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Week of October 20, 2022
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ElbertCountyNews.net
VOLUME 127 | ISSUE 36
EPD hires third woman officer Elizabeth department prides itself on principles of diversity, inclusion BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Prestwich, president of the Denverbased design firm PCS Group. “All of those lots will meet current Elbert County zoning requirements. We understand that this is early, and things will continue to evolve.” The meeting began with a short presentation by Prestwich, followed by a lengthy Q&A session. Though not stated at the beginning, the purpose of the meeting was for the developer representatives and the current residents to brainstorm how to make the community successful. The purpose of the meeting was not thoroughly explained until
The Elizabeth Police Department recently hired its third female officer, achieving the highest number of women in departmental history. Leadership within the Town of Elizabeth and the EPD pride themselves on diversity and inclusion, working to give representation to all people of Elizabeth. “We have never had this many female staff in the history of the department,” said EPD Chief Melvin Berghahn in an email exchange from Sept. 28. “We have a lot of diversity alongside the female element too.” Thirty-six-year-old Daisy Tucker joined EPD in August after spending much of her career as an EMT in El Paso County. She is also a Navy veteran. Tucker, from Fountain, received her training from the Pikes Peak Regional Law Enforcement Academy at Pikes Peak State College in May 2021. She now serves as a patrol officer and her duties include responding to calls for service, patrolling the Town of Elizabeth, and various other duties like traffic enforcement. Tucker joins Stephanie Gherbaz and Lyndi Burnley as the three women of EPD. Tucker fielded question from the Elbert County News on Oct. 1, sharing details of her life, background, and what it is like to be a woman in law enforcement.
SEE HOMES, P4
SEE POLICE, P2
This illustration was displayed at an Oct. 3 community meeting for residents of the Spring Valley Ranch area. It shows the plan for a proposed development of 1,193 homes north of the current Spring Valley Ranch subdivisions. PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON
Plan for homes angers residents Spring Valley Ranch area could see 1,193 new dwellings BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Residents and developer representatives met for a community meeting on Oct. 3 to discuss the newly announced proposal for 1,193 homes to be built in the Spring Valley Ranch area within the next few years. The meeting took place at the Spring Valley Golf Club and more
than 75 people were in attendance. The new development would be north of the current Spring Valley Ranch subdivisions, situated between County Roads 21 and 29, and north of County Road 174. It would include stand-alone single-family homes and duplexes. In addition to homes, there is one zone designated commercial and two zones designated commercial/mixed-use. “We’re proposing a 150-foot buffer around the entire perimeter of the residential areas. Then we’re proposing larger five-acre home sites on the east and on the west sides of the communities and then some larger lots on the north,” said John
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14
CULTIVATING HOME
Farm program helping Afghan refugees P14