Colorado Springs parks goals for 2024 include visions for new and existing open spaces

The Colorado Springs parks department heads into 2024 with an eye toward progressing highly anticipated projects around some of the city's favorite mountain parks and others being imagined.

That's despite a budget cut of 3.4% — a cut Mayor Yemi Mobolade requested across departments for the new year. Still, a city news release cited funding "for a host of projects," including long-awaited progress on Grey Hawk Neighborhood Park, new connections for the Legacy Loop bike path and updated irrigation at green spaces such as Memorial Park.

The release suggested departments identifying grants to leverage city dollars — a typical marching order for parks.

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The department "achieved that reduction with I think very minimal impact to our programming and projects," said David Deitemeyer, senior landscape architect.

Deitemeyer oversees development regarding some of the city's larger open spaces and trail networks. Those projects are commonly funded by the city's Trails, Open Space and Parks program (TOPS), which uses portions of sales tax revenue to pay for new properties and maintenance. Those revenues for 2024 are projected around $13.5 million, continuing a growth trend since 2020 — though rising costs have complicated the fund's overall picture.

Blodgett Open Space represents one focus of that budget in the new year. After open house meetings in the summer and fall, Deitemeyer said he expects a proposed master plan to be presented soon.

Concepts showed a large parking lot to be built around the low "frontage" of Pikeview Quarry — envisioned as a launch point for an expanded trail network. Ground could break on that vision in the new year.

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But residents of the nearby neighborhood have opposed the parking lot, what they see as inviting nefarious behavior at night. Increased traffic is a concern, as is the impact to wildlife by building more trails, and some see an imbalance with the number of bike-only trails proposed.

Should opposition mount, City Council could review the plan after the parks board and TOPS working committee. "We will strive to address and mitigate as many of those concerns so we have overall consensus with the community," Deitemeyer said.

While the owning company continues reclamation of Pikeview Quarry — as per a prior agreement with the city in hopes of seeing a "world-class" bike park there someday — the parks department is set to embark on reclamation of Black Canyon Quarry in 2024. The TOPS budget has set aside $450,000 for reshaping and revegetating the land as part of a goal for future recreation around Williams and Waldo canyons.

Also in the new year, attention will turn to the city's southern mountain backdrop.

Planners expect to convene any and all interested in Fishers Canyon Open Space — meetings, Deitemeyer said, intended to "dream big" about what he sees as the next great "wilderness experience" close to the city. Officials so far have been focused on fire mitigation in the 343 acres bordering Cheyenne Mountain State Park and Pike National Forest.

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Fishers Canyon is seen as a key connection for the Chamberlain Trail, envisioned as a 26-mile tour between Blodgett Peak and Cheyenne Mountain. Early talks have centered on potential access; the open space is behind the Broadmoor Bluffs neighborhood.

Deitemeyer mentioned another "exciting project" on his to-do list: an extension of Ladders Trail between Stratton Open Space and North Cheyenne Cañon Park. The plan is new, multi-use singletrack stretching more than 2 miles and paralleling Gold Camp Road.

The new year figures to see a "formalized" parking lot on the south side of Pulpit Rock, where a small, dirt, uneven lot off Nevada Avenue now exists. Close to finished now, Deitemeyer said the surrounding Austin Bluffs Open Space will see a 21-mile trail system fully realized, as detailed in a 2020 master plan.