By Benjamin Perez
I moved to Monument for its small-town charm, its trails, and that feeling of calm you get watching twilight fade behind the foothills. But in recent years, residents in our community—including me—are seeing that charm tested.
Growth Isn’t Just About Numbers
Monument is changing. Subdivision developments, commercial strips, and traffic congestion along corridors like Highway 105 and I-25 are daily reminders of that. Many neighbors say the infrastructure is lagging behind this rapid growth—roads are clogged; intersections feel unsafe; our water supply and green space seem more fragile than ever.
The Infrastructure Strain
When developments go in without adequate planning for roads or evacuation routes, what feels like progress can become a risk. Rising traffic means longer commutes, safety concerns, and noise where children once played quietly. A street that once served a few dozen homes may now bear the weight of an entire subdivision’s worth of cars.
Natural Spaces Under Pressure
Wildfire risk, wildlife habitat, and open spaces are not abstract ideas here—they’re part of our backyard. Many long-time residents will tell you that preserving trails, sustaining our water supply, and protecting what makes our landscape feel like home are not luxuries: they are necessities.
The Identity Question: What Defines Us?
The people in Monument agree: it’s the small-town character, the friendly neighbors, the quiet evenings, and the views that define us. But what happens when development starts to mirror that of more sprawling nearby cities? When big-box retail replaces locally owned shops? When density pushes out green buffers? There’s real concern that, amid growth, we lose what drew many of us here in the first place.
What Residents Want—And What We Can Do
A growing number of folks are calling for stronger planning, clearer ordinances, and more meaningful public input. They’re also advocating for:
- Balanced development: discreet commercial growth that supports local businesses without erasing character.
- Investment in schools and community amenities that lag behind population gains.
- Protection of open space and natural corridors to ensure wildlife and wildfire risks are thoughtfully managed.
- Transparent town governance, where voices from all neighborhoods are heard.
Why It Matters Beyond Tomorrow
These aren’t just concerns for today. How we grow now will ripple into the next generation. Thoughtful growth can retain the beauty and character of Monument—green hillsides, starry skies, trails carved into gentle slopes—while providing the schools, roads, cultural spaces, and services a thriving community deserves.
I believe our strength is that so many of us care. We care because this place isn’t just where we live—it’s what we love. Let’s hold fast to that as we plan forward. Let’s grow, yes—but let’s grow well.