On December 13th, the El Paso County Board of Commissioners will be voting on whether to approve a re-zoning request related to the proposed development of Flying Horse North. The developer's proposed plans currently include an extension of Stagecoach Road from Highway 83 all the way through to Black Forest Road. We believe this extension is bad for Black Forest and El Paso County residents because:

On October 18th, after many hours of hearing from the developer and residents on the matter, the El Paso County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of the application because in their judgment it was not in the best interest of the health, safety and wellbeing of the residents of El Paso County, and that current infrastructure was not sufficient to support it. They are an advisory board however - it is the votes of the County Commissioners on December 13th that matter!

because in their judgment it was not in the best interest of the health, safety and wellbeing of the residents of El Paso County, and that current infrastructure was not sufficient to support it. Traffic on Highway 83 is already dangerously high for a two lane road, especially during morning and afternoon commutes or when I-25 is congested and Denver traffic is diverted. Residents living along 83 already have to wait several minutes for a small break in traffic to try to get out onto the road, creating a dangerous situation for all.

for a two lane road, especially during morning and afternoon commutes or when I-25 is congested and Denver traffic is diverted. Residents living along 83 already have to wait several minutes for a small break in traffic to try to get out onto the road, creating a dangerous situation for all. The proposed extension of Stagecoach would, by the developer's own admission, add 2,200 more car trips per day onto Highway 83 . This would mean about 220 trips per hour during peak traffic times, or almost one new car trying to access or exit Highway 83 (without a stoplight) every 15 seconds .

. This would mean about 220 trips per hour during peak traffic times, or almost . Besides the additional traffic related to homes in the development and customers of the golf course (the 2,200 noted above), there would be significant heavy construction traffic for over a decade , creating dangerous situations at an intersection where hills and curves reduce visibility and reaction time.

, creating dangerous situations at an intersection where hills and curves reduce visibility and reaction time. The proposed extension would be classified as a "Major Collector" with a speed limit of 45 mph, (meaning many people will drive 60+ mph on it) and they are proposing making the road run parallel to several Black Forest residents' back yards with only a 15 foot buffer zone . This will transform our neighbors yards from tranquil and parklike to loud and semi-urban feeling , significantly damaging their property values and quality of life. We should stand up for our neighbors when their properties and way of life are threatened by powerful interests.

. , significantly damaging their property values and quality of life. We should stand up for our neighbors when their properties and way of life are threatened by powerful interests. All of this harm to the community and property owners is unnecessary, as there are five other less busy access points available to Flying Horse North. Direct access to Hwy 83 is desired by the developers, but is not required for a successful development.

We ask you to stand with your Black Forest neighbors and the El Paso County Planning Commission in letting the Board of Commissioners know that you believe this proposed extension of Stagecoach Road is not our best interest, and would put a dangerous strain on an already heavily burdened two lane road. Let's band together and lower the chances of tragic accidents and deaths in the future.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can also email the Commissioners directly in your own words - their emails can be found here: http://bcc.elpasoco.com/Pages/default.aspx (click the name on the left that you want the email for). This is a very meaningful way to communicate with them!