The City of Colorado Springs has announced that the North Cheyenne Canon Park Master Plan will move forward.
The City said the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department will begin to implement the plan this year.
The Parks Advisory Board voted to approve the plan on May 10th, but an appeal by the Cheyenne Canon Conservationists Organization had kept the plans from moving forward until now.
On June 26th, the Colorado Springs City Council voted to deny the appeal and uphold the adoption of the master plan. According to the City, the master plan will guide use and management of the park for the next 10 to 15 years, accommodating a variety of recreational uses while preserving the land and its history.
"We are ready to move forward with this master plan that was created with the help of hundreds of residents and our many community partners,” said parks director Karen Palus. “It is our great responsibility to protect and restore this natural treasure.”
Several projects are planned for the park in 2018 and 2019, including:
- Design and engineering of Powell Trailhead parking lot
- Trail improvements in and around Helen Hunt Falls Visitor Center
- A new interpretive plan for the visitor center and park with assistance from a grant proposal created in partnership with the Friends of Cheyenne Canon
- Continued dialogue with the U.S. Forest Service for night closures at park entrances
- Construction of an accessible trail loop from the Starsmore Visitor Center
- Expansion of the Ridgeway parking lot
For more information: www.ColoradoSprings.gov/NCCMasterPlan
