Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan

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Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan City of Parks Manitou Springs Open Space 2016 Post Trails Master Plan Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 1 A. PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN .................................................................................................................................. 1 B. PLANNING PROCESS SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 2 C. FINDINGS ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 D. RECURRING THEMES ...................................................................................................................................... 9 E. RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN SUMMARY TABLE ................................................................................. 11 MANITOU SPRINGS PARKS, OPEN SPACE, AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN ................................... 23 I. THE PLANNING CONTEXT .................................................................................................... 25 A. PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN ................................................................................................................................ 25 B. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK............................................................................................................................... 25 C. RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS AND INTEGRATION .............................................................................................. 27 D. HISTORY OF MANITOU SPRINGS PARKS, OPEN SPACE, AND TRAILS ...................................................................... 31 II. OUR ASSETS AND OUR ORGANIZATION ............................................................................. 35 A. OUR ASSETS ............................................................................................................................................... 35 B. OUR ORGANIZATION .................................................................................................................................... 41 III. WHAT WE WANT – CITIZEN INPUT .................................................................................... 43 A. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 43 IV. COMMUNITY PROFILE AND TRENDS ................................................................................. 53 A. DEMOGRAPHICS .......................................................................................................................................... 53 B. LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL TRENDS ..................................................................................................... 58 V. THE LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS ....................................................................................... 63 A. ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................... 63 B. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................... 66 C. PARKS ANALYSIS AND PLAN ........................................................................................................................... 70 D. OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL AREAS ANALYSIS AND PLAN .................................................................................... 86 E. TRAILS ANALYSIS AND PLAN ......................................................................................................................... 103 VI. WHAT THE ANALYSIS TELLS US ....................................................................................... 135 A. RECURRING THEMES .................................................................................................................................. 135 VII. OUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE .......................................................................................... 137 A. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 137 APPENDIX A:PUBLIC INPUT SUMMARY DETAIL .................................................................... 151 Parks, Open Space, and Trails Master Plan i List of Tables Table 1: Asset Inventory ............................................................................................................................. 37 Table 2: Summary Demographics for Manitou Springs, Colorado – 2015 .................................................. 53 Table 3: Manitou Springs Population projections, 2000‐‐2020 .................................................................. 53 Table 4: Manitou Springs Educational Attainment, 2015 ........................................................................... 56 Table 5: Manitou Springs Housing Statistics ............................................................................................... 56 Table 6: Comparison with Similar Communities ......................................................................................... 67 Table 7: Park System Bright Spots .............................................................................................................. 76 Table 8: Park System “Fix ME” Spots .......................................................................................................... 77 Table 9: Park System Comparisons ............................................................................................................. 78 Table 10: Estimated Facility Improvement Costs ........................................................................................ 81 Table 11: Status of 1997 Plan Parcels ......................................................................................................... 88 Table 12: Potential Open Space Areas ...................................................................................................... 100 Table 13: Existing and Proposed Trailhead Support Facilities .................................................................. 118 List of Figures Figure 1: System Resource Inventory Map ................................................................................................. 39 Figure 2: Manitou Springs Population Growth Trend ................................................................................. 54 Figure 3: Manitou Springs Population Age Distribution for the Years 2010, 2015, and 2020 .................... 54 Figure 4: Manitou Springs Ethnicity Statistics (2015) ................................................................................. 55 Figure 5: Annual Household Income Distribution Comparison (2015 ‐ 2020) ............................................ 57 Figure 6: Open Space Criteria Overlay Map .............................................................................................. 101 Figure 7: Existing Trails Illustration ........................................................................................................... 104 Figure 8: Trail Concepts Illustration .......................................................................................................... 107 Figure 9: Trails Master Plan Map .............................................................................................................. 115 Figure 10: Trailheads and Connections Illustration .................................................................................. 119 Figure 11: Trails System Illustration .......................................................................................................... 122 Figure 12: Trail Section Diagram ............................................................................................................... 129 ii Manitou Springs, Colorado Acknowledgements Mayor and City Council Mayor – Nicole Nicoletta Mayor Pro Tem – Gary Smith Becky Elder Robert Todd Randy Hodges Coreen Toll Jay Rohrer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Danu Fatt – Chair Colette Berge – Vice Chair Tim Bresnahan Jenna Hubbs ‐ Treasurer Jan Johnson Gail Cage ‐ Secretary Open Space Advisory Committee Nancy Fortuin – Chair Michael Maio– Vice Chair Eric Billmeyer David Walker – past member Tom Fears – past member Gary Michels Sue Graham Marc Straub Kymberlee Littleton Nancy Wilson ‐ Secretary Sheryl Cline Planning Department Staff Wade Burkholder‐ Planning Director Michelle Anthony – Senior Planner Karen Berchtold‐ Planner II Sherri Johnson – Planning Technician Public Services Department Staff Shelley Cobau ‐ Interim Director Brad Walters – Streets Foreman James Dodds ‐ GIS Steering Committee Nancy Fortuin ‐‐ Chair Wade Burkholder Jan Johnson Karen Berchtold Shelley Cobau James Dodds Gary Michels Danu Fatt David Walker Tom Fears Brad Walters Consultant Team GreenPlay, LLC ERO Resources Corporation KezziahWatkins PlaceMatters Tapis Associates, Inc. Parks, Open Space, and Trails Master Plan iii The City of Manitou Springs and the Parks, Open Space and Trails Master Plan Steering Committee would like to acknowledge the contributions of over 280 area residents, parks and trails users, members of the Manitou Springs High School Student Council, and interested civic and citizen groups that participated in the process of creating and commenting on this plan. We would like to thank the Manitou
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