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Resident raises illegal dumping and Carmen Line annexation concerns at El Paso County meeting
Summary
During public comment, a resident urged county attention to illegal roadside dumping in unincorporated eastern areas and voiced alarm about a proposed Carmen Line annexation and large housing development she said could strain roads, water and affordability.
At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 4, resident Lou Anne Weems raised concerns about continued illegal dumping in eastern and unincorporated parts of El Paso County and voiced opposition to a proposed Carmen Line annexation and large development she said could include thousands of homes.
Weems, who identified herself as a resident of the unincorporated area, said county rural areas have become spots for illegal dumping by people avoiding disposal fees and described finding items including a boat. She said the county has two dump locations (one off Highway 94 and one off Squirrel Creek) but that dumping remains a hazard and an eyesore.
Weems also expressed alarm about a proposed Carmen Line annexation she said could allow a development of “upwards of 6,500 homes” on what she described as between 17 and 1,900 acres (figures provided by the speaker). She said many local rural roads are two‑lane or unpaved (naming Curtis, Bridal and Drennan) and raised concerns about water availability and infrastructure capacity. Weems said price points she’d seen for homes in such developments—“about $530,000 and higher,” as she stated—would be unaffordable to most military families.
The chair suggested using the county’s Citizens Connect app to report illegal dumping in county right‑of‑ways. Weems said she will bring additional concerns about the library district at a future meeting.
These remarks were made during the public comment portion of the Feb. 4 meeting.
