Broadmoor Enhancements Frequently Asked Questions (As of May 7, 2013. Additional FAQs will be added following public meetings)
Q: What does the proposal to vacate the portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard through the middle of the East and West golf courses entail? A: The proposal to enhance the Broadmoor Golf Course includes vacating a short portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard between Penrose Boulevard and Mirada Road. Removing the segment of the road that runs through the East and West courses, will allow the course to be lengthened by about 1,100 feet.
Q: What prompted this proposal? A: This will give The Broadmoor an opportunity to attract major golf championships, such as the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, President’s Cup, etc. Attracting any one of these tournaments could contribute more than $160 million to the local economy.
Q: Why is it necessary to vacate the portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard through the middle of the East/West golf course? A: The governing bodies of major golf championships (the U.S. Golf Association and the Professional Golfers’ Association) have made it clear that The Broadmoor courses’ current yardage is not long enough to host world-wide championships such as the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup and PGA Championship. Vacating the portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard through the middle of the course allows us to add the needed yardage to host the above- mentioned championships.
Q: When would that segment of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard be vacated? A: There is not an established timetable for vacating the segment of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard through the middle of the course. The Broadmoor is committed to completing a thorough and transparent public process to ensure community concerns and questions are adequately addressed before moving forward with a proposal.
Q: Which entity has jurisdiction over the road? A: Although West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard runs through property owned by The Broadmoor, the City of Colorado Springs owns the road itself.
Q: What role does the City of Colorado Springs have in this proposal? A: At the point, The Broadmoor is conducting a public process to gain input and feedback about its proposal. Once The Broadmoor makes a submittal to the City of Colorado Springs, likely the City will conduct its own public process as well as technical analysis of the proposal and input on traffic and fire safety. Ultimately, it’s under the City’s authority to approve the proposal after submittal.
Q: Will there be any cost to the taxpayers for this transportation change? A: No. The city will not pay for any infrastructure improvements related to the proposal to vacate the portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard that bisects the golf course.
Q: Will a traffic study of current and projected traffic be conducted as part of this process? A: Yes. A preliminary study provided some initial traffic information that indicates the road vacation, with mitigation, is feasible for further consideration. Preliminary weekday traffic data was collected before the school year ended. Summer weekend traffic data will be collected next. The Broadmoor has submitted an initial report to the City and are awaiting its interpretation and response on what additional analysis is needed. Results will be shared once available.
Q: Is it feasible to build a tunnel under the golf course to maintain east-west access? A: This option has been explored; however, additional research is necessary before this option can be fairly evaluated.
Q: What is the current designation of the road? A: It is a collector.
Q: How might this proposal affect those who bike or walk through this area? A: Several neighbors asked whether a pedestrian/bike path could be added if the portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard through the golf course is vacated. This request will be evaluated as part of the proposal.
Q: Will the road from Old Stage down to Emerald Valley remain open to the public to access the hiking trails in Pike National Forest? A: The road down to Emerald Valley Ranch is Forest Service Rd. 371. It will still be accessible for the public. All the trails including those going around Emerald Valley Ranch are open to hikers passing through.
Safety and Emergency Evacuation Routes
Q: What is the evacuation plan in the event of a fire on the west side of the Broadmoor? A: There are several evacuation routes for those who live in that area. Evacuation access will not be reduced if the portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard through the golf course is vacated, but will actually be enhanced. A fire department approved evacuation route will be added through the golf course for residents who live west of The Broadmoor. The design of the evacuation route won’t be finalized until meeting take place with, and have been reviewed by, the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
Q: Will predetermined and well-defined evacuation routes be designated? A: Yes. We will work with the Colorado Springs Fire Department to ensure the evacuation route exceeds all of its requirements.
Q: Will safety be addressed with this proposal? A: The overwhelming expression of concern expressed by neighbors has been fire evacuation, safety and capacity, especially in light of last summer’s Waldo Canyon fire. No evacuation capacity will be eliminated as a result of the closure of the segment of the road
through the golf course. In addition to maintaining a fire evacuation route through the golf course for residents living west of The Broadmoor, the hotel, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Cog Railroad have developed a Wildfire Response Team of 29 certified wild-land firefighters. The firefighters have been specially trained, certified and equipped to support the Broadmoor Fire & Rescue as a quick response team. The key to preventing a disaster like Waldo Canyon is getting to the fire quickly before it becomes a major problem. By making the improvements on the old Cheyenne Mountain Highway there is now vehicle access for the Fire Department and Broadmoor Fire & Rescue to fight a fire. The goal is to add wild-land trained firefighters in the future. In addition, El Pomar Foundation and the Anschutz Foundation contributed a combined $1.2 million to combine with Federal funds available to the Colorado Springs Fire Department, allowing the Fire Department to do significant fire mitigation on Cheyenne Mountain and in Cheyenne Canyon. The addition of a fire tower – monitored 24 hours a day – on Cheyenne Mountain also will benefit area residents and the broader community. With no reduction in evacuation capacity and all these steps toward mitigation, prevention and response, our neighborhood becomes much more safe.
Q: Will fire mitigation efforts be ongoing or a one-time event? A: The financial support being provided by the El Pomar Foundation and the Anschutz Foundation will support fire mitigation for another 3 years. Additionally, the Wildfire Response Team will continue ongoing mitigation efforts as part of its training program. Cheyenne Mountain Highway also will be maintained for fire department access on an ongoing basis.
Q: How will water/storm runoff and drainage be mitigated if a portion of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard is vacated? A: The current drainage problem will be addressed in a drainage study and action plan. The Broadmoor will mitigate drainage off Old Stage Road.
Proposal Process
Q: What is the process for this proposal moving forward? A: At this point, this is only a proposal by The Broadmoor under consideration. The Broadmoor is in the process of meeting with neighbors, golf club members and interested citizens to discuss the details of the proposal for input and to gain feedback. While a timetable hasn't been established, The Broadmoor has implemented the current public process in advance of a formal application. Once The Broadmoor submits an application, the City likely will implement a public process and a thorough review by appropriate City departments. (For more information, see City of Colorado Spring Public Right-of-Way Vacation Procedure document posted to this website). The Broadmoor is committed to being a good neighbor while continuing to reinforce its reputation as a world-class hotel and resort for the benefit of visitors, members, neighbors and the community alike.
Q: What role will neighborhoods and members have in The Broadmoor’s public process while developing its proposal? A: Neighbors and Broadmoor Golf Club members will play an active role. That role began April 30 when The Broadmoor hosted a community meeting to discuss ongoing and
completed hotel enhancements and to present preliminary plans to enhance the East and West golf courses and posted information about its proposal to the golf club website. Additional meetings, scheduled in May and June, will provide neighbors, club members and citizens additional opportunities to provide input, voice concerns and ask questions and have a dialogue about the proposal. The Broadmoor is committed to addressing all feedback relevant to the enhancement proposal. Input and feedback will be considered as the proposal is developed.
Neighborhood Impacts/Benefits
Q: Does this proposal involve just the road through the center of the golf course or will it be more comprehensive and include potential impacts to the roads and intersections surrounding the course? A: If the segment of West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard is vacated through the golf course, there may be some modifications made to improve mobility and safety at several spot locations. Once a formal traffic study is vetted, we will have a better understanding of what, if any, traffic impacts there may be in the surrounding neighborhoods and what and where other improvements may be needed. At a minimum, intersection modifications to Penrose Boulevard and Old Stage Road and Mirada and West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard will be required. Neighbors and citizens have also mentioned traffic to and from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as a concern that should be addressed.
Q: How does this proposal benefit the neighborhoods? A: While the segment of the road through the middle of the golf course would be closed to normal traffic with this proposal, The Broadmoor must have in place, through direction of the Colorado Springs Fire Department, an access road in the same area should there be a need for fire-related evacuation. What this means is that there will be the same amount of road for evacuation as there is now. Additional neighborhood benefits include fire mitigation in the Cheyenne Mountain area through the contributions of El Pomar and Anschutz Foundations, and the fire tower The Broadmoor is building at Cloud Camp on top of Cheyenne Mountain which will have 24-hour camera and heat surveillance for fire. The neighborhoods also will benefit from the specially trained Wildfire Response Team and the newly created fire department access on the Cheyenne Mountain Highway.
This proposal also provides an opportunity to look as several spot areas around The Broadmoor and surrounding neighborhoods where problems have developed with traffic safety, road configuration, and a desire for expanded capacity for pedestrian, hiker/biker and jogger use. Additionally, continued investment in The Broadmoor, such as this and other ongoing improvements, is positive for property values and marketability of homes in the neighborhood.
Q: How does this proposal benefit golfers? A: It will allow us to increase the yardage on the East and West courses to keep up with technology. Portions of our courses were originally built in 1918, which makes them obsolete when compared to more modern courses. Ongoing and continuous improvements and enhancements are necessary to assure we maintain our world-class status and reputation as a premier international resort.
Q: How does this proposal benefit The Broadmoor? A: Improvements made by The Broadmoor also benefit surrounding neighborhoods and the greater Colorado Springs community. The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs, by hosting a major golf championship, gains significant visibility as a result of visitors and media coverage. The visibility results in more visitors and conferences coming to Colorado Springs, which supports property values and bolsters the local economy. The economic impact on Colorado Springs could be as much as $160 million.
Q: What would The Broadmoor's plan be for traffic control in and around the neighborhoods during a major event? A: As was the case during the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, The Broadmoor will work closely with the neighbors, the Colorado Springs Police Department and the City’s Transportation Department to plan and implement a traffic control program. Actually, there was less traffic in the immediate area from those events because road access was restricted during the championships.
Economic Impact
Q: What kind of economic impact is estimated if The Broadmoor were to attract a major national or international event?
A: The economic impact of a major golf championship like the U.S. Open approaches $160 million. By comparison, the local economic impact of the U.S. Women’s Open in 2011 was $20.8 million.
Q: What is keeping us from being able to attract a major national/international event now? A: The only issue is the length of the golf course. The Broadmoor has in place 100 percent of all operational requirements.
Q: Weren't the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Women's Open considered major national events? A Yes, they are both considered major championships; however, the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Championship and President’ Cup attract larger galleries, increased consumer spending and expanded TV coverage and viewership. All of those increase tax receipts and contribute to the overall economic impact to the city, county and state.