Stockers are frantically filling the shelves at Falcon’s new Wal-Mart in anticipation of the July 18 opening. The giant discount store will not be the only big-box store in town; Lowe’s is expected to join the Falcon market soon, but where the giant lumber store will land is still in question.Falcon Fire Chief Trent Harwig said company officials from Lowe’s have “almost” signed a deal with the fire department board to buy the property now occupied by Station 1 at Highway 24 and Meridian Road. The deal revolves around an agreement to build a new fire station in the Falcon Highlands subdivision south of Woodmen Road at Golden Sage Road, before the fire department relinquishes ownership of the old station.”Hammers Construction is working on the design of the new fire station right now,” Harwig said.As real estate agents like to say, “Never count your money until after the closing.” A new developer, with eyes on a big-box store, has entered the Falcon market.On May 4, Grant Langdon, president of Wilshire Developments, asked the El Paso County Transportation Department to approve a full intersection at Meridian Road and Eastonville Road, which would extend Eastonville Road west into a 40-acre lot currently owned by the Gaddie family. Langdon said plans for the 40 acres include “a big box store like Lowe’s.” At the time, he didn’t provide further details.However, in a subsequent interview, Langdon said, “I don’t know if the Lowe’s deal is set in stone; if it is that 40 acres will be a good spot for a Home Depot or combination big-box and small retail stores. Like the things you see up and down Powers Boulevard.”Langdon said he also made an offer to buy the Falcon Ranchettes subdivision, an 80-acre parcel on Owl Place, which adjoins the Gaddie property. The subdivision currently has homes on five-acre lots. Gloria Kirkpatrick, an Owl Place resident, said, “Almost all of the neighbors are considering the offer.”Langdon’s plans for Owl Place show 40 acres of retail development, 10 acres of multi-family development and 15 acres for single-family residential lots.But Gregg Timm, owner of Falcon Highlands Metropolitan District said, “The Lowe’s deal is solid,” adding that Lowe’s made a commitment to his site for the new fire station. “Plans are under way to dig a new well by winter, if not sooner,” he said.Twenty acres directly north of Owl Place, in the Bentgrass subdivision owned by Randall Case, has already been rezoned to commercial.Case also owns the Latigo Business Center, comprised of 58 acres of commercial zoning west of Mountain View Electric and east of Falcon D 49’s administration building. Golden Sage Road provides access to the site.On May 18, the El Paso County Major Thoroughfares Task Force gave Langdon conditional approval to extend Eastonville Road. Before that happens, Gaddie’s property must be rezoned to commercial, and a traffic analysis for the entire sub-area including Gaddie’s property, Bentgrass and Latigo Business Center must be completed.
