Issue 1 – TOPS Extension
Issue 1 – TOPS Extension
On April 4th COS voters will have the opportunity to extend TOPS for an additional 20 years without raising taxes. The TOSC Advocacy Committee and Board of Directors support Issue 1.
Some Frequently Asked Questions:
How much does the one penny on every 10 dollars TOPS Sales Tax cost the average family?
Just $14 per family per year! Why so low? Because tourists and those living in the county who shop and dine in COS help shoulder some of the tax.
TOPS was originally a way to purchase and preserve open space. Has that changed?
No! In fact, this ballot includes a provision requiring the majority of open space funds be used to buy property. The last Parks Master Plan identified thousands of acres of “candidate open space”. Extending TOPS for 20 years will guarantee funding to purchase more open space from willing sellers.
Mayoral and City Council Candidates – Your Questions
Also in April, COS will be electing a new Mayor and 4 Council Members, 3 at-large and District 3. Imagine having time to sit down with all those candidates! What would you ask them? We want to know if they support the TOPS 20 year extension.
Also, knowing that TOPS alone is not going to provide adequate dollars to build promised parks, complete our urban trail system or address the significant backlog of park related capital needs; we want to know how they’ll get that accomplished if they win the election. And if they don’t support more dollars for our park system, we want to know that before April 4th!
What other questions do you have for candidates? Please pass your ideas on to us at info@trailsandopenspaces.org. We’ll make sure you have those answers before you vote!
PARK AND TRAIL News
Great turn-out for last night’s OPPI(Outdoor Pikes Peak Initiative) first community listening session!
Attendees were asked to weigh in on conservation and recreation challenges and priorities plus offer ideas for solutions. Completing Ring the Peak, Pay to Play as a way to provide much needed resources, homeless population impacts, more emphasis on preventing wildfires were some of the concerns and suggestions. Led by PPORA with support from GOCO and CO Parks and Wildlife, these public listening opportunities will continue across the Pikes Peak region with sessions in Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Canon City and two more in Colorado Springs this Friday and Saturday. Register and Participate!
Session Schedule
5pm-6:30pm in person/7pm-8pm Virtual
-Jan 25: Ute Pass Cultural Center (Woodland Park)
-Jan 26: Pathfinder Park Event Center (Canon City)
-Jan 27: Pikes Peak State College (Colo. Springs)
-Jan 28: Library 21 C (Colo. Springs)
Town Hall Regarding East-West Mobility
It was encouraging to see how well-attended the recent Town Hall Regarding East-West Mobility was this past Saturday. City Councilor Nancy Henjum hosted this meeting in order to bring City staff and the public together to discuss this very important issue, a potential feasibility study for roadway improvements to Fillmore and Uintah Streets and the possible extension of Constitution Avenue to I-25. It quickly became apparent that there was a high level of interest as the crowd filled the auditorium at Stratton Elementary. It was stated that they had to direct over 250 people over to the overflow facility created at Horace Mann Middle School. We applaud the effort made to accommodate all wishing to attend!
Civic engagement was in full swing and people from throughout the corridor in question were able to speak – relating stories of why the historic neighborhoods along the Rock Island Trail are so deeply important to them and their neighbors. Many attendees spoke of their desire to see the walkable and bikeable nature of the area preserved and to not impact the Rock Island Trail, soon to be fully connected to the greater Legacy Loop. City staff were able to articulate that this was just a feasibility study and that no decisions have been made. Unfortunately, the meeting was not able to allow all who that signed up to speak, so Councilwoman Henjum said there would be another meeting set up as soon as possible and we will share that information with you once available. TOSC is committed to ensuring that our existing urban trail corridors are maintained throughout Colorado Springs and that potential changes and improvements are noted during future project discussions.
Incline Friends- Highlighting accomplishments
The Incline Friends group has installed a new bulletin board display case on the wall outside of Base Camp below the base of the Incline. In the 3- panel display you’ll find useful information, Incline Nation news and lists of the more amazing accomplishments compiled by regular Incline users. The display is managed by the group and they welcome submissions of material for review. You can contact them through
Incline Friends will also be adding more benches to the base area where
hikers can lace up, lather on sunscreen or just catch their breath. The next installation is scheduled for Sunday, February 5. Find more info. below.
Garden of the Gods Park – Trading Post Land Swap
COS Parks Advisory Board supports the proposed land swap and so does TOSC. Why?
-City Parks is receiving more land than it is “giving up.” The city receives 2.62 acres. The Trading Post gets 1.63 acres.
-The trade will provide more parking for residents and visitors using the park.
-The land swap will provide for a new natural surface trail connecting Balanced Rock to the GOG Trading
Post parking lot.
TOSC
Tadasana, Twinkle, & Tithe: A Trails and Open Space Benefit
Thurs, Feb 16th 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Urban Veggie (Christy Cole) and The Venue at Almagre are hosting an evening of twinkle lights, yoga, community, spirits, giveaways, & philanthropic goodness! You will not want to miss Tadasana, Twinkle, & Tithe: A Trails and Open Space Benefit. The evening will consist of a 60 minute Hatha/Power sequence, music, food and amazing giveaways!
Register now to lock in your spot at this amazing event! Only 15 tickets remain for this event. Register here today.
Glad you asked- Trees on Rock Island Trail
One of our TOSC members reached out to ask why so many trees had recently been cut down along the corridor connecting the Legacy Loop to the existing paved Rock Island Trail. We are happy to report that this is the long-awaited project that will create the concrete Tier 1 urban trail connection from the top of Shooks Run east to meet up at Templeton Gap Road. The trees, mostly invasive Siberian Elms were removed to allow a clear corridor for the paved connection. This will ensure that the trail has adequate sightlines for safety and to keep tree roots from causing premature damage to the new trail surface. We look forward to seeing this vital connection completed. The next project will be creating the paved trail connection from the top of Shooks Run over to the junction with the Pikes Peak Greenway. Thank you for continuing to submit questions, we look forward to providing the best answers we can!
Ring the Peak- Moving Forward
After years of delay, the USFS has agreed to move forward on a reroute of the Pancake Rocks Trail. This reroute was a condition of the previous District Ranger in order to implement the Ring the Peak Master Plan. TOSC received funding from LART for this project in 2021 for a planned implementation of the reroute in 2022. But due to changes in the District Ranger position and other USFS issues, the project was delayed until this year.
USFS staff have agreed to work with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI) to construct the reroute and rehabilitate the decommissioned portions of the trail to minimize erosion potential. Unfortunately, work on this project will not commence until mid-August due to impact concerns of CPW on the critical herd of bighorn sheep inhabiting the southwest slope of Peaks.
TOSC will use the funds awarded through LART to pay RMFI directly for their construction and decommissioning efforts.
We also have agreement from the USFS to design an interpretive kiosk (subject to their agency approval and design guidelines) which we hope will lead to other interpretive displays along the existing and future portions of the RTP. Funding for this portion of the project will also come from the LART grant.
Community
Coleman Community Park – Community Forum #3 (Rescheduled)
Have you ever wandered through one of our many parks and wondered why it was designed that way?
The type of playground, number of sports courts or why they put the pavilions where they did? By participating in the Coleman Community Park planning process, you have the chance to be part of the decision-making process! The last public meeting unveiling the draft master plan takes place
**NEW DATE ** – Tuesday, January 31 at Sand Creek High School, 5pm-7pm
You can review the latest Community Outreach Summary #2 HERE
When: Tuesday, January 31st 5:00pm – 7:00pm (Presentation will start at 5:30pm)
Where: Sand Creek High School (on the second floor) 7005 Carefree Circle North, Colorado Springs, CO 80922
For additional meeting info and access to the virtual meeting option,
please visit the project webpage here.
MER selected TOSC as their January nonprofit of the month!
Any time you buy items off the $5 shelf during the month of January, 100% of that will go directly to TOSC! The $5 shelf can be found by the fitting rooms.
Mountain Equipment Recyclers, Inc. (MER) is a retail and consignment outdoor gear store selling new and used high-quality outdoor equipment located in Colorado Springs, CO. MER’s hours of operation are 11am to 6pm and the store is located at 2222 Bott Avenue on the westside of Colorado Springs.
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, February 7th
7:00 – 8:30 PM
The First Lutheran Church
1515 N. Cascade Avenue
Fellowship Hall (Church Basement)
Easiest way to enter the church is from the alley and use the stairs or elevator to get to the basement level
Join Us for a Presentation by the New Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
Guest Speaker: Britt Haley
Monument Valley Park Update
TOSC Member Hike-
February 25th at 11am
Coleman Park
Peaks N Pines Parking Lot
(4005 Tutt Blvd.)
Join us for an urban adventure along the social trail network that runs along Sand Creek behind UCHealth Field. We are excited to give our members a behind-the-scenes look at the Norman “Bulldog” Coleman Community Park project, currently in the last phase of its master planning process. For years, local residents have enjoyed strolling along the riparian habitat this waterway provides. Now it is your turn to experience the magic and possibilities of this eastside gem.
We will visit key locations and vantage points to discuss planned project elements. We will also tour the alignment for the future Sand Creek Trail extension that will provide urban trail connectivity from the existing paved trail north of Barnes Road south to North Carefree Blvd. Along this stretch of urban trail, the City of Colorado Springs Stormwater group is planned to include additional trail access along the creek and around Pond #2, providing access for wetland habitat views and direct connection to the businesses along Tutt Blvd, conveniently enough, the location of Peaks & Pines Brewing Company! During our hike, we’ll be picking up litter along the way in support of our regional Leave No Trace initiative.
Following the hike we invite members to join us at Peaks N Pines Brewery for a beverage.