Monument planning commission forwards Falcon Commerce Center PUD amendment and Santa Fe Meadows final plan to council

The Monument Planning Commission on July 8 voted unanimously to forward to Town Council a major amendment to the Falcon Commerce Center preliminary Planned Unit Development that would allow detached and attached single‑family homes in Area D and to recommend approval of the Santa Fe Meadows final PUD plan, a proposed 205‑lot residential subdivision on roughly 43 acres.

The commission’s recommendation, made by Vice Chair Peterson and seconded by Commissioner Donna Hatch, rests on staff findings that the proposed plan meets applicable review criteria. The Santa Fe Meadows final PUD would create 135 single‑family detached lots and 70 townhome units, represent a roughly 59% reduction in units compared with a previously approved multifamily scheme for the same area, and include about 3.1 acres of formal parks and approximately 7.45 acres of informal open space linked to the regional Santa Fe Trail.

Staff senior planner Jenna Gourney said the amendment modifies the permitted‑use framework for Area D “to allow both detached and attached single‑family residential uses instead of the previously approved multifamily use,” and that the amendment is necessary because the applicant is proposing a density reduction and a mix of housing products. The staff presentation summarized submitted studies, including traffic, drainage and environmental assessments; staff and the applicant said the traffic analysis found no adverse effects to surrounding roadway operations compared with the previously approved, higher‑density scenario.

Developer representatives and consultants, led by Andrea Barlow of NES and members of the Classic Homes/Elite Properties team, described design standards, product types and mitigation measures. The applicant said the plan sets a maximum home height of 35 feet, or substantially lower than earlier allowed heights, orients homes to reduce noise exposure from I‑25, provides sidewalks and trail connections to the Santa Fe regional trail, and includes six off‑street parking pods and additional guest parking in the townhome area.

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) reviewed the project and raised long‑term land‑use compatibility concerns such as noise, potential trespass, stormwater runoff and impacts to military training areas. The applicant said it has coordinated with USAFA and agreed to record a navigation easement on the final plat, add a military‑operations disclosure note to sales documents and the plat, and work with USAFA on signage and other mitigations. An acoustical consultant conducted noise monitoring during a recent training event and the project’s noise analysis concluded no additional noise mitigation is required for the training activity observed; staff noted some contours related to blast operations remain unclear and will require additional information.

Commissioners asked about HOA management (trash and maintenance), school‑bus access ( Lewis‑Palmer School District provided no comments as a review agency), guest parking in the townhome area (applicant proposed 25 guest spaces), emergency and secondary access (fire department approved primary access; a future fire station nearby and a possible emergency connection to the Santa Fe Trail were discussed) and trail/sidewalk dimensions (staff confirmed a 5‑foot connection to the Santa Fe Trail under a license agreement with El Paso County Parks).

By formal motions, the commission forwarded the major PUD amendment and the Santa Fe Meadows final PUD plan to Town Council. The recommendation for final PUD approval includes two conditions: (1) council approval of the major PUD amendment is required before the final PUD is effective, and (2) the applicant must submit a geotechnical report with construction documents to address shallow groundwater near the proposed detention ponds. Roll‑call votes on both motions were 4‑0 (Vice Chair Peterson, Commissioners Balmer, Hatch and Trujillo voting yes).

Staff said it will include commission concerns and suggested mitigations in the packet to Town Council, including USAFA’s noise and training concerns, suggested drone‑use notifications or mitigation, and commissioners’ questions about aircraft accident potential and ongoing coordination with USAFA. The commission closed the meeting after brief procedural discussion and reminders about a busy upcoming agenda.

The Town Council will receive the planning commission recommendation and supporting materials; a council public hearing and decision are the next procedural steps.