A 52-page plan for improving public infrastructure and facilities in southeast Colorado Springs was recently released by the city government.

“Southeast Strong” is a long list of suggestions for increasing the quality of life in that important section of our town.

The northern boundary of the southeast Colorado Springs area is East Fountain Boulevard, the eastern boundary is South Powers Boulevard, the southern boundary is mainly the Milton Proby Parkway, and the western boundary is a jagged line that partially runs along Interstate 25.

Southeast is composed of six major large neighborhoods:  Spring Creek, Pikes Peak Park North, Pikes Peak Park South, Southborough, Deerfield Hills and Soaring Eagles.

The major north-south streets are South Circle Drive and South Academy Boulevard. The major east-west road is the Hancock Expressway. This is a chunk of the city that lies between our old and new airports and Fort Carson. It is less noted for its landmarks, being mainly homes, apartments and small businesses.

This part of Colorado Springs is more diverse in race and ethnicity than the rest of the city. Spanish is often the second or even first language spoken here.

Top priorities, planners summarize, are enhanced safety, upgraded transportation options, better access to grocery stores and health care facilities, and landscaping to reduce the high-heat zone in this section of the city.

A key suggestion for improvement is prioritizing new plantings of shrubs, trees and flower beds in neighborhoods, focusing on the west side of southeast Colorado Springs and along the west side of Astrozon Boulevard.

In addition, clean-up events should be staged in the area along city biker-hiker trails and creeks and in city parks.

New housing and apartment developments are encouraged by the plan to add extra landscaping.

Lack of access to healthy foods in conveniently located full-service grocery stores is a problem in southeast Colorado Springs. In this section of the city, there are only two full-service grocery stores, both located on South Academy Boulevard.

Achieving a wider variety and number of full-service grocery stores is a top priority. Another idealistic suggestion is to encourage urban gardens where families grow their own food. This encourages self-reliance and the consumption of more nutritious food.

For those in need, there is a community food center, a free farmer’s market in the summer, and a monthly drive-thru food distribution program.

Much of southeast Colorado Springs has developed since the early 1970s, when major new housing developments in the city were required to set aside land for city parks. As a result, there are 12 parks in the area. An additional park, Spring Creek Park, is planned for the west side of South Circle Drive.

Other well-known parks are Panorama Park and Deerfield Park.

The Southeast Strong plan calls for renovations in existing park spaces that include replacing outdated equipment and improving accessibility and safety.

The plan also advocates creating a major linear park along Sand Creek, which runs through southeast Colorado Springs from the northeast to the southwest and currently includes only a biker-hiker trail. The Sand Creek Trail connects to the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail along Fountain Creek and thereby to the entire citywide biker-hiker trail system.

Future trail projects included in Southeast Strong are building a biker-hiker trail up the length of South Powers Boulevard and extending the Sand Creek Trail a considerable distance to Jimmy Camp Creek Park and Corral Bluffs.

Sidewalks are a challenge: There are major gaps in sidewalks along South Academy Boulevard, Fountain Boulevard, South Circle Drive and the Hancock Expressway. New sidewalks should be installed where needed.

Getting to adequate health care facilities can be a problem for southeast residents, some of whom do not own automobiles.

The plan recommends partnering with the Mountain Metropolitan Transit system to offer transportation services to major health care locations around the city, most of which are either in the greater downtown area or up north.

Like the law that requires housing developers to set aside land for parks, there is a law that requires set-asides of land for schools. As a result, southeast Colorado Springs has 16 schools, many in the Harrison School District, within its boundaries.

The Southeast Strong plan calls for schools to double as community social centers and become hubs for neighborhood activities. Such events as winter holidays celebrations, springtime egg hunts, July Fourth bicycle parades and neighborhood street breakfasts can be held or organized on the local school grounds.

Parent-teacher associations can help with these sorts of activities. Another option is to create more city-supported community hubs such as the Deerfield Hills Community Center and the Community Hub at Chelton Crossing.

Colorado is the second best-educated state in terms of percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree from a college or university. Data suggest, however, that only about 10% to 15% of residents in these southeast neighborhoods have a college degree.

The Southeast Strong plan calls for an emphasis on workforce training and continuing education for the area. Educational opportunities should be provided at community centers, libraries and at Pikes Peak State College, farther south on Academy Boulevard.

One of the best ways to reduce crime and destruction of public and private property is “the use of uniform lighting standards for illumination of parking lots, urban trails and building entrances.”

Outdoor fencing, walls and heavy landscaping should be “discouraged from being constructed in a manner that results in a complete visual barrier” that can hide criminal activity.

To reduce traffic on residential streets, the Southeast Strong plan recommends, where possible, closing some streets to traffic at one end to enhance quiet in the neighborhood and increase safety.

Bus ridership should be encouraged by increasing the frequency of service on most routes to one bus in each direction every 15 minutes. Also, “increase the span of service to include longer weekday and weekend operating hours,” and build bus shelters at major stops with attractive landscaping and public art.

Congratulations to the hundreds of nonprofit, commercial and governmental community leaders who have jump-started this ambitious plan for this important and challenged section of our city.

It is merely a plan. It deserves rigorous attention and creative discussions of the imaginative leadership and funding that will be required to implement its best ideas in the coming decade.