COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — A controversial development is back on the agenda for Colorado Springs to consider. After being denied last year, the 2424 Garden of the Gods development is back on the table with some revisions.
The application seeks a zoning change for the 125-acre plot of land currently zoned as industrial park land to a mixed-use development that would include industrial, residential and open space.
One of the big changes the developer calls a concession is reducing the number of units that will be built.
The number drops from 420 down to 320.
In one section of the development plan along 30th street apartments have been eliminated and replaced by townhomes.
The original zoning change request was denied in a 5-4 vote in 2021 after it had gotten preliminary approval in an earlier vote.
The city council member who changed their vote in the second reading has since stepped down.
The original developer, 2424 GOTG, LLC, submitted another proposal for development in the same location to the city in November of 2022.
The Planning and Community Development Department of Colorado Springs held a public hearing Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. to consider arguments for and against the proposed zoning change.
When denied in 2021 a big concern from local residents was the issue of fire evacuation, failing infrastructure, and concern about the look of the area. Especially as many residents in the area remember the chaos in the area following the evacuation of the Waldo Fire.
The developer has said things have changed since 2021, referencing the new evacuation ordinance passed in the city in 2022. Also mentioning the public information campaign "Know Your Zone" is a key step in the city's ability to be prepared in case of another incident like the Waldo Canyon Fire.
The application argues that the new completion of the Centennial Blvd. extension to Fontanero adds another egress route in case of evacuations in the area.
The Colorado Springs Planning Commission approved the new application and zoning changes in a 6-3 vote. Now the plan and application will be passed along to the Colorado Springs City Council for a discussion and vote.
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