If demographic consultants are correct, Falcon may not gain in population from the 32,000 military troops and their families who are expected to arrive momentarily in the county.Fred Crowley, associate professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and demographic projections consultant, advised members of the El Paso County Planning Commission about population trends in the county. He said Stetson Hills, which is located between Powers Boulevard and Marksheffel Road, is currently the fastest growing area in the county, but it will be completely developed within three years. Falcon will then become the fastest growing area as Santa Fe Springs and other subdivisions are developed.However, while the population has expanded north and east of Colorado Springs since 1990, the southeast portion of the county may offer new military residents the best opportunity for home ownership, said Crowley and Tony Koren, who was hired by the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. to study the economic impact the growing military population will have on the county.Koren said he believes homes in Falcon may be too expensive for most military families. “The average Sgt. First Class makes about $52,000 a year, but over 50 percent of military members hold ranks lower than that and those families need low-income housing,” he said. Therefore, only officers and high-ranking enlisted personnel may be able to afford homes in Falcon. And Koren and Crowley agreed that most families stationed at Fort Carson like to live in the southern part of the county, which is close to the base. “Over 75 to 80 percent of the new military arrivals will want to find homes in the Security Widefield area,” Koren predicted.Based on their reports, the planning commission approved a sketch plan for a new subdivision called Rolling Acres, which is centered near Meridian Road and Bradley Road. The new subdivision, which is the site of the old Kane Ranch, will allow for 8,577 residential units on 2,003 acres, and the owners are asking the city of Fountain to annex the property within a year. Developers plan to build low-priced homes geared to the military market.But new home construction continues at a steady pace in Falcon. Woodmen Hills has another Courtyards project under way and will soon begin building 224 homes just north of Woodmen Road near Mountain View Electric. Joy Gaddie, who owns 36 acres on the northwest corner of Woodmen and Meridian Road, said Lanner Homes has a contract on her land, and she expects the sale to be finalized within six months. Plus, Lanner Homes is looking at purchasing about 65 acres on Owl Place, which connects to the Gaddie property.Mark Hinton, a broker for Coldwell Bank, said Lanner is looking at a density of about 10 homes per acre on both properties.
