When developers built the 80-acre Falcon Ranchettes subdivision in 1972, there were no other subdivisions in sight. Today, the development, which includes one street, Owl Place, and 15 five-acre lots, is surrounded by Woodmen Hills to the north and east.And there is more to come. Courtyards West, also part of Woodmen Hills, has 224 houses platted for a 40-acre parcel south of the street. John Maynard, a planner for NES, a private company that designs developments, said within the next few months his firm will seek approval for the first phase of the Bentgrass subdivision – a 196-acre development west of Owl Place.On Sept. 29 Mark Henton and Cindy Minks, real estate brokers for Coldwell Banker, held a meeting with landowners from Owl Place to determine if the residents were interested in changing the zoning from residential to commercial. “By changing the zoning to commercial, the price per square foot is probably going to be high so you will gain in value,” Henton said. “To rezone your property is a major ordeal; it is not something you can just go down and do, and it will probably take nine to 15 months to rezone.” He also said developers will study the land to see if some lots would be better suited for high-density residential use rather than commercial zoning.Henton said Coldwell Banker wanted to talk to all the owners because the current configuration of Owl Place will not be acceptable for commercial development unless all of the residents wish to rezone. Coldwell Banker is selling a 40-acre parcel, owned by the Gaddie family since the 1950s, on the northwest corner of Meridian and Woodmen Roads, adjacent to Owl Place. The parcel is on the market as commercial. Henton said there are two parties interested in placing shops on the property.If the Gaddie property gains commercial zoning, Henton said he believes a new access to some subdivision lots could allow those landowners to change their zoning without unanimous resident agreement.Gary Miller, who has lived on Owl Place for six years, said he talked to an employee at the county assessor’s office who said that changing his zoning would dramatically increase his property taxes. A residential landowner who pays about $800 in property taxes annually would see a tax increase to $10,000-plus if it the county rezoned it commercial. Property owners would be liable for the increased taxes if their land did not immediately sell. And Henton said the sale would take place only after the land is rezoned.”No one can force you to rezone your property even if the other 14 landowners on Owl Place want to rezone their land,” said Tom Cook, the person in charge of zoning issues for El Paso County. “Only a landowner can request to have their property rezoned.” Carl Schueler, the manager of long-range planning for El Paso County Developmental Services, said it’s unusual for residents to change zoning on their own. “Normally those interested in developing commercial land buy the property first and then go about rezoning,” he said.Residents appeared split on rezoning. It seemed divided between those who lived on the property and those who held the property as an investment. Jana Moyers, a landowner who rents her property, is interested in rezoning. “What is the quality of life on Owl Place now with all the development around it?” she asked the owner-occupied residents. Gloria Kirkpatrick, a homeowner for more than 20 years, replied, “Yes, there is development but we still have our five acres,” which seemed to represent the opinions of the majority of those who lived in Falcon Ranchettes.Coldwell representatives asked residents to think about their proposal. “We are not putting pressure on residents to sell, but if the market wasn’t there we wouldn’t be interested,” Henton said.
