When is the Subdivision Coming?

Hey, when is that Subdivision Coming?

By Evan Campbell

A long time ago, news came out about a subdivision that is going in by Wandcrest and across US Highway 285 called Tanglewood Reserve. The subdivision consists of 450 houses in a 279 acre area, with 18 acres for commercial development and 153 acres of open space. Houses will be a quarter to a third of an acre. The developer also plans to put in an overpass on Highway 285 for entrance to the subdivision, paid for by the developer with help from C-DOT (Colorado Department of Transportation). A planned date for completion is yet to be determined.

The issue right now is the water. A 1041 application to obtain fresh water and waste water removal must be approved first by the board of county commissioners. Will-O-Wisp Metropolitan District wants another 570 new water taps for houses and commercial buildings in the new development. They currently serve 119 homes from a groundwater well. To be able to accommodate the subdivision’s needs for water, the district plans to put a diversion from Elk Creek to meet its needs. The plan is al so not to rely on ground water wells to supply water. The district has water rights to 0.7 cubic feet or 328 gallons per minute of Elk Creek.

The commissioners, however, have two objections. One is that a diversion from Elk Creek must not impact aquatic life in the area surrounding the diversion. The other is that the district must have the property rights to the land for a diversion to be able to be constructed. Until those demands are met and the Colorado Division of Water Resources or the State Water Engineer's Office has approved that the new location is less than 200 feet, approval of the 1041 is on hold. What impact will this have on the school district?

The Platte Canyon School District student body is currently getting smaller and smaller in each grade level down from this year’s 8^th grade class. The school district receives about $6,500 per student each year, and at about 120 students per class, that’s a lot of money. With a class of 85 students, that sum of money drops dramatically compared to a class of 120. This means that not as many classes are offered and staff is reduced. However if this subdivision is put in, it means class sizes may increase significantly, and the school district will gain money from new students that may move in and attend a school in the district.

However, those opposed to the project say that the water diverted from Elk Creek may cause their shallow wells to go dry. A petition was created by Elk Creek Coalition that opposes the 1041 for Will-O-Wisp Metropolitan District to divert water from Elk Creek. The status of the petition is unknown.