Colorado Springs council upholds approval of 1 Vela high‑rise after appeal

Colorado Springs City Council on 2025-02-13 denied an appeal filed by Diane Bridges and upheld the Downtown Review Board’s approval of the 1 Vela form‑based zone development plan, allowing the developer to proceed toward permitting for a 27‑story mixed‑use tower at the northeast corner of Costilla and Sawatch.

The appeal, filed Feb. 13, 2025, focused on building height, neighborhood input and the project’s precedent for future downtown development. Council deliberations on the special‑session appeal centered on whether the form‑based code’s lack of a numeric height cap allowed a project that opponents said would alter the city skyline and set a new precedent for downtown towers.

City planning manager Ryan Tiefertiller told council staff had reviewed the application under the Downtown Colorado Springs form‑based code and related planning documents and concluded the proposal conforms with the quantifiable standards of the code. "Applications within the form based zone that adhere to all quantifiable standards of the zone can be and are regularly approved administratively," Tiefertiller said during his presentation, noting staff referred the item to the Downtown Review Board because of significant stakeholder interest.

The 1 Vela proposal, as presented to council, calls for about 400 residential units, roughly 10% (40 units) designated as restricted‑rent units for a 25‑year period (the transcript does not specify the AMI percentage), roughly 8,300 square feet of street‑level commercial space, and about 450 structured parking stalls located on floors one through five. The developer and architect described a five‑story parking/amenity base with a tower set back above those floors and a roof‑deck amenity level; the project team said recent technical comments remain limited and that a stormwater detention update would be submitted to city review imminently.

Appellant Diane Bridges and attorney Robert (Bob) Bruce urged council to overturn the Downtown Review Board decision, arguing the 315‑foot, 27‑story building would change Colorado Springs’ skyline, diminish public views of Pikes Peak, and set a precedent for future taller towers without a citywide stakeholder process on building heights. Bridges said citizens have a right to a broader civic discussion about allowable downtown heights and asked council to require a formal, citywide stakeholder engagement before approving buildings of this scale. The opposition presented a petition they said contained about 6,888 signatures opposing the project’s height.

Supporters — including Jonna Reeder Claymeier, president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation; Chelsea Gondek, COO of the Downtown Partnership; and Jill Gabler, executive director of Pikes Peak Housing Network — urged council to uphold the Downtown Review Board. They argued the project would increase downtown housing supply, contribute class‑A housing and street‑level activation, support small businesses and jobs, and align with Plan COS and the Downtown Master Plan. The Downtown Review Board and several public speakers noted the form‑based zone allows tall buildings in a limited downtown area and that the project, as designed, complies with code standards for street activation and transparency.

Public safety and service capacity concerns were raised as well. Richard (RC) Smith, a retired fire chief, told council that adding high‑density, taller buildings raises questions about sufficient staffing and response capability for high‑rise incidents and asked that response capacity be confirmed before permitting moves forward.

Councilmember Nick O’Malley moved to deny the appeal (thereby upholding the Downtown Review Board approval); Councilmember Talarico seconded. The motion passed 6–1: Council members Avila, Crow Iverson, Helms, Linweber, O’Malley and Talarico voted to deny the appeal; Councilmember Donaldson voted no. Two council members were excused earlier in the meeting. After the vote, council directed the normal permitting and technical review processes to continue; staff said outstanding technical items — including a drainage/stormwater documentation update discussed in the packet — were expected to be resolved in an imminent submittal.

What happens next: the developer team said development plan approval opens the multi‑stage permitting and construction review process; city staff and other agencies will continue to review technical plans, conditions added by the Downtown Review Board will be finalized, and the project will proceed toward construction permitting if all technical requirements are met. Opponents said they may continue to press for a citywide policy discussion about height limits and for broader stakeholder engagement on future downtown height policy.

The council session included formal public comment both in support and in opposition; the council took its action after applicant and opposition presentations, public testimony and staff remarks. The vote preserves the Downtown Review Board’s findings that the proposal meets the quantifiable standards of the Downtown Colorado Springs form‑based code as presented to the board and to council.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions in this article are taken from the council meeting transcript and public record. Where the transcript omitted a numeric detail — for example the precise AMI percentage for the 10% restricted units — the article marks that figure as not specified.)