About 200 turn out to hear about planned bike park

   Opponents and backers of a proposed dirt bike park came out in force Tuesday night, hoping to find out where El Paso County officials stand on their concerns.

   "Finally we've gotten a snippet of what is going on," said Jake Kunstle, whose property sits atop Corral Bluffs, the park's proposed site north of Highway 119 in the eastern part of the county. "But this is a railroad job if I've ever seen one."

   Where the more than 200 people who attended the master planning hearing at Falcon High School stood was apparent from the shirts they were wearing. Proponents' read, "We Can Share Corral Bluffs," while opponents' stated "Save Corral Bluffs."

   The meeting was the second of three hosted by the county Parks and Leisure Services Department, which is mostly sorting through environmental concerns, such as noise, plant and wildlife and cultural and archaeological issues.

   Tuesday was the first day many involved felt they received solid answers about the county's process of studying the proposed site.

   Attendees split up into four groups of specific concerns and met with county staff to discuss their progress.

   The noise mitigation group reviewed a draft that would set limits on decibel levels on bikes and the park as a whole.

   Under another proposal, the park would be open six days a week: from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday and from 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

   "Get the idea out of your heads that we're all loud, beer-bashing, whatever," said Bill Fodge, former president of the Colorado Motorcycle Trail Riders Association. "We're out there to have fun. We want quiet machines too."

   County Environmental Services staff is in the midst of conducting a study on plant life at the site. Deputy Environmental Services Director Mark Johnston said he would have a report on their findings by the end of the month.

   Environmental Services has also hired several experts to examine the site's cultural and archaeological resources to address concerns that the property may be a hotbed of fossils and remnants of early settlers in the area.

   Paul Murphy and David Daitch with SWCA Environmental Consultants will conduct "preliminary palentological reconnaissance" at the end of the month

   The next master planning meeting will at 7 p.m. April 29 in the third floor hearing room of the County Administration Building, 27 E. Vermijo Ave.