Monument's Town Council voted 4-3 on Nov. 2 to adopt a sweeping new blueprint for how the town grows over the next decade and a half, capping months of public debate over density, downtown redevelopment and whether the small mountain-foothills community can keep its character intact as it expands. The close vote approved Resolution No. 78-2026, formally adopting the Monument 2040 Comprehensive Plan and an accompanying Downtown Master Plan.
Mayor Mitch LaKind joined council members Marco Fiorito, Laura Kronick and Chad Smith in voting yes, while Mayor Pro Tem Steve King and council members Kenneth Kimple and Sana Abbott voted no, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. The new plan replaces Monument's 2017 comprehensive plan and is meant to guide future decisions on housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development and land use, the Gazette reported.
Density and Downtown Were the Sticking Points
The council's debate centered on residential density, downtown redevelopment and preserving Monument's small-town character, per the same account. Monument's Planning Commission had voted unanimously on Oct. 14 to recommend approval, but asked for further consideration of density standards, downtown redevelopment concepts, multifamily housing and implementation flexibility before the plan reached the council.
King pushed back hardest, proposing to remove a flexible residential category from the plan and objecting to language that would allow multifamily development by right in downtown areas, the Gazette reported. Even in dissent, he said the plan “has real strength and represents what most of the community told the council,” adding that he wanted clearer policy direction matching that public input. Kimple, who also voted no, nonetheless praised the new plan's level of detail compared with the 2017 version.
Supporters framed the document differently. Fiorito, who had helped develop the 2017 comprehensive plan, described the new version as significantly more detailed and said it lays out specific goals, strategies and action steps. The Monument Independent reports the adopted document carries 50 goals and 141 strategies. Smith, who served on the plan's steering committee, backed adopting it as a road map for future decisions and noted that an early community meeting was held at an elementary school on Monument's east side.
Resident Alleges Outreach Gaps, Mayor Pushes Back
Not everyone was satisfied with how the plan came together. Resident Daniel Ours criticized aspects of the planning process, alleging that concerns raised during earlier commission discussions were suppressed or inadequately represented, the Gazette reported. Ours also questioned two council members' participation in the commission's review and the extent of outreach conducted east of Interstate 25.
LaKind rejected those allegations, citing public engagement sessions held at schools, parks, the YMCA and other community locations across town. The town's own project page states that engagement for the 2040 plan began in 2025 and drew input from residents, business and property owners, and regional partners through multiple rounds of outreach, according to the Town of Monument. Separate reporting from KRDO found that downtown repeatedly came up during that engagement process as an area with room to grow.
What Adoption Actually Changes — and What It Doesn't
Planning Director Dan Ungerleider was careful to spell out the limits of what the council just did. Adopting the plan does not change existing zoning regulations or grant developers permission to proceed with any projects, he said, per the Gazette's report. Instead, the plan sets policy direction for future consideration, including possible revisions to Title 18 of Monument's municipal code, which governs land development.
Ungerleider said the town is just beginning its discussion of the comprehensive plan, not ending it. The town's own materials describe next steps that include translating the plan into an action program and aligning the development code and capital planning with the plan's priorities, according to the Town of Monument. Officials say the combined comprehensive and downtown plans are meant to provide a long-range framework for growth, housing, economic development, stormwater management and downtown's future over the next 10 to 15 years.
The plan was developed with assistance from the Lakota Group and received funding through a Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant that required adoption by Dec. 31, per the Gazette's reporting.
Jackson Creek Parkway Also on the Council's Radar
In a separate update to the council, Public Works Director Andrew Archuleta reported on progress with the Jackson Creek Parkway improvement project, planned between Higby Road and Fat Tire Drive. The project carries an estimated cost of approximately $17.1 million, with $7.55 million in construction funding identified as of April, the Gazette reported.
Town officials have developed a reduced first phase that would add new northbound lanes while keeping the existing southbound roadway, along with pedestrian improvements, drainage work and utility relocations. Design is roughly 90 percent complete, with remaining work needed on right-of-way requirements, utility coordination and approvals. The town is targeting Nov. 20 to advertise the project for construction bids, with construction expected to begin in 2027 and wrap up by spring 2028; future phases would address additional corridor improvements as funding becomes available.
