Meadowlake Commons gets approvals

In February, the El Paso County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners approved the conceptual zoning plan for the Meadowlake Commons development.The approval changes the zoning for 105 acres at the northeast corner of the intersection of Highway 24 and Judge Orr Road from agricultural to planned unit development.The property consists of three parcels owned by Meadow Stone LLC, Prairie Stone LLC and Sun Prairie Land LLC. William Guman & Associates is the planning consultant.A sketch plan for the development was approved in 2008. It allocated 58 acres for mixed-use commercial development and 13 acres of open space.The developers’ letter of intent indicates that the plans include large and small pad sites for “anchor-style” retail, “boutique” retail, restaurants, a hotel and office space.The letter of intent shows the developers’ standards for Meadowlake Commons:

• Open space uses include a regional trail corridor for walking and biking along Judge Orr Road, streetscape plantings, landscape perimeter buffering, detention facilities, public gathering spaces for activities such as picnicking and a park-and-ride.
• A detention pond will be redeveloped as a water feature with outdoor seating and a walking path.
• Detention facilities and drainage ways will be vegetated to restore the area’s natural aesthetics.
• Visual continuity will be encouraged by controlling building height and mass. Differing surface materials, color, texture and patterns will be encouraged to lessen the visual impact of large buildings.
• A business district and a design review board will be formed to maintain the site and ensure future building complies with the development’s design guidelines.

The county’s development services department report for Meadowlake Commons revealed the current thinking about future road realignment.Judge Orr Road will be moved to intersect Highway 24, where Bluegill Drive currently intersects that highway, and Bluegill Drive will then tie into Judge Orr Road.The developers’ letter of intent states the development will have a frontage road along Highway 24, which is expected to become an expressway, although the Colorado Department of Transportation does not have a design or a timeline for improving the intersection.According to the development services report, the developers are not required to provide a sufficiency of water and water quality statement until the preliminary plan phase.The developers’ letter of intent also indicates that development could rely on individual water wells and septic systems in the beginning phases, but as development proceeds, the developers could obtain water and wastewater treatment from any of three nearby metro districts – Four Way Ranch, Sunset or Woodmen Hills.The letter of intent indicates development will start in two to five years, with a projected total build-out of 10 years.