By Kevin Curry
The Falcon area is growing rapidly and anyone returning after an absence of only a few years would likely find it nearly unrecognizable. What was once a quiet, rural community is now faced with rapid growth and the associated challenges of urbanization. In light of this, community minded volunteers have formed a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic organization called Friends of Falcon to promote the area, advocate for responsible development and help preserve Falcon’s identity as a harmonious balance of rural and urban lifestyles that exemplifies southern Colorado living.
Inspired by the work of the Friends of the Black Forest, the Friends of Falcon’s primary mission is to promote the Falcon area and to help preserve its character and identity. The group hopes to achieve three objectives: Foster and preserve a strong sense of community and build resiliency; ensure development is compatible with existing infrastructure and uses and with the Falcon area’s character; and attract businesses and services such as franchised stores (e.g., Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, Home Depot), new restaurants (especially moderate, upscale for dine in and special occasions), government services (e.g., full-time Department of Motor Vehicles, official Post Office) and more.
In light of rapid growth and a permissive political atmosphere for new housing, advocating for responsible development will be challenging. The organization’s stance on “responsible development” does not mean to block growth. Instead, it means development should balance the rights of existing homeowners with the developer’s desires. Examples include incorporating better density transitions between existing rural residences and proposed urban housing, and ensuring developers build out the needed infrastructure rather than relying on the county to make the improvements after the fact.
In the end, Friends of Falcon will only be successful with community support. To learn more about the organization and how to get involved, visit the website at TheFriendsOfFalcon.org, or see the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Falcon-107463662330464).
Pull quote: The organization’s stance on “responsible development” does not mean to block growth. Instead, it means development should balance the rights of existing homeowners with the developer’s desires.
