The Black Forest Land Use Committee continues to review development proposals to ensure all parties involved are following the Black Forest Preservation Plan.Terry Stokka, chairman of the committee, said the goal of the committee is to ìguide development and preserve the natural beauty, resources and rural, residential way of lifeî in accordance with the preservation plan.ìWe are not against development, but are concerned about responsible development, particularly residential density, water and traffic,î Stokka said. ìThe rural residential 5-acre zoning is becoming increasingly ignored.î The PUD, Planned Unit Development, should be flexible with existing zoning laws, but it should not allow for significant changes to zoning, he said. ìAnd the regulations for state density should remain the same,î Stokka said. ìThere is a strong feeling in the forest that developers receive preferential treatment, and the existing PUDs and laws are being ignored.î Stokka said county commissioners have previously said that water issues are ìout of their hands.ìEl Paso County initiated a 300-year rule regarding water, and it has been upheld by the Colorado Supreme Court (the 300-year rule requires developers to prove they have a supply of water for 300 years),î he said. ìWe wish our county commissioners would say no more urban development with nonrenewable water, unless it conforms to the 300-year rule.î Colorado Springs uses all renewable water, but Black Forest depends on what is underground, he said. ìSterling Ranch is zoned for 7,500 homes, and those 7,500 homes are being promised water by Sterling Ranch Metro District,î Stokka said. The district has just two wells and a tank, he added. ìThatís all the water they have that we know of besides what they have on paper, and there is often a great difference between ëpaper waterí and ëwet waterí because we donít know what is actually down there,î Stokka said. The Black Forest Preservation Plan covers about 6,000 homes in the area, he said, adding that the estimated water usage for the average family is 150,000 gallons a year. ìSterling Ranch plans to put in lawns, which most Black Forest residential areas do not have; so, needless to say, water is a critical issue to us,î Stokka said. ìIt seems to us that developers should have to prove they have water before their plans are approved.îRoads are a concern with development because improvements like widening the roads could require a significant loss of trees, he said.ìCounty commissioners and planning department staff often argue that the Black Forest Preservation Plan is outdated since the last revision was in 1987, except for a trails addendum,î Stokka said.Plans are underway to abandon the present Black Forest Preservation Plan, along with the Falcon plan, and develop a county master plan, he said. ìWe will continue to work with our commissioners to make sure the future county master plan has a section in place for small areas like Black Forest.îThe committee also addresses developments abutted against Black Forest ó like Wolf Ranch. Under the original plan, the ranch included 1-acre lots and a 200-foot setback for open space near Black Forest and Old Ranch roads, Stokka said. ìThe new revision has eliminated all of that; no setbacks and smaller lots,î he said. The committee plans to ask Wolf Ranch for a boundary between the homes and the roads, ìEven if itís just a 200-foot buffer,î he said.Residents in Black Forest do not believe they are protected through zoning laws, Stokka said. ìThe county is pro-growth; development means more taxes Ö more money for the county, and they are anxious to please the developers,î he said. Because commissioners and developers are not following zoning laws, Stokka said residents feel they are ìignored or non-existent.îThe Friends of the Black Forest Preservation Plan, which is now 2,000 members strong, supports the land use committee and the plan ó and all are dedicated to saving Black Forest, Stokka said.
