Do you have thoughts on the future borders of Colorado Springs? The public is invited to comment on AnnexCOS, the city’s draft annexation guidelines, at an open house on Jan. 13.

“Annexation guidelines are important for city leaders so they can better understand how a city can grow,” said Katie Carleo, the city’s land use review division manager, in a statement.

The new annexation guidelines will focus on “more fiscally sustainable and resilient land use” according to the statement. The comprehensive plan for the city passed in 2019, PlanCOS, called for an update of annexation policy last created in 2006.

Annexation has been a major topic of conversation at the Colorado Springs City Council in 2024, with the board accepting then quickly reversing its decision on the annexation of a 3,200 acre planned residential development known as Amara in unincorporated El Paso County in August.

The rejection axed plans for up to 9,500 new homes in the city limits.

The council in October heard preliminary plans for another large annexation that would bring 6,500 new homes to 2,000 acres close to Schriever Space Force Base. The development, like Amara, would be a “flagpole” annexation to land not currently bordering the city limits.

A timeline for the project, including any formal decision-making on the part of the city, has not yet been finalized.

PlanCOS calls for new annexation policy to enact “limited but strategic additional outward expansion of city limits,” including adding existing enclaves surrounded by the city. Colorado Springs currently has a land area of approximately 200 square miles.

The internal working committee, in charge of overseeing development of new annexation policy, includes two city council members and two city planning commission members. According to the city website, approval of the final guidelines is expected to happen in March of 2025.

The open house will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the City Administration Building (30 S. Nevada) in Room 102.

Additional information on the city’s annexation plan update and update process is available on the city’s website. The text of the draft plan will be available after the Jan. 13 meeting.