COLORADO SPRINGS — After the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board voted unanimously, the City of Colorado Springs will now consider if they want to acquire more than 340 acres of open space near the Cedar Heights and Oak Valley Ranch neighborhoods.
The $8.9 million acquisition is proposed to be funded by revenues from the Trails, Open Space and Parks Open Space Category with the assistance of acquisition partner The Conservation Fund.
The acquisitions will be considered by City Council for approval in June.
“These acquisitions would conserve the western backdrop of our skyline, provide continued protection of wildlife habitat, and offer incredible views and fascinating possibilities for future recreation,” said Britt Haley, design and development manager for the City of Colorado Springs.
The first space is Black Canyon Quarry and is approximately 193 acres of property adjacent to Williams Canyon and located to the west of the Cedar Heights neighborhood and Garden of the Gods Park.
The quarry has been closed since 2015 and reclamation is largely complete. From a regional perspective, this property offers future potential to provide trail access to the Pike National Forest’s Waldo Canyon area.
The second space is a 148-acre frontage property of the Pikeview Quarry, which features rolling hills and oak brush. It’s located immediately south of Blodgett Open Space and west of Allegheny Drive and the Oak Valley Ranch neighborhood.
Additionally, the 100-acre Pikeview Quarry could be acquired as a donation from Castle Concrete at a later date on condition of state approval of physical reclamation.
If the acquisitions are approved by City Council, the two properties would undergo separate master planning processes with opportunities for public input on future use and development.
