STRAWBERRY HILL MASTER PLAN: Second meeting addresses building envelope, trails
Although Thursday’s stakeholder meeting about the 182.14-acre Strawberry Hill property provided an overview of inventory studies on the land, focus quickly turned to eight acres called the building envelope. Two questions were prominent: what and when?
The second stakeholder meeting in the Strawberry Hill master planning process attracted about 70 interested citizens. The Broadmoor has owned the property since December when a land swap with the City of Colorado Springs was completed. The Broadmoor agreed to a public master plan process for the property to fulfill commitments to the Colorado Springs City Council.
The process began in early March, though an appeal challenging the legality of the land swap lingers in the Colorado Court of Appeals. Meeting attendees learned a ruling isn’t likely until later this year or early 2018.
Kent Obee, a principal figure in the Save Cheyenne nonprofit opposed to the land swap, told the crowd the appeal trial must be heard by a three-judge panel and then a ruling has to be written.
“We’re saying don’t do anything irrevocable until the court rules,” Obee said.Other citizens asked for more specific information about the building envelope. Tim Seibert, owner of N.E.S., Inc., the firm hired by The Broadmoor to conduct the public master planning process, pledged to take those questions to The Broadmoor officials and bring information back to the next meeting.
“My intent is to have the concept for all building envelope activities at the next meeting,” Seibert said. “That includes what is proposed and when improvements are proposed to begin.”
Seibert repeatedly told the crowd he understands the passion surrounding the entire parcel and the concerns about noise, traffic, parking and other issues. However, The Broadmoor does own legal title to the property and is conducting its due diligence to set forth a master plan. After the public input process, the proposed master plan will be submitted to the Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
Inventory reports presented to the crowd during the evening included data gathered about erosion, forest management, trails and archaeological finds.
Andy McCord, of Kiowa Engineering Corp., said the northeast corner of the property is the most conducive for development because of the gentler slopes in that area. A significant portion of the rest of the property contains slopes of greater than 25 percent, he said.
Bill Mangle, of ERO Resources Corp., described the inventory of vegetative and ecosystems and said the “high quality of understory grasses is good to see.” He said noxious weeds do exist and would need be eradicated.
His study also indicated normal wildlife inhabitants of the property including mule deer, black bears, coyotes, foxes and raptors.
“Social trails degrade wildlife habitat,” Mangle said. “Any new development in the canyons should be carefully evaluated for impacts on wildlife.”
Mangle also described the various trails that exist and said some are in good condition, but most are in moderate to poor condition. He expressed concern about one trail that has been eroded to the point that has devolved into a drainage trench and another trail exists parallel to it on higher ground.
Cultural resource specialist Abigail Sanocki, an archaeologist, reported that though some interesting early 1900s trash sites exist on the property, there were no significant artifacts. She said the property’s historical use is tied to recreational use and her recommendation is to pursue and maintain the historical recreational use.
Sanocki said she had been in touch with Native American researchers and groups about the property and that she did not find any evidence of Ute tribes on the property. She said if evidence once existed, it may have been looted or eroded away.
Seibert spent time explaining the Chamberlain Trail easement that runs along the east side of the Strawberry Hill property and is the city’s easement based on its analysis for the eventual Chamberlain Trail corridor. The proposed plan is for the Chamberlain Trail to eventually connect to a trail in Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
A date has not yet been set for a third public meeting. Residents are urged to check the project website, strawberryhillmasterplan.com, or subscribe to notifications at info@strawberryhillmasterplan.com for updates.
The 12 athletes sign their letters of intent with their families Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at Cheyenne Mountain High School during National Letters of Intent Day. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) View more at GazettePreps.com
The 12 athletes sign their letters of intent with their families Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at Cheyenne Mountain High School during National Letters of Intent Day. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)