Colorado Springs Planning Commission Meeting - July 9, 2025
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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.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. Um my name's Kevin Walker, I'm the planning director. Um, and uh our chair and vice chair are not attending today. Um, and so we need a motion from the uh commission somewhere uh to appoint somebody as our uh uh chair for the day. I'll make a motion to appoint Marty Rickett as acting chair for today. Commissioner Casey seconds would you all vote? However, we're voting at the moment. We'll do a roll call vote for this. Commissioner Clements. Yes, thank you, Commissioner Giziano. Yes, Commissioner Hensler. Aye, Commissioner Casey, aye, Commissioner Robbins. Can you turn your mic on, sir, and do that again? There, can you hear me? There, how's that one? Commissioner Sopilovich. Aye, Commissioner Cecil, aye. And Commissioner Rickett, I don't know if you vote. Commissioner Rickett. No, he voted no. It was not unanimous. Aye. That vote happens unanimously. So it's your meeting. All right, good morning, and welcome to the Colorado Springs Planning Commission public hearing for July 9th, 2025. The planning commission is comprised of nine members appointed by city council to review various depart department applications and proposals. Planning commission members are community volunteers with expertise across a wide variety of disciplines. Each member acts independently, carefully assessing all evidence presented to make their decision. The planning staff facilitates process for applications where the body reviews a variety of these applications governed by city code. Some applications require planning commission to be final decision maker, and others uh planning commission is a recommendation body to the city council. Ground rules and procedures. Throughout this hearing, we will require that everyone shows respect to each individual here, understanding that others may have differing opinions from yours. Unkind actions, speaking out of turn, and profanity will not be tolerated. For items presented in today's agenda. Staff will give a short presentation on the application, followed by the applicant, who will have 30 minutes to present the details of the project. For any items heard on appeal, the appellant and the applicant will be given equal time. Any public comment will be taken after these presentations, and each citizen will have three minutes to speak, keep comments brief to the point, and prepare arguments appropriately. Please respect other attendees' right to listen and be heard. General flow of items presented. City staff uh presentation five minutes, applicant presentation 30 minutes, public comment for those in support, three minutes each. Public comment for those opposed, three minutes each. Applicant response or rebuttal, ten minutes. Uh closed public comment brought up to the dies for discretion. Okay. Call to order. You want to do roll call? Commissioner Hensler. Here. Commissioner Cecil. Here.
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