Old West Ranch and Stagecoach Ranch on the Range are two covenanted developments aiming to preserve the rural lifestyle; the developers are currently creating infrastructure and selling parcels of land in eastern El Paso County.Located about 3 miles from the intersection of Highway 24 and Judge Orr Road, the first development, Old West Ranch, is about 4,000 acres and consists of three large ranches and smaller ranchettes, said Dan Carless Sr., property owner and developer.ìTwo of the large ranches are about 750 acres and the third is about 550 acres,î Carless said. ìThe rest of the property is 35-acre ranchettes.îThe ranches are called Buckskin at Old West Ranch, Cowboy at Old West Ranch and Palomino at Old West Ranch, respectively, according to the developmentís website. The ranchettes are situated in three neighborhoods: Winchester at Old West Ranch, Remington at Old West Ranch and Colt at Old West Ranch.ìWe have already developed and launched about 3,000 acres in phase one and plan to launch the remaining property in phase two this summer,î Carless said.Carless has been investing in development in Colorado Springs since the mid-1980s; he said he has never before seen development relegated to one direction the way it is in El Paso County. When he realized the growth was heading east, Carless said he began looking for property beyond Falcon.ìPulte (PulteGroup Inc.) was at one point interested in developing out here, maybe retirement communities,î he said. ìIt would have been about 6,000 to 8,000 homes, but when the financial crunch hit in 2007 and 2008, the developer lost the property to the bank. We purchased it from the bank, and thought this would be a great opportunity to develop something for the community.îCarless said the idea behind the larger plots and ranches is to preserve the lifestyle people associate with the eastern plains, while incorporating amenities like three-rail vinyl fencing and entry arches and gates. Additionally, the water rights for each property have been secured, allowing for 1 acre-foot of water per year to each parcel, he said. However, Carless said he owns additional water rights and could make that available for people who need it.The 35-acre ranchettes are about 70 percent sold; the properties have been available for less than a year, he said. ìAs people find out the property is out there, they are responding and buying,î Carless said. ìThese are really unique in their affordability and location. We are making it a destination master plan community that people can be really proud to live in. It is close to town, but they can still enjoy the ëOld West.íîThe other development, Stagecoach Ranch on the Range, is located about 3 miles south of the intersection of Peyton Highway and Falcon Highway, and is about 715 acres, Carless said. The plan is to have 20 lots available on that property, and about five home-construction companies have expressed interest in building there, including MasterBilt Homes Inc. and Powell Homes Inc., he said.Both developments have covenants, which Carless said is often viewed negatively. ìThese are wonderful rural covenants and the spirit of them is, ëBe a good neighbor and enjoy good neighbors,íî he said.ìThe covenants are designed to allow you to enjoy the freedom of the land but also not have someone make a junkyard on their property, and to protect home values,î Dan Carless Jr. said.Jody Heffner is the real estate agent for the properties.Additional information can be found at http://oldwestranchco.com and http://stagecoachranchontherange.com.
