County presents South Powers extension study; residents urge route changes, developers and agencies back plan

El Paso County staff and consultant Wilson & Company presented the South Powers Extension Planning and Environmental Linkages Study (PEL) and an Access Control Plan at the Planning Commission meeting on July 16, outlining corridor preservation, environmental screening and outreach steps intended to set up future environmental review and funding steps.

Victoria Chavez, transportation planning manager for the county, said the PEL is intended to preserve a corridor from Mesa Ridge Parkway south to a new Interstate‑25 connection and to align future environmental work and funding efforts. Consultant Scott Asher summarized the technical work and said the team carried forward two recommended corridor alternatives: an E3 alignment intended as a nearer‑term preservation priority and an H3 alignment that represents a long‑term, higher‑impact option. "PEL is...setting everything up in this process, so the next phases can go…into the NEPA process, without starting over from scratch," Asher said.

Asher said the team reviewed prior studies, screened roughly 18 preliminary corridor sketches through feasibility and a two‑level analysis, and incorporated public and stakeholder input into refinements. The project team logged 118 public comments and conducted multiple open houses and stakeholder meetings. Maureen Pazdiaruzo, planner on the team, noted the Access Control Plan will be implemented through an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) among El Paso County, the City of Fountain and CDOT so that future development reviews adhere to planned access points.

Public comment reflected the competing stakes. Property owner Eric Eklund urged the commission to reject the E3 alignment, saying "the e route directly goes over our rooftop" and asking that the corridor be routed a mile south to avoid private homes and productive land. Consultant Scott Asher acknowledged repeated meetings with Eklund and said staff has studied southern alternatives and would evaluate mitigation such as viaducts in later design phases. "We did meet with him a lot, and I don't disagree with anything that he said," Asher said.

By contrast, Steve Mulligan, representing the Southern Colorado Rail Park, praised the study and Wilson & Company’s outreach, saying the corridor is critical to regional mobility and freight access and that he supports moving the plan forward.

Chavez emphasized the presentation was the PEL phase — a planning and corridor‑preservation step, not a construction funding commitment. The county said it aims to return in coming months to finalize adoption into the master plan, then pursue right‑of‑way preservation and preliminary design as funding becomes available. No construction funding is in hand; the county and partners will seek future grants and PPRTA or other regional funds to support design and preservation.

The commission set a second hearing date window (anticipated return in September for final adoption if comments are addressed) and acknowledged additional public outreach and technical refinements will continue before any environmental or acquisition phase. Several commissioners thanked staff for the extensive engagement and urged staff to continue outreach and mitigation work for affected property owners.

Public comment and staff responses at this hearing left some neighbors unsatisfied but established the project’s technical findings and preservation recommendations for future environmental review and potential Board of County Commissioners adoption.