Most of the building lots in Stagecoach, Colorado are less than 5 acres.  But if you want to install a septic system, you need five acres of land.  So what’s a landowner who wants to build a home supposed to do if they have a single lot smaller than 5 acres?

There are two choices.

The first is to purchase land (either as a single parcel or combine the purchase of several lots) which will total five acres. This choice can be difficult because there are over 1400 separate landowners in Stagecoach who live all over the world.

The other choice is to get a vault, which Stagecoach permits as an alternative to a septic field.  The vault is then pumped regularly (which can be expensive) until public utilities go through the area.

You can build anywhere in Stagecoach, Colorado, but there are a few things that need to be done before you get a building permit.

1. The roads must be up to grade before you can get a vault permit. Roads must be 16′ wide by 8′ deep and have culverts where applicable (specs are the same as the Oak Creek Fire Dept. specifications). If the road to your lot isn’t up to grade, you can pay for the improvements and possibly see a refund as more people build.

2. Sewer and Water Update–If your lot is not on the public water system, you’ll need a well and sewer vault. Vault fees (including the Vault Impact Fee, Lot Owner Agreements and Well applications) totaled $4666 as of March, 2008. Each Stagecoach neighborhood allows a certain number of vaults. The homeowner agrees that if the public sewer line comes within 100 feet of their property, they will tap into the public system.

***The tap fees for water and sewer and fees for vaults increased significantly in January 2009.  Click here to read about rate increases.

3. Moratorium on Vaults–Morrison Creek Water is talking about a moratorium on vaults. That means they would stop issuing vault permits. Of course, it is all just talk right now, but the current system where homeowners pump out their vaults and transport the waste to the sewer plant is getting to be a burden on the system.

4. Developments in line for public utilities–Morningside will be first. Their Master Plan is okay’d and they only have 8 vault permits left, but no funding is in place to actually do the work.  South Shore and Horseback could be after that.

5. Developments where there is water, sewer, and electric to the lot line: Meadowgreen, Neighborhoods at Youngs Peak, Coyote Run.