228-unit housing project proposed near 30th & Garden of the Gods Road in west Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A developer this week made the initial announcement of a plan to build an apartment complex less than a mile east of where a similar project was rejected near Garden of the Gods last year.
The proposal calls for a 228-unit multifamily and subdivision development along Arrowswest Drive, on vacant property in an industrial area on the west end of Garden of the Gods Road, near the intersection of 30th Street.
Neighbors said that around 20 people attended a public meeting organized by the developer Tuesday evening, and complained that they weren't given enough advance notice.
Bill Wysong, of the community group Westside Watch, was among the attendees.
"A density of around 24 units per acre, which we obviously feel is way too high," he said. "Three-story apartments right on the street. I think it's eight or nine buildings, three stories, up to a total of 45 feet. There will be a clubhouse with a pool. We haven't officially taken a stand on it yet but we oppose it based on what we saw."
A planning official for the city was unavailable Thursday to provide more details about the proposal, and KRDO NewsChannel 13 is trying to contact the developer for more information.
In August 2021, the City Council rejected a developer's plan -- after a close 5-4 vote -- that would have rezoned part of an industrial complex to build 420 apartment units at the 30th and Garden of the Gods intersection.
Opponents said that the project would have blocked prized mountain views and increased the difficulty of evacuating from a wildfire like the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire that destroyed 346 homes in the adjacent Mountain Shadows subdivision; traffic congestion and lack of parking were other concerns expressed.
"We would have the same concerns with this latest proposal," Wysong said. "The only way in and out of here is on Arrowswest, which is just a loop on and off Garden of the Gods Road. There's already lots of people parking along the street because of the Accolade Gym and the Red Leg Brewery. An apartment complex will only make things worse."
Wysong said that while the previous proposal required a zoning change, the latest proposal doesn't.
"That means the Planning Commission will likely approve it, and we'll have to appeal to the City Council," he said.
Councilman Dave Donelson, who's district includes the area in question, was unable to comment on the matter because it is a "quasi-judicial" matter that can't be discussed publicly before a final vote.
