Title
A Resolution Authorizing the Acquisition of Approximately Forty (40) Acres (West CMSP Parcel 1) as an Addition to the Cheyenne Mountain State Park through the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) Program
Presenter:
Kim King, Acting Director, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department
Lonna Thelen, Design and Development Manager, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department
David Deitemeyer, Senior Program Administrator, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department
Body
Summary:
Since 1996, when the City's first Open Space Plan was adopted, the City of Colorado Springs has prioritized and worked to acquire property in and around the southern slopes of Cheyenne Mountain and Rock Creek Canyon for its special open space values. This action item provides the opportunity for the TOPS program to make a strategic acquisition of approximately forty (40) acres of property immediately adjacent to Cheyenne Mountain State Park, the majority of which was acquired through the TOPS program. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to partner with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to incorporate this property into the management of Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
Background:
The 2014 Park System Master Plan identifies the Rock Creek Canyon area as an open space candidate area. As early as 1996, the City's open space master planning documents identified this area as having some of the highest natural resource values in our community. The TOPS Program has identified the 40-acre parcel in Rock Creek Canyon for acquisition as open space because they offer values that merit preservation. The property is located west of Highway 115 near the western terminus of Rock Creek Canyon Road, on the southern slopes of Cheyenne Mountain and adjacent to Cheyenne Mountain State Park (CMSP). Acquisition of the property would provide additional acreage for the CMSP, future trail access for the Cheyenne Mountain Heritage Trail, and further connect the park to the bea...
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