Springs OKs purchase of open space out east

The Colorado Springs City Council has approved the $1 million purchase of Corral Bluffs, east of the city, for a new park or open space.

The council voted 7-1 Monday night to approve the purchase of 522.67 acres, which marks the end of a long saga involving the network of canyons and cliffs.

This year, El Paso County dropped a controversial plan to buy the land for a motorcycle park after surveys found it would jeopardize archaeological and paleontological sites and disturb golden eagle and prairie falcon nests.

"I've been out and toured it, and I think it's going to be a pretty unique piece (of the city's open space network), when it gets all developed and everything," councilman Jerry Heimlicher said.

TOPS is funded by a onetenth of 1 percent sales tax, approved by voters in 1997. It generates about $6 million a year. The ordinance that created the program requires a minimum of 60 percent of the revenue to be spent on acquiring land and says no more than 6 percent can be used for park and open space maintenance. It also prohibits motorized use in any TOPS-funded project.

The TOPS program has an agreement to buy the land from owner Randy Case. It is near Colorado Highway 94.

Heimlicher said some city residents have questioned why the city is spending $1 million on property at a time the city is making deep budget cuts, including in the parks and recreation budget. Rising costs and declining sales tax revenue recently forced the city to make $11.9 million in cuts, and with the failure of the 1A sales tax ballot question in this month's election, more cuts are predicted.

"We decided we're certainly doing what the people who approved the tax wanted us to do with it, so we're comfortable. At least I am," Heimlicher said.

Councilman Darryl Glenn cast the lone vote against buying the land.

"Granted, the money is there, but it doesn't mean we actually have to go out and spend that," Glenn said.

He said he would rather see the money saved, and have the TOPS ordinance rewritten to allow more to be spent for maintenance, because there is a perception the city is letting its core parks deteriorate because TOPS money can't be used.

"We have to go back and cut some more. Guess what, we're going to be looking deeper into the parks and recreation budget. To me it's a conflicting message we're sending to the community," he said.

Council approved the purchase on the condition the parcel be annexed into the city.

TOPS officials have said it could be 18 to 24 months before the public is allowed into Corral Bluffs, as officials conduct more studies of the resources and build trails and access points.

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