Planning commission recommends rezoning for 1625 Springcrest Road with conditions after hours of public opposition

After nearly four hours of testimony and questions, the Colorado Springs City Planning Commission on May 13 recommended the rezoning of 7.93 acres at 1625 Springcrest Road (the Briargate Voyager proposal) from Business Park (BP) with a high-rise overlay to MXM (Mixed Use Medium Scale) with the Air Force Academy overlay, subject to several conditions that limit allowable uses. The commission also approved the land-use plan on the condition that the projects future development plan return to the Planning Commission for review.

Senior planner Allison Stocker presented the application and staff analysis, noting the parcel is part of the Briargate master plan and has been reviewed by multiple agencies and regional partners. Staff described required infrastructure work at the development-plan stage, including restriping a northbound right-turn lane, dedication for sidewalk connections, and constructing the Skyline Regional Trail extension. Stocker said the application was evaluated against Plan COS and applicable code (7.5.704 and 7.5.514) and that agency reviews had no outstanding objections at the land-use stage.

Blackburn Communities (applicant) and consultant Kimley Horn presented a conceptual land-use plan showing up to 236 dwelling units, site access via a right-in/right-out on Voyager Parkway plus a full-movement intersection on Springcrest Road, and stepped building heights to reduce visual impacts. Developer Andrew Ritter and traffic engineer Jeff Plank argued the residential proposal would generate fewer peak-hour trips than a by-right office development, said CDOT reviewed the plan with no objections, and described several mitigation measures that could be implemented at development plan.

The hearing drew more than 40 in-person speakers, including organized opposition from nearby neighborhoods and TCA (The Classical Academy) families. Opposition speakers repeatedly cited three concerns: (1) traffic and queuing on Springcrest Road and Voyager Parkway during school pick-up and peak hours, with claims that additional residents would worsen delays and could block emergency access; (2) safety and privacy risks from multi-story buildings immediately adjacent to an elementary school playground, including elevated vantage points and photographic/recording risks; and (3) evacuation vulnerability in wildfire or emergency scenarios because some neighborhoods reportedly have one primary egress.

Supporters including the Apartment Association of Southern Colorado and Pikes Peak Housing Network argued the site is appropriate for infill housing and that the city faces a documented housing shortage; they urged weighing adopted planning policies and infrastructure capacity rather than generalized fears.

Key technical testimony: Kimley Horns traffic engineer presented the study showing relatively low project trip generation (roughly 100 peak-hour trips, per the consultant) and described potential mitigations: a right-in/right-out access on Voyager, striping changes, and operational measures for the school (staggered bell times or improved on-site queuing) to address the school-drop-off crush. City Traffic Engineering testified the traffic impact study met city requirements and that the schools brief peak queuing episodes are difficult to model but could be reduced with operational changes; Fire Department staff said code-required emergency access (two points of access) would be met and that hardened structures could reduce vegetation-ignition risk compared with vacant grass.

Deliberations focused on compatible uses, height transitions and whether MXM (which allows a range of commercial and residential uses) was preferable to remaining BP (which permits other uses by right). Commissioners weighed the tradeoffs: several commissioners noted that the sites current BP zoning carries by-right options (including taller office development) that could generate more traffic than the proposed residential use and that municipal zoning choices must be balanced against what the code allows.

The commissions recommendation to City Council included two specific policy outcomes: (1) the zone map amendment from BP (with high-rise overlay) to MXM with Air Force Academy overlay, approved with explicit prohibitions on certain uses (subcategories of heavy commercial/storage/industrial, industrial hemp, marijuana-related natural medicine, and specifically adult retail and liquor sales); and (2) approval of the land-use plan with a condition that the future development plan return to the Planning Commission for full review. The rezoning recommendation passed by unanimous tablet vote on the motion to add the prohibitions; the land-use-plan motion passed 8—1 (Commissioner Robbins opposed) with the development-plan-return requirement.

Commissioners and staff flagged next steps: City Council will consider the zone change and land-use plan recommendation; if approved by council, the applicant must submit a development plan that will be reviewed against the land-use plan and the conditions of approval. The development plan stage is when detailed engineering, building orientation, buffer design, building heights and other site-level mitigations will be finalized and verified by review agencies.

What remains unresolved: neighbors pressed for hard assurances on building orientation, balcony placement, buffer widths and staging for evacuation and school operations; staff and the developer said many of those items are refined and required at development plan, and the commissions conditions and the requirement to return the development plan to the commission were intended to give the public an additional formal review opportunity.