The next Master Plan meeting for Red Rocks Open Space, Section 16 and White Acres is tonight at 6:30. It is being held at the Westside Community Center, 1628 W. Bijou St. The focus of tonight’s meeting is trails.
Info on trails in the areas and other information on the Master Plan process is posted on the Colorado Springs website. The schedule of future meetings for those open spaces is also posted there.
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Manitou Section 16 is a popular hiking and mountain biking area adjoining Red Rock Canyon and White Acres at the edge of Colorado Springs. It provides access to the Pike National Forest and the Paul Intemann Trail. It has been leased since 1972 from the Colorado State Land Board for public recreation. The current lease is up the end of the year.
Both El Paso county and Colorado Springs have tried buying it from the State Land Board. A new law solved one of the issues with buying it. The remaining issue has been the price. Appraisals have come in between $2.8 million and $8.9 million.
Now the State Land Board has proposed to sell Section 16 for $3.8 million. A 99 year agreement to not develop mineral rights will cost an addition $321,000. Including a $1 million dollar grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, the city has received grant funds and pledges of $1,253,500. The rest would come from the TOPS Program.
More information on the proposal can be found here . The State Land Board is to consider the sale to Colorado Springs at an October 8th public meeting in Pueblo.
The Colorado Springs council has a resolution authorizing the Parks Department to enter into a purchase agreement for the Section 16 on the agenda for tomorrow afternoon. The Council meeting will be in the Colorado Springs City Hall at 107 N. Nevada Avenue beginning at 1:00 P.M. Section 16 is the last item on the agenda.
If you can’t make it to the council metting, contact the Council members before the meeting and let them know that Section 16 is important for outdoor recreation and the views from the city. I can never remember which district I’m in but the council district map is here. I don’t think it hurts though to contact all of them.
Lionel Rivera, Mayor
lrivera@springsgov.com
Larry Small, Vice Mayor
LSmall@springsgov.com
Scott Hente, Councilmember District 1
SHente@springsgov.com
Darryl Glenn, Councilmember District 2
DGlenn@springsgov.com
Sean Paige, Councilmember District 3
SPaige@springsgov.com
Bernie Herpin Jr., Councilmember District 4
BHerpin@springsgov.com
Tom Gallagher, Councilmember At-Large
TGallagher@springsgov.com
Randy Purvis, Councilmember At-Large
RPurvis@springsgov.com
Jan Martin, Councilmember At-Large
JMartin@springsgov.com
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