A west-side Colorado Springs church, faced with a cash shortage and maintenance backlog, is offering for sale a pristine patch of redrock dotted foothills between two popular hiking spots.

While Bethany Baptist Church would prefer the land be sold to the Colorado Springs Trails, Open Space and Parks program, church leaders are prepared to sell the land for houses if the city doesn't move quickly on this limited-time offer.

Officials with the church and TOPS won't say what they think the 44.5-acre parcel is worth or might sell for.

"The city wouldn't move if we didn't," said Ron Holladay, the church's nonordained moderator, of the decision to partner with Infinity Land Corp. on a plan for 28 houses. The plans have been drawn up, though Infinity Land Corp., 50 percent owner of the property, has agreed to put the project on hold to give TOPS time to make an offer.

"They had no interest until we started working on the development, and I don't blame them. As long as it's just sitting there open, why bother? We had to start something happening to get them involved," Holladay said.

The church, at 1930 W. Colorado Ave., is badly in need of maintenance, including a new roof, new boilers and other projects, Holladay said. He did not have a cost estimate on the work. The foothills property, known as White Acres, is named for church members who donated it decades ago. Between Red Rock Canyon Open Space and the Section 16 trail complex, the property contains one house, one road and a picnic pavilion.

Both the church and the city's TOPS director say it would be a great addition to hiking trails in the area. When church directors voted in February to put the land up for sale, they said they would prefer it remain undeveloped.

"It's a pristine location. It certainly makes sense to have it go that direction," Holladay said.

"I think it's certainly fair to say, from a natural resource standpoint and a connectivity standpoint, whether wildlife or recreation, its location adjacent to Section 16 and Red Rock Canyon, certainly there's no doubt it has natural resource values," said TOPS director Chris Lieber.

TOPS is funded by a 0.1 percent sales tax, approved by voters in 1997. It generates about $6 million a year. The TOPS Working Committee sets funding priorities for the program, and land purchases must be approved by the City Council. Lieber said the committee has "expressed interest" in the White Acres property. Don Ellis, a nearby resident and Friends of Red Rock Canyon board member, has submitted an application for TOPS funding to buy the parcel.

Despite the threat of development, TOPS officials say they don't plan to make an offer immediately.

"With every acquisition there's a certain amount of urgency, but there's also opportunity. We're moving as we do on every project, cautiously and with patience," Lieber said.

The TOPS budget for 2009 has a balance of $4 million, Lieber said. He noted the program has been working for years to build a balance to buy the Section 16 area, which it currently leases.

El Paso County Assessor records list White Acres' market value at $456,418, though such figures are typically well below the amount a parcel can sell for. Ellis, who submitted the TOPS application, estimated the parcel may be worth two to three times its assessed value.

He said the TOPS program should make acquiring White Acres a priority over purchasing Section 16 because the latter property is owned by the Colorado State Land Board and therefore safe from development.

"If Section 16 can be delayed a few years so we can pick this up, it would certainly be worth it," Ellis said.

The church's preference for open space aside, it will be the numbers that seal the deal.

"We're going right on through the development process, and if we can get there and get a buyer, we'll sell," said Holladay.

TOPS will have the chance to buy it like anyone else, he said. While he said the church wants a response quickly, there is no firm deadline for TOPS to make an offer.

"Financial was the No. 1 consideration. If the TOPS can get in the ballpark financially, why, the community and the church and everybody would rather have it remain open space," he said.

But, he added, "That depends on whether they want to pay what it's worth or not."

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