March 2016 Board Meeting Minutes

At the February Board of Directors meeting a vote was taken and unanimously approved to move the monthly trail day and BOD meeting day to the 2nd Wednesday of the month going forward. The FOMP calendars have all been updated with this information.

As of today 3/8/2016 the upcoming calendar of events (subject to change so please check back for current information) is as follows:

[calendar id=”783″]

New BOD Meeting Time:

• Summer season 2016 planning
• Finance update
• Open forum for any discussion

January 2016 Board Meeting Minutes

Hello FOMP Members!

Please see the fantastic progress made to date on the proposed Santa Fe Trail East project. This project needs still needs your support, if you can make the meeting Monday and express your support for the project that would be fantastic! Support really helps, if the town knows you want this we will get it!

If you have question. please contact Phil – his contact info is at the below!

Thanks,
FOMP
FOMP representative for Santa Fe Trail East:
Phil Schweizer
877-743-3566
phil@koobi.com

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Developer does turn around on recreational corridor. Next public meeting Nov 2.

Greetings to fellow trail users.

This is a follow up of the Oct 14 Monument planning commission meeting. In that meeting, developer Pine Tree Properties discussed its rezoning request, from commercial to residential, of an 84 acre parcel that lies east of I-25, south of hwy 105 along both sides of the north end of Jackson Creek Parkway. At prior public meetings the developer received input to add a multi-use recreational corridor on the western edge of the property and ignored this input.

Supporters have tentatively identified it as Santa Fe Trail East/Jackson Creek trail.

At this 3rd public meeting, Pine Tree Properties verbally introduced, for the first time, the addition of an easement on the western edge and the southern edge of the development for a “trail”. This is completely new and a turnaround from the developer’s prior public position. The verbal introduction was light on details.

In a phone call Oct 27 with the developers’ representative Tim Seibert, he discussed the concept of an 8-10 foot easement that would be on western and southern property edges. This easement would allow space for a “trail”.

The next public meeting will be 6:30 PM, Monday Nov 2 at the Monument Town Hall, board of trustees. The board will decide whether or not to grant the developer’s request for rezoning based on developers sketch plan. These sketch plans are very general in nature with limited details. At this point in the process, the city will be in a powerful position. If the city grants the developer’s request for rezoning then the developer will move forward with the project details.

Summary

Pine Tree Properties has reversed its position on Santa Fe Trail East/Jackson Creek Trail. For this we applaud them, but details are thin. Supporters should again attend and affirm that a Santa Fe Trail East/Jackson Creek trail recreational corridor be a condition for granting rezoning.

If Pine Tree Properties follows thru with minimum design, then the development will be an asset to the Monument community. It will provide a model for future development and should be supported. Again supporters should attend Nov 2, 6:30 PM, Monument town hall planning meeting.

The minimum design trail should be:
A. Minimum 10 foot width on southern boundary.
B. Minimum 20 foot width on western boundary, with the most northern 50 yards being 40 foot width (to accommodate the construction challenges of the steeper slop in this area).
C. The most northern 50 yards on the west side and the most eastern 25 yards on the south side should be concrete. The balance should be crushed stone similar to Santa Fe Trail on west side of interstate.
D. Public access points: A. west side northern end. B. west side southern end. C. south side east end.
E .Pine tree properties should construct trail. Monument should commit to maintaining the trail.

Thank you
Phil Schweizer

Hello FOMP Members! Please see the below description of the challenges faced by the proposed Santa Fe Trail East project. This project needs your support, if you can make the meeting Wednesday and express your support for the project that would be fantastic!

If you have question. please contact Phil – his contact info is at the bottom!

Thanks,
FOMP

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Developer Pine Tree Properties in its rezoning request is trying to duck out of Monument’s commitment to a multi-use recreational trail corridor by not including the citizen-requested corridor in its design.
Oct 14 planning board meeting to review developers plans that do not show trail corridor proposed in Monuments 2003 Parks, Trails and Open Space master plan.

Details: Arizona developer Pine Tree Properties is requesting rezoning of 84 acres  that lies east of I-25 and South of Highway 105, along both sides of the north end of Jackson Creek Parkway.  This is the grass fields that are north of the YMCA and Lewis Palmer high school. They are requesting rezoning from commercial to residential with the platting of 650 lots that will generate over $60,000,000. There have been 2 public meetings for citizen input. The developer received input to adjust the mix of housing, location of access roads, required parks and addition of multiuse trail corridor on the west edge of property.

Developer has responded to public comments, except requested multi-use recreational trail corridor. Current  plans show the project meeting required park land quotas by a centrally located “tot lot,“ which will have little benefit to the greater Monument community and a somewhat larger park land on the south east corner of the parcel. Depending on how this larger park area is built and accessed, it may benefit the greater Monument community as it appears to be accessible by Jackson Creek Parkway. The developer has ignored public input to meet required park land quota thru creation of a multiuse trail corridor on west edge of the development. This multi-use recreational corridor –tentatively dubbed the Santa Fe East trail – will  benefit the development and the greater Monument community and offset the increase in congestion to the community by creating the long-proposed recreational  corridor that was first proposed in Monuments 2003 “Parks, Trails, & Open Space Master plan.” In the Master plan it is identified on page 10 as the “Jackson Creek Trail” and is described as an “off street north-south trail …  [connecting]  Highway 105 to Baptist road.”

Integral to the development of the 650 lots on the 84 acres the city is requiring Pine Tree Properties to pay for rebuilding the section of Jackson Creek parkway that a joins the land. The design appears to show developing Jackson Creek Parkway as 2 traffic lanes, a turn lane, a small commuters bike  lane and a side walk in each direction. This transportation design does not meet the city’s “Parks ,Trails & Open Space Master plan “ for an off street [recreational corridor ] connecting Highway 105 and Baptist road.

Key points are
1. Developer is required to set aside a minimum quota  of acreage for “Parks.“
2. The city, through input from its citizens, decides if the proposed “Parks “ acreage and design  is acceptable.
3. Rezoning is a privilege that the city may grant at its own discretion. The city is not required to grant this request .
4. Developer has received public  input at the last 2 public meetings along with it being included in Monuments 2003 Parks, Trails & Open Space Master plan. So there is no excuse for not including a trail corridor.
5. Arizona developer will generate in excess of $60,000,000 in sale of lots. Creation of a multi-use reactional corridor won’t cost money, but rather will make them money as the lots will increase in value.
6. This development will greatly increase congestion to the citizens of greater Monument. Creation of a “tot lot“ with in the development has little benefit the grater Monument. Creation of  a Multi-Use recreational corridor will benefit greater Monument and residents with in the development. It is win-win.

Creating the northern section of the long-proposed Santa fe trail East/Jackson Creek Trail on the eastern edge of Interstate 25 between Hwy 105 and Baptist road, along the western edge of the developments property  is the first step in building an asset that will benefit Monument for generations. Please come to the 6:30 PM  Oct 14 Planning board meeting at Monument Town Hall and voice your support .

Thank you
Phil Schweizer

877.743.3566
phil@koobi.com

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
It’s August and there is something for everyone!

1) August Trail Night – Tuesday August 11
2) 2nd Annual Devin John Seifert Memorial Clean Up & Lunch
3) Monument Nursery History presentation

Details:

1) August Trail Night:  Tuesday August 11 at 6:00 PM

FOMP and USFS provide all necessary tools. Volunteers should wear appropriate clothing for performing outdoor landscaping type of work. Volunteers should bring leather gloves, a personal water supply, eye protection, sunscreen, and bug repellent. We meet rain or shine unless there is lightning active in the area. In the event that you are joining us late we try to leave a note at the trail head parking lot or you can callJon Nordby (719.640.1347) or Chris Tirpak (719.439.8865) to find out where in the Preserve we are working that evening.

We make every effort to accommodate volunteer preferences and abilities at each event. Generally we perform activities such as water bar building or renovation, trail renovation, maintenance, and trimming, etc. So, pretty much everything from trimming back scrub oak or digging lots of dirt to moving boulders. We assign duties based on interest and capabilities. Kids are welcome to join their parents; however, we do ask that you evaluate whether this is an appropriate activity for your child or not.

Meet at the main trailhead parking lot at the corner of Mt. Herman Rd and Nursery Rd at 6:00PM! (map: http://bit.ly/FOMPMeetingSpot)

Thanks and we hope to see you out there!

2) 2nd Annual Devin John Seifert Memorial Clean Up & Lunch

The Seifert family is again honoring their sons life with a second memorial clean up of Mt. Herman Rd. Last year over 150 volunteers cleared over 2.9 tons of trash in a single day and we need to do it again! Details from the Seifert family:

1. JOIN US FOR THE CLEAN UP – By clicking “GOING” on this Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1588569658072916/

2. HELP GET THE WORD OUT – By clicking “SHARE” the Facebook event with your friends and networks.

3. HELP FUND THE EVENT – By donating at this GoFundMe page set up for the event. Every little bit helps and there are a lot of hard costs in putting on the event: gofundme.com/yprtts

4. GET VISIBILITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS – By donating goods or services for the giveaway. Email us at cleanupfordevin@gmail.com.

5. GIVE US OTHER GREAT IDEAS – If you have any ideas on how to make the event more successful, message us at cleanupfordevin@gmail.com.

Whether you knew Devin or are just a kind passerby with a love of the outdoors, please join us for another beautiful day.

With love and in Devin’s honor,
Steve & Debbie Seifert

3) Monument Nursery History presentation

Area resident and historian Eric Swab will be giving a presentation on the history of the Monument Nursery (now the Preserve) to the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Colorado Archeological Society (CAS) on August 18, 1014 at 7:00 PM and to the Palmer Lake
Historical Society (PLHS), August 20, 2014 at 7:00 PM.

CAS meets at Fire Station #19, 2490 Research Parkway.
PLHS meets at 66 Lower Glenway St, Palmer Lake.

You are welcome to attend either of these meetings.