What Monument's Draft Downtown Plan Imagines for Front Street, Second Street and Limbach Park

The Town of Monument's own draft describes downtown honestly. Sidewalks are narrow and uneven. Parking is limited. Nobody is quite sure where downtown starts or stops. The draft also says what brings people in: the Fourth of July, ArtHop, Concerts in the Park and the Farmers Market. Outside those, it says, seasonality and thin off-season programming leave the streets quiet.

The draft Monument 2040 Downtown Master Plan runs 74 pages. The town published it on August 26 alongside a 256-page comprehensive plan. The copy now on the town's site is marked "Draft | October 8, 2026." Most of the public debate has been about two apartment and mixed-use concepts. Read page by page, though, the draft is largely a plan for downtown in the evenings and in the months between summer events. Its most specific near-term steps involve light bulbs, curbs and parking counts.

A Downtown That Works in July

The plan's vision statement says that "in 2040, Downtown Monument is the historic and cultural heart of the community." It describes a "thriving, year-round destination" that takes in the historic core, the Second Street gateway between I-25 and Beacon Lite Road, the Santa Fe Regional Trail trailhead, Limbach Park and the blocks around them. It also calls for stronger links to Monument Lake.

The key phrase is "year-round." The survey responses the consultants collected point the same way. When residents were asked what downtown needs, they named wider and level sidewalks, better wayfinding, lighting, greenery, seasonal events and longer business hours. Some wanted signs that point drivers in from the highway, including near 105 and Second Street. Others said they preferred locally owned businesses to chain or big-box retail.

The draft's business inventory map shows what that local base looks like today. It names Front Street Square, Lolley's, Monument Ice Cream, Covered Treasures Book Store and the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce. The plan wants to keep people walking past those doors on a Tuesday night in February, as well as on ArtHop evenings.

The Fixes Are Mostly Light, Pavement and Parking Counts

The strategy pages turn that goal into steps you can picture on a specific block. Here is what the draft proposes for the streets downtown regulars already use.

• 2nd Street: decorative string lighting, described as a "low-cost, near-term improvement."
• Front Street: first priority for lighting upgrades, because Front Street "currently lacks the streetscape character of 2nd Street."
• Limbach Park: a lighting plan for the park and other downtown gathering spots that "encourages evening use," with every fixture Dark Sky compliant.
• Adams Street south of 2nd Street: filling sidewalk gaps, plus a street improvement plan for curbs, sidewalks and pavement.
• Alleys: an improvement program covering paving, drainage, lighting and maintenance.
• Bike parking: racks at regular intervals, including at Trailhead Park, Limbach Park and near shops and restaurants.
• Monument Lake: better trail surfaces, ADA access, restrooms and parking for cars and bikes, to handle more visitors.
• Parking: a baseline count of parking spaces and how they are used, then better signs to the existing downtown lot, with results reviewed "before building additional Town parking lots."

The parking item shows the plan's general approach. It asks the town to measure demand before paving anything new. It also suggests looking at existing lots that could be shared.

Another proposal fills a gap in the current map. The draft asks the town to support the Heart of Monument Play Park, planned for vacant land north of Second Street beside the Santa Fe Regional Trail. The town's role would include advocacy, in-kind help, permitting support and fundraising outreach. The draft also calls for a maintenance plan for the empty lot while fundraising continues, and for a trail connection in the park's design.

All of this is still a draft. The plan credits Colorado Department of Local Affairs funding, supplemented by a state Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Grant, for producing the plan itself. The draft frames its strategies as guidance for future capital planning and budgets as resources become available.

The Two Buildings, Read Against That Goal

The redevelopment concepts come from the same reasoning. Lighting and sidewalks bring people downtown in the evening. People who live downtown are there in every season.

Front and 3rd streets. The draft calls this a "catalytic site" on the western edge of downtown, where a bike shop now stands surrounded by vacant land. The concept shows a three-story building with 20,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 60 homes on the two floors above. It includes rooftop amenity space facing the Front Range, with parking on Front Street. The plan reports that more than 80 percent of respondents "Liked" (62 percent) or "Adored" (19 percent) the concept. Some respondents still felt three stories was too tall for the site. Under current code, the 35-foot height limit allows a three-story building, and mixed use is a permitted use in the Downtown Business district.

The 2nd Street gateway. The second concept is a 4.5-story apartment building with 140 units near the interstate. The plan itself says it "received mixed feedback."

Downtown already has an example of homes above shops. The draft notes that a mixed-use project at 231 Front Street, with homes over ground-floor retail, was recently completed.

The renderings drew the strongest reactions. At the September 9 public hearing, according to Our Community News, a local business and property owner and a resident said the three-story drawings felt out of character with the historic downtown and did not protect independent businesses. Commissioners Valerie Baumer, Christy Smith and Martin Trujillo, along with the commission's vice chair, agreed that the high-density images did not reflect the small-town look the community wants. OCN also reported staff's clarification that the plans are long-range advisory documents. Exact density limits, height limits and zoning rules would be set later through updates to the Land Development Code.

Business owners have weighed in too. KRDO quoted Jason Mezey, owner of Roots Outfitter Trails and Tavern, calling for growth that "complements" Monument's "character and charm." The draft responds to the same concern with a strategy to expand the downtown design guidelines. That would mean a reference guide to historic architectural details and materials, shared with prospective developers, so that new buildings "reinforce the established character of downtown."

The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to continue the hearing instead of acting on September 9. Commissioners sent written feedback to Planning Director Dan Ungerleider by September 25.

The Dates Still Ahead

The schedule has moved once already. The council vote was first set for October 5. According to The Monument Independent, the town now lists these dates:

The Independent notes that November 2 is the night before Election Day. Five of the council's seven seats, including the mayor's, are on the November 3 ballot, so the current council keeps the vote. Once the comprehensive plan is adopted, changing it takes the same steps as adopting it: a Planning Commission hearing followed by a council vote.

You can speak at the October 14 hearing in person. You can also join remotely by registering ahead of time through the Planning Commission page. Written comments go through the form at monument2040.com or to the Planning Department at [email protected] or 719-884-8015. Council members' email addresses are in the town's council directory. The draft itself is posted with page numbers. The Front and 3rd concept is on page 29, and the lighting and street strategies are on pages 52 through 54.

Jeanne Guischard and The Elite Team follow plans like this one because 2nd Street, Front Street and Limbach Park are part of everyday life in Monument. If you'd like to talk through how downtown's next chapter fits your own plans in the Tri-Lakes area, Schedule Your Free Market Consultation.