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Record of Proceedings

Special City Council Meeting: Appeal of ONE Vela Mixed-Use Building – April 7, 2025

City Council — Monday, April 7, 2025

BodyColorado Springs, Colorado

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, April 7, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:37:18

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0:00

I'm sure he was real happy about that on his first day.

0:03

Is that that that's something self-induced?

0:05

That's pretty funny when you get a 911 call from the fire department complex.

0:08

Yeah, and when you're when they know who you are, that's all.

0:21

Once again, good afternoon.

0:22

Welcome to uh all our citizens here in Colorado Springs uh for this special session uh to hear the appeal uh from our uh downtown development authority on the um one vela.

0:36

And with that, I will call us to order and ask our city clerk to call the roll.

0:41

Councilmember Avila, Councilmember Crow Iverson here, Councilmember Donaldson.

0:47

Here council member Helms here, Councilmember Hindram.

0:51

Uh she's uh excused.

0:52

Councilmember Lymeweiber.

0:54

Here council member O'Malley.

0:56

Sure.

0:57

Councilmember Risley.

0:59

Excused.

0:59

Councilmember Tallerica.

1:01

Here.

1:02

Seven present to excused.

1:04

Thank you with that uh very much.

1:06

And then we'll move into our item number two public hearing.

1:10

And uh we'll ask uh our clerk to read item two A.

1:15

Appeal of the Downtown Review Board's approval of a forum based zone development plan for the one VLA mixed use building on a 1.09 acre forum based zone, central sector zone property located in the northeast on the northeast corner of Sawatch and West Castilla.

1:31

Thank you.

1:31

With that, I have some announcements before uh Ryan gets going here.

1:35

So uh this is a uh public hearing on the appeal, as I mentioned, and we'll follow the normal public hearing process.

1:43

First up uh will be our uh city staff who would uh from Ryan at the city staff presentation, and then we'll have the formal opposition presentations first, uh followed by the applicant presentations, and each one of those have agreed to 45 minutes.

2:00

So both groups have each 45 minutes.

2:04

Then we'll bring uh then we'll have public comment first in support of the project, and then public comment in opposition of the project.

2:13

Then we'll have the applicant rebuttal, and then we'll have final comments from uh both uh the formal opposition and uh from the applicant closing staff comments, if any, and then uh back to the diaspora council member questions, deliberation, and decision.

2:31

All right, with that, um Ryan, welcome, good afternoon on this special session on a beautiful uh Tuesday afternoon, and the floor is yours.

2:43

Thank you.

2:43

Uh Council President Helms, President Pro Tem, Crow Iverson, members of City Council, Ryan T.

2:49

Fertiller, Urban Planning Manager with the City's Planning Department.

2:53

I'm here today to introduce to you uh the appeal of the downtown review board's decision to approve the one Vela Forum Based Zone Development Plan.

3:05

I do have um around two dozen slides.

3:10

I'm going to run through them very quickly in an effort to keep this as as short and sweet as possible.

3:17

But by all means, feel free to um ask any questions of me at any time.

3:22

I'll do my best to answer those.

3:25

Um first some background information about the site.

3:28

Uh the property is just over an acre in size.

3:32

It is located on the northeast corner of Sawatch and Costilla, which is a piece of property about a block east of the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in the southwestern portion of downtown Colorado Springs.

3:46

Uh, it does include four parcels, um, which do have some uh vacant buildings on those structure on those properties, including some warehouse and um vacant office space.

3:59

Um the proposed project is a multifamily residential um uh primarily a multifamily residential project, 400 units of apartments with street level uh commercial and amenity space.

4:12

Uh the application in front of you, uh the base application is a form-based zone development plan.

4:18

Again, this slide just shows a little bit of a closer image of the site in question.

4:24

Again, just over an acre, northeast corner of Costilla and Sawatch.

4:30

Um this application is reviewed under the downtown Colorado Springs Form-based code.

4:37

That's a set of development regulations that was adopted by city council in 2009.

4:44

Applications within the form-based zone that adhere to all quantifiable standards of the zone can be and are regularly approved administratively.

5:00

However, uh given significant stakeholder interest and some vocal opposition to this project, staff uh worked with the applicants to make the decision to refer this item to the downtown review board.

5:14

And again, as a reminder, the downtown review board is a nine member board appointed by city council that regularly hears applications within the form based zone.

5:24

All decisions of the downtown review board are appealable to city council.

5:28

I should note that in a little over 15 years of the form based code.

5:32

This is the only the second item that city council has seen in the form based zone.

5:37

The last was a appeal of a medical marijuana use uh on South Nevada that ended up in front of City Council about five years ago.

5:48

Uh moving on.

5:49

A little bit of site history about the uh the property in question.

5:53

It does fall within the Southwest Downtown Urban Renewal District that was created um almost 25 years ago in 2001.

6:04

Changes that district were approved by city council in 2018, and again in December of last year, uh, where city council adopted the one Vela Urban Renewal District.

6:15

Um, some improvements have been made in the surrounding area, including some streetscapes, uh landscapes, uh those types of things in the vicinity of the Olympic Museum, which you see on the uh the lower right image on this slide.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Land Use and Zoning█████████████████████████████████████37%

Urban Renewal█████████████████████21%

Procedural████████8%

Public Engagement██████6%

Community Engagement██████6%

Affordable Housing██████6%

Historic Preservation█████5%

Economic Development█████5%

Parks and Recreation█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Special City Council Meeting: Appeal of ONE Vela Mixed-Use Building – April 7, 2025

On Monday, April 7, 2025, the Colorado Springs City Council held a special meeting at 1:00 PM to hear an appeal of the Downtown Review Board’s (DRB) approval of a Form-Based Zone Development Plan for the ONE Vela mixed-use building. The project is located on a 1.09-acre site at the northeast corner of Sahwatch St. and W. Costilla St., within the FBZ-CEN zone. After a public hearing, the Council voted 6-1 to deny the appeal, upholding the DRB’s decision. The meeting also included an executive session on the referendum process.

Public Comments & Testimony

Support for the project:
- Jonna Reeder Claymire (President/CEO, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC) stated that high-quality urban housing is essential for attracting a skilled workforce, citing 28% growth in aerospace/defense (2019–2024) and 30% growth in cybersecurity. She argued that downtown density maximizes infrastructure and that the form-based code was created with significant stakeholder input.
- Jill Gabler (Executive Director, Pikes Peak Housing Network) emphasized the need for 400 housing units (40 affordable at 100% AMI) and noted the code allows unlimited height in only a quarter-square-mile area.
- Chelsea Gondek (COO, Downtown Partnership) highlighted that downtown generates $8.25 million in sales tax annually (6.7 times more per acre than citywide average) and that dense housing supports local businesses.
- Sam Friesma (URA Board member, DRB member, Hillside Neighborhood Association VP) stated the project meets all code requirements and that no home in Hillside (the only neighborhood with potential view blockage) loses its Pikes Peak view.
- Bob Reefstahl (URA Board member, Hillside resident) said the building would not obstruct his view of Pikes Peak (using a finger-at-arm’s-length demonstration).
- James Rigdon (Downtown Partnership board member, former small business owner) supported density as key to a vibrant downtown.
Opposition to the project:
- Diane Bridges (appellant, also representing Historic Neighborhoods Partnership) argued that citizens have not had a robust stakeholder engagement on building heights and that the project is premature. She asked for a clear process for such engagement.
- Robert Bruce (attorney for appellant) stated that the 27-story, 315-foot building would be 50–68 feet taller than the Wells Fargo Tower, setting a precedent for unlimited heights. He cited a petition with about 7,000 signatures opposing the height, and argued that the project abuses the lack of a height limit in the form-based code.
- Lisa Bigelow (concerned citizen) said the project is driven by greed and would forever change the skyline, noting that 40 affordable units at 100% AMI ($80,000) is insufficient.
- RC Smith (former firefighter, 38+ years) raised safety concerns about high-rise density, citing a 1997 Tri Data report that found an inadequate fire response pattern for downtown.
- Dutch Schultz (Old North End HOA president) emphasized that the decision sets a precedent for unlimited administrative approvals of tall buildings, and asked for a citizen vote on height limits.
- Kat Gale argued that the building would obstruct views when traveling east-west, cause glare, bird strikes, and heat islands.
- Dana Dugan (Integrity Matters) noted that Colorado Springs ranks 20th worst for high ozone days (2024) and that the petition here is larger relative to city size than similar petitions in other cities.
- Donna Strom pointed to the Broadmoor’s low-profile exhibition hall as an example of preserving views without excessive height.

Discussion Items

Appeal of DRB Approval for ONE Vela:
- Staff Presentation (Ryan Tefertiller, Planning Manager): The project is a 27-story building with 400 apartment units (10% affordable at 100% AMI for 25 years), 8,300 sq ft commercial space, and 450 parking stalls. It complies with all quantifiable form-based code standards and aligns with PlanCOS and the 2016 Experience Downtown Master Plan. Staff noted that only minor technical issues remain (e.g., drainage report updates). The appeal was filed by Diane Bridges on four grounds: height, lack of citizen input, precedent, and premature approval.
- Appellant’s Presentation (Diane Bridges, Attorney Robert Bruce): Bruce argued that the height (27 stories, 315 ft) would dominate the skyline, set a precedent for even taller buildings, and that the city should not approve without a community-wide discussion on height limits. He stated that the project’s views would be sold to a few, and that the approval process was premature with unresolved technical issues.
- Applicant’s Presentation (Frank Andre – Hord Coplan Macht, Nick Benjamin – O’Neill Group, Kevin O’Neill): The design team presented similar successful projects in Kansas City and St. Louis, emphasizing street-level activation, amenity spaces, and iconic architecture. Nick Benjamin confirmed that the project will meet all city standards and that remaining issues (stormwater detention) will be resolved. He noted that the original 36-story proposal was reduced to 27 stories after community feedback.
- Councilmember Donaldson questioned the lack of citizen vote on height limits, arguing that the form-based code’s unlimited height was never approved by voters. He stated that a ballot measure would likely pass and that approving this project opens the door to administrative approvals of future tall buildings.
- Councilmember O’Malley and Councilmember Talarico supported denying the appeal, citing economic benefits, compliance with existing codes, and that the building does not obstruct Pikes Peak views.

Key Outcomes

Motion to Deny the Appeal (uphold DRB approval): Made by Councilmember O’Malley, seconded by Councilmember Talarico.
Vote: 6–1 in favor (Councilmember Donaldson opposed; Councilmember Hindram and Councilmember Risley were excused; seven members present). The motion carried, thus the DRB’s approval of the ONE Vela Form-Based Zone Development Plan is upheld.
Executive Session: After the vote, the Council held a closed executive session to discuss legal advice regarding the referendum process and referendum elections (two-thirds consent obtained; vote: 7-0). No further action was taken in open session after the executive session, and the meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

I'm sure he was real happy about that on his first day. Is that that that's something self-induced? That's pretty funny when you get a 911 call from the fire department complex. Yeah, and when you're when they know who you are, that's all. Once again, good afternoon. Welcome to uh all our citizens here in Colorado Springs uh for this special session uh to hear the appeal uh from our uh downtown development authority on the um one vela. And with that, I will call us to order and ask our city clerk to call the roll. Councilmember Avila, Councilmember Crow Iverson here, Councilmember Donaldson. Here council member Helms here, Councilmember Hindram. Uh she's uh excused. Councilmember Lymeweiber. Here council member O'Malley. Sure. Councilmember Risley. Excused. Councilmember Tallerica. Here. Seven present to excused. Thank you with that uh very much. And then we'll move into our item number two public hearing. And uh we'll ask uh our clerk to read item two A. Appeal of the Downtown Review Board's approval of a forum based zone development plan for the one VLA mixed use building on a 1.09 acre forum based zone, central sector zone property located in the northeast on the northeast corner of Sawatch and West Castilla. Thank you. With that, I have some announcements before uh Ryan gets going here. So uh this is a uh public hearing on the appeal, as I mentioned, and we'll follow the normal public hearing process. First up uh will be our uh city staff who would uh from Ryan at the city staff presentation, and then we'll have the formal opposition presentations first, uh followed by the applicant presentations, and each one of those have agreed to 45 minutes. So both groups have each 45 minutes. Then we'll bring uh then we'll have public comment first in support of the project, and then public comment in opposition of the project. Then we'll have the applicant rebuttal, and then we'll have final comments from uh both uh the formal opposition and uh from the applicant closing staff comments, if any, and then uh back to the diaspora council member questions, deliberation, and decision. All right, with that, um Ryan, welcome, good afternoon on this special session on a beautiful uh Tuesday afternoon, and the floor is yours. Thank you. Uh Council President Helms, President Pro Tem, Crow Iverson, members of City Council, Ryan T. Fertiller, Urban Planning Manager with the City's Planning Department. I'm here today to introduce to you uh the appeal of the downtown review board's decision to approve the one Vela Forum Based Zone Development Plan. I do have um around two dozen slides. I'm going to run through them very quickly in an effort to keep this as as short and sweet as possible. But by all means, feel free to um ask any questions of me at any time. I'll do my best to answer those. Um first some background information about the site. Uh the property is just over an acre in size. It is located on the northeast corner of Sawatch and Costilla, which is a piece of property about a block east of the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in the southwestern portion of downtown Colorado Springs. Uh, it does include four parcels, um, which do have some uh vacant buildings on those structure on those properties, including some warehouse and um vacant office space. Um the proposed project is a multifamily residential um uh primarily a multifamily residential project, 400 units of apartments with street level uh commercial and amenity space. Uh the application in front of you, uh the base application is a form-based zone development plan. Again, this slide just shows a little bit of a closer image of the site in question. Again, just over an acre, northeast corner of Costilla and Sawatch. Um this application is reviewed under the downtown Colorado Springs Form-based code. That's a set of development regulations that was adopted by city council in 2009. Applications within the form-based zone that adhere to all quantifiable standards of the zone can be and are regularly approved administratively. However, uh given significant stakeholder interest and some vocal opposition to this project, staff uh worked with the applicants to make the decision to refer this item to the downtown review board.

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