El Paso County approves variance allowing Watts Upfitting to operate vehicle-repair business at Meadowlake Airport, 4-1

The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 13 approved a variance of use, VA-24007, allowing TTW Properties LLC (doing business as Watts Upfitting) to operate a commercial vehicle repair garage limited to government-contracted vehicles at Meadowlake Airport, in a 4–1 vote.

The variance applies to parcels within the R-4 planned development zoning district and the General Aviation Overlay (GAO). Commissioners voted after hearing staff analysis, testimony from the applicant and supporters, and objections from the Meadowlake Airport Association and a large group of airport neighbors and hangar owners.

The request covers repair and outdoor storage associated with government vehicles and emergency-response apparatus on roughly 2.5 acres, the applicant and staff said. Applicant John Watts told commissioners his business began in 2018, was purchased in 2021 and now employs technicians and support staff. “We have 16 technicians... and we serve 98% of all local agencies,” Watts said during his presentation. He and his attorney said the business would remain limited to government-contract work as a condition on the site plan shown to the board.

Staff planner Carrie Parsons summarized the land-development code process and said a variance of use is the appropriate mechanism where a proposed use is not otherwise allowed in the underlying zoning. Parsons told the board the site plan submitted with the variance was revised at the Planning Commission hearing to specify the limitation to government contract vehicles. She also described required next steps if the variance is approved: the applicant must submit a site development plan, a traffic study and pay El Paso County road impact fees; drainage fees are collected at final plat and not at variance approval.

Supporters, including nearby commercial-property owner Esi Send and Hanover Fire Protection District Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Jonglin, described the business as a locally owned service relied upon by fire, police and other agencies. “They are a convenient location, a safe location, for us to bring our apparatus,” Jonglin said. Several neighbors who live inside the Meadowlake Airport complex also testified in support, saying they had not experienced conflicts and value the service Watts provides.

Opponents, led by Meadowlake Airport manager and board president Dave Elliott, said the hangar complex has become congested with non-aeronautical uses and that allowing Watts’ use would institutionalize non-aviation businesses in areas that should support aircraft operations. “Approval of the Watts variance request sets the stage for a multitude of additional variance requests from other non-aeronautical activities on Meadowlake,” Elliott said, warning it could “undermine the airport’s support from both the FAA and CDOT.” He and other opponents raised concerns about vehicles blocking taxiway easements, parking patterns, and the difficulty of enforcing the current GAO standards on privately owned hangar lots with through-the-fence access.

Applicant representatives and supporters disputed that Watts upfitting has created safety problems. In rebuttal the applicant said there is no active code-enforcement case against the property and that the business has negotiated parking and access issues with neighbors when they arose. The applicant also told the board Watts has paid for roadway upgrades adjacent to the facility and continues to pay annual Meadowlake Airport Association dues.

Commission discussion focused on the variance criteria: whether strict application of the code would cause undue hardship, whether the use is compatible with the surrounding area and whether off-site impacts are addressed. Several commissioners said the applicant demonstrated undue hardship and that the use is compatible with the airport’s master plan and with FAA land-use guidance for general aviation airports; one commissioner dissented, citing safety concerns about non-aeronautical activities near hangars and taxiway easements.

The motion to approve was made by Commissioner Geithner and seconded by Commissioner Bremer. The roll call vote recorded four votes in favor and one opposed (Commissioner Wysong), and the board approved the variance with the standard requirement that future site development and permitting steps be completed before any expansion of activity beyond what was presented.

Going forward, county staff said they will require a site development plan with a traffic study and collection of road impact fees; drainage fees will be collected at final plat. The variance grants a use-only exception for the specific parcels involved and does not change the GAO or R-4 zoning outside the properties in the application. Several commissioners and airport representatives said the outcome highlights the need to update and clarify El Paso County’s GAO language and enforcement practices.

The board’s decision allows Watts Upfitting to continue operations at the site under the variance conditions and with county review of the required subsequent permits. Opponents said they intend to continue working with county staff and the Meadowlake Airport Association to clarify future zoning, enforcement and compatibility standards around the airport.