Colorado Springs Planning Commission Regular Meeting - July 9, 2025

The Planning Commission met on July 9, 2025, at 9:00 AM, with Acting Chair Marty Rickett presiding. The commission reviewed a consent calendar and held a public hearing on a use variance for 2 Penrose Boulevard. All actions were approved or recommended for approval, with the main item being a use variance for the El Pomar Foundation's proposed Nonprofit Conference and Education Center.

Call to Order and Organizational Matters

• Appointment of Acting Chair: Commissioner Marty Rickett was unanimously appointed Acting Chair by a vote of 8-0-1 (Chair Slattery absent). Motion by Commissioner Hensler, seconded by Commissioner Casey.
• Approval of Minutes: Minutes from the June 11, 2025 meeting were approved by a vote of 4-0-1-4 (Commissioners Cecil, Clements, Gigiano, and Rickett abstained as they were not present at the June meeting). Motion by Commissioner Casey, seconded by Commissioner Hensler.
• Communications: Planning Director Kevin Walker reported that the outcome of the Karman Line annexation vote is being incorporated into the AnnexCOS, PlanCOS, and Smart Growth processes. He noted it is budget season for 2026, the Southeast Strong Plan is expected to come before the commission in August or September, and a few leadership positions within Planning are being filled through interviews later that day.

Consent Calendar

Both consent calendar items were approved by a vote of 8-0-1. Motion by Commissioner Hensler, seconded by Commissioner Casey.

• Item 5A – 3760 E Boulder St Conditional Use (CUDP-24-0024): A conditional use to allow office and warehouse uses in the MX-L/AP-O zone district on an approximately 20,000 square foot lot at 3760 East Boulder Street, Council District 4.
• Item 5B – 10 S 23rd St Rezoning (ZONE-25-0004): A zone map amendment (Ordinance No. 25-65) to rezone 2,163 square feet at 10 South 23rd Street from R-2 (Two-Family) to MX-N (Mixed-Use Neighborhood Scale), Council District 3.

New Business: Use Variance for 2 Penrose Blvd (Item 8A)

• Staff Presentation: Tamara Baxter, Planning Supervisor, presented the request for a Use Variance to allow a Nonprofit Conference and Education Center on 3.24 acres zoned R-E/HS-O/WUI-O (Single-Family Estate with Hillside and Wildland Urban Interface Overlays) at 2 Penrose Boulevard. The property previously operated as a residential memory care facility (human service establishment). The applicant, El Pomar Foundation, proposes interior and minor exterior modifications, additional parking, and landscaping enhancements. A use variance was chosen over rezoning to precisely define the use, as the UDC allows the Manager to create a specific use for a zone district when a primary use is not listed. Standard notice was sent to 131 properties; no public comments were received. The applicant held a neighborhood meeting on April 7, 2025, with approximately 80–100 attendees. Agency review comments, including from traffic engineering, were addressed. The project complies with PlanCOS and meets the use variance criteria.
• Applicant Presentation: Chris Lieber (Principal, NES Inc.) and Kyle Hybl (President and CEO, El Pomar Foundation) presented. Mr. Hybl explained El Pomar's mission (grant making, leadership development, community convening) and the property's history: originally part of the Spencer and Julie Penrose estate, donated to Sisters of Charity in 1944, used as a retreat center, then a memory care facility until 2023, when El Pomar reacquired it. The proposed use will reconnect the property with the adjacent Penrose House campus, providing nonprofit office space, conference rooms, assembly hall, archive storage, and outdoor gathering space (up to 45,000 square feet). Access will primarily be via Mesa Avenue (the main El Pomar entrance), while Penrose Boulevard entrances will be gated for service and emergency access only. A traffic study showed all intersections would operate at Level A except Mesa Avenue at Level B during peak hours, with no negative impact. The applicant emphasized the surgical specificity of the use variance request to ensure compatibility with the residential neighborhood and to prevent future abuse.
• Public Comment: None in person or online.
• Commissioners' Discussion: Commissioners expressed strong support for the project. Commissioner Robbins praised the traffic pattern and need for the space. Commissioner Hensler appreciated the preservation of grounds and events moving indoors. Commissioner Casey stated the project easily meets the six criteria. Commissioner Cecil raised a broader question about whether the zoning code adequately defines conference/education uses, noting overlaps with definitions like auditorium-stadium or nonprofit club lodge. She suggested exploring a new use category or expanding legacy zones like Planned Cultural Resort (PCR). Acting Chair Rickett concurred and recommended staff consider updating the code to accommodate similar uses, as PCR and Special Use (SU) did not transfer to the new UDC. Staff acknowledged the comment but noted the variance is site-specific.
• Vote: Motion by Commissioner Hensler, seconded by Commissioner Casey, to recommend approval to City Council for the Use Variance to establish the Nonprofit Conference and Education Center based on findings that the request complies with the criteria in City Code Section 7.5.527. The motion passed by a vote of 8-0-1 (Chair Slattery absent).

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar approved (8-0-1).
• Use Variance for 2 Penrose Blvd recommended for approval to City Council (8-0-1). Council will hold a public hearing and second reading.
• Appeal instructions were read: any affected party may appeal to City Council by Monday, July 21, 2025, with a $176 fee, addressing specific zoning code requirements.
• Future code revision was suggested by commissioners to consider adding definitions for nonprofit conference/education centers or reinstating legacy zones like PCR.