Petition seeks to put Karman Line annexation on the ballot
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Following the City Council's approval of the Karman Line Annexation, some community members have filed a petition to oppose the vote.
During the vote on Jan. 28, several community members spoke out, hoping to change the Colorado Springs City Council's mind before the vote. Some individuals who spoke expressed concerns about water, emergency services, animals, uncontrolled growth, and more.
Karman Line Annexation approved
The City Council voted 7-2 in favor of the annexation. The land would annex 1,900 acres located west of Schriever Space Force Base which is currently vacant. The developer said the project would take around 20 years to complete.
Now, citizens are trying to oppose the vote once again.
'We feel their vote did not accurately reflect the will of the Colorado Springs Citizens,' the petition that surged online stated. 'For this reason and the key concerns below we have established a legal petition to garner 18,696 signatures to take this to a ballot for Colorado Springs citizens to decide.'
According to the group, they would need 18,000 signatures or more by Thursday, Feb. 27 to put the question on the ballot this summer or get the City Council to defer their decision. The opposition gathers key concerns such as:
Growth
Water
Increase in utility costs
Housing need
Emergency response concerns
Underutilized existing resources
Wildlife concern
City Vision misalignment
Urban enclave costs
The petition claims that the City Council's approval also fails to meet annexation standards, as Colorado law requires annexations to demonstrate a 'community of interest' and meet a 25% standard of the property perimeter.
'Diagrams submitted for Karman Line suggest this threshold is not met, with only an estimated 15-20% contiguity,' the petition states.
Petition organizers told FOX21 News they would be at different establishments around Colorado Springs gathering signatures.
'Flagpole annexations like Karman Line create the worst kind of urban sprawl, stretch municipal services, and prioritize short-term developer profits over long-term city planning,' according to the petition.
FOX21 News reached out to City Council for comment but had not received a reply at the time of publication.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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