Council approves rezoning for 2.93-acre parcel at Dublin and Vincent over neighbor safety concerns

The Colorado Springs City Council voted 7–1 on March 24 to rezone about 2.93 acres near Dublin Boulevard and Vincent Drive to a mixed‑use neighborhood (MXN) zone, clearing the way for future commercial and residential uses under the MXN designation while retaining the Air Force Academy overlay.

Senior planner Austin Cooper told the council the site had split zoning (A, PDZ and R16) and that city engineering and hillside reviewers concluded the lot does not meet hillside‑overlay criteria. The initial submittal dated June 3, 2025 moved through three review cycles; staff said the application met administrative review requirements for rezoning to MXN but that final access, improvements, and any additional right‑of‑way would be determined at the development‑plan stage.

Traffic and safety dominated the hearing. Councilmember Donaldson said he had pulled the item to ensure council understands known problems at the curve on Dublin Boulevard where drivers frequently accelerate. City Engineer and Deputy Public Works Director Gail Sturdivant presented traffic data and said that crash records showed one fatality in 2024 occurred on Vincent but not at the Dublin intersection and that two non‑injury crashes occurred on Dublin in recent years. Sturdivant said traffic engineering had reviewed volumes, safety, and intersection operations and found capacity adequate for the proposed rezoning in worst‑case scenarios, though more detailed traffic analysis and access controls would be enforced at the development‑plan stage.

Local business owner Doug Johnson, who operates Sunrise of Woodman Kennels adjacent to the site, opposed the rezoning and described recurring problems with speeding drivers, damaged fences, and near misses. “I’ve seen fences taken out... People come up through Nevada and they see back down in front of my property,” he said. Other neighbors cited parking and noise concerns and requested either a lower‑intensity residential designation (R16) or additional traffic guarantees before changing zoning.

The applicant’s representative, Blaine Perkins of HR Green, acknowledged the neighborhood concerns and said the applicant submitted a land‑use statement rather than a full graphical land‑use plan because the property owner does not yet have a specific end developer for the site. Perkins said MXN allows a controlled mix of uses; he stressed that site‑specific traffic and access issues will be resolved during the next development step. In rebuttal, Perkins suggested enforcement of speed limits and design solutions rather than denying rezoning outright.

Council members split on timing and the standard for rezoning without a development plan. Councilmember Donaldson argued that the council should not rezone land if it risks public safety, while others said rezoning to MXN will allow a clearer and more consistent path for future development and for technical review at building‑plan stage. The motion to approve the rezoning passed 7–1.

Next steps: approval of the rezoning changes the zoning map but does not approve a site development plan or specific businesses. Any future development will require a development plan with additional traffic, access, and public‑safety review by traffic engineering and other city departments.