Mayor Steve Bach added to his long wish list for downtown Colorado Springs on Wednesday when he threw out the idea of a smoking ban in Acacia Park.

During the Downtown Partnership’s 15th annual Mayor’s Breakfast, Bach asked City Attorney Chris Melcher to look into whether Acacia Park could be designated as a no-smoking zone. Such a zone would require City Council approval, Bach said.

“I haven’t actually talked to the city attorney yet. I just looked at him in that room when I said that,” Bach said in a brief interview after the breakfast.

“But is it feasible to make that a nonsmoking zone? What would that do in terms of improving the activity in Acacia Park?” Bach asked. “We’re going to look at it.”

The idea is part of a larger vision that Bach calls a downtown renaissance. It would include outlawing panhandling in the downtown core, installing surveillance cameras, moving the Marian House soup kitchen, building housing and attracting a major entertainment anchor, such as the Sky Sox baseball stadium. The possibility of tearing down the coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant is in the mix, too.

“I believe strongly in doing everything we can for our downtown. It is the heart of our city. It can help build the soul of our community,” he said.

Melcher did not respond to an email asking whether a no-smoking zone would pass legal muster.

Bach said he got the idea from Richard Skorman, a downtown businessman and former vice mayor who ran against Bach for mayor. The two have lunch regularly, Bach said.

“I really appreciate his ideas, and we have a real friendship,” Bach said.

“We were talking about how to get Acacia Park turned around so that people enjoy going there and aren’t worried about their safety. He suggested that we look at making that a nonsmoking park,” he said.

Skorman said in a telephone interview that a no-smoking zone would make Acacia Park a “more comfortable” place for families to hang out, especially around Uncle Wilber Fountain.

“I think parents intentionally don’t want their kids to be around smoke and then it should cut down on people just spending hours and hours there kind of sitting on the ground,” Skorman said. “I think it would probably make it a little more pleasant place, probably cut down on the drug use.”

During Wednesday’s breakfast, Bach highlighted other initiatives to improve downtown, including a proposed no-solicitation zone the council is set to discuss Oct. 22 and 23.“I strongly support, in a limited area, a prohibition on panhandling,” Bach told the audience of more than 200 at The Mining Exchange hotel, generating light applause.

“I absolutely want to protect First Amendment rights, but I don’t think someone has a right to accost, for example, a 50-year-old woman on the street in Colorado Springs and come across in a threatening way. That’s crossing the line,” he said.

Other highlights of Bach’s speech:

• Surveillance cameras should be installed downtown by mid-November.

“Acacia Park is going to be on TV full time, so when you’re in Acacia Park, everybody wave,” Bach said.

• The Parking Enterprise plans to install new parking meters that accept credit cards, and Bach wants meters with longer times.

“I get a lot of calls about our parking meter time not being long enough,” he said.

“People want to come downtown for lunch and there’s not enough time on the meter.”

• Bach has been meeting with developers to learn about roadblocks to downtown housing, specifically infill development.

“Our city is going to work harder to find ways to help thoughtful infill developers achieve their goals in terms of our policies and how we treat people because housing downtown is a key to the future,” he said. “I hope by this time next year we have something specific to report to you with some initial projects that I hope by then will be under way.”

• Bach is continuing to work on attracting “several” possible entertainment anchors.

“It’s no secret that I would love to see the Sky Sox come downtown,” he said. “I don’t know if we can get it done, but I’m sure going to keep trying because I think a downtown baseball stadium, if thoughtfully done, could be a tremendous lever to this renaissance that we’re working on.”

• Bach said he is working collaboratively with county officials to try to encourage state transportation officials to move forward with improving the Cimarron Street interchange at Interstate 25.

“It needs to be rebuilt. It’s dangerous. It’s congested,” Bach said.

Downtown is one of three “economic priority zones” that Bach said will receive equal focus in coming years.

“As much as we are spread out, I still think we can draw people together better than we ever have if we can create an environment here in downtown that just encourages more and more people to enjoy this great place,” he said.—Contact Daniel Chacón: 476-1623Twitter @danieljchaconFacebook Daniel Chacon

Mayor Steve Bach said he got no-smoking idea for Acacia Park from Richard Skorman, a downtown businessman who ran against Bach for mayor. The two have lunch regularly, Bach said. (Mark Reis, The Gazette file) Photo by