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WOODMOOR
SUBAREA #7
LOCATION
Woodmoor is located in the extreme north central part of
El Paso County. The area is bounded on the North by County
Line Road, on the West by Interstate 25 on the South by
Higby Road and on the East by Furrow Road (North Woodmoor).
The East boundary for South Woodmoor is the Arrowwood Subdivision
and there is not a North-South road which defines that boundary.
A small portion of North Woodmoor extends to the East of
Furrow Road north of the intersection with Woodmoor Drive.
GEOGRAPHICAL
DESCRIPTION
Drainage
North Woodmoor and a portion of South Woodmoor are drained
by Dirty Woman Creek and its tributaries. A portion of South
Woodmoor is drained by tributaries of Teachout Creek. In
addition, a small portion of South Woodmoor is drained by
tributaries of Jackson Creek. All drainage ultimately runs
into Monument Creek on the west side of Interstate 25.
Within
Woodmoor and along the tributaries of Dirty Woman Creek,
are numerous marshy areas and ponds. Almost all of these
areas and ponds are Common Areas that serve as open space
for area wildlife and are owned and maintained by the Woodmoor
Improvement Association (WIA). Some of these ponds are large
enough to be used for skating in the winter time.
In
the South West part of North Woodmoor is Lake Woodmoor.
This lake is privately owned but the Woodmoor Water and
Sanitation District has plans to purchase the lake. The
lake would be used by the Water and Sanitation District
to store non-potable water which would be pumped to the
lake from Monument Creek on the west side of I-25 to maintain
the water level in Lake Woodmoor. A pipeline is to be built
from near Lewis Palmer High School to the lake and the stored
potable water would be used as irrigation for Lewis Palmer
High School. Future plans include providing irrigation water
for Woodmoor Elementary School and for the Lewis Palmer
Middle School. Water from Lake Woodmoor is currently being
sold to the Woodmoor Country Club to water the golf course.
When
the Woodmoor Water & Sanitation District purchases the
lake, the plan is for the lake surface to be leased to the
WIA, who would then be responsible for the use of the lake
for recreational purposes. The WIA is studying ways to make
the lake a valuable recreational amenity for the community.
Use of the lake is currently restricted to members of the
Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and while fishing
and non-motorized boats are allowed, swimming is not.
Topography
The terrain of Woodmoor is hilly and is dissected by many
drainage channels. Slopes range from very gentle, primarily
in South Woodmoor, to relatively steep slopes in other areas.
One common area referred to as Toboggan Hill, has taken
recreational advantage of one of the steep ridges in Woodmoor
and is a popular winter-time recreation area.
Erosion
is a problem in parts of Woodmoor where vegetated steep
slopes and natural drainage patterns have been disturbed
while building roads and residences. Lining the ditches
with rocks, terracing, and other measures have to be employed
with some success to prevent erosion in these areas. These
measures have met with varying degrees of success due to
the large volume of runoff. Along some of the drainage channels,
there are areas which are designated within the 100-year
floodplain and building on these lots must meet El Paso
County's regulations and may also require special construction
techniques and/or flood insurance.
Geology
Most of Woodmoor sits on the upper part of the Dawson Formation.
This formation consists of sedimentary deposits laid down
in the Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous Periods and is composed
of arkosic sandstone, siltstone, claystone and minor conglomerate.
The formation extends from Colorado Springs to Denver and
is up to 2000 feet thick. The Dawson aquifer is an important
source of groundwater. A small portion of the South Woodmoor
area lies on Pleistocene Slocum Alluvium, a bouldery cobble
gravel near the mountains. It's thickness is generally less
than 26 feet and it forms gently sloping surfaces 25 to
35 feet above present streams.
Soils
Soils over much of Woodmoor are coarse-grained sandy soils
developed on the underlying sedimentary rocks. Marshes and
areas with silt, clay or organic soils are primarily located
in the common areas. There are a few areas with rock outcrops
and larger boulders are occasionally found in the soils.
Soils in most of Woodmoor are highly erosive when disturbed.
Vegetation
A large portion of Woodmoor is covered with Ponderosa Pine
and covenants cutting removal. Scrub oak is also found in
clusters throughout Woodmoor. Open areas are covered with
native grass, wild flowers, and willows, that occur along
the streams and in wet areas. Noxious weeds such as Canadian
Thistle, are a problem in the open areas and mowing and
spraying are necessary for their control. Ponderosa Pine
are subject to cyclical infestation by the mountain pine
beetle and Mistletoe that can be serious problems if not
controlled.
DEVELOPMENT
STATUS
Zoning
Most of Woodmoor is zoned single-family residential. There
are areas within Woodmoor which are zoned commercial or
multi-family. There are also areas that are within the Woodmoor
Sub-Area of this Plan but are actually outside the boundary
of the Woodmoor Subdivision. These areas include a variety
of zoning and may range from Agricultural to light industrial.
Residential
Demographics
The largest subdivision in the Woodmoor Sub-area is Woodmoor,
a predominantly a residential subdivision. Woodmoor is a
covenanted community with a reputation for enforcement of
covenants. Woodmoor was started in the late sixties as a
retirement community and most of the residents at that time
were military retirees. In recent years, the demographics
have changed and now many of the newer residents are younger
professionals with children. Woodmoor residents are generally
employed outside the Planning Area and commute to or between
the Colorado Springs area, the Air Force Academy, and the
Denver area.
Land
Values
At this time, there are approximately 2700 residential lots
with homes on approximately 2300 of the lots. Lots in Woodmoor
range in size from under one-half acre to over one acre
and homes range in price from $150,000 to over $500,000
with the average around $250,000. The subdivision is nearing
buildout. Some of the remaining lots are owned by individuals
who plan to build future homes, as investment properties,
or by residents who own more than one property to gain a
larger lot. There is a number of lots that are marginally
buildable due to the slope of the lot or floodplains. Most
of the remaining buildable lots are located in the South
Woodmoor portion of the subdivision.
Other
subdivisions exist within the boundary of the Woodmoor Sub-Area.
One such subdivision is The Heights, which is comprised
of roughly 100 lots and is located just north of Woodmoor
on County Line Road. Doewood Estates is a relatively new
subdivision located in the northwestern part of the Sub-Area
that has approximately 50 homes in the moderate to upscale
price range. Briarhaven consists of 25 homes located north
of SH 105 and are in the moderate price range. Vista Clara
Villas is a subdivision in the far northeastern corner of
the Sub-Area where more upscale homes are located on five
acre lots. Development patterns have to a great extent been
established in the Sub-Area and it is likely that undeveloped
parcels in the Sub-Area will continue to be developed in
densities similar or slightly higher than Woodmoor.
MIXED
USE
Overall, there is very little commercial development or
commercially-zoned property in the Woodmoor Sub-Area. Most
of the non-residential uses that have developed include
small office buildings, churches and religious based institutions,
and small community-based commercial. Most of the major
commercial business activity have occurred and will likely
continue to occur within the Town of Monument.
Woodmoor
Office Park
Along Woodmoor Drive there is an area west of Lake Woodmoor
with mixed uses including a number of small offices, the
middle and charter schools, a church, higher density residential
townhomes and other uses. This area is experiencing considerable
growth and it is expected that the market demand for small
office space will continue even though the zoning in this
location may not be consistent with market demand and may
require rezoning.
Deer
Creek Road
The areas along Deer Creek Road north of Woodmoor Drive
have developed into office and light industrial. This area
is experiencing considerable growth and it is expected that
the market demand for small office space will continue even
though the zoning in this location may not be consistent
with market demand and may require rezoning.
Lake
Woodmoor Drive
The largest commercial facility in this Sub-Area is the
Woodmoor Center that is an older neighborhood commercial
center with a number of small businesses and a library.
Due to the out-of-the-way location of this center, business
tend to be small, locally-owned and operated.
SH
105
The areas adjacent to SH 105 from I-25 east to the Lake
Woodmoor Drive intersection have the potential for mixed
use and higher density residential development. However,
accessibility to properties along SH 105 continues to be
an issue as CDOT tightly controls access from SH 105 to
ensure the efficient flow of traffic along this major arterial.
Struthers
Road
Most of the property along Struthers Road to the west of
South Woodmoor is located within the Town of Monument. Future
land uses that might occur on these properties could be
expected to be commercial or office.
Monument
Hill Road
Much of the property that is adjacent to Monument Hill Road
is currently zoned agricultural or rural residential. Given
their proximity to I-25, it is likely that these properties
will be rezoned to either a non-residential use or to higher
density residential.
Woodmoor
Drive
Within the Woodmoor subdivision there is the Woodmoor Country
Club which has a very fine golf course covering several
hundred acres. This is a private club drawing membership
primarily from the Woodmoor Subdivision.
Open
Space Areas
Throughout the Woodmoor Subdivision are a number of common
areas. These are areas owned by the Woodmoor Improvement
Association and maintained for the use of the Woodmoor Subdivision
residents. Facilities are limited to an occasional trail
and a picnic table.
TRANSPORTATION
Primary access into the Woodmoor Sub-Area is via SH 105,
County Line and Baptist Roads from Interstate I-25. The
system of roadways in the Woodmoor Sub-Area consists primarily
of quaint narrow and winding residential roads that are
often non-continuous and/or indirect. These roads have no
shoulders or sidewalks. With the change in demographics
in Woodmoor from retired military to young professional
with families, there is an ever-increasing number of children
and thus, a greater safety problem with children walking
or cycling on the streets. Recently, the lack of sidewalks
have become more of a safety issue due to School District-38
instatement of a non-transportable area requiring many students
who live within a one or two mile radius to walk, ride bicycles,
or find other means of transportation for getting to school.
The
overall roadway system was designed to accommodate a rural-residential
retirement-community. While the system still functions sufficiently,
changes in demographics, increased population, and increased
vehicle use have contributed to congestion at some intersections
and overall more traffic on residential roads. The most
congested intersection is probably SH 105 and Woodmoor drive.
The
east-west roads are somewhat more orderly and complete than
the north-south roads, however there are a few possibilities
for additional roadways and improvements that might help
to improve the existing roadways. Most residential roadways
in the Sub-Area are maintained by the El Paso County Transportation
Department, however, I-25 and SH 105 are maintained by Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT).
North-South
Roads
North-south arterials include I-25, Jackson Creek Parkway,
Monument Hill, Struthers, and Furrow Roads. Several collector
roads exist but are generally not direct or continuous roadways.
Monument
Hill Road
Monument Hill Road is one of three continuous north-south
roads in the Woodmoor Sub-Area. It is located within the
I-25 right-of-way and is under the jurisdiction of the Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT). It serves as a frontage
road between County Line Road and Woodmoor Drive. The sharp
curves near County Line Road and steep grades as the road
descends Monument Hill are not ideal traffic conditions
for a collector road. Currently CDOT allows for seven access
points that are being used for a campground, a home sales
office, and a private residence. There is a future possibility
that the right-of-way for Monument Hill Road could be used
if I-25 were to be widened.
Jackson
Creek Parkway
Jackson Creek Parkway is planned as a frontage-type access
of I-25 between SH 105 and Baptist Road. Once built, it
will provide a needed north-south continuous corridor.
Struthers
Road
This road fronts onto the east side of I-25 and extends
south from SH 105 to Baptist Road. The portion of Struthers
Road south of Higby Road will be re-aligned over to Jackson
Creek Parkway. It is likely as development occurs between
Baptist and Northgate Roads, that Struthers Road will be
extended.
Furrow
Road
Furrow Road extends from County Line Road south to SH 105.
Furrow is a winding narrow road that ends prior to Higby
Road. There are plans to extend Furrow Road south to Baptist
Road as development occurs.
East-West
Roads
County Line Road
As the name implies, County Line Road is the separation
between El Paso and Douglas Counties. Many residents consider
this road a secondary access into North Woodmoor. The significance
of this road will grow as development occurs, particularly
as it relates to the as yet undeveloped corridor paralleling
I-25 and undeveloped parcels along County Line Road.
SH
105
Traffic on SH 105 has increased substantially over the last
15 years due to growth in the Woodmoor, Ponderosa Breaks,
West Cherry Creek and Monument Sub-Areas. The Interchange
at Monument is often congested and inadequate. It is scheduled
to be improved but has been delayed due to funding priorities
and the listing of the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse as
a threatened species. The Weigh Station along Monument Hill
Road also limits the options for interchange design.
Higby
Road
Higby Road forms the southern border of the Woodmoor Sub-Area.
It extends east from Struthers Road to Roller Coaster Road
through remnants of the Higby Estate. It is a narrow road
and very picturesque.
Baptist
Road
Baptist Road is south of the Woodmoor Sub-Area but is used
by many residents of Woodmoor to access Struthers Road.
The interchange at Baptist Road is scheduled to be improved
to accommodate the increase in traffic from the rapid growth
of subdivisions to the east.
INFRASTRUCTURE
(excluding roads):
Electricity
Electricity to the Woodmoor area is provided by the Mountain
View Electric Company. There are some overhead transmission
lines but most of the residential service is underground.
In the past few years much of the underground transmission
network has been replaced with new and more reliable cable.
The service provided seems to be adequate and the company
able to provide for the growth in the area.
Water
and Sewer
Water and sanitary sewer service is provided by the Woodmoor
Water and Sanitation District. The District has the capacity
and capability to provide adequate service to the area and
accommodate the anticipated growth.
Schools
Within Lewis Palmer School District-38 Schools there are
three elementary schools, one middle school and one high
school. Two of these schools are located in North Woodmoor,
including the Middle School and Lewis Palmer Elementary
School. Lewis Palmer High School is located near the boundary
with South Woodmoor. While District-38 is noted for it's
ongoing excellent scholastic record and dedication to providing
a good education, better planning is needed in locating
school sites with respect to traffic and necessary infrastructure.
Government
County:
Most of the Woodmoor area is an un-incorporated area within
El Paso County. The governing is accomplished by an elected
board of commissioners and other officials and a county
staff.
Woodmoor
Improvement Association: The Woodmoor Improvement Association
(WIA) is a quasi-government organization that enforces a
strong set of covenants and architectural controls for the
subdivision. It also collects assessments and maintains
common areas within the subdivision.
Police
Protection: Police protection is provided by the county
but it is not inadequate to meet the needs of Woodmoor residents.
Resources available to the northern part of the county allow
for only a single deputy sheriff on duty at any given time,
thus the response time is very poor. Actual patrol time
in the northern part of the county is very minimal. WIA
has a public safety unit which provides 24-hour service
to the residents of the Woodmoor subdivision. Although the
patrolmen providing this service are fully trained, they
are not recognized by the state as a police authority.
Fire
Protection: The Woodmoor area is serviced by the Woodmoor
Fire Department located within North Woodmoor. This Department
provides adequate service to the Subdivision and surrounding
area. Nearby, in the Town of Monument, is the Tri-Lakes
Fire Department which can augment the Woodmoor Fire Department
as necessary. Both fire departments have paramedic capability.
FUTURE
VISION: (potential for further development, open space
preservation, trails, parks etc.)
Surrounding
Areas within the Woodmoor Sub-Area
Surrounding the Woodmoor Subdivision are areas which
are in other subdivisions, such as Arrowwood, unplatted
parcels, and areas within the town of Monument. Residents
within the Woodmoor subdivision have chosen adhere to specific
convents but have limited jurisdiction over what takes place
in other surrounding areas. There have been occasions where
incorporation or annexation by the town of Monument have
been considered but neither has been carried out.
CONSTRAINTS
The lack of a significant amount of land available to be
developed limits future growth of the Woodmoor area. Services
provided by the county are not adequate to meet the needs
of residents. Because roads are dependent upon developers,
they are poorly planned as they do not consider the Sub-Area
as a whole. All other services such as police protection
and recreational facilities are inadequate in proportion
to the population of the area. One clear example is that
the County does not provide for or maintain community parks
with playground facilities or an interconnected trail systems.
SUMMARY:
The Woodmoor area is nearly built out and very little growth
can be expected except for in-fill properties. A couple
of significant large parcels exist but given land values
and development pressure, the future of these properties
cannot be anticipated to remain undeveloped.
There
are significant problems in the area. Among these, the greatest
are the road infrastructure and traffic volume, speeds and
congestion. The rebuilding of the SH 105 and Baptist Road
interchanges will be a positive step, but there is no indication
that there is an effort to deal with the lack of north-south
roads. Traffic problems and traffic safety problems will
continue to grow while waiting for development of some of
the remaining areas in the Woodmoor area and to the south.
The
quality of life in the Woodmoor area could be greatly enhanced
if recreational parks, trails, and police protection were
provided or upgraded by the County.
Woodmoor
- Land Use Scenario
- The
predominant development emphasis should be on residential
uses that are provided with central water and sewer, and
adequate services. The existing residential patterns should
be preserved, reinforced, and continued. New residential
development should be consistent with, compatible with,
or larger than existing lot sizes. Higher densities should
be considered only in association with a density bonus
for open space or other amenities such as a school-site,
and only located in transition zones adjacent to or in
areas designated as mixed use. (Refer to sections on Clustering
and Open Space and Land Use within this Plan).
- Development
along I-25 should be consistent with the recommendations
as stated in the I-25 Corridor Overlay. Uses appropriate
for this area might include office park, medical facilities,
and suitable and compatibly commercial. Appropriate buffers
should be required and properly maintained between non-residential
and residential uses. Development in the I-25 Overlay
corridor should be consistent with the goals and objective
of the I-25 Overlay and coordinated between the County,
the Town of Monument, developers, and adjacent subdivisions.
- Mixed-use
development should be considered in designated areas along
SH 105, Woodmoor Drive and Lake Woodmoor Drive. Building
styles should be consistent and/or compatible with WIA
architectural design standards. All commercial development
should serve a local need and have limited hours of operation.
- Development
of recreational parks, interconnecting trail systems,
and preservation of open spaces should be incorporated
into new and existing development to accommodate the needs
of both the residents and wildlife.
- Development
located in the Ponderosa Forest should be extremely sensitive
to the recommended forest management principles as noted
in the Natural System Section of this Plan.
- Development
located on steep terrain should be sensitive to the natural
sloping landscape and not increase historic runoff flows
or soil erosion onto adjacent properties or within drainageways
as noted in the goals and objectives of the Drainage and
Flood Control Section of this Plan.
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