Karman  Line Annexation – An epic intrusion

By Jeany Rush

The following was published in OP/ED Letters to the Editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette on June 1, 2025.

Have we, as a city, said we can be bought; are we just haggling over the price?

We understand that there is a need for growth, development and the future. Are we realistic or logical in assessing our needs for water, infrastructure, roads, taxes and citizen costs? Of course, one of my concerns is whether we have really been honest with the people and their prices to pay.

I have a larger concern, and I know this subject is being beat up, but I personally am madder than a disturbed hornet’s nest. How insensitive, and well stupid is it for any developer, and this city to even contemplate, entertain, and create documentation with any annexation in mind being less than 1 mile from one of the most important military concerns/operations in our nation? We are talking about road necessity and access. We are talking about proximity to operations by homes, over 100 acres of commercial warehouses and other such buildings. We are setting up an epic intrusion way too close to an operation.

We don’t seem to have any problem illegally taking eminent domain of ranchers, destroying food production, and putting false/dangerous CO2 pipelines into the ground, rather than leaving it on top to grow plants, and keep us alive! How could this city not stand up for the Shriever Base and say, no way do you or anyone get to be that close to this facility! Have we lost our collective minds? And the dangling promise of housing? $450,000 to $550,000 homes are not within the reach of most young military couples! Talk about a hook with no worm! We still have land within the city to develop!

We are stopping people from using water, but we want to add up to 6,000 houses, tons of other buildings, uses, and hey, so what if we create a quagmire for the existing citizens, and screw up our national security! Just say no, and city leaders, think about creating an immediate major protective space around this facility so no one can threaten them again. We are not protecting our innocent kids in schools, now we want to take away our military facility protections?