The El Paso County Planning Commission on Oct. 16 approved the location to convert an existing service garage at 1015 Valley Street into a fire station for the Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District.

The commission voted unanimously to approve the application (file U251) “in accordance with the attached resolution with 2 conditions and 1 notation,” Planning Commissioner Fuller said when making the motion; the motion was seconded and the chair cast the final aye. Planning staff said approval of location is required because a public building is not an outright allowed use in the site’s I‑2 (light industrial) zoning district.

Planning staff described the property as a 1.11‑acre site with an existing 10,000‑square‑foot building that previously received approvals in 2001–2002 for use as an auto repair garage. Lacey Dean, planner with El Paso County Planning and Community Development, said the approval of location determines whether a public use may be established at the requested site before the applicant submits an over‑the‑counter site development plan.

The applicant’s presenter described the project as a strategic step to reduce emergency response times in the district’s eastern service area. Brad Nichols of YOW (presenting for the project team) said the facility would provide staffing capacity for 18 full‑time firefighters and seven part‑time firefighters, indoor and outdoor vehicle housing, and upgraded amenities intended to improve crew working conditions and retention. He also said the site has direct access to Powers Boulevard and efficient connections toward the eastern corridor and Highway 24.

Joe Sandstrom, associate engineer with the Department of Public Works, told the commission the site is not in a regulatory floodplain, drainage impacts were considered minimal and a drainage and erosion control plan was not required, and that no traffic impact study or off‑site improvements were necessary because the project met TIS exemption thresholds. Staff said the project will be subject to applicable El Paso County road impact fees.

Staff also cited the El Paso County Master Plan, which notes the county’s interest in mitigating increasing fire response times as population and development expand; permitting an additional station in a mostly industrial area aligns with master‑plan policies to improve emergency response.

No members of the public spoke for or against the item during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff procedural questions and voted to forward the approval (the approval of location decision does not go to the Board of County Commissioners). The applicant must submit a site development plan and may be required to return to a public hearing only if future construction substantially enlarges or alters the building.

The commission’s action authorizes the district to proceed with the local approvals required to convert the building; construction and building permits remain subject to standard plan review and inspections.

The commission’s meeting packet and staff presentation include the application materials, zoning analysis, and recommended conditions of approval.