Colorado Springs planning director resigns after almost 12 years - Colorado Springs Gazette

Colorado Springs Planning and Development Director Peter Wysocki resigned Friday after almost 12 years in the job.

City Council President Randy Helms said after some mistakes in the planning department that led the city to push back council decisions on large developments, Mayor Yemi Mobolade's administration decided to make a change.

"The administration wanted to move in a different direction and thought now was the right time," he said.

Helms said he doesn't expect Wysocki's departure will push back a City Council vote on whether to annex 3,200 acres east of Fountain, a subdivision known as Amara. He also doesn't expect it will push back a decision on Arrowswest, a large proposed apartment complex along Garden of the Gods Road. Both large projects have been controversial.

While Helms said he has concerns about the loss of Wysocki's institutional knowledge, he believes in the new acting director, Kevin Walker.

Walker manages numerous metro districts around town through his company, Walker Schooler District Managers.

"I have a lot of faith in Kevin; I think he will be a good leader for the department," Helms said.

An online profile for Walker shows that he worked as a planner for the city of Colorado Springs from 1979 to 1982. He also worked as a vice president for Norwood Development Group, a large development company in town, from 2004 to 2010, before starting his own business.

The council was not consulted about the change in planning department leadership, but it does directly affect the City Council because they make decisions on land-use proposals.

In a news release, the city said Walker will oversee oversee comprehensive planning, urban planning, land-use review and the development-review enterprise. He will report to Deputy Chief of Staff Travis Easton. Walker has a master’s degree in city planning from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and is certified by the American Planning Association as an American Institute of Certified Planners.

Wysocki oversaw the planning department and neighborhood services, with a staff of 97 people, according to the 2024 budget.

While at the city, Wysocki led the planning department through rapid growth and some densification in recent years, with nearly 3,060 apartments completed last year alone. Another 8,858 apartments were under construction at the end of last year, The Gazette reported previously.

He also stewarded major updates to documents that will shape the city for decades, including the city’s comprehensive plan and a rewrite of the city's zoning code.

The planning director started in his position under Mayor Steve Bach after working as the planning, development and service director for Round Rock, Texas, the largest suburb north of Austin. Before that, he worked for planning departments in Nevada and Wyoming.

Wysocki did not respond to a request for comment from The Gazette.

Steve Posey, the city's chief housing and community vitality officer, resigned unexpectedly in March. A city councilmember told The Gazette at the time Posey's departure did not stem from a conflict.

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