Editor’s note: The story has been updated with the location for the new business district, slated for the intersection of Colorado 83 and Powers Boulevard.

The highly visible intersection of Colorado 83 and Powers Boulevard in far north Colorado Springs is slated for a new business district, called Kettle Creek Center.

The Colorado Springs Planning Commission approved a rezoning of the property Wednesday from agricultural to a commercial zoning that allows businesses, such as restaurants, grocery stores and coffeehouses. The City Council must also approve the rezoning request.

“This area has been planned for intense development for many, many years,” said Jason Alwine, with Matrix Design Group, which represented the developers.

However, he did not present details about the plans for about 40 acres broken into four parcels around the intersection.

A few commissioners expressed concern the new development could worsen the traffic problems in the area, ahead of the planned extension of Powers Boulevard to Voyager Parkway. But they did not persuade their colleagues to require developers to bring back more detailed plans for development for approval. More detailed development plans typically go through staff reviews.

There’s “not much this development can do to speed up or slow down the Powers extension, or to address the traffic that is created already by Powers,” Commissioner Nadine Hensler said.

Commissioner David Robbins was among those who expressed concern about the project, because the traffic in the area is “atrocious” and the proposal put the “cart before the horse.”

“I cannot see this as a viable option at this point,” he said.

City Traffic Engineer Todd Frisbie said a traffic study was completed for the project assuming that the Powers Boulevard extension was completed and it did not have a significant impact.

The Powers extension could start in the next few years, because it is a funded Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority project and it is in the design stage now.

Commissioner Ken Casey, who also expressed skepticism about the project, said he trusted city staff understood the board’s concerns about traffic and they would bring those back to the board if they come up.