McLaughlin/Old Meridian Road Roundabout projectThe El Paso County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a service agreement and purchase order to Alfred Benesch & Company for construction management services for the McLaughlin/Old Meridian Road roundabout. The services will include management, coordination, inspection, observation, testing, public relations and documentation of the work.New Meridian Road Improvements/Falcon Park N Ride projectConstruction management services for the New Meridian Road/Falcon Park N Ride project were included in the service agreement and purchase order with Alfred Benesch & Company for the roundabout project. The services will include management, coordination, inspection, observation, testing, public relations and documentation of the work. The total combined amount for both projects is not to exceed $727,241.El Paso County Colorado School District 49The commissioners unanimously approved a request from El Paso County Colorado School District 49 for a deed conveying a school site in the Claremont Ranch Filing No. 4. The district has identified a need for the site.Eastonville Regional TrailThe BOCC unanimously approved a construction contract and purchase order to RMC Consultants Inc. for construction of a new 8-foot-wide soft surface trail with shoulders, installation of drainage culverts and construction of associated trail drainage structures within Falcon Regional Park. The contract is for $238,970 and includes all labor, materials and equipment necessary for construction of the trail.Pineries Open Space Forest Thinning projectThe commissioners unanimously approved a contract and purchase order to Tree Beavers LLC for the Pineries Open Space Forest Thinning project for $127,600. The project is located within the 1,067-acre Pineries Open Space in the Black Forest, northeast of the intersection of Vollmer Road and Shoup Road. The work primarily includes project coordination, project management, development of site-specific documents of planned treatments, understory lop and scatter/thinning from below and understory seeding in two locations totaling 42 acres.Davis RanchThe BOCC unanimously approved two requests by Lena Gail Case, in care of Randy Case II and Marksheffel-Woodmen Investments LLC, for a two-year extension on the time frame to record the Davis Ranch Filing No. 3 and Davis Ranch Filing No. 4 final plats.Additionally, the commissioners approved a request by Marksheffel-Woodmen Investments LLC for a two-year extension on the time frame to record the Davis Ranch Filing No. 5 final plat.Grazing Yak Solar projectAccording to the Colorado Springs Utilities website, the Grazing Yak Solar project became operational in November 2019 and features more than 119,000 panels on 278 acres near Calhan. The project, which is owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, will provide 35 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 13,000 homes annually, the website states.Mountain View Electric Association litigation vs. El Paso CountySarah Schaefer, communications supervisor and public information officer with Mountain View Electric Association, said the EPC district court ruled in favor of MVEA regarding a lawsuit the association brought against the county in March 2019. The lawsuit claimed the BOCC and the EPC Planning and Community Development Department encroached on private property rights based on an interpretation of the EPC land development code.ìThe court entered an order in our favor but the county has until Jan. 8 to appeal,î she said.According to the final judgement documents, the court declares that the BOCCís regulations ìviolate Colorado law to the extent the Board seeks to apply those Regulations to Mountain Viewís distribution lines and facilities that are used or capable of being used in serving ultimate customers.îUltimately, Schaefer said the courts declared the BOCC is not empowered to regulate MVEAís distribution lines and facilities.EPC Master PlanOn Dec. 12, the EPC Planning and Community Development Department and Houseal-Lavigne Associates presented the ìExisting Conditions Reportî from the EPC Master Plan creation process to the BOCC. Houseal-Lavigne has been hired as the consultant for developing the master plan. The report can be found at http://elpaso.hlplanning.com/pages/documents.Craig Dossey, executive director of the planning and development department, said there is an online survey for community members to voice their opinions about the master plan, and getting public input is critical. The survey can be found at http://elpaso-hlplanning.hub.arcgis.com/pages/questionnaires.EDARP updateBent Grass Meadows Drive and Meridian RoadOn Dec. 14, LSC Transportation Consultants Inc. submitted a letter of intent, erosion and stormwater quality control permit, construction drawings, grading and erosion control plan, stormwater management plan, traffic impact study, drainage letter and financial assurance forms for intersection improvements at Bent Grass Meadows Drive and Meridian Road.The letter of intent states that Challenger Communities LLC proposes to construct a right turn lane from Bent Grass Meadows Drive onto Meridian Road, with a southbound acceleration lane tapering along Meridian Road.Additionally, the letter proposes adding another left turn lane onto northbound Meridian Road from Bent Grass Meadows Drive, with signalization at that intersection.Falcon MarketplaceOn Dec. 4, the El Paso County Planning and Community Development department sent out letters to inform property owners adjacent to the Falcon Marketplace property that the applicant, LG HI Falcon LLC has requested approval of the final plat to create 11 commercial lots within the commercial regional zoning district. The property is located at the northwest corner of the Meridian Road and Woodmen Road intersection.Additionally, the applicant submitted a deviation request Dec. 18 that seeks approval of non-standard forebays ñ- artificial ponds ñ- for the onsite water quality facilities.The applicant also submitted roundabout reports Dec. 23, showing two planned roundabouts on the property as follows: one located to the northeast, where the future extension of Eastonville Road will extend into the property on the west side of Meridian Road; and one located to the southwest, allowing for a right-in approach from westbound Woodmen Road and access to the Woodmen frontage road.On Dec. 19, a letter of intent was submitted by King Soopers Inc. for the Falcon Marketplace property to develop Lots 2 and 3 of the site according to the final plat to include an approximate 123,000-square-foot retail building and 9-dispenser island fuel center.Hale Sand Pit Expansion projectOn Dec. 19, S&K NO1 LLC submitted a site development plan for property located at 10675 McClelland Road, south of Highway 24 and west of North Ellicott Highway, to expand the existing 9.9-acre sand mining area an additional 52.5 acres on a 150-acre tract of land. Mining on the proposed expansion will occur in 10-acre maximum blocks, which each block disturbed, mined and reclaimed before mining on the next block begins.Rolling Ridge subdivisionOn Dec. 17, Land Resources Associates submitted a letter from the Colorado Division of Water Resources regarding a proposed subdivision of a 57-acre parcel into 16 single-family residential lots, with a minimum of 2.5 acres each and three commercial lots. The letter states, ìIt is our opinion that the proposed water supply is adequate and can be provided without causing injury to decreed water rights.î The proposed water source for the subdivision is a bedrock aquifer in the Denver Basin, the letter states.Tanja Curtis propertyOn Dec. 20, Forsgren Associates LLC submitted a letter of intent for a two-lot minor subdivision for a 37.11-acre property, zoned residential rural-5 and located northwest of the intersection of Roller Coaster Road and Baptist Road. The western lot will be 25 acres and the eastern lot will be 8.11 acres.
