Rural Feel Attracts Residents to Pueblo West
Ann Dolliver no longer needs an alarm clock. The familiar morning brays of Jack‚ her pet burro‚ are her wake-up call.
Jack “communicates” often with another burro that lives nearby‚ Dolliver says‚ exchanging brays that seem to say: “Hi. How's it going?”
Such experiences are‚ in fact‚ exactly why Dolliver and her husband‚ Brad‚ moved to Pueblo West‚ a planned community about seven miles from the Pueblo city limits.
Pueblo West was started in 1969 by forward-thinking developer Robert McCulloch. Even though the community boasts more than 20‚000 residents, it's still the kind of place where citizens can keep horses on their property or board them nearby. And many do.
With a special permit for educational use or 4-H affiliation‚ residents can have more exotic hoofed animals such as llama and alpaca. There's even a resident camel. But Jack the burro is more than just a pet to Ann Dolliver.
“He's just the best watchdog you'll ever find‚” she says with a chuckle.
Not that residents in this roomy corner of Pueblo County need to worry about crime. Neither is there any need for streetlights‚ residents say. Those things might hinder their view of the stars against the night sky.
With acres of wide open spaces‚ there's still plenty of room for newcomers in Pueblo West‚ where housing and land prices are still lower than those in town. One-acre building lots can still be found as low as $7‚500.
McCulloch's master plan‚ designed to accommodate 60‚000 residents‚ continues to form the blueprint for Pueblo West. It has remained essentially intact over the years‚ right down to the miles of horse trails and a variety of land use options.
The 48-square-mile development area fosters a wide range of economic diversity‚ with areas set aside for mobile homes‚ apartments‚ duplexes and even multi-million-dollar palaces. Commercially zoned property includes sections for retail‚ office and light manufacturing - all of which are quickly being filled.
Construction of several schools - including two elementary schools‚ two middle schools‚ one charter school and a high school - means that area youngsters no longer have to be bused out of the community.
The growth of Pueblo West has introduced some problems‚ most notably pressure on infrastructure such as roads‚ water lines and sewer services. Only 268 miles of the 400 miles of roadway in the district are paved.
Since Pueblo West is unincorporated‚ its board of directors oversees civic improvements‚ carried out with revenue gained primarily through property taxes and user fees.
Overall‚ most residents believe the growth is a benefit to the community‚ most significantly by increasing cultural and educational opportunities.
“We used to have only basic sports programs‚” says Jeanne Foute‚ an administrative assistant with Pueblo West's Parks and Recreation Department. “Now you take classes in yoga‚ karate and Spanish. There's even a class in dog obedience.”
Foute lives with her husband and two children in a new house on 2 1/2 acres where she is permitted to have up to three horses.
“I can see Pike's Peak out of my front bay window‚” she says.
The proximity to the Rocky Mountains remains one of Pueblo West's big draws.
But the community also borders on Lake Pueblo State Park‚ one of the most popular parks in the state. Within minutes residents can be hiking‚ fishing‚ camping or simply observing nature.
“When the bluebirds come through in the fall‚ you know it's going to snow in the high mountains in about a week‚” Dolliver reports. “You can depend on it.”
