On Monday, the Monument City Council unanimously approved a Final Planned Unit Development for 158 single-family detached homes along Old Denver Road. The project would realign Old Denver Road and include trail connections for the Santa Fe Regional Trail. The 23-acre subdivision will occupy a lo ng, thin strip of land, with a density of 6.89 units per acre. Chelsey Green, Director of Entitlement at Meritage Homes, said that the project’s price range was targeted for the high $400,000s to the low $500,000s, a price point typically occupied by townhomes and attached dwellings in Monument. “Residents will still get their private rear yard, etc., in that price band,” she said at the meeting. Meritage Homes is a national home-building company based in Arizona. The company has over 20 active projects along the Front Range, including east of Monument at Meridian Ranch and Paint Brush Hills. The subdivision has been in the works with the town since at least 2020 and occupies one lot of a larger project called the Conexus Planned Development. The developers met with local group Save Monument and held a public meeting at the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce in December of last year. “We’ve made various changes to the plans throughout that process,” said Andrea Barlow, a principal with consulting company N.E.S. Inc., which is representing the project. Other lots around the subdivision are slotted for commercial, industrial and high-density residential use. The project will occupy a sliver of land between the previous curve of Old Denver Road and a new straightened section. Councilman Kenneth Kimple said he was concerned about the roadway’s performance during an emergency event. “We’re adding a whole bunch of homes that either have to funnel up to (Highway) 105 or down to Baptist Road to get out,” he said. Councilman Chad Smith pointed out that the new section of roadway was wider than the existing road. The nearby Santa Fe Regional Trail will also likely see modifications due to the project. The 14-mile trail managed by El Paso County parallels part of the road. Monument Director of Planning Dan Ungerleider said that the town is working with the county to license new trail connections. Meritage plans to break ground quickly, with the first closing targeted for 2027. The homes will have two-car garages, zero-scape landscaping to cut down on water use, and dark-sky compliant lighting. Councilman Steve King said that the final plan for Conexus was a positive compromise for Monument residents who were fearing dense commercial development. “It’s not going to be giant warehouses,” he said. ...read more read less