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Twin Mesa district to install emergency-access gates after board approves road vacations and turnaround easements
Summary
Douglas County approved vacations of short segments of Twin Oaks Road and Clark Circle so the Twin Mesa Metropolitan District can install access-control gates; the board also accepted three hammerhead-turnaround easements and set conditions requiring fire-district approvals and county engineering acceptance.
Douglas County commissioners approved a road-vacation request and accepted associated turnaround easements that will let the Twin Mesa Metropolitan District install access-control gates on two rural roads to reduce through traffic.
What was proposed: The Twin Mesa Metropolitan District requested vacations of limited portions of Twin Oaks Road and Clark Circle in order to place traffic-control gates and reduce short-cut “urban” traffic through a 120-lot rural subdivision. The district previously formed to pursue this remedy and submitted a recorded service plan and a voter-authorized mill levy to fund the work.
Staff summary and conditions: Eric Pavlinac (Planning Services) explained the vacation request and said the Planning Commission recommended approval 5–0 after hearing public input. To address emergency-service access and safety, staff and the County require four hammerhead turnarounds (two per site) with separate slope and drainage easements to be recorded. Staff’s conditions require the fire districts (Castle Rock and Jackson 105) to approve gate locations and county engineering to accept the turnarounds before gates are installed.
Applicant remarks: Damien Cox, a Twin Mesa board member, described the community as “literally rural Douglas County” with 10–20-acre lots, equestrian use, unpaved roads and regional traffic pressure from adjacent large developments. Cox said the community voted in favor of the district and the gate effort in a prior election; he said the gate and turnarounds are intended to slow and discourage detour traffic, and that neighbors near the proposed gate locations granted the right-of-way and slope easements required for hammerhead turnarounds.
Board action: The board first approved the road vacations (Twin Oaks Road and Clark Circle) and then accepted three right-of-way and three slope/drainage easements to create the hammerhead turnarounds. The board’s action included conditions that turnaround construction meet county standards and that fire districts must approve gate locations prior to installation. Both motions carried unanimously.
Why it matters: The vacations and easements will allow the Twin Mesa district to control nonlocal traffic intended to use rural roads as a shortcut; the gate installations will be subject to county engineering and fire-district approval to preserve emergency access.
What’s next: The district will record required easements and construct hammerheads to county standards. Fire districts must approve gate locations before any gates are installed, and the county will accept the turnarounds once constructed.
Provenance: Staff introduced the Twin Mesa request (item 3d/e) beginning at transcript timecode 13472.92; applicant and public comment followed and the Board approved the vacations and easement acceptances later in the meeting (approvals recorded shortly after 14933–14962).
