Southern Colorado developers advocate for controversial project as community members push against it

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Some southern Colorado community members pushed one more time for Colorado Springs city council to vote against a massive, controversial development project.

On Tuesday, the city council heard citizen discussion and voted whether or not to annex the land ahead of the development. In a 4 to 5 vote, the city council turned down the annexation of the land.

The Amara development has made headlines recently, with the proposal detailing a massive project that would introduce thousands of homes to Colorado Springs.

Mike Ruebenson, the Chief Operations Officer for La Plata Communities, said he looks forward to the development should it pass. He said La Plata Communities, one of the region’s largest developers, would provide much-needed affordable housing.

“We’ve committed to a minimum of 7% of our houses to be affordable, as defined by government definition of that,” he said.

Ruebenson also said the project is strategically placed to be near three military installations, thereby hoping to provide housing for servicemembers, as well.

However, Jack Goble, the general manager for the lower Arkansas Valley Conservancy District, said he’s worried about this project depleting resources, like water.

“Utilities estimates about 3,500 acre feet of water that will be needed, which would require about five to 6,000 irrigated farm acres to be permanently dried up,” Goble said.

He’s expressed this concern in the past, and on Tuesday, it was, in part, echoed by Manitou Springs Mayor John Graham, who spoke on the ability of Colorado Springs Utilities to serve everyone this could bring in. He said he was worried about CSU possibly stretching themselves too thin.

These concerns were addressed by Ruebenson, who said he would be willing to work with those hesitant about the project to ensure it works for everyone.

“Our response to that is Master Plan communities do the best of any type of development in terms of really protecting resources, conserving resources as much as possible,” Ruebenson said. “If you look at our communities, even through the years, it’s evolved and become much more resource conscious.”

Goble prepared for the possibility of the annexation passing, saying he would be willing to work with CSU and the developers to ensure the project is as sustainable as possible.

“Yeah, we’re in regular communications with Colorado Springs utility staff on trying to work towards better ways to maybe share water,” he said. “There’s no silver bullet solution, but we’ve got a handful of, we think, good ideas, and we’re definitely willing to work with them.”

But he is still worried for what future this project could bring, as is Mike Barloto, the man credited with the Pueblo Chile.

“Growth doesn’t happen without a cost,” Barloto said.

He said besides resources, he’s worried about the cost.

“And I think everybody is an advocate for, you know, growth and economic development, but there is no such thing. It’s just a relocation of wealth,” he said. “Growth has never paid for itself. There’s a lot of false promises. We’re getting the negative end of it.”

City council heard hours of discussion on the topic, after hours of delays, on Tuesday.