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Our Community News - Home Vol. 4 No. 3 - March 6, 2004

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Wal-Mart holds stealth "community meeting" March 2

View photos of the Wal-Mart Community Meeting March 2

By Jim Kendrick

CLC Associates, consultants to Wal-Mart, held an open house-style meeting at Lewis-Palmer Middle School from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on March 2. County Planning Division Director Carl Schueler said the meeting came at the "strong recommendation" of county planning to Wal-Mart and their consultants that they communicate their plans for the store, proposed for the south side of Baptist Road directly opposite the King Soopers shopping center. In a notice sent to adjacent Chaparral Hills landowners, CLC termed it "a community meeting," but adjacent landowners were the only ones notified. Wal-Mart and their consultants apparently made no attempt to notify anyone else who might use Baptist Road as their primary access route to work or shopping.

The Coalition of Tri-Lakes Communities learned of the open house on March 1 and notified some of its members, which greatly increased the number of citizens presenting their views to CLC and Schueler, who also attended. About 40 citizens attended the open house, roughly one-third from Chaparral Hills. Schueler expressed disappointment to OCN that the notification of the meeting had been so extremely limited.

No formal presentations were given. CLC president Steve Wilson and several of his engineering staff answered questions from those who attended the open house.

April planning commission hearing possible

Schueler said Wal-Mart has asked for a continuance beyond the scheduled County Planning Commission hearing date of March 23. Schueler said the planning commission hearing for Wal-Mart would be a separate meeting with no other agenda items and would be held on the fourth Tuesday of the month, one week after the regular monthly planning commission session. The current tentative date for the Wal-Mart hearing is Tuesday, April 27. Schueler said he anticipates a difficult hearing due to the tightly compressed site plan and strong opposition to the proposal from area residents.

Zoning

One of the major issues with the project is zoning. The parcel was zoned R-4 about 20 years ago. That zoning is now obsolete, but the commercial form of it is equivalent to the county’s current Planned Business Park (PBP) zone district. PBP is defined in the county’s Land Development Code as being for retail sales and service businesses that "primarily serve an adjoining neighborhood or neighborhoods." Schueler has said the required zone for a Wal-Mart supercenter is Planned Business Center (PBC). PBC is the most intense commercial zone in the Land Development Code and is two steps more intense, and a significant departure from, the existing R-4 equivalent PBP. As defined in the code, the purpose of PBC zoning is for "regional centers" that are expected to draw customers from significant distances.

Instead of requesting PBC zoning, Wal-Mart has requested rezoning the parcel as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). Wal-Mart has said its use of the PUD zoning "encompasses land uses similar to the R-4 zone." Based on the materials submitted, the planned use is not similar, but is a regional center requiring PBC zoning as stated by Schueler.

The Mouse

Wilson said an agreement has been reached with U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regarding the amount of mitigation that is required for Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat conservation. He said Wal-Mart will buy alternative habitat elsewhere to offset the habitat its construction will destroy, though no CLC staff member knew who would receive or maintain this new habitat. When Wilson was asked by OCN where the offsetting habitat would be located, Schueler advised Wilson that he did not have to answer the question. Wilson then walked away and did not answer anymore questions.

The Plans

About 10 drawings for the site plan, landscaping, parking, lighting, utilities, grading contours, and Baptist Road widening were displayed, along with an overhead photo of the neighborhoods surrounding the Wal-Mart site and detailed sketches of the four supercenter building elevations.

The proposed main building is 196,028 square feet inside (about three times the size of the Home Depot building now under construction) and 203,007 square feet overall. The external features of the proposed building have been changed to color cinder blocks providing more variety than the traditional flat Wal-Mart façade. A new garden center façade is proposed, to include 15-foot-tall plant racks. A new pharmacy drive-through window is planned.

Façade walls raise the parapet roof height to a minimum of 7 feet 4 inches above the actual roofline, to screen HVAC machinery from ground-level view. The machinery would be 12 to 18 inches below the top edge of the façade walls. This will provide little screening for many neighboring homes, as pointed out to CLC by neighboring resident Dale Turner. Masonry screening is proposed for all similar ground-level exterior HVAC equipment.

The tire and lube express facility would have six bays, with two tall center garage doors to handle RVs and large trucks. The proposed garden center and lube facilities face Baptist Road. The design includes a six-pump gas station.

The buildings and parking lot are shifted north and compressed as much as possible to retain a 50-foot buffer at the south boundary of the parcel, providing 1.55 acres as a transition to the rear boundary of the three neighboring five-acre Chaparral Hills residential lots. Denis Kelsch, CLC’s Wal-Mart project manager, said the drainage and traffic studies for this latest revision would be completed within one to two weeks. Schueler said that when the county receives them, they will be available for public review at the county planning division office, 27 E. Vermijo, Colorado Springs 80903.

The access road to the rear loading bays that face the 22-foot-tall solid masonry retaining wall on the east boundary has been further narrowed. All delivery trucks must enter the property from Jackson Creek Parkway, drive past the three adjacent Chaparral Hills homes to the south, and then travel counterclockwise around the building. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will not allow truck access from Baptist Road because of the very small turn radius of the right-in/right-out (RI/RO) access from the eastbound lane of Baptist. A median will extend east from the intersection of Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Parkway past the Wal-Mart and the neighboring church. According to the plans, the church will also be restricted to RI/RO access after Baptist Road is widened and the median is installed.

Drainage

The southwest triangular corner of the parcel is proposed to be a 15-foot-deep wet bottom detention pond, to meet mitigation requirements. When full, the top of the pond will still be below the level of Jackson Creek Parkway. Kelsch said Wal-Mart had planned to lease this portion of the property to a restaurant before being required by FWS to deal with the contaminants that would otherwise drain into protected mouse habitat and Jackson Creek.

This detention pond will collect storm water drainage, gasoline, oil, lubricants, chemical contaminants, and sediment from the parking lot and from the length of Jackson Creek Parkway along the store’s frontage. The pond is intended to release the collected water into a drainage channel that will flow under Jackson Creek Parkway and empty onto CDOT-owned protected mouse habitat between the Wal-Mart site and I-25; it will eventually drain into Jackson Creek. Although the flow rates are expected to be similar to historic conditions, the water that flows onto the CDOT parcel will be concentrated at one culvert rather than distributed across the entire length of the CDOT parcel’s eastern boundary that runs along the southbound lane of Jackson Creek Parkway. The contaminants in the pond’s outflow will now be delivered to the CDOT parcel only at the culvert outlet and would likely be much more concentrated and potentially more damaging at the point of discharge.

Mary Montevaldo and several other Chaparral Hills residents asked Kelsch about the effect of these drainage contaminants on neighbors’ wells and mouse habitat. Kelsch said to each, "We hope it has no effect on neighboring wells." When Montevaldo expressed shock at this inconclusive response, Kelsch concluded by saying, "I can’t answer the question." None of the other CLC engineering staff or Wilson would say more, other than that the county, rather than Wal-Mart, would provide detention pond maintenance. When asked by OCN what department or division of the county would clean out the detention pond for Wal-Mart, CLC staff gave no response. Neither Kelsch nor any other CLC staff member could say what effects the drainage would have on CDOT property across Jackson Creek Parkway or on downstream Jackson Creek.

When asked about Wal-Mart’s policy of allowing RVs to park in the lot overnight, several CLC staff members denied that Wal-Mart had that policy. Schueler expressed concern about that response, taking written note of it for future discussion with the applicant. CLC employees provided different answers to questions on several other topics as well.

The Triview connection

A major factor in making the project feasible is that the Triview Metropolitan District agreed to provide water and sewer service to the store, even though it lies outside the Triview district. As reported in the June 7, 2003, issue of OCN, in lieu of a town sales tax, initially a 3 percent retail sales fee would be charged on items sold at the store. If the county approves the project, the fee will be paid to a Public Improvement Corporation (PIC) authorized by Triview. Triview will receive one-quarter of the fee, with three-quarters going to pay off doubly tax-exempt bonds issued by the PIC to make road construction and other improvements associated with the store. When the PIC bonds are paid off, estimated to take from three to seven years, the retail sales fee will be reduced to 1.5 percent—all of it going to Triview. The negotiated fees going to Triview are exactly half of what was proposed when Triview authorized the PIC August 28, 2002. Note that if the store were constructed within Monument town limits, Triview would receive 1.5 percent sales tax. At recent Triview board meetings, district general manager Ron Simpson said he has been searching for reasonably priced offsetting mouse habitat for Wal-Mart.

CLC reported that Triview and its consultant Nolte and Associates have revised the water report previously prepared for the Wal-Mart project at Triview district expense.

Marketplace alternative

Schueler did not respond when asked if the county had urged Wal-Mart to switch to the 200,000-square-foot pad at the Monument Marketplace that is zoned for a supercenter-sized building. He mistakenly said the Marketplace parcel had not been rezoned when Wal-Mart started the acquisition process for a Baptist Road exit location. The Marketplace site has been zoned for regional commercial development since it was annexed to the town in the late 1980s.

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For more information on this project and to provide comments, contact Carl Schueler, Director, El Paso County Planning Division, 520-6300, CarlSchueler@elpasoco.com. Mail comments and questions to the El Paso County Planning Department, 27 E. Vermijo, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903-2208.

Background information is available at www.ourcommunitynews.org/top_stories.htm#wal-mart and www.CoalitionTLC.org/wal-mart.htm 

View photos of the Wal-Mart Community Meeting March 2

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County planning commission Feb. 17

By Steve Sery

Carl Schueler began the meeting with a brief overview of the new planning department structure. The new name is the "Development Services Department." Current acting manager is Denny Cripps, the assistant county administrator. A search is underway for a permanent manager. Carl Schueler is the planning manager. Imad Karaki is the customer services manager. Paul Danley is the engineering division manager.

Schueler announced that Struthers Ranch Final Plat Phase 2 and 3 would be continued until the March 16 meeting so road, drainage and environmental issues could be better resolved. He also said it looks like Wal-Mart is finally ready and could come before the planning commission March 23.

Northern El Paso County Agenda Items

  1. Vacation and replat of 8.88 acres in the Walden Pines Subdivision, east of Highway 83, south of Highway 105/Walker Road. Creates a 7-lot subdivision in RR-1 zoned area that is surrounded by RR-1 zoning.

  2. Preliminary plan amendment and final plat, Eagle Wing Estates, east of Black Forest Road, west of Vollmer Road, north of Woodmen Road. This is an 81.76-acre property zoned RR-2 (2-1/2 acre lots) planned for 27 lots. The amendment replaces individual wells with a central water system.

    The first two items were on the consent calendar and were unanimously approved.

  3. Rezoning from RR-3 to RR-2 of 121.2 acres in Black Forest, just east of Raygor Road and south of Arroya Drive. The property is surrounded on three sides by RR-3 with vacant land on the fourth side. The main concerns were with the roads. Raygor Road north to Burgess Road is the only access for this and surrounding homes. The developer agreed to provide a chained gate as the second access. The proposal was approved 5-3. Those voting for denial were concerned about the road situation.

  4. Two residences located in RR-3 in the Black Forest area, on Raygor Road near Stapleton were approved for kennels. Both parties breed and show Weimaraners.

  5. Rezone for RR-3 to PUD and preliminary plan approval for Forest Gate subdivision. This is a 200-acre property located in the Black Forest Area south and east of the intersection of Vollmer Road and Burgess Road. The proposal is for 50 lots of varying size. The developer provided transitions from the adjacent RR-3 properties and after much discussion agreed to provide a 60-foot right-of-way on the west side for the possible upgrade of Vollmer Road to a major arterial. This was approved.

  6. Finally, although not in Northern El Paso County, the item drawing the most public interest, was a sketch plan for Lorson Ranch at Jimmy Camp. This was a proposal for 1,361 acres near the city of Fountain. The development would occur over 30 years with a maximum residential of 6,985 residences, commercial property, school sites, and open space. It would create a small town in the middle of one-third to 5 acre properties. Only adjoining landowners were notified of a proposed development that impacts a much larger area. The planning commission unanimously recommended denial of the project. The commission also recommended the developer meet with affected homeowner associations to better define the plan and obtain broader input.

The meeting started at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 7:30 p.m. with just a 35-minute break for lunch. No telling how long it would have lasted had not six items been continued.

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County transportation corridors forum Feb. 9

Web Site Exclusive: View photos of the county transportation corridors forum Feb. 9

By John Heiser

County Project Manager Jude Willcher headed a public forum at Lewis-Palmer Middle School Feb. 9 on the El Paso County Major Transportation Corridors Plan. This was the second meeting in the series of three meetings working on an update to the county’s major transportation corridors plan that was last updated in 1987. The first local meeting was held Oct. 23. The third and final public forum is planned for May 2004.

Willcher said the county intends to use the updated major transportation corridors plan to help guide transportation planning. The new plan will try to identify transportation needs through 2030.

During the first part of the Feb. 9 meeting, citizens reviewed a variety of displays and completed comment sheets regarding questions and concerns. Displays included a number of maps, aerial photos, and process descriptions to help citizens familiarize themselves with the history of overall county transportation plans since 1987. Team project members circulated, soliciting questions and concerns. In addition to Willcher and other county transportation staff members, staff from engineering consultant LSA Associates and public relations firm Catalyst Consulting moved through the crowd, answering questions and collecting comment sheets. This was followed by a presentation by Willcher and Ray Moe, consultant team leader with LSA Associates. Similar meetings were held Feb. 10 in Widefield and Feb. 12 in Falcon.

The primary purpose of this forum was to present the models that have been developed to extrapolate residential and employment growth and resulting travel demand and points of congestion and then to discuss specific potential alternative changes to the 1987 plan to address that congestion. Moe said congestion is measured by travel delay during the peak period. He said that in many areas, the projected period of congestion becomes a greater and greater portion of each day without some roadway improvements. But Moe cautioned, "We don’t really have the funds for a lot of them."

Moe separated the potential improvement into three categories: 1) Committed base corridor improvements, estimated at $159 million, 2) Preliminary spot improvements, estimated at $117 million, and 3) Non-capacity or safety improvements, estimated at $85 million for a total of $361 million. Funding for the projects would be sought from federal, state, and county sources. Moe said the projects categorized as committed base corridor improvements are actually only partially funded.

Despite numerous objections raised by residents at prior meetings, the construction of Jackson Creek Parkway/Struthers Road south from Baptist Road to connect to Northgate Road and the extension of Baptist Road east of Roller Coaster Road to Hodgen and Highway 83 are shown as committed base corridor improvements. They were not included in the list of alternatives.

The following are Tri-Lakes and Black Forest alternatives discussed.

Alternative 1: State Highway 105
Widen from 2 lanes to 4 lanes from I-25 to Roller Coaster Road

Moe said this would:

  • Reduce congestion on Highway 105

  • Increase traffic on the Highway 105/Walker Road corridor

  • Decrease traffic on the Baptist Road/Hodgen Road corridor

Alternative 2: Gleneagle Dr. to Furrow Rd.
Construct a new 2-lane connector from Gleneagle Drive north to Furrow Road

Moe said this would:

  • Provide north/south parallel capacity to Roller Coaster Road and Highway 83

  • Reduce congestion along Highway 105 and Highway 83

  • Increase traffic along Gleneagle Drive and Baptist Road

Alternative 3: Highway 83
Widen from 4 lanes to 6 lanes from Interquest to Northgate Road

Moe said this would reduce the forecast congestion along Highway 83 from Shoup Road to Northgate Road.

Alternative 4: Milam Road (South of Shoup)
Widen from 2 lanes to 4 lanes

Moe said this would:

  • • Reduce congestion along Milam Road between Old Ranch Road and Shoup Road

  • • Increase traffic along Shoup Road and Old Ranch Road west of Milam Road

Alternative 5: Milam Road (Shoup to Hodgen)
Widen from 2 lanes to 4 lanes south of Shoup and construct a new 2-lane arterial from Shoup to Hodgen

Moe said this would:

  • Reduce Milam Road congestion between Old Ranch Road and Shoup Road

  • Provide north/south parallel capacity to Black Forest Road, Highway 83, Roller Coaster Road, Volmer Road, and Howells Road

  • Increase traffic on Hodgen Road between the Milam Extension and Highway 83

  • Increase traffic on Highway 83 north of Hodgen Road

  • Increase traffic on Highway 105 west of Highway 83

Some responses

Black Forest resident Barbara Hosmer objected to Alternatives 4 and 5 and suggested that a better alternative would be to widen Highway 83 to four lanes perhaps as far north as County Line Road.

Residents noted that the Baptist Road/I-25 interchange is very congested and will likely not be improved until 2008 or later. They objected to the connection of Baptist Road to Hodgen Road and construction of alternative 2 because it would increase traffic on Baptist Road.

Several residents urged the county to require road improvements to be built prior to construction of additional developments.

Dick Carlson, county manager of traffic/transportation, later said, "A lot of the congestion is driven by development." He added, "The Hodgen/Baptist connection shouldn’t be made until improvements are made to Baptist Road."

Results of the comment sheets and discussions from this round of forums will be consolidated, summarized, and presented at the next round of public forums—part of Step 3 of this process—in May.

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For further information on this project and the results of the traffic models used, visit www.elpasoMTCP.com or contact the El Paso County Department of Transportation, 3640 N. Marksheffel Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80922 (719) 659-3941 Fax (719) 520-6878.

Web Site Exclusive: View photos of the county transportation corridors forum Feb. 9

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County debates what to do about the mouse

By Jim Kendrick

The Preble’s meadow jumping mouse was the subject of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) working session on Feb. 6. Jerry Haile, director of the El Paso County Environmental Services Department (ESD), and his natural resources director, Mike Bonar, gave a briefing on the current status and future plans of the department’s Regional Habitat Conservation Plan (RHCP) involving the mouse. The plan’s projected cost for the first 10 years is $103 million. The BOCC also heard comments from other county employees, citizens, and representatives of Colorado Springs Utilities and Colorado Springs Home Builders’ Association. Commissioner Jeri Howells was absent.

The mouse

The Preble’s meadow jumping mouse takes its name from field biologist E. A. Preble, who collected a specimen of the animal in 1895. Using its long tail as a rudder, the mouse can launch itself 18 inches into the air and switch direction mid-flight. It can travel three feet in a single jump and also swims. The species spends most of its time out of sight, foraging beneath long grasses for seeds, berries, and insects. The rest of its time is spent in leaf-lined dens, where it hibernates seven months out of the year. Biologists believe the species came to Colorado during the Ice Age and remained after the ice receded.

Preble’s habitat

Bonar said the Preble’s mouse was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as a threatened species on May 13, 1998, under the Endangered Species Act. (ESA). The act defines a threatened species as one that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all, or a significant portion, of its range. Preble’s habitat has been defined as mature plains riparian vegetation with relatively undisturbed grassland and a water source in close proximity. Riparian areas occur between the active channel of a river or stream and its associated wetland habitat. Upland habitat areas are those sloping up away from the riparian waterway. In Colorado, that includes areas below 7,600 feet in 10 Front Range counties: El Paso, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer, Morgan, Weld, and Jefferson. FWS requires that all ground-disturbing projects within 300 feet of the 100-year floodplain supporting suitable mouse habitat be assessed for the presence of the Preble’s. Currently, agencies at the federal, state, county, and city/town level must all provide approval for such projects. Consequently, this process has little predictability in terms of cost and time required.

In El Paso County, most potential Preble’s habitat is located in the northwest end of the county, with little, if any, identified habitat elsewhere. Nearly every flowing water source in the Tri-Lakes region has been designated as potential, if not actual, Preble’s habitat. Some projects that have been affected by habitat issues are the Monument Lake dam renovation, the Jackson Creek community athletic fields, the proposed Baptist Road Wal-Mart, and road and bridge improvements for Exit 158 and Baptist Road. The cost for preserving Preble’s habitat at Monument Dam was $200,000; however, the town secured a federal grant for $133,500.

The Regional Habitat Conservation Plan

The county is preparing a proposal for taking over responsibility for land use review and decision-making authority regarding mouse habitat for developments in El Paso County. Currently these processes—mandated by the ESA but not funded by the federal government—are administered by Fish and Wildlife and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (CDNR), the latter of which has only three employees reviewing projects for the whole state. The county’s goal is to produce a scientific, legal plan that will reduce the time it takes to verify regulatory compliance requirements for each level of government by local developers or citizens.

This process began in 1997 when the CDNR organized a steering committee to help guide all state efforts related to the Preble’s mouse. This committee is now a subset of a much larger working group and includes representatives from state agencies, local governments, and the environmental, development, and natural resources communities.

The first meeting to address concerns related to the Preble’s habitat in El Paso County was held in March 1998. From that meeting a core group was formed, made up of members with diverse backgrounds, ranging from the Sierra Club, the Home Builders Association, and private landowners to public officials and various government entities. The group meets monthly to discuss the habitat plan. An executive committee also was formed to act as a "project manager" for the development of the RHCP.

As a long-term strategy, El Paso County intends to cooperate in the formation of a statewide nonprofit organization to provide monitoring and, where appropriate, ownership of preserve areas. The budget needed for the county RHCP process has been $600,000, with the expense divided between the county, Colorado Springs, city utilities, and the CDNR. However, this is only enough funding to finalize the draft RHCP and pay outstanding consultant and agency bills. Total implementation expense is estimated at $1.09 million, not including costs for annual operations.

Bonar said the proposed county plan would standardize the Preble’s habitat evaluation and review process, cut the time required for review and approval of developments, cut costs for developers and citizens, and centralize the review process for all county governments.

Discussion with staff

Bonar said that landowners with potential Preble’s habitat would have to hire a consultant to conduct an investigation and draft a "disqualification letter" for submission to the FWS. Approval of the letter can take up to six months. Bonar did not provide an average time for state or county/city approvals following the FWS approval. County Commissioner Wayne Williams asked who makes the final decisions under the RHCP. Bonar recommended an administrator position similar to a floodplain administrator should be created. Williams disagreed, saying the decisions should be made by an elected official answerable to the electorate.

Bonar discussed the finding by the Denver Museum of Natural History that states the supposed Preble’s mouse found in this region is not part of a distinct species but is Zapus hudsonius campestria, just as Preble had determined in 1895. This finding was filed on Dec. 17, 2003; a response from the FWS is required by March 17. If the museum’s finding is validated by peer review and accepted by the federal government, no further Preble’s habitat conservation will be required. By not being a distinct species, Preble’s mouse could be de-listed. However, FWS is expected to disagree with the museum’s finding, as it is not yet conclusive. FWS’s anticipated response will likely lead to a lawsuit by developers and others. Mountain States Legal Foundation, the city of Greeley, and Wheatland Irrigation District in Wyoming have all filed lawsuits already. The state of Wyoming and the Colorado Water Development and Conservation Coalition have filed 60-day notice of intent to sue. If, however, FWS agrees that the museum’s finding are valid, a final decision must be announced by March 17, 2006. A series of lawsuits from advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy would likely ensue. Bonar said that after seven years of effort, it is unclear when the county will actually be able to implement reviews and approvals.

Bonar said unity in pursuing the regional habitat plan is essential. He noted that county pursuit of de-listing the Preble’s creates the potential for adversarial relations with FWS that may delay gaining approval of the regional plan that assumes the mouse is distinct and endangered. Williams and Commissioner Jim Bensberg asked several questions about joining a de-listing lawsuit initiated by the governor of Wyoming. There was a lengthy discussion regarding de-listing. Mark Ebbin, a consultant attorney for the executive group, advised that the county should definitely not appear to be adversarial with FWS in any manner. He suggested emphasizing technical and scientific arguments, avoiding political advocacy, and advised the BOCC to treat the issue delicately and "not jump on the de-listing bandwagon" that might jeopardize pending federal grants for habitat conservation. Bensberg disagreed, saying that silence is interpreted by federal agencies as acquiescence, inviting a heavier hand as the federal government enforces a silent prohibition against requests for de-listing. Ebbin said that FWS had not indicated officially that it would take an adversarial stance against the plan request if the county simultaneously pursued de-listing. Commissioner Chuck Brown said that de-listing efforts should be left to private citizens.

County Assistant Attorney Cole Emmons concluded by saying the legal staff’s recommendation was to approve funding for the RHCP process. Pursuit of the RHCP process does not detract from the de-listing lawsuits by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association; it can continue to operate in parallel without endangering grant awards to the county for habitat preservation. Emmons asserted that an approved RHCP is the surest, quickest, and most economical way of dealing with the Endangered Species Act. He said the county commissioners should finalize fiscal arrangements with the state and then forward an approved plan to FWS as soon as possible.

Public comments

Brown asked for comments from the public. First to speak was Bob Hoff, a Colorado Springs realtor who was a charter member of the core group but resigned in June 1999. His review of the documentation from FWS and other agencies at that time confirmed his belief that the mouse is always found alongside the deer mouse, and both carry disease: the Preble’s carries plague, and the deer mouse hantavirus. He did not want to be part of protecting a disease-carrying "unendangered" rodent. He said the county should not spend time or money on the RHCP and should instead invest in de-listing activities against FWS because that would take less time and have a higher certainty of success. He also said the BOCC may have already decided to proceed with RHCP approval actions. He said projected costs for the first 20 years (the amount of time a recovery is projected to take) of the RHCP would be no less than $206 million.

Hoff noted that Larimer and Weld counties never participated in RHCP formation and that Elbert and Jefferson counties had withdrawn from the RHCP process in frustration. He said that the Boulder and Douglas county plans were not the same as El Paso’s, leaving our county alone in its pursuit of an RHCP. He concluded by saying it is time for the county "to stop spending taxpayer money on this unneeded and unfavorable plan" and fight "the imposition of this hoax on its citizens."

Ralph Braden of Norwood Development said that it took FWS two years to approve his disqualification letter, which delayed by two years his Wolf Ranch development near Cottonwood Creek.

Ernie Biggs, owner of Monument’s Lake of the Rockies trailer park, endorsed Hoff’s comments. Biggs said he had lost the ability to develop a $600,000 parcel along the northeast shoreline of the currently empty Monument Lake due to mouse concerns expressed by the town’s board of trustees on Jan. 20. "The government has taken my ability to use this land without payment," Biggs said, adding that he would sue FWS, CDNR, and the town if the mouse is de-listed as a nondistinct species. "I’ll go after them if it turns out to be bad science," he concluded.

Gary Barber, a water lobbyist for the Forest Lakes subdivision and consultant for the county water authority, said environmental scientists should be charged with fraud once the de-listing lawsuits are won. He saw rejection of the RHCP proposal as a fruitless attempt to prove a negative.

Staff rebuttal

Williams asked how vulnerable the county was to a liability suit. Ebbin said he was not aware of any suit that has been successful in recovering judgments against the government for changing a mouse designation before or after a permit was issued. He added that such a suit would have to also target FWS and he said that FWS would be obligated to help in a defense.

Commissioners’ concluding remarks

Williams said that his opinion was that the Endangered Species Act had unconstitutional aspects, but the Supreme Court has not yet agreed with him. Commissioner Tom Huffman said that everyone in the room was in agreement that ESA processes are frustrating, challenging, and difficult. Bensberg said the county is dealing with an onerous, heavy-handed federal agency because the ESA is another "Washington third rail … like Social Security, with no relief in sight for millions in indirect costs." Then they agreed that the county should move forward with the Preble’s mouse Regional Habitat Conservation Plan.

The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

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Monument Board of Trustees meeting Feb. 17

By Jim Kendrick

The Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) held an eligibility hearing on Feb. 17 for annexation of the Kerr Addition on the northeast corner of Second Street and Mitchell Avenues. John Kerr is proposing that the parcel also be rezoned for commercial use so he can build a wholesale gift business building for Present Perfect Gifts. Monument resident Tim Schutz asked the board how it was handling the violation by Lake of the Rockies of town zoning restrictions that prohibit permanent residents. Police Chief Joe Kissell presented an award to the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District (TLFPD), and the nomination of Virginia Cullen to the Police Advisory Committee increased the membership to three, enough for a quorum if all members attend. All members of the board were present.

Scheduled guests

Ted Bauman of Monument Hills Sertoma introduced Melissa Gasser, who wrote one of the nine winning essays on freedom for its February Freedom Essay Contest. The three top essayists from Creekside, Lewis-Palmer, and Monument Academy Middle Schools were honored. Gasser read her essay on First Amendment rights. Mayor Betty Konarski read a proclamation declaring the week of Feb. 15 Sertoma’s Freedom Week; it was unanimously approved by the board.

Kissell presented a plaque to Tom Mace and Skip Fleming of the TLFPD thanking the district and Board President Charlie Pocock for the donation of two complete sets of self-contained breathing apparatus and related protective gear, which he said is valued at about $8,000.

Konarski thanked Cullen for volunteering for the Police Advisory Committee. The mayor said she was not happy at losing that committee and was glad Monument has qualified citizens like Cullen who are willing to serve. Cullen retired from the Colorado Springs Police Department in July 2000 and served on the board of the Cottonwood Creek Townhomes Association from 1988 through 1999. She moved to Monument in 2000.

Lake of the Rockies permanent residents

During public comment, Schutz expressed concern— based on newspaper reports he had read—about possible inaction by the BOT after its Jan. 20 approval of an amended development site plan for Ernie Biggs’ campground that specifically prohibits permanent residents. He asked if plans to develop an ordinance to enforce this zoning restriction had been put on the "permanent shelf." He said that he understood a brief interval might be necessary for Town Attorney Gary Shupp to fully research the proposed ordinance. Konarski said the ordinance had not been shelved and that the staff was working on a proposal for this ordinance. Trustee Glenda Smith expressed concern that permanent residents of the campground were able to register to vote. Schutz said, "I do sense a commitment. That’s all I need to hear."

The public hearing on the Jackson Creek Market Village Preliminary Plat was continued to the March 1 meeting at the request of the developer, Paragon Engineering Consultants, Inc. This development includes what looks like an extension to the east of the King Soopers shopping center and a 40-unit townhome development behind it to the north that fronts on Lyons Tail Drive.

Annexation eligibility hearing for Kerr addition: Town Planner Mike Davenport reviewed the proposal. On Jan. 2, John Kerr submitted a "petition" requesting the town annex 1.84 acres of land between Second and Third Streets, from Mitchell Avenue to the railroad tracks. Kerr proposes to construct a building and move his gift wholesaling business, Present Perfect Gifts, from Colorado Springs to Monument. He added that the proposal meets minimum state requirements and the staff recommends the BOT set an annexation hearing date of April 5. This date allows the Planning Commission to review the annexation on March 10.

Kerr told the board he has wanted to move his business north for a long time, but could not find an existing building that met his needs. Local business owner John Dominowski said he was excited to learn that a new business would be built just across the railroad tracks from his shopping center and that he hopes Kerr can add a retail portion soon. Separate motions approving the requested hearing date and eligibility of the property for annexation passed unanimously.

Municipal Election

Town Clerk Judy Skrzypek recommended that no write-in votes be accepted at the April 6 municipal election for the BOT unless an affidavit of intent had been submitted to the town clerk. Mertz asked if an election had to be held if the number of candidates was less than or equal to the number of open seats. Konarski said the vote counts are used to determine which candidates receive four-year terms (most votes) and which receive two-year terms. Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg noted that Mertz and Trustee George Case had to be elected since they were appointed to the board after the last election. The recommendation was approved unanimously.

Limbach Park Greater Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Grant

The board unanimously approved a supporting resolution that requests up to $93,800 toward purchase of land contiguous with Limbach Park to the south and west. The town’s matching funds would be up to $40,200. This land is currently owned by the railroad. A separate GOCO grant will be sought for park improvements, after purchase of the land is completed.

Ohter business

The board approved a payment of $7,533.90 to Schmidt Construction Company for paving repair work done in 2003. The town’s $1,200 share of a $6,000 increase in the cost of expanding the scope of a water reuse study was approved for payment unanimously. The surrounding four water districts also contributed $1,200 each.

The liquor license for the Village Inn restaurant on Highway 105 was renewed unanimously.

A proposal to add parks near Lewis-Palmer High School and Monument Lake to the list of projects the town will seek GOCO funding for was approved unanimously.

A payment for $24,286.46 to the Triview Metropolitan District was approved unanimously.

Konarski recommended that board members review a Pikes Peak Area Council of Government report on its Senior Demographic and Traffic Study. She recommended the BOT review drilling options and constraints as the U.S. Forest Service considers allowing oil and gas drilling in the Pike National Forest directly west of Monument. The review was scheduled for a special session on March 1.

Davenport described the Parks and Landscape (P&L) Committee recommendation to allow an alternate member to the committee who did not reside or work in town. The alternate would vote only if it was needed for a quorum. Shupp noted that it would be legal as long as the committee remained advisory only. Konarski asked Davenport to have P&L draft the word change to implement the policy allowing an alternate member of the committee.

Sonnenburg noted that the town’s water supply had not yet been approved by the state engineer’s office, and he had no estimate of when approval was likely to occur. He said the first meeting of the committee in charge of the town’s 125th anniversary celebration, on July 5, would meet at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 in Town Hall. Discussion of the permanent residence ordinance was scheduled for March 1 as was presentation of research on the town taking over ownership of Monument Villas’ private roads. The lowest of three bids for a new Town Hall recording and public address system was approved unanimously. Mertz asked that the system be re-bid to include a speaker/camera/phone interface that would allow trustees to vote at meetings while out of town. Konarski agreed, tabling the bid approval, while Sonnenburg seeks new specifications and new bids including the added capability.

At 7:40, the board went into executive session to discuss negotiations toward providing an unspecified utility service to residents. No announcements were made after the executive session adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

The next meeting is at Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. on March 1.

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Monument Board of Trustees regular meeting March 1

By Jim Kendrick

The Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) confronted two controversial issues at its tense and occasionally testy March 1 meeting that literally split the board on several votes. In a packed meeting room, where many citizens spoke on both sides of the issue, the board again failed to come to any resolution on the first issue: how to craft an ordinance that would codify the long-established, but never enforced, 1993 master site plan prohibiting permanent residency at the Lake of the Rockies campground. There are people currently living at the campground, even though it is closed, and giving it as their permanent residence when registering to vote in Monument. The second issue involved three different motions before a final rejection of a request by Monument Villas residents for the town to take over ownership of the development’s internal private roads. Trustee George Brown was absent.

Permanent residency

At the Jan. 20 meeting, the BOT approved an amended site plan for Lake of the Rockies that retained the original language, stating that there would be only one permanent residence—for the caretaker—on site. A request to add language to the amended plan that prohibited occupancy by renters on a permanent basis or during the part of the year when the campground is "closed" was not approved, because the trustees believed that was a law enforcement issue.

At the Feb. 2 BOT meeting, Town Attorney Gary 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" in general or with regard to an RV park in particular.

At the Feb. 17 BOT meeting, local resident Tim Schutz complained about the trustees dropping the issue. Shupp was directed to write a draft ordinance that would adequately define permanent residency, enabling Monument police to enforce the zoning proscription of no more than one permanent residence.

At the March 1 meeting, Shupp described his proposed ordinance as having six sections that provided the trustees with a menu of options for defining permanent residency. The first section describes the fundamental concept of residency: "The permanent residence of a person is the principal or primary home or place of abode of a person … (which) is that home or place in which a person’s habitation is fixed and to which that person, whenever absent, has the present intention of returning after a departure or absence, regardless of the duration of the absence."

The other five sections of the ordinance were offered as options the board could accept or reject. Shupp added that ultimately a judge decides whether or not the evidence presented is sufficient to meet the conditions specified by the ordinance.

Schutz who is an attorney and a neighbor of the campground, spoke in favor of adopting the ordinance, with revisions. He said the ordinance should be written so a judge could make a finding regarding permanent residence without having to determine the person’s intent. He said the first section of the ordinance was appropriate. Schutz said the other five sections would be confusing if they implied they were a separate standard that must also be met. Shupp replied that if a person’s living situation met the conditions of any one of the other five sections, that would also be sufficient grounds for a judge to find that permanent residence had been established.

The discussion focused on the minimum number of days of inhabitance to establish permanent residence. Schutz recommended 30 to 60 days, rather than 180 days as Shupp proposed. Schutz noted that only 30 days are required as the minimum to be able to register to vote. He said the campground is closed from Nov. 1 to April 1, which is approximately 180 days. Shupp disagreed, saying it was permissible to rent a space at the campground for more than 30-60 days while the facility is "open."

Trustee Frank Orten asked whether or not the town’s master plan specified when campgrounds could be open or closed and why the board would tell a business when it is or should be closed. He asked if Shupp had found any case law on closing times for other campgrounds; Shupp said no.

Ernie Biggs, owner of Lake of the Rockies, said that the proposed ordinance was aimed at him and his business. He said people stay at his campground while their homes are being built, while they are in town for chemotherapy, or they were working on the rehabilitation of the dam. He added that there are many people who only have an RV and move from place to place with the seasons. Biggs then said, "Glenda (Smith) shouldn’t be able to vote on this because of her feelings and personal vendetta against me." Smith replied, "And you against me. I will vote." He added that town trailer parks require a year-long lease, so even though their monthly rate of $180 is less than the $500 he charges, they can’t afford to rent there. Biggs said, "I’m not telling Schutz who can use his business." Smith replied, "When you came here, I supported your business as a campground, not a trailer park. You step on people’s toes, too." Biggs replied that he provided $21,000 of tax revenue to the town and $14,000 to Lewis-Palmer High School last year, among other charitable services by the campground. Konarski ended the dialog, saying she was tired of the town being in the middle of a neighborhood squabble. She said the board had to address the policy issue.

After further discussion, Shupp was directed to rewrite the proposed ordinance avoiding the use of a specific time limit.

Monument Villas

At the Feb. 17 BOT meeting, the homeowners association (HOA) for Monument Villas townhouses requested that the town take over ownership of their internal private roads: Villa Grove, Paula Circle, and Elizabeth View. Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg presented a copious staff report on the history of private roads in Monument, as directed at the previous BOT meeting. The other private roads this request might set a precedent for are Raspberry Lane, all the streets in Monument Meadows Mobile Home Park, Village at Monument alley, and the unnamed road that wraps around the closed Rite-Aid Pharmacy.

Sonnenburg reported that the Monument Villas private roads meet all town standards for construction quality, except width of roadway, but do not meet setback requirements. A car cannot be parked in their single-car driveways without extending into the roadway. In order to meet code, Monument Villas would have to build 48 off-street parking places on HOA-owned property. The staff recommendation was to reject the request.

Konarski noted that she currently lives in the Raspberry Lane community and fully understood the precedent issue and said it is difficult to plow with the high density of on-street parking on both sides of the 36-foot-wide roads (the town minimum standard is 50 feet). Public Works Supervisor Tom Wall noted that in some of these private-road communities, buildings are built to the edge of the right-of-way with no setback. Several trustees expressed sympathy for those owners who didn’t understand the long-term road maintenance costs their HOA would eventually have to absorb. Others said that was no reason for the town to volunteer for additional road expenses due to substandard setbacks that increased developer profit and reduced homeowner taxes.

A motion to table the issue for further review failed in a 3-3 vote. A motion to accept ownership of the private roads failed due to lack of a second. A motion to not accept ownership of the private roads passed 4-2, though the trustees agonized over their votes. Konarski cast the deciding vote, saying the policy should be consistent without exception that public roads meet all town construction and setback standards.

Jackson Creek Market Village Preliminary Plat

This item was continued, in part because of the developer’s reassessment of his original plan to use private roads.

Consideration of Joshua Baron’s application for appointment to the Police Advisory Committee was postponed due to his absence.

The following agenda items all passed unanimously:

  • The request for combined preliminary/final review of a conditional use of a co-located antenna on an existing tower by Richard Miller of Pacific Telecom Services.

  • The request for $3,000 for the Palmer Lakes Fireworks Committee for July Fourth.

  • A resolution to close Second Street and Front Street for a car show in June by Kathy Spence.

  • Authorization for all disbursements over $5,000 presented by Treasurer Judy Skrzypek.

  • An increase in the town clerk/treasurer’s pre-authorization limit to approve employee medical/dental payments by Skrzypek.

  • Approval of a change order for work being performed on town well 7 by Wall.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

The next BOT meeting will be held at Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. on March 15.

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Monument Board of Trustees special meeting March 1

By Jim Kendrick

At its special meeting on March 1, the Monument Board of Trustees discussed a range of options offered by adoption of a countywide Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), town concerns regarding a proposal for oil and gas drilling in neighboring Pike National Forest, and an exploratory annexation proposal for a housing development on the 120-acre Walters property. Trustee George Brown was absent.

RTA Options

Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg presented several options prepared by the staff for possible board action before the issue goes to El Paso County-Colorado Springs voters on Nov. 2. The RTA ballot issue would propose a countywide one-cent sales tax that would pay for several new county and city corridor projects, a backlog of overdue road repairs and rebuilding, and countywide public transportation programs. New road construction would be allocated 55 percent of the RTA revenue, municipal governments would receive 35 percent to spend on their own road repairs, and 10 percent would go toward public transportation. After 10 years, the tax would drop to a permanent 0.45-cent county sales tax. New road construction would be managed by the elected officials from city and county governments serving on the RTA. Road repair funds would be distributed to participating municipal governments to be used at their discretion. The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments professional staff would oversee the new road construction and manage public transportation funds.

Staff recommendations were:

Option 1: Vote to join the countywide effort, including Monument in the county-city proposal.

Pros: Town receives about $119,000 per year initially. Monument is growing faster than the county, so the town’s 35 percent share should quickly grow above this initial amount over the first 10 years.

Cons: The town gets only a third of the $500,000 in sales tax raised in Monument.

Issue: If every Monument resident votes no, but the measure passes, residents will be taxed anyway.

Option 2: Same as Option 1 but asks that a project such as improving Old Denver Highway between the town boundary and Baptist Road be added to the list of projects.

Option 3: Same as Option 1, but request all the one-cent tax revenue be returned to the town.

Option 4: Vote to decline to join the countywide effort.

Option 5: Do not vote to join or decline.

Option 6: Vote to form a separate RTA with the town of Palmer Lake, but reduce the imposed sales tax to one-half cent. Colorado law requires that a regional transportation authority be formed by a minimum of two municipal entities.

Pros: Monument and Palmer Lake would each receive 100 percent of the tax revenues they raise. The half-penny tax would probably have a much higher chance of being approved by the voters.

Cons: Monument would be perceived by the county and Colorado Springs as not being financially supportive of RTA projects.

Sonnenburg also noted in his staff’s summary document that Town Attorney Gary Shupp believes there is a strong possibility that although the RTA measure will probably be on the Nov. 2 ballot, a separate vote would be required by county voters next year to authorize raising the funds via the sales tax. Voters in Colorado Springs can vote for both, however, on Nov. 2. This would delay implementation to Jan. 1, 2006, at the earliest.

Note: There are 50 road improvements targeted by the RTA proposal; half are in Colorado Springs and the other 25 are in the county. The top five county priorities are all Baptist Road improvements.

Discussion: Trustee Dave Mertz asked if any other projects could be added to the list. Trustee Frank Orten said it would not be useful since the expected revenues are only enough to pay for the already listed projects, and added projects would be last priority with no funding likely.

Trustee Byron Glenn asked if RTA proposal passage would make it easier to build a new combined town hall and police station. Sonnenburg noted that option 6 would produce enough road repair money to free $200,000 per year from the current road repair budget to be redirected to other priorities. This would probably be enough money to pay for a new town hall building in 20 to 30 years, depending on the actual cost of the final design and prevailing interest rates. Sonnenburg noted that his counterpart at Palmer Lake, Della Gins, was interested in pursuing option 6.

Mertz expressed his displeasure that 65 percent of the revenue goes to the county for regional projects and not to Monument. Trustee Glenda Smith observed that the top priority of the Baptist Road corridor projects could change after the election, as did the top priority of a proposed road from Woodmen Road to Mitchell Avenue in previous county budgets. Mayor Betty Konarski concluded the discussion by asking if there was any strong feeling toward any of the options. There was none.

Pike National Forest gas and oil drilling

The board agreed on providing two comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service. Konarski said she is concerned about the potentially high salinity of discharged water from the drilling process. Trustee George Case said he is concerned that there might be a defoliated "scar" on the side of Mt. Herman like the large quarry that spoils the view of the Front Range in Colorado Springs.

Walters Annexation presentation

Terry Schooler of Pulte Homes and Jillian McColgan of DTJ Design presented a conceptual plan for a residential development on the Walters property. The property is located between the Jackson Creek and Kingswood communities, just north of the intersection of Baptist Road and Gleneagle Drive. The purpose of the presentation was to inform the board of their intent and get feedback on what aspects of their plan should be changed to facilitate annexation of a purely residential development. Town Planner Mike Davenport arranged the session so trustees would be better informed to answer citizen questions about the annexation through an open public process. Schooler’s proposal calls for Triview Metropolitan District to annex 80 acres of the Walters property. The other 40 acres are already part of the district.

Davenport said the issue facing the board is that more money is required to operate and maintain services for residential areas than they produce in tax revenue.

The board suggested adding a connection to Lyons Tail Drive in addition to the connections shown at Gleneagle Drive and Walters Creek Drive. They said they were satisfied with Schooler’s answers to questions regarding emergency vehicle access and transitions with the eastern edge of neighboring Jackson Creek. Heavy emphasis was given to realigning the proposed roads to connect to Lyons Tail, in order to extend the trail from Jackson Creek to Fox Run Park.

The special meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.

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Monument Parks and Landscape Committee Feb. 10

By Jim Kendrick

The Monument Parks and Landscape (P&L) Committee reviewed proposed landscaping plans for the Kerr Addition and Tuscany Hill Market. The committee provided comments to the developers and will reconsider the plans at the next meeting on March 9. They also reviewed progress and plans for Limbach Park and the planned entry signage for downtown Monument that will be placed on the southeast corner of the intersection of Second Street and Highway 105. All four members of the board were present.

Site Plan for Kerr Addition

Town Planner Mike Davenport discussed the results of the town planning staff’s review of John Kerr’s application to the committee. The review followed a new checklist created by the P&L committee. The Kerr addition is a parcel of land that is undergoing annexation and rezoning for the purpose of building a wholesale gift business to be called Present Perfect Gifts. Kerr has indicated he may add a retail section within the building in the future. The parcel lies between Mountain Farmer Landscape and Nurseries and Second Street, immediately west of the railroad tracks with a frontage along Mitchell Avenue. Kerr purchased this parcel from the railroad. Davenport characterized the application as a good initial plan for Kerr, who is not an experienced developer. The following was noted:

  • Missing items to be added to the landscaping plan: a certification statement, connection points for bicycle paths and trails, irrigation system notes, a plant schedule/legend, location of wall-mounted or freestanding lighting, a description of existing vegetation on the parcel, and notes regarding public land dedication and total area of the property, landscaping, and open space.

  • Additions requested: a fence or landscaping along the railroad tracks to screen the loading area and a berm or shrubs for the parking area along the street. Also requested is a specific depiction of the four crab apple trees Kerr told staff he would place south of the building near Second Street.

  • Changes: The culvert that drains the west end of Third Street under the railroad tracks needs to be larger to prevent flooding. This existing drainage flows across the north end of the lot, then across Mitchell Avenue to Monument Lake and Monument Creek. Also, the staff asked that the location of some trees be moved to improve visibility for motorists and pedestrians at driveway entries.

Davenport noted that Kerr had eliminated a driveway entrance along Second Street at the request of the town’s traffic engineering consultant.

Member Linda Pankratz asked how many tractor-trailer deliveries were expected at the Second Street delivery point; Davenport said two or three per week. He added that Kerr expected to have merchandise clearance sales in the parking lot twice a year. Member Toni Martin requested the plan be continued until the next meeting so Kerr could respond to the staff’s requirements. Her motion was approved unanimously.

Tuscany Hill Market

Tony Luca of Paisano LLC is building a retail center with an Italian restaurant on Lot 1 of Valley Vista Estates Filing No. 3. The structure will be on the south side of Cipriani Loop and the west side of Knollwood Drive, about a block south of Highway 105. The approval is administrative since the overall development plan has been previously approved. Davenport noted that the overall landscape plan exceeded town requirements and planned to make these suggestions to Luca, based on the P&L checklist:

  • Missing items to be added: connection points for bicycle paths and trails, location of wall-mounted or freestanding lighting, and a description of existing vegetation on the parcel.

  • Additions: planned ground materials for each area of landscaping, trees on two corners of the building, and flowering shrubs and perennials for three-season color.

  • Changes: extending the sidewalks.

Pankratz suggested changing the planned Ponderosa pines to another coniferous type of tree. She noted that there was no landscape architect listed on the planning documents, which explained the list of comments. The committee voted unanimously that the plan be continued until the next meeting so Luca could respond to the staff’s requirements.

Davenport noted that these types of early reviews show that the town is happy to work with small business owners to help them meet standards. The new checklist used to evaluate these two proposals appears to be an effective tool for helping organize applicant planning and town staff and committee reviews.

There were no committee or staff reports. The committee discussed changing the requirements for the vacant fifth position on the committee to allow it to be an alternate position, occupied by someone who is not a resident or property/business owner, who would only vote if there were not enough other members present to form a quorum. The position has been open for a few months. Davenport noted that this change would require Board of Trustee (BOT) approval. A motion to make this request passed unanimously. Diane Figgins of Bent Tree attended the meeting and indicated she would apply for an alternate position if one is created.

The committee also recommended unanimously that the Monument Board of Trustees seek a Greater Outdoors Colorado grant for about $75,000 to help pay the purchase price of three parcels south and west of Limbach Park that are owned by the railroad. Another grant would be sought, after the land is purchased, to provide needed improvements such as play courts and equipment, a band shell, a picnic area and shelter, parking, and landscape irrigation.

A contract will be sought for a landscape architect, via a request for qualifications process, to create a final design for the new downtown entry sign at Second Street and Highway 105.

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m. The next meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 9 at Town Hall.

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Monument Planning Commission meeting Feb. 11

Web Site Exclusive: View photos of the Monument Planning Commission Feb. 11

By John Heiser

At their Feb. 11 meeting, members of the Monument Planning Commission quickly approved Lawrence Hicks’ application to operate Dad’s All-American Hot Dogs kiosk-type business in the parking lot of Foxworth-Galbraith. The commission then discussed several planning issues facing the town.

Kiosk businesses

Mike Davenport, town planner and assistant town manager, reported that the town has received inquiries about the possibility of a regulation change to permit a two-step approval of kiosk-type businesses. In the first step, all but the specific location would be considered. Approval by the board of trustees would be conditional based on the applicant selecting a location satisfying a set of requirements. In the second step, the location would be set and approved administratively without a public hearing.

Wahlborg Annexation

Davenport said an annexation eligibility hearing will be held March 1. He noted that the processing of the proposal is similar to the Monument Marketplace in that the board of trustees would approve the general types of businesses and the layout and then the specific plats would be approved administratively.

Commissioner Lowell Morgan said, "This is our biggest annexation since Jackson Creek." Davenport agreed and added, "It is the last big piece of property on Highway 105."

Earthwork

Bob Mooney, chair of the planning commission, asked what was being done on the property south of Higby Road and north of the Marketplace. Mooney said, "It looks like final grade." Davenport said it is cut and fill dirt storage for the Marketplace. He said, "There are no building plans. They can’t do anything without coming before the planning commission."

Wal-Mart

Commissioner Kathy Spence said that based on what was said at the Marketplace hearings, Wal-Mart would not be appropriate for inclusion in the Marketplace. Davenport replied, "Wal-Mart is going to the El Paso County Planning Commission. The town has not been contacted in the past couple of years; however, one of the pads is big enough for Wal-Mart." Spence said, "The Marketplace plan [for the 200,000-square-foot pad] didn’t show any docks. It would be okay for a movie theater. With a Wal-Mart, the crime rate goes sky high. It would be scary to have that in the area of the high school and middle school."

Light industrial west of I-25

Davenport reported that the town has received inquiries regarding possible light industrial and office/warehouse projects adjacent and west of I-25, north and south of the old part of town. He said some examples of the types of uses being considered would be sales of manufactured housing or log homes, RV or boat sales, or indoor storage. He added that a major concern is the appearance from I-25 and noted that the existing zoning would not allow indoor storage but would allow outdoor storage as a conditional use. Conditional use means that public hearings would be required before approval. Davenport suggested the town might want to change the regulations to disallow outdoor storage but allow indoor storage as a conditional use.

Mooney said, "I don’t want it to look like a trailer park like Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs." Davenport said that by restricting the types of manufactured housing and the density, and by adding landscaping, it could look more like conventional housing than a mobile home park.

Morgan noted that access to the areas south of the old part of town adjacent to I-25 would have to cross the New Santa Fe Trail. Davenport said, "That is a major issue with the county parks department. They won’t allow at-grade crossings. As a result, we don’t get too many repeat inquiries."

Morgan said, "I would expect a lot of resistance from residents to sales or storage of larger RVs." Referring to a defeated proposal for a large RV sales and service business west of the high school, Morgan said, "We would be back to the K&C RV issue."

Several of the commissioners said they would not object to indoor storage of small boats, snowmobiles, and motorcycles as long as the building did not block the views. They said the height and character of the buildings is important. Mooney said, "You don’t want a hodgepodge of buildings."

Commissioner Jim Thresher said, "Once you let some of that hodgepodge in, the better developers go elsewhere. You drive the quality stuff away."

Mooney asked, "Do we have water for any of this?" Davenport replied that the town operates on a 100-year rule, so up to 1 percent of the available water can be used each year. He noted that in some areas, they have been pumping for 60 years. He said that some areas of Douglas County are on their second or third well and those wells can be 10 times as expensive as the initial wells. Davenport said the question of where to get renewable water is an issue up and down the Front Range. He asked, "What happens in 100 years? Monument is on the rim of the bowl [of the Denver Basin aquifer system]. We might feel things sooner than others."

Commercial realtor Thorne Davis spoke from the audience regarding a possible project a client of his is considering for indoor RV storage and retail space north of Highway 105. He said these buildings would have a retail look with the use of stucco and stone exteriors. Spence suggested it might fit better south of Baptist Road in the Forest Lakes commercial area. Mooney expressed concern about the proximity to residential areas. Davis replied that his client has built several of these projects and realizes appearance is important. Davis said they are targeting an upper income demographic for RV storage. Mooney said, "There is a definite need for it due to covenants. It would have to be a well-chosen location." Spence added, "I can see a need, but I wouldn’t approve anything that wouldn’t look very good."

Jackson Creek residents Rory and Mary O’Leary said that when they moved from California they were attracted to Monument and complimented the planning commission on its work to preserve the quality of the area.

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The Monument Planning Commission meets on the second Wednesday of each month at Monument Town Hall, 166 2nd Street. The next meeting will be March 10, with a work session at 5:30 p.m. and meeting at 6:30 p.m. For additional information, contact Mike Davenport at 481-2954.

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Triview metro board meeting Feb. 25

By John Heiser

At its regular meeting Feb. 25, the Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors discussed several new projects in various stages of planning. Director Linda Jones attended the meeting and then resigned from the board because she no longer lives in the district. Due to the timing of her resignation, the position will be filled by appointment. Aside from directors Jones, Steve Stephenson, and Martha Gurnick, no other Triview district residents were present.

Monument development status

Mike Davenport, Monument’s assistant town manager and town planner, reported that the Board of Trustees hearing on the Jackson Creek Market Village project east of the King Soopers shopping center has been postponed to March 15 due to concerns about the design of the internal roads for the residential portion. With regard to roads, Davenport said the town considers four issues: (1) Is the road adequate to accommodate the anticipated traffic? (2) Is there adequate parking provided? (3) Will fire vehicles have adequate access? and (4) Will snow plows have adequate access?

The Jackson Creek Market Village project has requested approval of private internal roads. Davenport said, "The timing couldn’t be worse." He reported that the homeowners association for the Monument Villas project on Knollwood Drive south of Highway 105 has recently requested that the town take over maintenance of their private roads. The project was approved three years ago with private roads that do not meet town standards

Davenport said the latest Jackson Creek Market Village site plan uses 30-foot road rights-of-way. Although they are wider than originally proposed, they do not meet Triview’s 50-foot standard or the town’s 60-foot standard.

Ron Simpson, manager for the Triview district, expressed concerns about the design of the internal roads and the potential that they could become a maintenance burden for the district. He asked, "Is this a precedent we want to set? They need to show us how the roads and sidewalks work."

Davenport said, "There is a question of the long-term viability of private road maintenance. …If the roads and utilities don’t work, then the land use doesn’t work. We don’t have enough information to know if that plan works. We need a revised plan or the board [of trustees] would feel they are wasting their time." He said the town would allow the project to be separated into the residential portion and commercial portion. He noted the design for the commercial portion is further along and is a higher priority for the applicant, Miles Grant.

Davenport said Grant is seeking Planned Development (PD) zoning that is a variant of Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning. He said this approach merges the variance/waiver process into normal land use processing. The variances or waivers such as the one to allow private roads are termed "modifications."

Monument Marketplace

Rick Blevins of Marketplace developer Vision Development, Inc., reported as follows:

  • The earthwork for the extension of Jackson Creek Parkway and Leather Chaps Drive is substantially complete.

  • The utilities along Jackson Creek Parkway will be completed in two weeks.

  • Construction of curb and gutter should start in three weeks, so paving can begin about April 1. Ideal Concrete was awarded the curb and gutter contract for $298,000.

  • Electrical Excellence was the low bidder for traffic controls and streetlights with a bid of $349,825.

  • Construction of the sewer line to serve the Marketplace has encountered multiple fiber optic cables. Qwest was unable to supply accurate information on the location of their cables. Due to the number and location of the cables, the portion of the sewer line along Baptist Road will have to be installed using directional drill boring rather than trenching. Chuck Ritter, Nolte and Associates’ engineering consultant for the district, said the boring will require about 48 hours to complete. During that time, traffic on Baptist Road will be disrupted. Blevins said the change will add about $51,000 to the cost of installing the sewer line.

Well A4

Referring to the plan to connect raw (untreated) water from the new well A4 in the Arapahoe aquifer to the reuse system—rather than connecting it to the potable water system—Ritter said, "It is a good use for A4 for the first year." Simpson added, "There is a lot of water going on the ground for grass. It’s amazing. We used almost 3.3 million gallons per month for [the landscaping on] Leather Chaps and Lyons Tail." Ritter said the plan will cost "a bit more than $30,000. We need to get cranking."

WWTF expansion

The Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) is jointly owned by the Triview district, the Donala district that serves Gleneagle, and the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District that currently does not have any users.

Simpson said the expansion of the WWTF has been pushed out at least a year.

Ritter reported that Stephenson will not be included on the site visit trip in early March to comparable plants that use the proposed new process called Sequencing Batch Reaction (SBR). The plants are in Salida, California (near Sacramento), and Fallon, Nevada (near Reno). Ritter said he and three people from the Donala Water and Sanitation District will make the trip.

The mouse

Simpson has been looking at properties that could be used as part of Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat conservation plans to satisfy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) requirements for the Wal-Mart site, the expansion of Baptist Road, and the extension of Jackson Creek Parkway. He said a meeting was held with the FWS to discuss the habitat issues related to Jackson Creek Parkway. He said, "I hope the issue will be resolved before the March board meeting."

Lyons Tail landscaping

Simpson said installation of rock landscaping in the parking strips along Lyons Tail is expected to start in a month or two.

Developments

Simpson reported that landowner Greg Anderson has hired consultants to plan possible developments within the district west of I-25 and south of Highway 105. He said the land is zoned Planned Industrial District (PID). The anticipated uses are mostly commercial office/warehouse.

Blevins said the YMCA is starting a capital campaign to fund construction of a building on the 12-acre site west of Lewis-Palmer High School. The YMCA obtained the site from the Vision Development in February 2002. Blevins said that 15-18 percent of the people who presently use the overcrowded Briargate YMCA are Tri-Lakes residents.

Blevins reported that the owner of a 10-acre parcel north of the YMCA site is considering building an office building/sports medicine complex.

He said he expects Lariat Ranch Filing 3 to be submitted to the town in the next few weeks. It is a 98-lot subdivision. If a proposed church were included, the number of lots would drop to 85.

Blevins said Vision Development is looking at residential development north of the Marketplace. Densities would decrease from six houses to the acre near the Marketplace, to four per acre, and then to two per acre approaching Higby Road.

Water and sewer

Simpson introduced Mark Moore, one of two town employees assigned to do operations and maintenance for Triview under the contract between the district and the town. Moore reported that electrical problems with Water Treatment Plant A are being investigated.

Moore said low bidder Ace, the contractor selected last month to implement the Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) equipment, "didn’t realize what they had to do. We are disappointed that they don’t have the experience with Motorola programming. I don’t have high hopes Ace can solve the problem." The board authorized Simpson to renegotiate with alternative contractor Timberline. Simpson said, "We have used Timberline forever. They have the Motorola franchise." Moore added, "They are good at what they do." Moore suggested plant tours be offered for interested residents.

Director Jones resigns

At the end of the meeting, Jones resigned from the board. Board president Kathy Walters said, "Linda has been a great asset to the district." Due to the timing of Jones’ resignation, the position will be filled by appointment rather than being subject to the May 4 election. The positions to be filled at the election are the ones occupied by Kathy and Gary Walters, both of whom are term-limited, and Stephenson who was appointed in July to complete Jim Perry’s term. Gurnick was elected in 2002; her term ends in 2006.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss water augmentation exchange issues.

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The Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors normally meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, 4:30 p.m., at the district offices, 174 N. Washington St. The next meeting will be held March 24. For further information, contact the Triview Metropolitan District at 488-6868.

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Palmer Lake Town Council workshop Feb. 5

By Kim Makower

Committee Reports

Jeanine Engle reported on a meeting that Trustee Susan Miner held with owners of businesses along Highway 105. The group addressed the speed of the traffic through town and concerns about pedestrians crossing the highway. Twelve people attended, including Bob Radosevich, the town’s roads supervisor. Miner and Radosevich reviewed past contact with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). After some discussion, Radosevich was asked to contact Terry Shippy of CDOT to request painted crosswalks and a flashing light on the 30 mph sign. The proposed locations of the crosswalks are from Centennial ballfield to the west side of the highway, from Bella Panini to the B&E Filling Station, from O’Malley’s to Finders Keepers, and from The Depot to the lake. The group is exploring these options first, hoping the measures will be enough to slow traffic to the speed limit and allow pedestrians to cross safely. The group will meet again on the first Tuesday of each month for updates on this issue and also to discuss the possibility of forming a business owners’ association. The next meeting is scheduled for March 2, 3 p.m., at the Rock House. All Palmer Lake business owners were encouraged to attend these meetings.

Mayor Nikki McDonald reported that five vacancies exist on the town council. Nomination petitions are available at the town offices, 54 Valley Crescent. Miner later encouraged residents from the east side of town to fill some of the vacancies.

Storm Ready presentation

Tom Magnuson of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) described the capabilities and some history of NOAA. Magnuson said the agency is seeking volunteers to attend a training course to become weather spotters in Palmer Lake. He also emphasized that there are many micro-climates in El Paso County that the weather service keeps track of with weather reporting and forecasts. The Web site is www.crh.noaa.gov.

Homeland Security grant update

Police Chief Dale Smith recommended the town retain Gray Buckley of JB Robinson and Associates to administer the training made available through the recent grant of $74,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Buckley, formerly with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, gave a presentation detailing aspects of the training contemplated by his firm to fulfill the grant’s requirements. Various scenarios were given that present a risk to the community, including a long list of threats to the water supply. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD), hazardous materials contamination, and a train derailment were also mentioned as threats to the Tri-Lakes area.

Buckley emphasized the need for better coordination among various federal, state, and local organizations. He said these agencies rarely work together and must be coordinated to prepare for a response to a terrorist act. Buckley added that the exercises would stress informing, preparing, and coordinating the area’s response to a disaster. Trustee Brent Sumner stated, "We need to make sure that we have the right people here" in the event of a problem. Smith ended the presentation by emphasizing the need to develop a regional response to a WMD event that would augment, and not replace, the participating town’s emergency response plans.

Business license applications

Palmer Lake Shotokan Karate: David Leasure and Tim Fal have conducted karate classes in the town hall for 18 years, mainly training children of elementary and middle school ages. This membership-based organization will charge $25 per month and have an insurance policy of $2 million. Miner commented that she was glad to see karate continue in Palmer Lake.

Hair by Jane: Jane Barrow is opening a hair salon at 104-B Highway 105.

Hair by Laura: Laura Clibon will offer hair and skin products and salon services, also at 104-B Highway 105.

Living Foods Bon Appetit: Josif Bob Oldja presented his idea for a raw whole foods business that would deliver books and foods to Tri-Lakes residents. His interest grew from his personal battle with cancer and the success he derived from a raw food diet. The business would be located in the residential area next to Pinecrest Event Center. Since Oldja stated his intent to not have customers come to his house, a potential issue with parking became moot. The trustees were clearly moved by Oldja’s story, and McDonald echoed the sentiment of all the trustees by bidding him farewell with a "God Bless You."

Marshall Clark Photography: Marshall and Amy Clark were congratulated by the trustees for the design and appearance of their new studio at 88 Highway 105. They were welcomed into the Palmer Lake business community, but were cautioned by Miner to "check the town’s sign ordinance" prior to spending a lot of money for signage.

Proposed modular home

Michael Brennan requested a change in land use from a commercial zone to a residence. He presented his plan to construct a modular home on a permanent foundation at 0 Lower Glenway, an 8,500-square-foot lot surrounded by houses. Trustee Ed Kinney voiced his opposition to the plan, saying the trustees were "piecemealing" the town’s master plan. Miner agreed, noting that the town has few commercially zoned parcels. Others thought the residential use made sense, since it is surrounded by homes. In addition, commercial parking requirements and the 25-foot required setback would restrict its use for a commercial building. One residential appraiser cautioned the board that a modular would not hold value very well and suggested the builder make the house conform in design to the neighborhood. The council requested that Brennan submit architectural drawings of the final product.

Paintball

Resident Gary Atkins introduced his group of concerned residents. McDonald made reference to pending legal action by the town against Fusion Extreme Gaming by saying "Until this is out of the courts, we cannot say anything." Resident Max Oliver claimed that he was being denied the enjoyment of his property due to noise coming from the paintball gaming area. He said the noise is louder than the state highway or the dozens of trains in close proximity to his house. Atkins and the others urged the trustees to deny the renewal of Fusion Extreme’s business license when it comes up in 2004. The outdoor facility has been closed since the fall, and the business is currently concentrating on indoor computer gaming and computer education and repair services.

Pikes Peak Regional Building Department fee schedule

Trustee Randy Jones said, "We have a choice as a town as to who looks over us," referring to a new business that would provide building inspection services. He was not supportive of the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department because of his past experience with them.

McDonald commented that the town’s tax revenue is low and needs to increase. "So that Palmer Lake doesn’t die, we need a tax [transfer tax on property sales] like California has," she said. Trustee Chuck Cornell disagreed and suggested that the town explore other options for increasing revenue. "I resented this tax as a resident of Washington," he said. McDonald insisted that the "only way to get extra tax is through the sale of a home."

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Palmer Lake Town Council meeting Feb. 12

All business license applications were approved. Mayor Nikki McDonald read a proclamation of Sertoma Freedom Week, Feb. 15-21. Ted Bauman of Monument Hill Sertoma introduced Creekside Middle School eighth grader Jordann Zbylski who read her essay, "What freedom means to me." She was one of nine winners of Sertoma’s February Freedom Essay Contest

Ed Kinney announced he would not run for reelection in April. There are five open seats, including the Mayor’s. Chuck Cornell and Randy Jones are the only trustees who will stay on the council. Cindy Allen is term limited, so cannot run again.

The council approved the following:

  • Vacation of a utility easement, between lots 7 and 8, Block 2 of Lakeview Heights Subdivision Filing No. 2.

  • The request for conditional use for a single family residence in a CC zone, Lot 3, Block 1 in Moroni Subdivision Filing No. 1, 0 Lower Glenway passed 6 to 1, Ed Kinney dissenting.

  • The contract for JP Robinson Associates for the first phase of the Homeland Security Grant.

  • Ordinance 1-2004, changing the Town Marshal to Town Chief of Police.

  • The Pikes Peak Regional Building 2004 fee schedule.

  • Regional Floodplain Administra-tion agreement.

  • Release of subdivision bond performance for Willow Creek.

  • Resolution by motion appointing the town clerk as the election official.

  • Resolution 1-2004, ballot questions 1 and 2, retaining of excess overage for 2004 and 2005.

The Palmer Lake Liquor Licensing Authority approved a special events liquor license for the Fire Engine Fund Casino Night.

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Palmer Lake Citizens for Community Awareness Feb. 26

By Jaqui Parker

The meeting of the Palmer Lake Committee for Community Awareness (PLCCA) on Feb. 26 was attended by 14 people. The committee considered asking the heads of various town departments–Administration, Fire, Water, Roads, and Police–to speak at future PLCCA meetings to give the members an understanding of their job functions. The group also discussed a survey Susan Miner developed that asks the citizens of Palmer Lake for their ideas on how the community should evolve. Three versions of the survey have been developed, and at least one form of the survey has been distributed to some citizens in the past.

Discussion regarding the best way for neighborhood representatives to stay informed about events and issues in Palmer Lake resulted in the following recommendations: attend town council workshops and meetings, attend planning commission workshops and meetings, read Our Community News, read the bulletin board at the post office and Town Hall, attend board of adjustment meetings, and attend economic development meetings.

The committee discussed the upcoming municipal election. There are four vacant trustee positions to be filled, plus the position of mayor. The board of adjustment has two open positions. Candidates must file a petition that includes the signatures of 10 registered voters by March 5. Committee members considered handing out flyers explaining the mission of the PLCCA and obtaining phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses from those who would like more information. Regulations regarding such activity (e.g., must be 100 feet from election site) were discussed.

Town Clerk Della Gins agreed to provide a short synopsis of the function of each of the town’s departments to give PLCCA members an overview of town government. The next meeting will be March 25, 7 p.m., at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. For more information, contact Jaqui Parker at 487-7434 or frostio@adelphia.net.

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Donald Wescott FPD Board meeting Feb. 18

By Jim Kendrick

The Donald Wescott Fire Protection District Board (DWFPD) voted unanimously to terminate primary fire and ambulance service, effective April 1, to the 13-square-mile area south of County Line Road and east of Highway 83 that voted to oppose inclusion by the district on Nov. 4, 2003. The board also announced significant progress is being made in merger discussions with Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District (W/MFPD.) Board member Brian Ritz was excused due to participation in training as an instructor at Fort Carson.

Termination of Services

In the "Dear Homeowner" letter the board approved, DWFPD will tell property owners: "As a result of that election, the Board of Directors of [DWFPD] has determined that without tax revenues from the affected area, the District can no longer provide fire protection service and emergency medical service to that area. As of April 1, 2004, the area of El Paso County which includes your property will receive services for fire protection and medical response only under mutual aid agreements between special fire districts providing service to the northern area of the county."

Chief Bill Sheldon noted that as a result of the board’s decision, some of these property owners have been notified by their insurance companies that their fire policies would be canceled. About two-thirds of the property owners who received the letter have petitioned for inclusion in the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District (TLFPD). See the TLFPD Board article for more details.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Dennis Feltz reported that he is now meeting with Sheldon one week before the board meetings to review expenditures and income. His report that January activity was in line with projected figures was approved unanimously.

Policy and Procedures Manual Update

Sheldon said the only section not yet finalized refers to the policy on use-or-lose vacation and sick pay. He recommended that full carryover of the unused pay be allowed in 2004 and 2005 until a final policy is set. Sheldon will inform all staff members that the current accrual policy is temporary only; that they will gather data for the next one to two years to arrive at a final policy; and that full carryover is a possibility if vacation and sick leave are used wisely. The final draft of the policy and procedures manual is being reviewed by the district’s attorney, Peter Obernesser, and will be published as soon as his review and corrections are complete. The motion to temporarily retain full carryover of unused vacation and sick pay passed unanimously.

ISO Compliance Inspection

The three-day Insurance Services Organization (ISO) inspection began on Feb. 17. Departments are inspected every 15 years by the ISO to help regional insurance providers assess their policy risks and to help districts verify the quality of their services. Questionnaires are sent out every five years in the interim to determine if conditions have changed sufficiently to warrant a physical inspection before the end of the 15-year cycle. Mainly, the ISO inspector will run extensive fire hydrant flow rate tests throughout the district and will verify regional equipment and manpower statistics listed in automatic and mutual aid agreements. The inspector also checks records on maintenance and operation of department equipment, as well as training documentation for all personnel.

Sheldon noted that ISO standards now require that if buildings next to a hydrant have wood shake roofs, the "measured flow rate" is reduced by a 500-gallon-per-minute penalty/deduction. This reduction, a nationwide standard, reflects the additional amount of water and time it takes to extinguish burning wood shakes compared to that required to extinguish a burning roof covered with fire-resistant composite shingles. The district was penalized for those areas with existing homes having wood shake roofs. The current county policy of requiring homeowners to replace shake roofs with fire resistant shingles or tiles will eventually eliminate this penalty. The overall penalty will not be known until the final report is received.

The district will not receive results of this inspection for six to eight months. The district currently has an ISO rating of 6 for hydranted areas and 9 for rural areas. The goal is to lower the 6 rating to a 5. This could be achieved with a continuing program of hydrant maintenance and upgrade in conjunction with the digging of new wells by Donala Water and Sanitation District initiated over the last two years. An ISO rating of 10 means that there is no dedicated fire service and often leads to cancellation of fire insurance policies.

Chief’s Report

Sheldon reported that he would be spending between $1,200 and $1,500 on replacement tools and hose sections for the department’s engines. He praised the dedication of the entire staff in preparing for the ISO inspection. Director Joe Potter asked Sheldon about funding for the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) training. Sheldon said that the Palmer Lake Police Department had received $74,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that will be used for command and control simulation exercises for supervisors from several fire and emergency agencies in the county. The purpose of the exercises is to test the communications and notifications procedures that have been developed for responding to WMD threats and incidents. Since the last board meeting, a decision was made to add a small field operations exercise involving a few emergency vehicles and personnel in an area along the railroad tracks in Palmer Lake.

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

The board voted unanimously to adopt this new national standard that replaces the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) system. Assistant Chief Vinnie Burns noted that all regional fire departments would be consistent on incident command terminology and that adoption would improve the district’s chances of successfully competing for federal grants. Before NFIRS is phased out completely, there will be an interim period where all emergency response reporting is done in both systems.

Merger Update

DWFPD Board President Bill Lowes said that DWFPD had been invited as an observer in the discussions between American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance service and W/MFPD. Discussions culminated in the initiation of round-the-clock AMR service at the Woodmoor Drive station for the next six months. AMR is providing this at no cost to W/MFPD, as they do now with DWFPD. The service area runs from Northgate Road on the south to Greenland Road on the north. The W/MFPD AMR ambulance will now provide a backup to the Larkspur Fire District as well. Although in Douglas County, Larkspur is a member of the North Group, an informal association of fire departments from the north end of El Paso County. Lowes added that merger talks would resume after the ISO inspection.

Station 3 Expansion

Bids for the expansion should be received no later than the end of March. Board member Kevin Gould, a professional architect, said he has notified the county of short- and long-term approvals that will be required. Only a minor amendment to the site development plan is needed. He reported that engineering consultant firm Oberring and Wurth that built the original buildings confirmed there will be no problem with the required 15-foot setback or easements. Trees located in the new expansion footprint will be moved to another location on the property in the revised landscape plan.

Goals for 2004

This agenda item was unanimously deferred to the next meeting.

Audit for 2003

The board voted unanimously to retain auditing consultant Hanson & Company that has worked with the district’s finances for more than five years.

Special District Board Election

Ginette Ritz, DWFPD election official, reported that the Special District Election will be held on May 4 at Antelope Trails Elementary School, 15280 Jessie Drive. 

Lowes will be leaving office due to term limitation. The terms of Potter, Gould, and Ritz are expiring.

Although not discussed at the board meeting, Sheldon said afterward that ice training on the Gleneagle golf course was scheduled for Feb. 22. Nationally certified Water Extraction Instructor Ed Miller from Alpine Divers LLC conducted this session as he did in January. Participation in the course included 20 members of DWFPD, and one member of American Medical Response (AMR).

Executive Session

The board held a short executive session to receive legal advice from Obernesser. No decisions were announced. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.

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Tri-Lakes FPD Board meeting Feb. 19

By John Heiser

At its meeting Feb. 19, the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District Board of Directors approved inclusion of parcels totaling about 3,600 acres east of Highway 83. Director and district treasurer John Hildebrandt was on vacation. Director and district vice president Oscar Gillespie was absent due to illness.

Inclusion hearings

Board president Charlie Pocock said, "The inclusions were somewhat precipitated by an article in OCN reporting that the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District is abandoning the eastern area." He added that some insurance companies notified property owners that if they were not included in a fire district within 30 days, their insurance would be terminated.

Final hearings were then held on the following petitions for inclusion:

  • Approximately 800 acres near Walden III owned by Matthew Dunston and Gene W. Dunston

  • A 40-acre property owned by Jeff and Judi Havens

  • A 40-acre property owned by James and Jeannie Muth

  • A 40-acre property owned by Rhonda Thompson

  • Approximately 2,700 acres owned by Norm Younger

The inclusion petitions, totaling about 3,600 acres, were unanimously approved.

The district also held initial hearings on a 32-acre parcel on Walker Road owned by Carl Cover and Walden III filings 3 (34 lots) and 4 (18 lots). All three of these petitions for inclusion were signed by 100 percent of the property owners. A special meeting was scheduled for Feb. 26 to hold the final hearings on those petitions.

Chief’s report

Chief Robert Denboske reported that during January, the district responded to 75 calls, a 14 percent increase from the same period last year. Those calls were as follows: 34 medical, 14 fire, 17 traffic accidents, seven public assists, and three hazardous materials. Thirty-three people were transported to area hospitals. The district has 74 people assigned, including the five board members.

The chief reported that the district is starting to use EVS in Castle Rock instead of Transwest in Commerce City to do maintenance on the firefighting vehicles. He said the rate schedule is the same and it is more convenient.

Denboske said district personnel logged 3,700 training hours during 2003 with:

  • 33 people state certified in hazardous material awareness

  • 18 people state certified in hazardous material operations

  • 30 people state certified as Fire Fighter I

  • 14 people state certified as Fire Fighter II

  • 1 person state certified as a First Responder

Denboske said, "I am quite proud of what we have accomplished." Pocock added, "We have made great strides toward the objectives we set last July."

The board unanimously approved Denboske’s suggestion that the district donate two spare SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) units to the Monument Police Department for use during meth lab investigations.

EMS Report

Ron Thompson, assistant chief and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator, reported that the district has submitted an application for a state EMS grant for a 4x4 ambulance to replace ambulance 3, a replacement cot for ambulance 2, and two Striker stair-chairs to aid transporting patients down flights of stairs. Thompson reported that the training on 12 lead EKG has been a great class. He thanked the board for providing the TV/VCR and Powerpoint projector that have been very helpful during training.

Thompson said eight members of the Tri-Lakes district and three members of the Black Forest Fire Protection District were certified for ice rescue at the class at Fox Run Park Feb. 7. He reported that Larry Dunn has been certified as an EMT, and Bryan Jack has been certified as an EMT-Paramedic. Thompson noted that the department now has 29 EMT-Basic, five EMT-Intermediate, five EMT-Paramedic, one First Responder, and two nurses. He said the revised ambulance contract with the Town of Palmer Lake has been signed.

Station 2

Rick Barnes, board member and architect for Station 2, reported that the construction contract for the station will be ready for bidding in a few days, with bids closing March 15. He said he anticipates four bidders and one alternate. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the end of March. Barnes said that any changes required for county administrative approval of the site plan will be incorporated during the bid period.

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss strategy for negotiations.

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The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District board normally meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the district firehouse, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley). The next meeting is scheduled for March 18. For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312. The Tri-Lakes district web site is www.tri-lakesfire.com.

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Woodmoor/Monument FPD Board meeting Feb. 23

By Jim Kendrick

The terms of three Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District (W/MFPD) board members— President Bob Browning and members Si Sibell and Tom Conroy—are expiring in May. Browning solicited nominations at the Feb. 23 board meeting for the special district election to be held on May 4. Browning said he would not be running for re-election; Sibell and Conroy will. The board also voted to begin a volunteer program to supplement the full-time personnel on staff. An advertisement for the new volunteer positions can be found in this edition of OCN. All members of the board were present.

Browning noted that all nominations had to be submitted by close of business on Feb. 27. Rod Wilson, a W/MFPD resident and volunteer at the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District, attended the meeting and obtained and submitted a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form afterward. The three candidates with the most votes will be the new board members.

Treasurer’s report

The quint fire truck’s loan balance of $281,342.55 was paid off in full on Feb. 7, leaving the district free of debt. The quint is the largest of the district’s trucks, with five capabilities: hoses, pump, water tender (400 gallons), portable ladders for upper stories, and a 75-foot aerial ladder. The treasurer’s report was accepted unanimously.

Chief’s report

Chief David Youtsey reported that on Feb. 21, 42 candidates had taken the written test for placement on the new hire list. The 14 candidates with the highest scores would be invited to take the physical agility test on Feb. 28.

The annual physical inventory of items valued over $350 was completed. It was agreed that the report should show the lifespan of items and the expected replacement dates for items with predictable life cycles, to help manage the inventory.

Youtsey asked if the board wanted to reconsider its decision to sell the 1997 Tahoe that had served as the chief’s vehicle. This vehicle was recently replaced by a 2004 Tahoe. Youtsey suggested keeping the 1997 vehicle for use by the assistant chief and the fire marshal. Board members agreed that the fire marshal could use the department’s brush truck for driving to inspections and other related meetings. There was no motion to reconsider the decision, so the vehicle will be sold by sealed bid.

From Feb. 9 to Feb. 20, the new AMR ambulance made a total of 11 responses, resulting in eight transports. There were seven responses within the district, resulting in six transports, and four responses to calls from outside the district that led to two transports.

The district had 49 calls in January: five structure fires, 28 medical, eight traffic accidents, one hazardous materials, two public assistance, and five other.

Youtsey provided information to board members comparing three sample health plans that might be offered to employees. These plans were from Woodmoor/Monument, the Colorado Springs Fire Department, and the Cimarron Hills Fire Department, which is similar in size. The cost of each of the plans is an 8 percent of base salary contribution from the employee and the district to the Fireman and Police Protective Association.

Youtsey provided board members with a copy of the AMR ambulance operation plan. During discussion of the plan, it was noted that AMR, a private company, dispatches its ambulances separately from the countywide emergency vehicle dispatching system operated by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department. This means that, on occasion, the AMR vehicle could be dispatched several seconds sooner than fire vehicles. There was some concern that if AMR responded to a different system than W/MFPD, it might create some difficulties, since the paramedic on board would be from W/MFPD and the driver/emergency medical technician (EMT) would be from AMR. It was agreed that the two could properly coordinate how they would respond to AMR dispatch directions and coordinate with fire truck personnel. The board also reviewed the procedures for dispatch of the AMR ambulance outside the district. The boundaries for dispatch outside the district are Northgate Road (on the south), Highway 83 (east), I-25 mile marker 168 (north), and Palmer Lake (west).

A new organizational chart reflecting the new positions of Assistant Chief Jim Rackl, the AMR driver/EMT, and a W/MFPD ambulance Fire Fighter II/paramedic was accepted unanimously.

The new small business annual inspection program was reviewed and accepted unanimously. The long-term goal is to conduct 60 inspections per year for the 180 businesses in the district, resulting in a three-year interval between inspections. In the intervening years, owners would be asked to conduct a self-inspection and report the results and the corrections to the district within 30 days, or the district would schedule an on-site inspection. While there are plans to have a consultant perform many of these fire inspections, the policy will be that if the business owner prefers that the district perform the inspection, the district will be glad to do so. The position of district fire marshal may not be a full-time duty under this program and may expire at the end of June.

Youtsey provided the board with a draft of a revised job description for the chief’s position to reflect changes suggested by board members. Youtsey said it was patterned after the job description for the chief of the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Board member Bob Harvey suggested that the draft be tabled to provide board members time to review the longer, more involved format. His motion passed unanimously.

Youtsey noted that there are some remaining difficulties in determining how much of the proceeds of the district’s Old Hire Pension account with Fire and Police Protective Association (FPPA) could be used for paying current Social Security and retirement benefits versus current fire operational expenses. The ambiguity is due to incomplete FPPA pension records for the period from 1974 to 1991. Treasurer Russ Broshous suggested dedicating the entire amount, about $350,000, to paying benefits so there could be no question about relative distributions. The board agreed unanimously.

Conroy noted that the stopwatch times for dispatch during the month of January showed that the department exceeded its goal of arriving at an emergency in less than six minutes in over 90 percent of its calls. This represents a 30 to 50 percent reduction in response times for the three district shifts in the past 18 months. He said all members of the department should be very proud of this achievement. The board agreed unanimously. Harvey and Rackl suggested that stopwatch times be recorded on an occasional basis in the future, because the sheriff’s office log would be the times of record from a legal standpoint. Browning directed the operational personnel to propose an internal program that would effectively monitor response times to sustain these high standards. The board concurred unanimously.

Joint Working Group Updates

Conroy said that significant progress was being made on merger talks with Donald Wescott Fire Protection District and Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department. Broshous said that decisions would need to be made on how to adjust mill levies in these two districts and that the taxpayers may have to vote on a mill levy increase.

The board went into executive session at 9:20 a.m. to discuss these upcoming negotiations. There were no announcements made after the executive session adjourned at 10 a.m.

The next board meeting will be held at 8 a.m. on March 22.

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W/MFPD narrows list of firefighter candidates

By Jim Kendrick

Candidates for full-time and part-time positions with the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District (W/MFPD) took what they hoped would be their first step up the ladder of a paid firefighter career by taking a written exam on Feb. 21. Those scoring in the top 14 were then scheduled for the physical agility test on Feb. 28. A hiring list will be prepared based on those results. Every applicant to W/MFPD was considered, 98 in all; however, only those 49 with the required prerequisite certifications were invited to take the written test. .

In order to take the written tests, applicants needed Firefighter I (FFI) and Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) certification. FFI certification is typically earned from agencies accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). The IFSAC FFI certification is nationally recognized. While the Colorado Division of Fire Safety allows this certification to be voluntary, W/MFPD requires candidates to have it before taking the entry-level written test. In addition, candidates who have an EMT certificate from another state would be required to get a Colorado certificate prior to being hired.

To obtain this prerequisite FFI certification, candidates must pass a written test, a practical, participate in a live burn training session, and take hazardous materials (haz-mat) awareness training. Courses for certification are held throughout the year at Tri-Lakes region fire districts as well as some other county fire departments. Courses are also offered at Pikes Peak Community College, where college credits toward a degree in fire science can be earned as well. Though not required, four W/MFPD firefighters have earned this degree.

Candidates came from many towns across the state to take the test; over half of the 42 candidates were from Monument and Colorado Springs. W/MFPD uses the nationally recognized test from I/O Solutions, Inc., an independent consultant testing company. W/MFPD has I/O Solutions grade the tests to ensure objectivity. W/MFPD does not currently have volunteer firefighters, but began advertising for them on Feb. 23 (see the ad in this issue).

Interviews of the fully qualified candidates will be scheduled. Current plans are for these entry-level interviews to be conducted by Chief David Youtsey, Assistant Chief James Rackl, and the three department captains. Should there be an opening, offers will be made to those highest ranked on the hire list.

There were 31 candidates who passed, scoring above 75 percent, on the comprehensive test that consisted of 165 questions and took 150 minutes Those who passed the written test with one of the top 14 scores, including the MI candidate, were then scheduled for the physical agility test on Feb. 28. All 14 took the agility test and nine passed. These nine were placed on the hire list. Testing is the same for full-time and part-time employees.

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W/MFPD begins AMR service

By Jim Kendrick

At the Feb. 23 board meeting, Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District (W/MFPD) President Bob Browning expressed satisfaction with the first two weeks of operation of the department’s public-private partnership with American Medical Response (AMR). Since Feb. 9, AMR has been providing 24-hour paramedic-staffed Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance service, enabling faster ambulance transport to the citizens of Woodmoor-Monument and adjoining communities in northern El Paso and southern Douglas Counties. This is AMR’s second such ambulance partnership in northern El Paso County.

The additional AMR ambulance is housed at the Woodmoor Fire Station under a "shared staffing and equipment model" for a six-month "proof of concept" period. At the end of six months, the partners will evaluate the arrangement and may implement a longer-term model. AMR currently provides primary ambulance service for northern El Paso County from the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD) station 3 in Gleneagle, and will continue to do so.

The new service

The new AMR ambulance is a modular Type I ambulance equipped with four-wheel-drive and enhanced global-positioning system (GPS) and in-vehicle mapping technologies. The ambulance carries $37,000 worth of specialized equipment and standard medical supplies. The unit is jointly staffed round the clock by an AMR emergency medical technician (EMT) and a W/MFPD paramedic. Conversely, the EMT on Wescott’s ambulance is provided by DWFPD and AMR provides the paramedic.

The ambulance responds to all 9-1-1 emergency calls, provides medical support for firefighters during structure fires, and responds to mutual aid requests from neighboring jurisdictions. W/MFPD estimates that its ambulance would respond to about 600 calls over a full year. AMR is the contracted ambulance provider for El Paso County. Last year, its 24 paramedic ambulances responded to more than 44,000 calls for service in the county.

What this all means for W/MFPD residents

In the past, a medical emergency at, for example, Safeway on Highway 105 would have resulted in a fire engine response from the Woodmoor Station and a transport by the AMR ambulance from Wescott’s station in Gleneagle. Immediate medical treatment would have been provided by the paramedic and EMT on the responding W/MFPD fire truck, and the patient would have been stabilized for transport when the Wescott ambulance had arrived. The new system reduces the likelihood of transport delay for emergencies within the W/MFPD since the paramedic and EMT now arrive in the newly added AMR ambulance instead of in the Woodmoor/Monument fire truck.

In addition, because there is no automatic or mutual aid agreement for ambulance service between W/MFPD or DWFPD and TLFPD, the ambulance at the Tri-Lakes station would not go to Safeway as the primary responder, even though it is closer. However, for a secondary call within the W/MFPD, the closest fire department and the closest available ambulance will now respond as backups. Under the old arrangement, the secondary ambulance might come from as far away as Black Forest and Colorado Springs. The AMR ambulance at the Woodmoor station also provides a closer backup than Wescott’s to TLFPD, Palmer Lake, and Larkspur for certain emergency locations, as well as providing additional backup to Black Forest. AMR uses its global positioning system to determine which of its ambulances is closest to a secondary emergency in making the deployment decision. The Colorado Springs ambulances also have GPS installed.

The methods used to pay for vehicles and personnel for fire and medical emergency vehicles in the four fire departments in the Tri-Lakes region varies a great deal. Nonetheless, emergency services continue to improve as the area grows.

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Lewis-Palmer School Board meeting Feb. 19

By Tommie Plank

The school board approved a new school calendar that will be in effect for the next two years. Classes for the 2004-2005 school year will begin Aug. 29, and the last day of classes will be May 26. Thanksgiving vacation was reduced from all of Thanksgiving week to Wednesday through Friday only of that week. Spring break is scheduled for the week of March 21.

District 38 has moved closer to becoming its own Special Education Administrative Unit, changing its full membership status with the Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to that of associate member. Last month, BOCES voted to approve the district’s request for the change in its membership level. A petition will now be sent to the Colorado Department of Education for final approval. If granted, the new membership status is expected to take effect July 1.

The board approved a pilot study for a tuition-based full-day kindergarten in some of the district’s six elementary schools. The program offering is contingent on a minimum of 15 all-day kindergarten students per class. The state funds kindergarten students at half the cost of a full-time student, and the cost to parents for the other half day is expected to be $13 per student per day. There will be no change in the traditional half-day kindergarten program.

The board extended Superintendent Dave Dilley’s contract for one year, reinstating a three-year contract effective July 1, 2004. Each board member expressed appreciation for Dilley’s leadership, work with the board, outstanding skills, and love of children. He was also commended for the smooth transition in taking over from retired superintendent Ted Bauman.

Dr. Pete Heinz reported on the February meeting of the District Advisory Accountability Committee (DAAC), during which the Kilmer educational goals and improvement plan were reviewed and given a favorable assessment. The next meeting of the DAAC will be March 9 at the Lewis-Palmer Middle School.

The district is continuing to pursue the Professional Learning Communities concept. The Administrative Council presented draft vision statements relating to collective commitments in curriculum/assessment, focus on students, professional growth, and communication. The board will review these drafts and will work on a vision statement for communications and interactions with the community.

A new Title I District Parental Involvement Policy was approved on its second reading. This policy is one of the many requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

An executive session was held to discuss land acquisitions and personnel issues. The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be 7 p.m. March 18 in the newly renovated administration building.

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WIA meetings in February and March

By Chris Pollard

The primary news for the February meeting was the announcement that the Wahlborg property next to Highway 105 was being proposed for annexation into the Town of Monument. This property is currently used for cattle grazing and is situated in the area between North and South Woodmoor. It is not clear what will eventually be built there but it will most likely be a mix of commercial and other buildings but it will almost certainly not be large lot residential as it is not planned for that.

The major part of the same meeting was devoted to electing board members to particular positions with some of the returning members changing positions. After little discussion John Ottino, the previous Vice President was elected president of the board. Outgoing president Susan Cooley moved over to become Director of Public Safety. Susan Shields, a local realtor, who is new to the board was elected Vice President. Not unexpectedly, Mike Varnet, also new to the board and the current finance officer for the Pikes Peak Library District, was elected to the position of Treasurer replacing Bryan Clark. The other new member of the board, Allan McMullen, who is also a realtor, was elected to the position of Director of Common Areas.

At the end of the meeting McMullen presented a proposal for a walking or running trail as an extension of the current trail in a common area between Woodmoor Drive and Top of the Moor Drive. A map is presented in the graphic showing the current trail as a solid line and the proposed extensions as dashed lines.

Big news of the March meeting was that Mike Smith is going to step down as a board member in charge of the Architectural Control Committee in May. Mike recommended he be replaced by a current committee member Ron Yamiolkoski who had done a lot of work on the Walter’s Commons development proposal. He has also started work on a revised set of rules for multi-family housing.

The free chipping program for Woodmoor residents will begin on May 15 and be located by the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District building every Saturday and Sunday. Operation of the program will continue until grant money runs out. The district and members of the emergency response team will run the chipper. Other volunteers will collect information from homeowners to satisfy the requirements of the grant program. They may, additionally, be asking for donations to help fund the program in future years.

John Ottino, in line with his stated goal of more community involvement, suggested that a Community Blood Drive might be something that could be started. Most members of the board were supportive of the proposal and it was also suggested that it might be coordinated with the fire district and their open house.

John also gave an update on the Walters Commons development. The Walters family are still going forward with the conservation easement for the adjacent open space. On March 11th the development plans for the housing will be submitted for approval in front of the Board of County Commissioners. One new concern is that, as part of that proposal, there is some discussion of turning Cloverleaf Road into a cul de sac. Several members of the board were concerned that this might make traffic worse in other areas, forcing more vehicles onto Furrow Road.

New Woodmoor signs are finally in place, though a few have been held back until road construction has been completed at proposed sites.

McMullen, Director of Open Areas, had made some progress in finding out what the County’s position was on WIA’s proposal to build a trail along the middle of the Fairplay median. The County was of the opinion that this was a non-conforming use and McMullen felt that they would probably want to be completely indemnified as a result. He felt that if the trail were on the side of the road then the County would not have the same issues. He had, however, looked at some alternative proposals. A bike path along the side of the road would require widening of the road along most of its length and also introduce the need for regular maintenance. The County had immediately made the point that it had no money to do this, but mentioned in passing that it would be able to stripe the road. This idea was received enthusiastically by the other members of the board so McMullen will look into striping the road with 12-foot wide lanes so that there would be a reserved area on the shoulder. He had also started to look into the possibility of other trails beside that proposed in the earlier meeting

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Letters to Our Community

It is in-migration not birth rate

Your Feb. 7 report on the "Community Summit on Transportation Jan. 14" repeated a misstatement I’m sure was made to the crowd by members of the Chamber of Commerce or other growth industry representatives. It’s important to set the record straight. The fact is, rapid growth in El Paso County is and will continue to be due primarily to in-migration, not to birth rate from existing residents. According to the U.S. Census, of the 516,929 county population in 2000, 365,500 (71 percent) were born in another state. U.S. Census data also shows 7 percent of our 2002 county population had moved into the county during the previous year. That’s about 37,345, while only 8,557 were born here that year.

In-migration is and will continue to be the largest contributing factor to rapid population growth in our county. Pro-growth interests continually distort the numbers in an effort to make the average citizen feel guilty about advocating slower growth. No need. Procreation of the locals is not what’s clogging our freeways and depleting our water supply.

Dave Gardner

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Tickets on the road to tyranny

It has always been my belief this country of ours operates under the rule of law rather than the rule of men. Being given the responsibility of enforcing the law carries with it the responsibility of doing so in accordance with a law’s intent rather than its "letter." When this concept is abandoned, the rule of law rapidly deteriorates into rule by men—the first step toward tyranny.

As a resident of the Monument area for over 20 years, I suddenly find myself the recipient of two Monument Police Department–issued 4-point/$75 nit-picking traffic violations within a recent two-month period. This makes a grand total of about half a dozen equally absurd citations acquired during my 60-plus years of driving experience, which includes not only in this country but also in Europe and Asia.

From the number of citizens in the town’s courtroom every month, it’s apparent to me, and I’m sure many others, that traffic law enforcement in the Monument area is now accomplished under the rule of men. It is beyond belief the writers of our laws intended that a double yellow line would prevent passing a slow-moving vehicle, such as a front-end loader, when it is perfectly safe to do so. Likewise that they intended some huge difference be made between entering an intersection marked by a stop sign at a crawl, rather than coming to a dead stop, etc., etc.

This is protecting the public’s safety? There is obviously little or no intention within the local police department to interpret and enforce our laws in accordance with their intent rather than their letter. "We the people," whose taxes pay the police department’s operating expenses, are now the victims of a few men in blue uniforms sporting badges who are overzealously employing government power. No longer are we allowed to exercise any common sense when driving our automobiles. They know what’s best for us! That’s the rule of men! Tyranny.

The father of our country is credited with having said: "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearsome master." Citizens beware!

Wm. R. Lamdin

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Food for thought when voting

Another round of local elections is near. Though I cannot speak to all local elections, I will give you a few interesting points to remember when you are considering whom to vote for. In the Monument town elections, held on the first Tuesday of April this year, you may want to remember how some of those candidates handled critical issues during the last two years.

Mayor Betty Konarski, Trustee Byron Glenn, and Trustee Frank Orten gave away some valuable lakefront property last year to a local business owner, Ernie Biggs, as part of a deal to gain access to Monument Lake. The previous administration valued the property to be taken at $77,000. Not only did Biggs get all this money, but he only gave a portion of the property to the town and received as a bonus 300 feet of lakefront property owned by the town since 1937. In addition, this same group forgave over $1,000 in a legitimate water bill for a nonresident when he was in dispute with his renter concerning responsibility. For this, he stated that he was Mayor Konarski’s biggest fan. Other deals for the favored few were done, but space prevents their listing here. Maybe if you are a voter, you should ask about them.

In 2003, for the fifth consecutive year, the Triview Metropolitan District increased its indebtedness without a vote of the residents that some people think is required under the TABOR part of the state Constitution. This board, which has described itself as the "developer’s friend," does not want these poor, underprivileged business owners to pay their fair share to mitigate changes in traffic volumes and other impacts that their proposals cause. Triview charges less than two-thirds the impact fees for water and sanitation that the rest of the town pays. Their clever lawyer found some loophole so that the traffic impact fees, which the rest of the town pays, are not paid in Triview’s Jackson Creek. Supposedly, the $15 million increase of indebtedness done in 2003 was to pay for the Jackson Creek Parkway extension south of Higby Road and north of Baptist Road. The developer was going to pay, but reneged. Triview said no problem, we will increase our indebtedness to almost $35 million and we won’t bother the residents with such trivia, since it will only add some $50,000 of debt per house. Rather than demand accountability from Triview, the government of the town of Monument wants to make deals with them.

Finally, the great Wal-Mart mess is rearing its ugly head again on the too small site on Baptist Road opposite the King Soopers shopping center. Remember that Triview is enabling this project by providing water and sewer service. The county has promised that they will spend scarce county dollars on a bridge south of the site, but we all know the county has plenty of money that they can use to subsidize private development in this manner. The county will also change the zoning, in clear violation of the Chaparral Hills covenants. The site is only 35 acres and is too small, so some rather steep slopes are needed on the northeast corner of the site, possibly cutting into the Baptist Road right-of-way—but no matter. Those residents east of the site in Gleneagle and Jackson Creek do not care to have a trail link-up with the Santa Fe Trail across the interstate.

Where does the town of Monument fit in with a development that has been said by some to ruin the town’s tax base, since this site is not within the town? The town has three separate approvals it must give: 1) the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority must approve, 2) the town must approve all development along Baptist Road per the intergovernmental agreement with Triview, and 3) the access road south of the traffic light along Jackson Creek Parkway is solely within the town boundaries. Why are not Mayor Konarski and these trustees looking after the town’s interests?

Leon Tenney

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A Wal-Mart community meeting?

Whenever there is a building, development, or other construction project that is in any way controversial or large in size, it is common to hold a neighborhood meeting. There are two ways of doing this.

If you are really interested in getting people’s opinions, digging deep into the subject, and really listening to what they have to say, you start out by giving a few weeks’ notice so people can prepare and do some research. You also invite a wide selection of people. You hold the meeting in a hall and have informed presenters with backup staff and representatives of related agencies to answer questions. The presentation is given, and then questions are answered and presumably somebody takes notes. This was the way with the Walters townhome development proposal for the area in Woodmoor near the Lewis-Palmer High School.

Apparently, Wal-Mart decided to take a leaf out of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s book: Instead of having a "meeting" they had a sort of poster session on March 2. People could walk in anytime and were supposed to look at a series of charts and plans and make informed comments about what is supposed to happen. And they didn’t give people much notice—barely a few days.

I asked about the look of the store and wondered why it wasn’t the same as that of some other communities that have managed to negotiate with real architecture other than concrete block. The response I got was, "It’s the upgrade version." The person standing at the poster didn’t seem too interested in discussing any other possibilities or even acknowledging their existence.

The picture of the store showed the usual uninspired standard Wal-Mart building, but what it didn’t show was any sort of 3-D vision of how it would actually look on the site. Careful dissection of the grading plan shows block walls over 20 feet tall, but any picture that showed them was noticeably missing.

Nowhere was it possible to make written comments, and nobody seemed to be taking notes. I presume this qualifies them to say, "We held a meeting and we took comments." All I know is I much preferred the idea of leaving the site as it was shown in the aerial photograph—with rolling hills, trees, and bushes—rather than with the bulldozed and concrete block wall terracing that’s proposed.

Is this called progress? Surely there are better ways and better places to build these things.

It wasn’t a meeting, though; it was more a divide-and-conquer session—"Better they don’t get together as a group and figure out what is really going on."

Chris Pollard

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Between The Covers at the Covered Treasures Bookstore: Words and Stringing Them Together

By Judith Pettibone

Writing. It seems you either love it or hate it. You may admire the finely tuned sentence as long as someone else does the tuning. Still, writing is an everyday fact of life. You might be perking the next New York Times’ bestseller, writing a letter to the local editor, composing a letter of praise for your daughter’s favorite teacher’s file, or crafting a love note for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. You may write for your job. No matter what form writing takes in your life, we all need to write effectively. And with remarkably few exceptions, we can each become a better writer. Here are a few writers on writing.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
By Stephen King, $14.95

Until this book, which I am currently reading for a third time, I had never read a single sentence by Stephen King. I hate things that go bump in the night. However, with On Writing I became a fan. Not a fan of King’s specific books, but a fan of this man as a writer. He writes well. I knew I was a book-snob because I thought that since his genre was not my genre, he probably wasn’t a very good writer. I changed my mind after the first few sentences. King has a passion for his craft and is not the least bit shy about sharing this love. The book begins with his childhood – first writing experiences, first published story, first book. The second half he calls "Toolbox," where he dishes out all kinds of advice ("NO ADVERBS") and talks about the discipline of writing. Note: King was writing this book when he was hit by a car and severely injured. He will move and inspire you by his courageous return to the page.

The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well 
By Paula LaRocque, $18.95

"Want to write well? Then read this book every few months," says the author of The Dictionary of Concise Writing. LaRocque has been a writing coach and assistant managing editor of the Dallas Morning News. She has designed a book around three sections: essential guidelines for good writing, how to tell a story, and a concise handbook of writing mechanics. There is a good deal of practical advice packed into this small volume, which is also a national Book Sense selection.

Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose
By Constance Hale, $12.95

Does writing well need to be redefined in this electronic age? Do you need to be zippier, more focused, or more hip? Since no one writes like the Bard any longer, we know that style evolves. Hale, former editor of Wired. believes that those "prissy" rules of grammar continue to have a place in a world where e-mails may have undecipherable acronyms, few if any paragraphs, and rare capital letters. Hale says it best: "We’ll look at English as a robust, swarthy tongue, capable of surviving tumult and thriving on innovation." This is a well-designed book, with an up-to-date attitude and a pleasurable use of the "modern" English language. And what a great title!

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing & Life
By Anne Lamott, $12.95

Author Anne Lamott (Traveling Mercies) decided to write about writing and gave herself a national best seller. Writing advice and a good laugh do not always land on the same page, but they do in this book. Lamott is laugh-out-loud funny. The title comes from her brother’s panic over an elementary school project about birds. Her writer-dad watched him struggle and finally came to him and said, "Just do it bird by bird, buddy, bird by bird." We can all relate to her sweet story and will probably relate to her wise and witty writing advice. No formal grammar, just how to get started, where to go when you are stuck, how to write dialogue, the usefulness of writer’s groups and much more. It is not hard to imagine Lamott as a friend—an author friend you could visit over and over again.

Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing
By Patricia O’Conner, $12.00

While you might groan at O’Conner’s chapter titles, you will also admit to their cleverness. For example, how about "Give Me a Break: Thinking in Paragraphs" or "Pompous Circumstances: Hold the Baloney," and finally, "Grammar Moses: Thou Shalt Not Embarrass Thyself." And so it goes for 30 chapters filled with practical and no-nonsense writing advice. As you might guess, O’Conner has a breezy, readable style. The best reason to read this book, or any of the books reviewed here, is from O’Conner’s book: "Our words do not do justice to our ideas." And who wants that?

Slanguage: A Cool, Fresh, Phat, and Shagadelic Guide to All Kinds of Slang
By mike ellis (Capitals are not Phat), $12.00

From the author of Philly Funics: Yuze Can Speak Philadelphian, comes this fun and funny book. Just when you despaired of losing your cool (as in hip), this book comes to the rescue. It’s divided into many useful sections: slang, state-by-state, on television, by the decade, and, of course, spoken by teens. Think how helpful it might be to have a guide to interpret a spouse’s geographic idiosyncrasies. To wit: In Pittsburgh, a "roller" is a ruler!

The Dimwit’s Dictionary: 5,000 Overused Words & Phrases and Alternatives
By Joseph Epstein, $19.95

A book like this can make one cringe at the overused words in one’s own spoken or written vocabulary. It’s a bit like weeding in the early spring when you can’t tell what’s a weed and what is a seedling, but once you know it’s a weed, you have to dig it out! So, too, for hackneyed words, trite phrases, and, as Epstein says, "moribund metaphors."

Quit Your Day Job: How to Sleep Late, Do What You Enjoy and Make a Ton of Money as a Writer!
By Jim Denney, $14.95

Surely he jests! And in some respects he does. However, at incredible odds, this author does make his living free-lancing. He works extremely hard and shares his well-thought out and meticulous plan for anyone to copy. Warning: this is not an approach for hobby writers but there are good tips for anyone who wants to make money writing.

**********

"My Fair Lady" is filled with laments about words—from Higgins’ "Why Can’t the English Teach Their Children How to Speak" to Eliza’s "Words, words, I’m so sick of words." We might also bemoan the state of our written language after picking up the newspaper or reading an online piece. Since we can’t improve other folks’ writing, we can at least work on our own. Perhaps one of these books might make each of us a more effective writer.

Until next month, happy reading (and writing)!

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Reflections: Honey or Champ

By Judith Pettibone

So elegant. She walks into the gym in her sweatpants, sneakers, T-shirt and silk scarf. Her hair is in an upsweep. She walks with some difficulty, as if her hips are partially fused. I imagine her name is something old world like Sabine or elegant like Kathryn. Yes, Kathryn. A diminutive Kate Hepburn with all that considerable class.

I’m working out and so is she. As I do leg lifts with ankle weights, she passes by and smiles at me. She is beautiful. Movie star beautiful. She says, "That looks very hard but most effective."

I answer, "Mostly hard."

She laughs and says with a softly accented voice, "Maybe you just need some music."

She moves on to the rest of the equipment. I hope I am not being rude but watching her is a bit like witnessing a dance unfold. Each move is slow and most deliberate. She struggles some but manages to do all she intends. And she has on that scarf.

At one point she is next to me, and her husband stops by. Maybe his name is Mike or Jim. He’s wearing a plain white T-shirt, jeans with a leather belt and work shoes and is, appropriately enough, working out. He says to her, "Hi, champ."

At fifty-something and still parenting a teenager, I stop myself from thinking how dear they are together. For before I know it, I might be so regarded, and I can’t decide if it is complimentary or condescending. Maybe I will figure that out … maybe not … but I do know I am looking for role models. All women may apply, ageless women preferred.

A dear friend forwarded an e-mail to me from her 80-year-old mother. Her mother is also elegant and beautiful and has just moved into a retirement community from her home of 30 years. Before her first meal in the dining room, one of the residents escorted her from table to table and said by way of introduction, "Dorothy is moving in, and isn’t she a honey?"

My friend P.S.’d me with: "I sure hope I’m a honey when I’m 80."

I e-mailed back: "Honey or champ" … either way.

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Monument to celebrate 125 years

The first organizational meeting of the committee to plan Monument’s 125th birthday celebration was held Feb. 25. The 12 members present agreed that the celebration should be a community-wide event. Although the actual anniversary date is in June, the committee felt it would be advantageous to combine the event with the Fourth of July activities in the Tri-Lakes area. This year, the holiday falls on a Sunday; the fireworks and Palmer Lake activities are planned for that day, while the parade and Street Fair will be held on Monday, July 5. The committee agreed that the birthday celebration would be on Saturday, July 3, making for a three-day weekend of activities in the Tri-Lakes area.

Several events were proposed, and committee members agreed to research them and report back at the second meeting on March 3. A pancake breakfast, street carnival with games, museum display of historic Monument artifacts, historic Monument walks, music and food throughout the day, and a potato bake with an evening concert are a sampling of the activities planned. Proceeds from the various events will go to the building fund of Tri-Lakes Cares.

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The Society Page: Society Begins a New Season

By Leon Tenney

The Palmer Lake Historical Society held its annual potluck dinner on Jan. 15 in the Palmer Lake Town Hall. This year’s theme was Cowboy Chuckwagon, and while the theme changes each year, the quality and style of food is the same. Sam DeFelice, outgoing president, was the master of ceremonies for this gala event. More than 50 members of society made an appearance, bringing dishes of delicious food.

Our first old-timer to talk about the past was Ida May Noe, who had worked over 25 years in the Douglas County Clerk’s office. She was there before and after the tragic courthouse fire. It happened Saturday morning at 2 a.m. on March 11, 1978. Ida May locked the building that Friday evening at 5:15 p.m., after some late hunters got their licenses. Much of the early life in the community revolved around that building–marriages, divorces, deaths, and business licenses. She told us of some of the history of that building, built in 1879 when the county seat was moved from Franktown to Castle Rock.

Sharon Ruth was the next to speak, and she seemed like a comparative youngster when she told us of growing up in Palmer Lake during the 1960s. She remembered grade school teacher Grace Best taking kids on field trips by train to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. She also recalled some antics on Halloween, and since this is a family paper, we will omit the details. She remembered Palmer Lake as a "quiet little town, without much traffic."

Finally, Levi ("Pee Wee") Cordova reminisced about growing up in the town before World War II. Pee Wee got his nickname when he was part of the local college sports program, popularly known as Air Force Falcon football. He recalled many memories of his running buddies Arnie Lavelett and Ethel Engel, who were also present. He related that everybody had a garden in town. People did not have to lock their doors, and no one much cared if you picked apples from a neighbor’s tree, since they were picking yours. Cordova recalled the intense stillness before the first train whistle blew and echoed through the valleys.

Society honored Gil Campbell, the only surviving charter member; he helped start this society back in the 1950s. Virgil Watkins was honored as a two-term president of the Society. He then conducted the annual election, which resulted in a new board consisting of: Leon Tenney, president; Jodi Watkins, vice-president; Daryl Lundquist, secretary; Mike Wicklund, treasurer; Paula Whittier, refreshments chairperson; Sandy Russell, booksales coordinator; Tom Allen, our locally connected politician; and Victor Vaile, our link with the past, who is the grand-nephew of Lucretia Vaile. In addition, many local society matrons were present: Doris and Chris Otto, Vera Cooper, Ethel Engel, and Susan Davis. The winner of the Best-Dressed Mountain Man Award was Virgil Watkins; the Best-Dressed Western Gal was Sharon Jarnagan.

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The Society Page: Society Hosts John Fielder

By Leon Tenney

The Palmer Lake Historical Society hosted John Fielder, the nationally known photographer, on Feb.19 in the Palmer Lake Town Hall. In spite of a snowstorm, over 100 stalwarts attended.

Fielder did not describe all 165 scenic locales depicted in his latest book, John Fielder’s Best of Colorado, but he chose a few nuggets to share with us. He stated that he had traveled about a billion miles around Colorado in the last 30 years. His deep appreciation of Colorado’s natural beauty occasionally leads him to express some anti-sprawl views. But even this roomful of El Paso County Republicans could forgive him, since it was obvious that John loved his work and the natural splendor of our fine state.

I cannot do justice to the beautiful photographs (you must buy the book for that), but I will relate some of the hints and techniques Fielder shared with us on composing and taking landscape photos. First, you must realize that photos are two-dimensional and the landscape is 3-D. One way to bring depth to a photo is to include a linear feature going off into the horizon, like a road or trail. He also recommended putting dominant features in the photo one-third into the field. Fielder likes complimentary colors in photos, which set off the beauty. In nature, you can generally find two sets of complimentary or contrasting colors, either red on green or yellow on blue–for example, red flowers against green grass or yellowing trees against a blue sky. Fielder recommended twilight, either morning or evening, for getting the best color in your photos.

After the presentation, Fielder autographed his books,contributing 40 percent of that night’s sales to the Palmer Lake Historical Society. Next month, the Society hosts Jeanne Varnell, who has written about famous women in Colorado. See you all there.

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Special Events and Notices

Spring Carnival

On March 6, Antelope Trails Elementary will host its annual spring carnival at the school from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be game booths, a cake walk, face painting, an inflatable slide and bounce house, a magic show, a basket raffle, and a variety of food. Antelope Trails is located at 15280 Jessie Drive in Gleneagle. For more information, call Antelope Trails at 234-4100.

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Volunteer opportunities for nature lovers

Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) is forming small teams for indoor natural resource data collection related to potential wilderness areas. Training, task checklists, and forms for data recording will be provided. Please consider helping with this short-term, but important research. For details, check the CCWC Web site at www.ccwcwilderness.org, come to the March 11 CCWC meeting, 7 to 9 p.m., at Beidleman Environmental Center, 740 W. Caramillo St., Colorado Springs or contact John Stansfield, (303) 660-5849 or jorcstan@bewellnet.com.

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Annual Chamber of Commerce dinner dance and silent auction

The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring its annual dinner and silent auction on March 13 at the USAFA Officers Club. The theme is Caribbean, complete with mai tais and piña coladas with tiny umbrellas. Guest emcee Captain Dan from "K-Lite" (KKLI, 106.3 FM) will add a bit of splash to the party, and a special disc jockey will play dance tunes from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Dinner and a silent auction will round out the event. Dress is, of course, Caribbean (or business casual). Chamber members and nonmembers are invited. For more information, call 481-3282.

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National Quilting Day comes to Monument

The Palmer Divide Quiltmakers (PDQ) and Monument Hill Branch Library will hold their third annual celebration of National Quilting Day on March 14 at the library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Drive, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event will include hand-quilting demonstrations by PDQ members from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nationally known quilter and certified quilt judge Barbara Broshous will present a lecture, "What Makes a Winner," at 2:30. In addition, several activities are planned for children. There will be a storyteller at 1:30 and a class for children to make a "paper quilt" at 2. Quilts made by PDQ members will be on exhibit at the library March 2-28. The purpose of the day is to share quilting knowledge and talents with others. Everyone is welcome to stop in the library to help celebrate and to enjoy the quilt exhibit. For information, call the library at 488-2370.

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AARP driver’s safety course for seniors

Brush up on the rules of the road and earn discounts on your insurance by taking AARP’s 55 Alive Driver Safety Program. Students must attend both classes, on March 15 and 16, noon to 4 p.m. Advance registration and a $10 fee are required. Classes fill up, so register early. Classes will be held at Monument Branch Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr. For information, call 488-2370.

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Library Channel airs local program

Adelphia cable channel 17, the Library Channel, will air Tri-Lakes Today, a 30-minute public affairs program featuring news and information about the Tri-Lakes area, on March 16, 17, and 18 at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 p.m. Tri-Lakes Today normally airs the third weekend of each month.

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Register for statewide Colorado tennis tournament

The NTRP-E Tournament, beginning April 1, allows you to play singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) level (2.5-5.0). It is fun, flexible and available statewide through the Colorado Tennis Association’s statewide network of Community Tennis Associations. Sign up and be paired with a player at your level. Then coordinate a place and time to play, usually during a two-week time frame­. Report your scores by e-mail and advance to the next round, where the process repeats. If you win your bracket of eight, you’ll be invited to a playoff in Colorado Springs on June 5 and 6. Registration fee is $9.95. Registration and information is now available at www.palmerlaketennis.com. Or for more information call the tournament director, Donna O’Steen-Mixon at 444-0331, or Kim Makower at 487-9184.

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Free tax assistance

Trained AARP volunteers will be available every Monday and Thursday until April 15 from noon to 3 p.m. to answer questions and to assist filers in completing their federal and state income tax returns. On Mondays, they will be at the Monument Town Hall; on Thursdays they will be at Tri-Lakes Cares’ new location near the Presbyterian Church in Monument. Volunteers will assist taxpayers in claiming any Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit, and/or Education Credits the taxpayer might be entitled to and in preparing the following forms: Schedules A, B, C-EZ, EIC, D, R, and SE, as well as forms 2441, 8812, and 8863. Taxpayers with more complicated returns should seek the advice of a paid professional. Filers are asked to bring their W-2s, 1099s, and other materials needed to complete their 2003 return, plus a copy of their 2002 tax return. For more information, call Jim Taylor at 488-1317.

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Pine Forest Antique Show in April

The Tri-Lakes Women’s Club is sponsoring the 28th Annual Pine Forest Antiques Show and Sale on April 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and April 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is held at Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument, located off I-25, exit 158 or 161. All proceeds benefit community schools and services. Tickets are $5 for adults (13 and over). Visit www.tlwc.net for more information. Interested dealers can contact Minch Antique Show Management, LLC, 204 North Link Lane, #1, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524, (970) 484-1242.

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Tri-Lakes Views 2004

After launching a highly successful art show last year, TriLakes Views is back with another event. TriLakes Views 2004 is a juried art show that will be on display throughout the month of June in the TriLakes Center for the Arts (the historic Kaiser Frazer building in Palmer Lake).

This year’s show will feature artists from all art media and again have a special place for juniors. Scholarships have been set aside to offset the student’s entry fees. Cash prizes will go to winners in Best of Show, Best Painting, Best Photography, Best ThreeDimensional Art, and Judges Awards in Adult and Junior Divisions.

Applications for entries are now being accepted; the deadline is May 15. For further information on how to submit art for the show or to purchase tickets to the gala opening, contact Sandra Kinchen at 4810475, or visit the Web site at tri-lakesviews.org.

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