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Looking southeast from the corner of South
Boulevard and Race Street, this view shows much of the 24-acre site of the
informally proposed Skyline Ridge RV Park. Beyond the site at the left can be
seen the industrial area east of the property. Along the hilltops in the background
are residential communities, including the Brookdale Skyline retirement home
(farther back) and (closer in) the Broadview Terraces residential development.
Concept for Midland-area RV Park (with tiny homes) unveiled at meeting
April 4, 2018A draft plan for a 24-acre RV park at the south end of the Midland neighborhood was presented at an informal public meeting April 3.
The intent is to build the Skyline Ridge RV Park (as it's been named) as a campground, consisting of 96 spaces for RVs and 23 for tiny
Jason Alwine, the planning consultant for the
Skyling Ridge RV Park preapplication, stands near two of the project maps on
display at the neighborhood meeting April 4 at Midland Elementary.
Westside Pioneer photo
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Tiny homes are a recent housing trend - more affordable because of their small size and typically built on wheels so they can be easily moved.
The Skyline Ridge proposal is called a “preapplication” because it has not been formally submitted to Colorado Springs Planning. The meeting was a chance for the development team to get public feedback before that.
Alwine had prepared a conceptual drawing, which he had on display. It showed a potential street plan with access from Spectra Drive and/or Race Street. The map also used color-coding to denote the RV, tiny-home and mini-storage locations..
He said the idea is for people to lease the living spaces long-term. A “host” on site would manage the campground, ensuring compliance with rules regarding such matters as security and noise.
Located south of South Boulevard between Langmeyer and Arch streets, the Skyline Ridge property is at the base of the hill rising above the older Midland neighborhood. The site is below - and north of - the Brookdale Skyline (formerly Village at Skyline) retirement facility and (just east of Brookdale) the Broadview Terraces private subdivision. To the east are mostly industrial uses.
Held at Midland Elementary School, the roughly 1˝-hour meeting attracted close to 100 attendees, many of whom live in Broadview. This was evident
Looking northwest, the view from the west end
of Broadview Terraces shows the property at the base of the hill which is
tentatively proposed as the Skyline Ridge RV Park At far right, marking the east edge of the
property, is Arch Street (unpaved). Some existing commercial/industrial uses can
be seen just north of the site and up to Busch Avenue.
Westside Pioneer photo
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Based on comments at the meeting, the Broadview residents' main issue was that an RV park below them would lower their property values.
One repeated concern, expressed also by non-Broadview attendees, was the potential for traffic problems - due to RVs being unable to navigate relatively narrow neighborhood streets (especially in bad weather) or increased traffic volumes caused by the RV residents driving their cars.
There was also a worry that - developer promises aside - over time the campground might deteriorate and start attracting undesirable individuals.
The bulk of the Skyline Ridge property is zoned M-1 (light industrial), with some acreage zoned R or R2 (residential). A zone change would be required to make it an RV park.
If the zone stayed M-1, allowed uses on the property (based on the City Codebook) include a drug or alcohol treatment facility, manufactured homes, liquor sales, garbage-service company, offices, pet services, outdoor entertainment, retail stores, restaurants or a parking lot.
The site has been used in recent years as a storage place for landscape chips.
Also at the meeting were Lonna Thelen of City Planning and City Transportation Director Kathleen Krager. They, along with Alwine, answered questions.
Schnurr (the developer) did not speak.
No estimate was given for when a formal plan might be submitted, but Alwine said the questions and suggestions from the audience will be considered, going forward.
Westside Pioneer article
(Land:
Proposals)
Editor's note: The use of the term "Midland neighborhood" in this article is based on the long history of the mixed-use area, which is roughly bordered by the hogbacks to the west, Highway 24/Midland Expressway (originally the Midland railroad tracks up Ute Pass) to the north, 21st Street (with the Midland roundhouse as a landmark) to the east and the rise up to the hills to the south. Because of social media, some newer residents are (unfortunately) coming to know the Midland area as the "Bott Park neighborhood."
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