Palmer Lake man wants trail to be emergency route

Bikers and hikers might not be the only users of the New Santa Fe Trail one day.

Firetrucks and ambulances could also share the path that snakes 15.5 miles between Palmer Lake and the Air Force Academy.

Near the north end of the trail in Palmer Lake, landowner Herb Rea from the adjacent Lakeview Heights subdivision wants to use the trail as a second entrance for emergency vehicles.

But many residents vehemently oppose the idea.

“It’s their way of trying to bribe Palmer Lake to let them build houses back in there,” said neighbor Jenny Cox.

“I don’t know anybody in this neighborhood that’s in favor of it.”

Right now, Oakdale Drive is the only way vehicles can enter this subdivision east of the town lake and next to Ben Lomond Mountain.

Rea hopes the second entrance will convince the town to let him and other landowners build on their property.

“This is clearly a safety improvement for them and anybody else,” said Rea’s attorney, Duncan Bremer.

Bremer acknowledges his client’s motive is to build a house on his land. He thinks the lack of a second entrance to the development may be the reason Palmer Lake officials have

refused his client.

So he proposes building a 40- to 50-foot connection between Lake Avenue and the trail,

allowing emergency vehicles to enter the subdivision via the trail.

Rea will pay for the connection “if it’s something that’s reasonable,” Bremer said.

Emergency vehicles would drive onto the trail at the Palmer Lake trailhead off County Line Road — an entrance that’s only 200 feet from Oakdale’s entrance.

At last month’s meeting of the Palmer Lake Town Council, officials discussed who should make the trail decision because El Paso County owns the trail.

Tim Woelken, director of parks and recreation for the county, said Palmer Lake needs to weigh in on the issue.

Then Woelken will take the idea to county staff, the Parks Advisory Board and possibly the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision.

Palmer Lake Mayor Max Parker did not return calls from The Gazette.

Many questions need answers, Woelken said. Will the trail support emergency vehicles? Is it wide enough? How would the vehicles affect regular trail users?

Dan Cleveland, executive director of the nonprofit Trails and Open Space Coalition, said it’s common for police cars and Colorado Springs Utilities trucks to drive on local trails.

“Emergency access to trails is not an onerous thing,” Cleveland said.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0274 or jennifer.wilson@gazette.com