According to a Sept. 20 article in the Gazette, developer Ray O’Sullivan has laid off his employees and closed his Realty Development Services office in downtown Colorado Springs. O’Sullivan is selling some of his properties and projects across Colorado. Some residents near O’Sullivan’s proposed Santa Fe Springs’ development, east of U.S. Highway 24 and Judge Orr Road want to know the future plans for the site.Falcon resident June Fields said she heard rumors over the summer that the plans to develop the 6,420-acre site were halted. Fields said she is against the proposed density of Santa Fe Springs and would prefer to see more 5 to 10-acre lots in the area.”I’m not against development, but I’m not for letting developers do whatever they want,” Fields said. “The main issue aside from traffic is the water.”Bill Guman of William Guman and Associates Ltd., a land planning and landscape architect firm, said the project is not abandoned. Representing Ray O’Sullivan, he said, “There is too much money and too much effort involved to walk away.”Guman, who works closely with O’Sullivan, said O’Sullivan is planning to get the project through the entitlement process. He said O’Sullivan, the bank or potentially a new owner will continue development as soon as the local market picks up.Santa Fe Springs was designed with about 12,000 troops in mind – all slated to relocate to Fort Carson, Guman said. “These are obtainable, entry-level homes,” he said. “If the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) happens in the next six to 12 months, you’ll see the project move forward.”Raimere Fitzpatrick, project manager for El Paso County Development Service Planning Division, said a new owner could develop the land in accordance with the existing zoning.”There are a couple of approvals (for Santa Fe Springs) that are not affected by time,” Fitzpatrick said. The approvals include the sketch plan that defines the general land uses and densities and the planned unit development zoning, which establishes the specific land uses in accordance with the sketch plan.Fitzpatrick said any changes to current approvals would have to go through public hearings and be approved by the El Paso Board of County Commissioners.
