News Aug 27, 2014

  • Gold Camp closed; Old Stage Road to open.
  • Iron Mtn Trail is open!
  • County to ask to retain $ for Parks.
  • Ute Pass Trail grand opening Sept 6.
  • Aug 28 transportation public meeting.
  • Dixon Trail Work Days Aug 23, Sept 13.
  • 3rd Annual Waldo Waldo Oct 26.
  • Groups needed for noxious weed project, EPC Parks.
  • Save the Date-Sept 23-Ute Valley Park meeting.
  • Upcoming Events.
TOSC logo grn
We are dedicated to the preservation of open space and parks, and the creation of a network of trails, bikeways and greenways for the Pikes Peak region.

NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF August 27, 2014
Closure Updates Gold Camp Road, Old Stage Road.
Heavy equipment working now; please stay out!
Gold Camp Road: Yesterday’s torrential rain has created significant erosion in the upper part of North Cheyenne Canon Park. Gold Camp Road is currently closed as bucket trucks and backhoes remove sediment from the road. City parks workers hope to have the road open in time for Labor Day weekend, but ask the public to help by staying out of that part of the park and let workers do their jobs.
Old Stage Road: El Paso County has announced that Old Stage Road will be opened for weekend traffic starting this Friday. The current repair project is projected to continue on weekdays until the end of September. When the project is finished, travel restrictions will be lifted on Old Stage Road.
NOTE: This article originally mis-identified Old Stage Road as High Drive. There are no plans to open High Drive currently; our apologies for our mistake.
County to ask voters to retain $ for Parks
Surplus tax revenue to be earmarked for Parks and Trails.
This week, El Paso County Commissioners voted unanimously to place “Tabor Surplus for Parks” on the November ballot to allow them to spend $2 million on parks and trails.
Tabor has a formula that limits increases in tax revenue. When that increase is above a certain level, counties and cities are required by law to refund the money, unless taxpayers agree to allow its use. In this case, the refund would be $8.41 per taxpayer.
Rather than pay the administrative costs associated with several hundred thousand small checks, county commissioners are asking voters to allow them to spend that $2,044,758 surplus on county parks and trail projects. For a list of proposed projects see our website.
Iron Mountain trail is OPEN.
New trailhead at Pawnee Avenue.
 
Ute Pass Regional Trail Grand Opening
Reserve seats now on EPC shuttle Sept 6th.
El Paso County  will conduct a grand opening ceremony to commemorate the completion of construction of a 3-mile segment of the Ute Pass Regional Trail from Manitou Springs to Longs Ranch Road  on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 10:30 am. Access will be limited to El Paso County shuttles. RSVP is required.Email dananordstrom@elpasoco.com for more information or to reserve a seat on a shuttle.
Your Input is Needed Aug 28.
Help shape the future of regional transportation.
Please attend a community meeting on Thursday, August 28th, 2014 from 4-6 pm at the City Administration Building, Room 102. The format will be an open house with multiple opportunities to provide input. A brief presentation and question/answer session will begin at 4:30 pm.
Top of Cheyenne Mtn work days.
Dixon Trail September 13, 15, 25.
Dixon Trail Work Days
The trail is connected to the Intemann Trail System. The new trailhead is located in Manitou Springs at the top of Pawnee Avenue. There is no parking at the trailhead, so it’s best to park at or near the bottom of Pawnee and walk up to the trailhead.
3rd Annual Waldo Waldo October 26th.
Benefits LOCAL trails and restoration efforts.
Waldo Waldo 10-26-14
Call for Volunteers.
El Paso County needs groups to help fight noxious weeds.
Organizations and groups are needed to pull/dig noxious weeks in Bear Creek Regional Park, at Bear Creek Nature Center, and Black Forest Regional Park. No set dates; the County will take groups of any size, and Parks staff will train on site about what weeds to pull and how to pull them.
Contact Dana Nordstrom, Community Outreach Coordinator, El Paso County Parks,dananordstrom@elpasoco.com or 719-520-6983.
Save the Date–Sept 23–for Ute Valley Park.
Public Master Plan Meeting Eagleview School.
Upcoming Volunteer Projects 
Save the dates

The volunteer season is in full swing! Check http://openspacevolunteers.org for details on these events:

  • Aug 28, St Mary’s Falls with FOTP
  • Aug 30-31, Turkey Rocks with RMFI
  • Sept 3, Cheyenne Mountain State Park
  • Sept 3, Ute Valley Park
  • Sept 5, Waldo Canyon Fire Restoration

As always, check our volunteer website atwww.openspacevolunteers.org for volunteer projects. 

Translate »