Author: Savannah Eller
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El Paso County rejects multi-family zoning request near Monument Academy
The El Paso County Board of Commissioners narrowly rejected a developer’s bid to convert land from low- to high-density residential zoning. The request, made by MA Infrastructure, LLC, would have allowed 12 units per acre on half of a 14-acre property and 30 units per acre on the other half. The land is at the…
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Newest Front Range Passenger Rail plan includes second Colorado Springs station
The latest plan for a passenger train connecting the Colorado Front Range will have two stops in Colorado Springs, not just one. According to Front Range Passenger Rail District General Manager Sal Pace, expanding passenger train service – dubbed the Colorado Connector or “CoCo” – will include both reviving the downtown station and adding a…
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3,000 evacuees remain displaced from Aspen Acres fire as incident command changes hands
By Savannah Eller and Nick Smith The wait has no end in sight for evacuated residents of Rye, near where the Aspen Acres fire continues to burn in rough, tinder-dry terrain to the west. While about 6,400 people have been able to return to communities like Colorado City, Wetmore and Beulah, Pueblo County Sheriff David…
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Aspen Acres fire damage footage released, residents seek reentry
First looks at the damage path are emerging in the Aspen Acres fire, as more than 11,000 people wait for news on when they can return. Tuesday afternoon, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office released a nine-minute video showing fire damage from the air along Pine Drive in Beulah. More footage will be coming out later,…
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While growth slows statewide, small-town populations in Colorado boom
A proposed housing project could more than double the population of Calhan, a town of just 760 on the Eastern Plains outside Colorado Springs. For some small towns on the Front Range, it’s a familiar situation. Colorado’s overall population growth was just 0.4% last year. At a time when net migration has stagnated statewide, several…
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AI data center debate reaches small southern Colorado town
In the nondescript business parks of the Front Range’s largest metros, data centers are cropping up. Currently, 46 are planned or built in the Denver metro area, while Colorado Springs has the second most at six, according to the industry catalog Data Center Map. The map has one outlier, deep in the heart of rural…
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Judge rejects motion in lawsuit against Palmer Lake mayor: ‘Weird situation’
An El Paso County District Court has denied a request to freeze Dennis Stern’s role as mayor in Palmer Lake, calling the motion an overreach of judicial authority. In the denial, Judge David Prince said that a court interfering in the legislative actions of a municipality violated legal principles “that have been established for more…
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Front Range Passenger Rail pitches to Colorado Springs ahead of possible ballot measure
If all goes to plan, a measure for a sales tax to fund passenger rail service could be coming to Front Range ballots in 2026. “We have a plan that we think is viable, and we’ll actually be able to get things started,” said John Putnam, chair of the Front Range Passenger Rail District Board.…
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Is passenger rail ever coming to Colorado Springs? District to hold meeting
A Front Range passenger rail system has been a long-term goal for public transit proponents, and a Colorado Springs connection is still in the offing. On Thursday, representatives from the Front Range Passenger Rail District are meeting with the public to share updates and field questions. The event runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.…
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El Paso County pushes back on Buc-ee’s rumors
Addressing “significant public interest,” El Paso County released a statement on its website last week saying that planning staff have not received an application for a Buc-ee’s. “A project such as the construction of a Buc-ee’s does require a transparent public process,” read the statement. The county’s note addressed rumors around a land application opened…