COLORADO SPRINGS — Concerned residents living in and around the Mountain Shadows neighborhood will be able to attend a virtual meeting to discuss the rezoning plan that would make way for more businesses.
Right now, the City of Colorado Springs is saying it's still early on in the process and concerns will be addressed Wednesday evening. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. and is expected to last until 7:30 p.m.
The area in question is a property in the 2400 block of Garden of the Gods Road. It's home to a Verizon building among other industrial businesses.
It's currently zoned for industrial manufacturing, which allows things like trucking terminals. But the idea is to change it into an area where restaurants, offices, and even housing units can be built. You can read more about that plan here.
Residents have signed a letter expressing concerns over traffic on Garden of the Gods Road, which they believe can be a problem during the week.
Specifically, they wonder who would be paying for road improvements and the fact that this redevelopment would involve a large increase in the population. For now, though, the city says nothing has been decided and they want to give neighbors a chance to voice their opposition.
"The developer hasn't determined how they're going to develop this land," said Katelynn Wintz, a senior planner for the City of Colorado Springs. "This is sort of the first step of this process, We're still reviewing the application and no decisions have been made."
Currently, city data shows the entire population of Mountain Shadows is 2,695. But neighbors say the current redevelopment plan would create more than 3,600 housing units and therefore increase increase the population of their neighborhood by more than 250%.
If you are a neighbor or resident who would like to attend the virtual meeting, according to the Mountain Shadows community Facebook page, you can join this Virtual Meeting using WebEx or by calling in with your phone.
Their instructions indicate you can join by phone: +1-408-418-9388 (Access Code: 146 368 8191#) or you can join by WebEx: https://coloradosprings.webex.com/.../5c14b5c6c1d34356bd4 (Password: VKm3tJJxj36).
We will keep you posted on this plan as the process continues.
