restriction. Parker noted that there would be no utilities, water, or sewer on the site.

Atkins said that there were no plans for parking, drainage, lighting for evening operations, or operating an office without utilities. He asked how 18-wheel trucks would access the site and unload their merchandise. Atkins also asked if a temporary office building met zoning and code restrictions for a permanent business. Burlage said he could use a temporary building on a permanent basis without having to meet building codes.

Parker said the council needed to meet with the Planning Commission to work out procedures based on lessons learned from this process. Atkins suggested addressing his concerns when the business license comes up for annual review.

Developer Kurt Erhardt said he owned the West End Center next to the vacant lot. He asked why he would be required to address drainage, parking, and lighting issues for expanding his center, when Burlage appeared to be exempt. Parker said that this line of questioning was not germane to Burlage’s requested sign permit.

The board agreed to make the sign permit a consent item.

After several months of review by town staff, consultants, the Planning Commission, and the Town Council, Town Attorney Larry Gaddis had submitted revisions to the town’s hillside construction ordinance. The primary goal of the revisions was to prevent houses from being on stilts to avoid being considered construction that did not disturb the land under them, because the vegetation under the house would die due to lack of sunlight and no longer prevent erosion. The trustees concluded that the proposed revisions made the revised ordinance easier to interpret, apply, and enforce without adding any additional limitations.

The Palmer Lake Historical Society announced that the 300-pound statue would be dedicated on Oct. 21. Rogers Davis reported that a flatter rock had been obtained to serve as the statue’s base to lower it and make it more secure for the long term. After a very lengthy discussion, the board approved the new base rock.

Erhardt asked for clarification of several issues affecting development of land he owns along Westward Lane near his West End Center. He also asked if the town would consider vacating a strip of land it owns adjacent to his vacant parcel. After a very lengthy discussion of technical and political considerations, Erhardt’s request was referred to the town staff for review and recommendations.

Allen and Trustee Trish Flake said the town should not rush into signing a formal ambulance service agreement with Larkspur Volunteer Fire Department. The 2003 agreement between Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department (PLVFD) and Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District was canceled by Tri-Lakes on Aug. 30. Larkspur agreed to take over the ambulance contract on Sept. 14.

Phillip Beckman, PLVFD chief, said a temporary ambulance service agreement with Larkspur went into effect on Oct. 1. In the event that the two Larkspur ambulances are already out on calls, Tri-Lakes or American Medical Response will send one of their ambulances to Palmer Lake in accordance with the countywide mutual aid agreement. During an hour-long discussion, the board again reviewed the history and politics of the town’s contentious relationship with the Tri-Lakes board, mutual training issues with Tri-Lakes, the higher qualifications of the Larkspur staff, and the additional training benefits offered to Palmer Lake’s volunteer firefighters by Larkspur. No action was taken.

Awake the Lake Committee spokesman Jeff Hulsmann declined to give a committee update. He said the council spent a lot of time on licenses and sign permits, and citizens had left Town Hall before the council began discussions on more important issues. He suggested that staff be delegated the responsibility for reviewing and recommending that licenses and permits be consent items.

Flake suggested that the town add Veterans Day to Christmas and Thanksgiving as a time that the town’s star would be illuminated noting, "We are at war." There was general consensus on her recommendation after some discussion of the history of the star and the strong emotions of Palmer Lake residents against adding days of illumination in the past.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

The Palmer Lake Town Council unanimously approved an amendment to the town’s hillside overlay zone ordinance, ending a temporary moratorium on building permits on steeply sloped lots. The amendment provides a new definition for "disturbed area" and modifies the section dealing with conservation easements.

Trustee Jim Girlando’s absence was excused.

After a motion and second to approve all consent items, Planning Commissioner Gary Atkins asked that the sign permit for Circle B Farm & Ranch Supply be removed from the list. The council concurred, and then approved the remainder of the consent items:

Atkins said he had concerns about the location of the new business’s sign. At the Oct. 5 workshop, Lauren Burlage had requested that the sign be allowed to be installed as close to the highway as possible on the vacant lot at 773 Highway 105 that he intends to lease. At the workshop, Atkins said he had "second thoughts" about the lack of specific information regarding the location of the sign, drainage, fencing, parking, access, lighting, and the lack of any utility services, after Atkins had voted to approve the new business license and sign permit during separate Planning Commission hearings.

Atkins noted that there is a Colorado Department of Transportation right-of-way for Highway 105 and town-owned land between the pavement and the vacant lot for which the Burlages were negotiating a lease. The former Palmer Lake Motors has a lease that runs through the end of 2006 on the town-owned strip of vacant land next to Fletcher Drilling although the company, now called Monument Motors, has moved its sales operations south on Highway 105, to a building opposite the Conoco service station. Burlage said the town-owned strip of land is 75 feet wide.

Atkins said that when the feed and ranch supply business was approved in March, it was for a location "to be determined" and the town did not know the permanent location would be a vacant lot. He said he was also concerned that there would be a temporary building with a portable generator, a "permanent" portable restroom, and a propane bottle installed on a vacant lot. He asked the council to defer approval of the sign permit until Burlage submits a site improvement plan and the plan has been approved by the Planning Commission and Town Council.

Mayor Max Parker asked if there were any provisions in town code that would preclude the proposed business operation on the vacant lot at 773 Highway 105. Atkins said town ordinances require a site plan, drainage study, and engineered drainage and parking plans.

Economic Development Trustee Susan Miner noted that none of these were required of Palmer Lake Motors before it erected a sign on the town’s lot. However, customers parked across Highway 105 at the sales office.

Burlage said he intended to install the sign before the business is moved from the temporary location at his home at 500 Highway 105 to this vacant lot. He said some grading would be required before installing a temporary feed barn that does not require a foundation. He said no portable electric generator would be used. Electric service will be added with an extension from an adjacent building for electric heating and lighting in the proposed mobile mini-office building, if Burlage can negotiate a lease for this vacant lot.

Town Attorney Larry Gaddis said these were staff issues unrelated to the sign permit. The council unanimously approved the requested sign permit.

Parker reported he had received a notice from Aquila Gas Corp. that said rates would drop 16 percent for town residents and 18 percent for commercial customers.

Roads Commissioner Richard Allen reported that Middle Glenway would be repaved beginning on Oct. 16, asphalt millings and oil sealer would be added to Lover’s Lane beginning on Oct. 9, and 300 tons of Class 6 gravel and 800 gallons of magnesium chloride would be added to Suncrest Road.

Fire Commissioner Gary Coleman reported that the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department (PLVFD) had 22 calls in September, seven of which were for mutual aid. He also noted that the new Monument Marketplace Wal-Mart had donated $750 to the department at its grand opening and that the firefighters had participated in training at the Air Force Academy burn tower. Coleman again made his monthly request for homeowners in the Glen to post easily visible street numbers on their houses to expedite ambulance service during medical emergencies.

The annual Thanksgiving Chili Supper and lighting of the town star for the holiday season will be held on Nov. 25. Proceeds from the annual Chili Supper are used to maintain the town star.

Coleman reported that he and PLVFD Chief Phillip Beckman had analyzed response times listed in internal Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District ambulance reports for calls to Palmer Lake. Copies of the internal reports were submitted to the town by Trustee Trish Flake at the Oct. 5 workshop. Flake had obtained these internal reports from the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District. Coleman discussed the reports and said that several of the ambulance response times listed on Tri-Lakes internal reports were incorrect or would have required average speeds of 96-192 mph on the town’s dirt roads. "That’s hard to believe."

Coleman said some other reports showed faster medical call response times for Tri-Lakes than for PLVFD, but the locations were considerably closer to Station 1 than to the town’s firehouse. He said it appeared that the Tri-Lakes reports given to Flake may have been selected because they made PLVFD "look bad" and made Tri-Lakes "look better." Coleman noted that the Sheriff’s Office reports that list all response times in detail conflicted with the data manually entered in the Tri-Lakes reports.

Coleman reiterated that for life threatening ambulance calls at the bowling alley and the adjacent Palmer Lake housing areas at Meadow Lane, PLVFD would immediately request mutual aid from the adjacent Tri-Lakes Station 1. In its Aug. 30 cancellation letter, Tri-Lakes said it would no longer automatically respond to calls in Palmer Lake, except in Forest View Estates, which was part of the Tri-Lakes district before annexation by Palmer Lake. PLVFD asked the Sheriff’s Office dispatchers to remove it from the automatic dispatch list for Palmer Lake calls as of Oct. 1. If the Tri-Lakes Station 1 ambulance and Larkspur ambulances are not available for service to the bowling alley, PLVFD will ask for mutual aid from the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District station near Gleneagle Drive and Baptist Road.

Coleman reminded the trustees that the emergency services agreement was not sent by registered letter as was the Tri-Lakes cancellation of the ambulance agreement. He praised Beckman and Larkspur Fire Protection District for expeditiously negotiating a replacement ambulance contract within a few days of Tri-Lakes terminating its ambulance contract on Aug. 30.

Coleman asked the trustees "to trust the professional judgment" of Beckman on fire issues as much as it trusts Water Supervisor Steve Orcutt and Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich. He said the council does not ask other towns for advice to validate Orcutt’s and Radosevich’s decisions before they are implemented. Parker concurred. Coleman moved to authorize Chief Beckman to sign the proposed ambulance contract with Larkspur and Miner seconded.

Flake asked Tri-Lakes Battalion Chief Bryan Jack, a Palmer Lake resident who was in attendance and had provided the forms Flake had submitted, for clarification of the times Coleman had questioned. Jack said that the times on the Tri-Lakes forms were manually entered by staff, in contrast to the times automatically entered on Sheriff’s Office reports by computer software. Jack noted that the Tri-Lakes ambulance is occasionally dispatched from locations other than Station 1, such as the Rock House ice cream store in Palmer Lake. Flake said more information was required to compare Larkspur and Tri-Lakes services. However, Larkspur had only begun serving the town on Oct. 1.

Coleman and Miner reminded Flake that the most appropriate response time to evaluate is the time it takes for emergency medical technicians to begin treatment, not the arrival of the ambulance whose primary purpose is transport. Allen agreed with Coleman that there is considerably less traffic on Spruce Mountain Road than on Highway 105, making direct comparisons of the relative mileages traveled by Larkspur and Tri-Lakes vehicles less important than actual response times. Allen said that an analysis of traffic on both roads might be useful before making a decision, if there was an appropriate sample size, but not as important as response times.

Allen also said that a new ambulance contract decision by the council had been "put on the shelf" by the council until Parker could discuss PLVFD’s issues at a Tri-Lakes district board meeting. He said the council needed more information before voting on the Larkspur contract. "We shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions" of Tri-Lakes, he said, so the district will not "make a decision in a vacuum" due to lack of communication.

Coleman replied, "It’s been six weeks since they created the letter of cancellation and they haven’t come forward with another offer. It’s a two-way street. Do we need to go down there and beg for another offer?" \

Allen asked Beckman if he would advise Parker to go with Beckman to visit a Tri-Lakes board meeting before signing the Larkspur contract. Beckman said that two PLVFD firefighters had already attended the Tri-Lakes board meeting of Sept. 27 and the trustees already had a summary of that meeting in a letter firefighter Dan Reynolds had submitted to the council.

Beckman said the town should ensure automatic service from Larkspur immediately rather than postpone a decision. He noted that a provision of the Larkspur contract allows it to be canceled by the town with 30-days notice. He reiterated that the Tri-Lakes board had not delivered the alternative emergency services contract to the mayor by certified letter 45 days prior to Sept. 1 as required by the existing ambulance contract, that Tri-Lakes had then canceled the ambulance contract by certified letter on Aug. 30, and had still made no effort to restore it or discuss it with Parker as required by that contract. Larkspur approved the contract it submitted to Palmer Lake on Sept. 14, a decision had already been delayed for a month, and the volunteer firefighters were unanimously in favor of signing it.

Flake said that the motion "seemed very political" and any previous discussions between the town and Tri-Lakes had been mishandled by both sides. Parker disagreed, and then said he would attend the October Tri-Lakes board meeting at the "behest of the council." He said in the interim the town should approve a "permanent formalized agreement" with Larkspur based on the probability that any future negotiations Tri-Lakes board would take considerably more than 30 days. Allen said the Tri-Lakes district board was open to further discussions "any time you want to meet."

The plan passed unanimously, then the Larkspur contract was approved by a 4-2 vote, with Allen and Flake opposed.

Parker and Beckman attended the Tri-Lakes district and fire authority board meetings on Oct. 25. There were no discussions of a future contract at that meeting or plans made for any future meetings. (See the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Authority article for a report on that discussion.)

Town Clerk Della Gray reported that the transcript of the recording of the Sept. 6 PLVFD business meeting had not been completed due to poor recording quality. Allen had complained to the other trustees at the Sept. 14 board meeting about his treatment by the firefighters when he asked numerous questions about the ambulance contract at that meeting. Coleman and Beckman disputed Allen’s charges and reported that the PLVFD Association was paying to have the recording transcribed so that the trustees could review the discussion themselves.

Police Trustee Trudy Finan noted that the discussion on the ambulance contract showed the Boy Scouts in attendance how issues are resolved in local government, then reported that there were 113 police calls in September, down from 142 in August and 125 last September. She said Wal-Mart had paid for new evidence kits and that several officers had attended training for investigating methamphetamine labs.

Parks and Buildings Trustee Flake reported that the repair of the town’s fire station roof had been completed. She is developing a parks and trails map flier for the town.

Parker urged the board to support the efforts of Palmer Divide Water Group to expand its efforts to acquire surface water in the Arkansas River and regional storage rights for this water.

The board unanimously approved a motion to annually illuminate the town star on Veterans Day in addition to the long-standing Thanksgiving and Christmas display periods.

Beckman reported that the control box and several lights had been destroyed by lightning and he would attempt to have it repaired by Veterans Day.

Miner gave a report on significant progress made by her Streetscape Committee. The committee might recommend that the town annex the downtown segment of Highway 105 to have more control over installation of lights, sidewalks, planters, benches, bathrooms, and drainage. Most plans call for them to be installed in or very close to the state highway right-of-way. Parking along Highway 105 has always required difficult coordination with the state. The committee also intends to develop a plan to better enhance the identity of the town businesses at the east end of Highway 105.

Miner and Parker agreed to solicit more financial support from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government and state. Her committee will continue to meet every two weeks on average. Miner reported her attendance at a meeting of the American Institute of Architects and the potential for a $21,000 grant in kind for designing recreational development at Palmer Lake, which would require a town match of $5,000.

Miner reported that entry forms for the "Face of Palmer Lake" two-dimensional art contest are available at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts. The entry fee is $10 and submissions can be made in a wide variety of media. The deadline for entries is Dec. 1. The winning entries will be used in a new public relations brochure for development of tourism in Palmer Lake.

Anyone interested in volunteering for or attending meetings of the Streetscape Committee can get more information at 481-2953.

Jen Martin and Brad Miller proposed a partnership with the town for a Great Starts athletic summer training camp program staffed with local athletic coaches. Great Starts would share some of the profits to be donated to the town to help develop trails.

Awake the Lakes Committee spokesman Jeff Hulsmann reported a $1,500 contribution from Wal-Mart. Miner added that the Palmer Lake Center for the Arts received a similar contribution. Hulsmann said the committee was supporting Ballot Question 2H and 2I.

Question 2H is for a temporary 10-year half-cent sales tax to be dedicated entirely to the town’s volunteer fire department. Question 2I is for a $450,000 bond issue to build water lines from the currently capped town D3 well to Palmer Lake to help maintain the level of the lake.

Gray gave an overview of the draft 2007 town budget.

In public comments on items not on the agenda, developer Kurt Erhardt asked for vacation of about 6,500 square feet of town land near his West End Center to facilitate development of Erhardt’s adjacent vacant land. Town Attorney Larry Gaddis stated that the town must follow state law on the vacation request, that no lot could become landlocked by the requested vacation, and recommended that the land be appraised for its fair market value so Erhardt can decide whether he wants to purchase it for commercial development.

Gaddis also advised that it would be very difficult and expensive for the town to obtain water storage rights for Palmer Lake, because its rights would be so junior to other water rights.

Allen asked if developer Al Fritts had submitted the final re-plat drawings for dividing the Inn at Palmer Lake property into two lots. Gaddis said he had reviewed and approved the final draft Fritts had submitted to him for review. Gray said Fritts had not yet submitted the draft, and the re-plat had not been recorded.

The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Below: Ted Sexton and Franco Pisani, the newest tenants of the Villa Inn building on Highway 105 received unanimous approval for their new Paravicini’s Italian Bistro sign.Photo by Jim Kendrick

On Oct. 18, the Palmer Lake Planning Commission approved annexation and rezoning of a commercial lot on the southwest corner of Highway 105 and McShane Drive, opposite the bowling alley,. All commissioners were present.

The board unanimously approved the sign for the newest tenants of the Villa Inn building on Highway 105. The sign will be identical to the design used by Paravicini’s restaurant in Old Colorado City. The restaurant’s owners, Ted Sexton and Franco Pisani, said Paravicini’s second location would open for business on Oct. 25. Sexton added that the restaurant would offer the same interior decorations, layout, atmosphere, and full bar service as their other location. They expect 80 percent of bar sales to be for wine with dinner.

Dale Ennis of Access Construction, Inc. presented the annexation and rezoning plat for applicant Richard E. White II. Pacharee Ellison said that the owners want the town to benefit from any property tax and sales tax revenue generated by the 15,000-square-foot facility they plan to build on lots 1 and 4 of the Pioneer Lookout Subdivision Filing 1. The current obsolete county zoning is commercial C and will be changed to Palmer Lake C-2 zoning.

The proposed building will have about 10,000 square feet of retail space and 5,000 square feet for storage or warehouse space. Ennis noted that the developer had made presentations to the Pioneer Lookout water district and HOA and received positive comments. The single access to the 91-space parking lot will be from McShane Drive.

The next Palmer Lake Planning Commission workshop meeting will be held on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. Workshop meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of the month.

The next regular meeting will be held Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Regular meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. Call for information at 481-2953 to confirm Planning Commission meeting dates and agenda items.

At the Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board meeting Oct. 19, the board unanimously voted to select Saunders Construction as the construction manager general contractor (CMGC) for the second high school project. Construction of the school is subject to voter approval Nov. 7 of ballot measures 3D and 3E that would provide funds to construct and operate the second high school proposed to be built on the 69-acre Hunter Run Farm property between Woodmoor Drive and Monument Hill Road. Despite state law restrictions on advocacy by board members, several board members voiced support for the two measures. School board President Jes Raintree said, "We need 3D and 3E to pass. We cannot afford to wait any longer."

In another controversial move, the board held executive sessions at the beginning and end of the public meeting. Neither executive session was on the agenda. State law requires that the public meeting must be called to order, then the reasons for holding the executive session must be announced, and finally a motion to go into executive session must be passed. For this procedure to have been followed regarding the first executive session, the public meeting must have been called to order in a room other than the Learning Center where the members of the public were waiting and then when the executive session ended, the board members came to the Learning Center.

Twelve district residents spoke in favor of ballot questions 3C, 3D, and 3E. Kelly Bryant said that for a house valued at $315,000, the property tax impact of a "yes" vote on 3D and 3E vs. a "no" vote would total $157 per year not $251 per year as some opponents have claimed. In response to statements that the Falcon school district is building two high schools for $60 million, Deborah Goth noted that a developer dedicated the land for those high schools and the construction cost is projected to be $189 per square foot whereas the current District 38 plan for its second high school estimates a total construction cost of $38.5 million for the 220,000 square foot building or a cost of $175 per square foot. She noted that the district put considerable time and effort into researching and comparing sites for the school. She concluded, "It is time to move forward and support our kids."

Ballot question 3C would authorize a one-mill tax increase for 10 years for "the capital construction needs of Monument Academy, a charter school within the district, including but not limited to land acquisition, building design and construction, incidental and appurtenant facilities, equipment and other costs necessary for the occupancy by pupils to be enrolled in Monument Academy." The revenue raised in the first year would be a maximum of $362,000. Speaking in support of 3C, state Rep. Lynn Hefley said, "I believe in charter schools and District 38." She noted that 12 percent of the students in the district attend the Monument Academy.

Former board member Hugh Eaton responded to comments at the September board meeting claiming the district was providing adequate funding for the Monument Academy. Eaton said the agreement signed by the District 38 board and the Monument Academy board says the Monument Academy is responsible for all costs and that District 38 has no financial obligation. He noted that the district passes through 100 percent of the per pupil operational revenue provided by the state. He suggested that comments regarding inadequate funding should be directed to the Monument Academy board.

Superintendent Michael Pomarico and YMCA Director Andy Barton reported on their discussions regarding a potential partnership in sharing facilities and services. Barton said the YMCA plans to break ground in February or March 2007 and complete construction of the first phase within about one year.

Assistant Superintendent Ray Blanch together with Richard Huwa and Jeffrey Chamberlin of RLH Engineering presented the process used to identify a construction manager general contractor (CMGC) for the second high school. Nine companies responded to the district’s request for proposals. Representatives of four of those companies were invited to interviews. The district’s selection committee unanimously recommended Saunders Construction. Saunders has built other high schools including ones in Brighton and Aurora. The board unanimously endorsed the recommendation and authorized contracting with Saunders if ballot measures 3D and 3E pass.

Chad Novak, a principal with H+L Architecture, said he has worked on 16 high schools over the past 13 years. He provided an overview of the Design Advisory Committee’s work in evolving the design of the new high school. He said the group sought to develop a flexible design that would lend itself to changing curriculums and philosophies while adhering to a responsible budget. He said the basic building design work is finished and core teams will now begin work on developing the design of interior areas of the facility.

The board addressed a number of other topics including:

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The Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Board of Education normally meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Learning Center of the Lewis-Palmer Administration Building, Second and Jefferson. The next meeting is 7 p.m. November 16. The district’s Web site is at www.lewispalmer.org. Meeting highlights from the Web site were used in preparing this article.

Wording of ballot question 3C is posted on the Monument Academy Web site: www.monumentacademy.net.

Citizens present reasons for opposing 3D and 3E

Below: Monument Hill Road, site of the proposed second D-38 high school, is even steeper than the portion of I-25 which is often closed for snow. Note the absence of a guard rail between the school bus route and northbound lanes of I-25. Photo by Jim Kendrick

During four scheduled presentations, Concerned Citizens for D-38 Kids gave a slide show with information opposing D-38’s current plan to build a second high school on Monument Hill Road. The first presentation was in the Monument Library on Sept. 19, followed by three presentations in Town Hall on Oct. 19, Oct. 24, and Nov. 2. Attendance at the meetings ranged from 25 to 35 people.

The following statements were taken from the group’s slide show and from comments by speakers Steve Steffey, Gary Marner, and Hilary Brendemuhl. (To see their entire slide show, visit the Concerned Citizens Web site at www.d38deservesbetter.org. Opposing views can be found at www.lewispalmer.org and www.yesforlpkids.org.):

The D-38 School Board acted with little community input to choose and purchase an unsatisfactory site on Monument Hill for the second high school based on a questionable growth study and:

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