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ELEPHANT
ROCK
LOCATION
The Elephant Rock Planning Sub-Area (Sub-Area 2 is in
the northwestern portion of the Tri-Lakes Area. Comprising
approximately 1560 acres, it is bordered on the north
by the El Paso-Douglas County line (County Line Road),
on the east by Interstate 25, on the south by the Town
of Monument, and on the west by the Town of Palmer Lake.
Paralleling
the southern boundary are the tracks of the Denver and
Rio Grande railroad which are in turn paralleled by the
New Santa Fe Trail. The area is named for the prominent
outcrop of Dawson sandstone on the southern slope of Ben
Lomond Mountain that contains a natural arch resembling
the profile of an elephant.
DESCRIPTION
The area ranges in elevation from about 7,000 feet to
about 7,500 feet and is almost completely underlain by
the Dawson Formation. Slopes in the area range from 4%
to 30% in the habitable sites and up to steep scarps on
the upper slopes of Ben Lomond Mountain. The Sub-area
is almost entirely within the south-flowing Monument Creek
drainage basin, except for the northern most slopes of
Ben Lomond Mountain which are in the north-flowing Carpenter
Creek drainage basin. Native vegetation is ecotonal in
that it occurs between the plains and the alpine mountain
vegetation and consists largely of Ponderosa pine and
Gambel oak along with upland native grasses and wildflowers.
TRANSPORTATION
Primary east-west road access into the Sub-area is by
County Line Road along the northern boundary which connects
Palmer Lake to I-25 at Interchange 163 and is paved. The
primary north-south road access is Beacon Lite Road that
connects State Highway 105 to County Line Road and while
there has been considerable debate over paving of this
road, at this time only the southern half of Beacon Lite
Road is paved, while the northern half is gravel. The
majority of the streets within the Sub-area are residential
and many of them are paved.
LAND
USE
Buildings in the area are almost entirely owner-occupied
single family residences. The few exceptions to this include
a bed-and -breakfast at County Line and Beacon Lite Road
and a small manufacturing plant along Beacon Lite Road.
Open space consists of platted residential lots that have
not yet been built on, unplatted areas, minor floodplains
of smaller streams, and the steep scarps of Ben Lomand
Mountain. Zoning in the area is predominately residential
with the exception of a portion of land between Beacon
Lite Road and Interstate 25 and the area bordering the
Town of Monument, which are zoned commercial and/or industrial.
The
nearest commercial service area is the Town of Monument
immediately south of the Sub-Area boundary. The Town of
Palmer Lake to the west of the Sub-Area, also provides
commercial services. Utilities are provided by the Mountain
View Electric Association, Peoples Natural Gas Company,
and U.S. West telephone service. No water is imported
into the area. Provision for individual water and sewerage
systems is the responsibility of the individual lot owner.
Most wells are drilled into the Dawson Formation and generally
pump less than 10 gallons per minute. While there are
no schools located within the Sub-area, Lewis-Palmer School
District 38 provides many excellent schools in close proximity
to the Elephant Rock Sub-Area.
It
is envisioned that the future growth of the Elephant Rock
Sub-Area will be predominantly residential. The unplatted
areas should be developed to the same densities as the
present development. No additional commercial development
is contemplated for the area but small local service businesses
may be desirable in the vicinity of Interstate 25 and
County Line Road. Major commercial center and off-ramp
service businesses should be discouraged at that intersection.
OPPORTUNITIES
Residential development along the north-facing slopes
of Ben Lomond Mountain and along County Line Road should
be limited to the larger lot sizes of 5 acres or greater
in an effort to provide a gradual transition into the
Greenland Ranch. To the north in Douglas County, The Greenland
Ranch is being considered for state designated open space.
Whether the open space designation is enacted or not,
Douglas County zoning in this area is for 35 acre rural
lots. Although County Line Road is the boundary separating
El Paso and Douglas Counties, it would be sensible to
plan for a gradual transition rather than a sharp and
abrupt density change between the higher-density residential
areas in El Paso County and the expansive scenic open
space of Douglas County.
CONSTRAINTS
Development of the unplatted areas will be constrained
by the availability to obtain a septic permit since it
is not possible to obtain permits for lots less than 2
.5 acres in size, and the ability to get a well permit
from the State Engineer.
Central
water and sewer facilities are not availab1e in the Elephant
Rock Sub-Area at present and it is unlikely that they
will become available in the near future.
A
major consideration for the future of the Elephant Rock
Sub-Area is its adjacency to I-25 and the existing and
future commercial or industrial development east of Beacon
Lite Road which will greatly impact the eastern boundary
of the Sub-Area. The influence of the Interstate 25 Visual
Overlay will need to be carefully considered to preserve
the rural residential character of the Sub-Area.
In
summary, the appealing rural residential character of
the Sub-Area should not change but the number of houses
will increase as platted lots are built upon and the unplatted
areas are developed. It is considered highly desirable
to retain the rural residential character of the area
rather than to allow semi-urban or urban densities or
other non-residential or multi-family land uses to impact
the overall character of the Elephant Rock Sub-Area.
LAND
USE SCENARIO
- The
existing rural residential development pattern should
be continued.
- A
major upgrading of Beacon Lite Road should be encouraged
- Uses
appropriate to the east of Beacon Lite Road and adjacent
to the I-25 corridor would include any mixed use development
that is compatible with existing rural residential subdivisions.
Land uses appropriate in the immediate vicinity of the
I-25 corridor would include office, light industrial
and multifamily type if uses which are incorporated
into a natural-like setting and consistent with the
vision for that corridor.
- A
low-density rural residential buffer should originate
no more than 100 feet west of Beacon Lite Road.
- Major
commercial centers and heavy industrial uses are not
appropriate in the area adjacent to Beacon Lite between
Waconda Way and County Line Road.
- Urban
density development should only be approved if adequate
urban services are available.
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