Council continues Falcon Commerce Center / Santa Fe Meadows hearings after USAFA raises compatibility concerns

Monument’s Town Council on July 6 voted unanimously to continue two related ordinances for the Falcon Commerce Center Area D — a major amendment to the Phase 2 preliminary PUD and the Santa Fe Meadows final PUD — to the Aug. 3 regular meeting to allow additional meetings with the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAF Academy), staff and the developer.

Planning staff summarized the requests: the applicant (Elite Properties / Classic Homes) seeks to amend permitted uses in Area D to allow attached and detached single‑family housing in addition to multifamily residential and to approve a final PUD for roughly 205 units (135 detached single‑family lots and 70 townhomes). Planner Jenna Gortney told council the proposal reduces density substantially from the preliminary PUD (a roughly 59% reduction in residential density compared with previous entitlements) and incorporates open space, trail connections, a detention pond and a 50‑foot landscape buffer along the south boundary.

USAF Academy submitted a formal review letter raising concerns about long‑term land‑use compatibility, noise from training exercises (including small arms and blast training), potential future use of Aardvark airfield and stormwater impacts. The applicant’s team and acoustical consultant said they expanded the noise study to include a recent USAF training exercise and found no audible blast or small‑arms noise on the site during that exercise; the developer also agreed to navigation/notice language on plat documents, additional signage and a recorded navigation easement.

Councilors pressed for direct, itemized responses from USAFA on a set of specific issues: the small‑arms safety fan/surface danger zone, flight‑path impacts and low‑flying helicopter operations, stormwater/drainage construction details, and any potential future use of Aardvark airfield. Several members said the USAFA letter is serious and asked staff to secure clearer documentation addressing each point. The Colorado Defense Alliance representative in public comment urged exploring REPI (conservation easements funded in part by DoD) to preserve training land and to pursue federal mechanisms where possible.

Given the unresolved questions, council adopted a motion to continue both ordinances to Aug. 3 (6–0) and asked that two council members, staff, the applicant and USAFA or their designated representative meet beforehand to try to resolve outstanding technical concerns.

What’s next: The council will hear both PUD items on Aug. 3 unless earlier committee meetings between staff, the applicant and USAFA negotiate a resolution; staff and the developer will provide requested drainage, noise, signage and emergency‑access clarifications.