Calhan’s 475-home North Tree proposal moves to impact study, putting water and roads at the center of what comes next
Calhan CO – The town has not approved the North Tree annexation. It has only moved the 96-acre proposal into an impact-study stage focused on water, roads, and growth costs.
Calhan’s latest step on the North Tree proposal is not an approval. It is a requirement that the developer pay for an annexation impact report before the town moves any farther.
That matters because the project could be large for a town this size. The proposal covers about 96 acres on Calhan’s northwest edge and, according to reporting by the Colorado Springs Gazette, could bring more than 475 single-family homes if it eventually clears the full review process.
For now, the town board has only advanced the application into the study phase. The question before Calhan is not whether houses are already on the way. It is whether the town can support the project’s water, wastewater, road, and broader growth demands if the annexation and later development approvals move forward.
Why the impact report matters
An annexation impact report is meant to give local leaders a clearer picture before they take a final vote. In practice, that means measuring what a project could mean for water supply, sewer capacity, transportation, and the costs of serving a larger population over time.
The town’s North Tree notice shows the proposal is still an active land-use application. El Paso County’s EDARP project record also places the annexation in review status, not approved status. The county review comments add another important detail: the annexation impact report still has to be submitted before the process can be scheduled further.
That sequence is important for residents who may hear about a large housing project and assume the decision is already made. It is not. Calhan has not approved annexation or development. The town is still collecting the information it says it needs before any final action.
Why the scale stands out in Calhan
The scale of the proposal is part of what makes it so significant. U.S. Census QuickFacts lists Calhan’s population at well under 1,000 residents. A project that could eventually add more than 475 homes would represent a major change in a town of that size, even before considering the people who would live in those homes, the services they would use, and the roads they would drive.
That is why local officials have focused on infrastructure capacity. Water and wastewater systems are often the most expensive pieces of growth in small towns, and road access can also become a long-term cost for maintenance and traffic flow. Those are the kinds of issues the impact study is expected to help clarify.
Schools may also become part of the larger conversation, but the sources reviewed for this report do not show a final estimate of enrollment or district impact. For now, that remains one of the questions the review process is meant to examine rather than answer in advance.
What happens next
The next checkpoint is the annexation impact report itself. After that, Calhan can continue its review, and the town would still need to take additional steps before any annexation or development approval can happen.
For residents, the practical takeaway is simple: the North Tree proposal is moving forward in process, not in approval. The major questions still on the table are whether Calhan has the water, sewer, road, and fiscal capacity to absorb a project of this size without creating costs the town cannot comfortably handle.
Sources
- Colorado Springs Gazette report on the North Tree annexation step
- Town of Calhan North Tree annexation notice
- El Paso County EDARP project details for North Tree Annexation into Calhan
- El Paso County EDARP agency review comments for North Tree annexation
- Town of Calhan Comprehensive Plan 2035
- U.S. Census QuickFacts for Calhan town
