COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — At last Tuesday's meeting, the Colorado Springs City Council voted 7-2 to deny an appeal against the construction of an affordable housing complex, leaving some neighbors considering moving while others vow to stay despite concerns.
The decision upholds the approval of Flats at Sand Creek, a development that will bring 144 affordable housing units to an area currently comprised mostly of single-family homes.
"To be quite honest, we're moving. We're going to move in the next year," said Craig Clark, a longtime homeowner at Falcon Terrace.
"We are done. No question," Clark said.
Clark says the council's decision was the final straw for him and his wife.
"We finally realized that every time we come out of this intersection, it's going to be crowded with the proposed development really has no amenities at all," Clark said.
When completed, the Flats at Sand Creek will feature six three-story buildings on the currently empty plot, totaling 144 affordable housing units. The project received more than $20 million in federal funds and was awarded over $4 million through the state's Prop 123 land banking program.
Not all residents plan to leave the neighborhood, however.
"We have a great property. We put a lot of investment into our home, and I don't want to sell," said Shawnee Lovato.
"We love this community," Lovato said.
At Tuesday's Council meeting, Lovato and others voiced concerns about the project, including increased traffic, impacts on property values, and the notion that this type of property "doesn't fit" with the surrounding homes.
Lovato recalls some of her own neighbors injured by accidents that took place at those intersections.
"A lot of it is safety traffic. Some of it's the property value," Lovato said.
Jill Gaebler, Pikes Peak Housing Network's Director, agrees with the City Council's decision.
"Although I think they hear the neighbors and they understand that there are concerns, they are prioritizing the need for housing for our community over some of the other issues," Gaebler said.
"This actually adds 144 affordable units where in an area of our city that is largely only single family home and some town homes," Gaebler said.
Gaebler highlighted some benefits of the development, including its walking distance to Sand Creek High School and proximity to Peterson Space Force Base.
According to past comments from developers, construction could begin as early as this fall.
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