City approves Rock Creek Mesa annexation despite fire, water and traffic concerns

Colorado Springs City Council voted 7-2 on Feb. 11 to approve a serial annexation that brings a 54-acre piece of land associated with Cheyenne Mountain State Park and 51 acres of proposed residential development known as Rock Creek Mesa into the city.

Proponents — including the project applicant and Colorado Springs Utilities staff — said annexation will extend treated municipal water, connect an aging lagoon‑based sewer system at a nearby mobile home park, and add fire hydrants and a signal at Pawnee Road and State Highway 115. Applicant Danny Mientka said the utilities extensions and new hydrants would improve firefighting capacity and help existing residents who now rely on older wells and a lagoon.

Supporters told council the project will supply up to 400 new housing units, with the developer agreeing to cap density below the zone’s maximum. Utilities staff said required off‑site water, sewer, electric and gas upgrades are already under design or construction and the developer has agreed to fund many of them; Utilities estimated the midrange utility capital cost at about $8.1 million and additional ongoing operations costs at roughly $87,000 a year once built out.

Opponents, including residents and the chief of the Highway 115 Fire Protection District, urged council to reject or delay approval, saying the site sits in a high wildfire‑risk corridor with a single constrained evacuation route, limited existing hydrant capacity in an adjacent mobile home park and heavy truck traffic on State Highway 115. Fire chief Hart Wright said longer drive times from city stations and the prospect of many additional homes near steep, fuel‑loaded terrain create real public‑safety risks.

Council members debated the tradeoffs between adding municipal services and addressing residents’ safety concerns. City planning staff noted the annexation meets the city’s annexation criteria and that the city‑owned parkland portion will remain city property (purchased earlier with the TOPS open‑space program). Parks staff confirmed TOPS ownership and said annexing city‑owned TOPS parcels into city limits is a routine administrative step when circumstances make it appropriate.

Council ultimately approved the package of motions that enacted the annexation, established three zoning categories (public park; “Ar‑flex” medium density with and without hillside overlay) and adopted the related land‑use documents. The vote on the sequence of ordinance and resolution items required for the annexation carried mostly by 7‑2 margins (Councilmembers Avila and Donaldson voted no on most of the motions).

Councilman Eric Donaldson, who voted against the package, said he could not support adding dense housing across Highway 115 where evacuation options and insurance availability are already strained. Council members who supported the annexation said they weighed public‑safety tradeoffs against the immediate benefit of reliable water, sewer and hydrants for the existing mobile home park and the regional housing need near Fort Carson.

The approved package includes conditions requiring the developer to secure easements, construct specified water and sewer upgrades, and obtain Board of County Commissioners approval for required right‑of‑way deeds before final plat recordation. Utilities, planning and parks staff will return to council if the project’s technical or legal conditions change.

The council vote moves the project to the next steps of development review and permitting; any detailed building plans, subdivision plats and utility acceptance will be reviewed under city standards before public infrastructure is accepted.

Votes at a glance: the council adopted the annexation and related ordinances/resolutions (items 12a–12r) by a series of motions, each carrying 7–2 (Councilmembers Avila and Donaldson opposed). The votes approved: (a) annexation of Cheyenne Mountain State Park addition number 1 and Rock Creek Mesa additions numbers 1–6; (b) zoning establishing a public‑park district for the 54‑acre TOPS parcel; and (c) Ar‑flex medium density zoning (with and without hillside overlay) for the residential portions. The file includes additional technical conditions for water, sewer, road right‑of‑way and park dedication.

What’s next: the developer will complete required construction drawings and off‑site utility builds, finalize agreements for Pawnee Road improvements and complete plats and development review. Utilities will present funding and schedule options for capital and operating impacts as they finalize the design and accept responsibility for those utility assets the city will own.

Council members and staff said they would remain available to residents for follow‑up meetings on wildfire mitigation, traffic plans and school impacts as the project advances.