Lawrence Starbuck is glad that, after 45 years, a half-mile gap in the sidewalks along Airport Road is going to be fixed.

Lawrence Starbuck, 72, stands along Airport Road on June 24, 2010.

A $243,000 federal transportation grant will pay for the new concrete.

It will replace a “cattle trail” blazed over the decades by folks trying to reach stores on South Circle Drive. Here’s a look at it from FlashEarth.com:

Here’s the trail, from the spot where an existing sidewalk ends and the dirt begins. This view looks west from South Chelton Road:

Here is a view to the east, from Jewel Street, at the trail along Airport Road.

LONG-AWAITED SIDEWALK A MIXED BLESSING is a post from: Side Streets

Folks in Colorado Springs have been mad lately at the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Their anger stems from a feeling of rejection after the USOC talked about leaving due to crowded and antiquated facilities.

The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Many also are upset that Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera and the City Council gave the USOC a package of incentives worth $42.3 million to convince the organization to keeps its national headquarters here another 30 years.

The U.S. Olympic Training Center is located on the former Ent Air Force Base. The first athletes moved into the 34-acre campus east of downtown in 1977.

The U.S. Olympic Committee moved its headquarters, Olympic House, to the complex on Aug. 1, 1978 after leaving New York City.

The new headquarters of the U.S. Olympic Committee in downtown Colorado Springs

The USOC is trying to mend fences with its neighbors in the community.

It started by giving the city a $250,000 grant to fund youth sports programs at struggling community centers.

On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the USOC is throwing  a party at the training center, on Boulder Street at Union Boulevard. It’s called the Community Appreciation Day Celebration.

There will be autograph sessions with Olympic athletes. Resident Olympic and Paralymic athletes will demonstrate 11 sports including BMX, freestyle skiing aerialists, gymnastics and volleyball.

There will be food, music, prizes and other fun.

Here’s a video the Gazette’s Brian Gomez shot at the new headquarters building on May 2, 2010, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony:

Here’s a brief story about the move to the new building in April.

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USOC TRYING TO BE GOOD NEIGHBOR, MEND FENCES is a post from: Side Streets

Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera

In 2007, Mayor Lionel Rivera made revitalization of the decaying commercial corridor a priority.

It was a recognition that retail flight to the ‘burbs of Powers Boulevard, Woodmen Road and points north had taken its toll on Academy.

Especially the six miles from Drennan Road north to Maizeland Road.

Thanks to a federal transit grant, the city now has money to study options for the boulevard.

It is soliciting ideas of the public at a public hearing scheduled 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 24 at Sierra High School.

This is the start of a process that could reshape Academy, which is unusual in Colorado Springs. It’s a major artery that originated in the late 1950s in the city’s north end, at the entrance to the Air Force Academy.

Gradually, it was built to the south and became the retail heart of the city when The Citadel mall opened in February 1972 at Platte Avenue. 

Big box retailers flocked to the area in strip malls. It boomed until the 1990s when a massive population explosion led to development of neighborhoods east and north. Retailers followed, setting up shops along Powers. Today, much of South Academy is marred by vacant stores. 

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Go to the public hearing and give the experts your ideas.

Rich Laden, Gazette business writer extraordinaire

 Should it be reclassified from a major artery/limited access expressway down to a slower moving roadway conducive to residential redevelopment?

 What about curb cuts or changes to make it viable for rapid transit or light rail?

Here’s an excellent piece The Gazette’s expert Rich Laden wrote Dec. 29, 2007, on the plight of Academy Boulevard.

His story was accompanied by a great graphic that detailed the corridor.

Below is a map of the corridor and corresponding explanations of the various sections as Laden found them at the time.

xxx

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ACADEMY BOULEVARD: Decaying but not dead. Yet. is a post from: Side Streets

Back in the day, horses were a common sight in Colorado Springs.

This was the West, after all.

Not anymore.

Unless you live on Columbia Road. Here’s a look at it from FlashEarth.com:

Folks who live on that street on the far west edge of Colorado Springs have lived with constant horse traffic. That’s because they live between Academy Riding Stables and the Garden of the Gods.

The stables were established in 1928. Since 1934, the stables has been leading trail rides into the Garden, using Columbia as its main route.

Here, wranglers wait to lead a trial ride.

Academy Riding Stables general manager Walter Hampel, below, cinches up saddle as a trail ride heads out of the corral, onto Holly Street and up Columbia Road on the way to the Garden of the Gods.

The riders stay to the far west edge of Columbia to let cars pass.

An Academy Riding Stables wrangler brings up the rear as a trail ride leaves Columbia and heads into the Garden of the Gods.

Even folks who complain about the horses acknowledge that Hampel and his wranglers do a good job controlling their horses and cleaning up after them.

And they acknowledge that Academy tries to be a good neighbor by offering each resident of Columbia two free passes every summer for a trail ride. That’s an $86 value, at $43 per hour ride.

A wrangler in a golf cart buzzes up and down the street all day with a shovel, scooping up manure.

The horses have made so many trips up and down Columbia over the years that their hooves have worn a groove in the blacktop pavement.

Hampel said the longest string of horses allowed is 21, including three wranglers. They never ride closer than 200 yards apart. He said horses and wranglers are trained to avoid emergency vehicles.

Resident Bruce Lindsey complains  about the horses and worries they might prevent emergency vehicles from quickly reaching a victim.

But most cherish the unique quality they lend the neighborhood. They view it as a daily celebration of our Wild West heritage. They enjoy the “clomp, clomp, clomp” of the horses.

 And some suggest they make the neighborhood safer because they slow speeding drivers.

Instead of inhibiting emergency care, Hampel said his wranglers have called ambulances when they’ve noticed neighbors in distress.

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NEIGHBOR WANTS TO REIN IN HORSE TRAFFIC is a post from: Side Streets

Last week, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus rolled into Colorado Springs.

And for one week, it was the Greatest Neighborhood on Earth.

At least the most unique neighborhood in town.

It’s the only true mobile home neighborhood anywhere. Here it is, 30 silver coach cars lined up for a half mile along Interstate 25 and Monument Valley Park.

You might think your neighbor is a clown. Or your homeowners association is populated by them. But this neighborhood is full of them. Here’s a look at Ringling’s class of clowns from its web site:

I’ve seen the clowns perform and they are a funny bunch.

In chatting with people on the train, I understand they are equally funny in private.

Paul Lanquist, 59, of New Orleans, is a porter for the circus. He’s worked for Ringling Bros. 10 years. He said the clowns are “off the wall” at times and keep everyone laughing. Here’s a look at Paul, standing on the Uintah Street bridge:

Paul said the clowns are pranksters. And they love birthday parties. In fact, Paul won’t tell anyone his birthday because he doesn’t want to get a pie in the face!

“I’ve been real careful not to tell them,” he said, laughing.

Another circus worker, Mike Murphy, 41, of New York, said there are different communities on the train. Performers and dancers tend to stick together, he said.

Mike works in transportation, getting equipment off the train and to the arenas. He said working guys like him hang out together.

The circus provides living quarters for its staff of 300. Newcomers generally get smaller rooms while long-time employees typically get roomier quarters. Most bring their own TVs. Some even hook up satellites to get programming. 

It’s no uncommon to find childrens’ toys scattered about the train.

The train was around for a week, stretching out from Uintah Street south to the pedestrian bridge over Interstate 25. Here is sits over Uintah.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train sits along Monument Vallely Park in downtown Colorado Springs on June 11, 2010. In the background is Interstate 25, the Bijou Street bridge and Cheyenne Mountain.

Here’s a stylized look at the circus train from the circus web site:

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THE GREATEST NEIGHBORHOOD ON EARTH is a post from: Side Streets

Developer Randy Scholl  wants to build 27 custom homes on 12 acres he owns a mile east of one of the busiest intersections in Colorado Springs: it’s the death trap known as Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway. 

Here’s a look at the area from FlashEarth.com: 

 His land is part of a large unincorporated island, called an “enclave,” surrounded by dense city neighborhoods. 

Ridge would be a small neighborhood of 27 custom homes on 12 acres if was allowed to build the project he proposed to El Paso County and to the planning department of Colorado Springs. 

The homes would be on land newly annexed into the surrounding city. 

Randy Scholl points toward the 12 acres where he wants to build 27 custom homes.

Scholl wants the land annexed because he wants to provide the amenities offered by the city including sewer and water services as well as access to emergency services including police, fire and ambulance. 

Austin Ridge would have about 27 homes on half-acre lots and enjoy spectacular views.

 But Scholl is being opposed by neighbors in Park Vista Estates, which makes up the bulk of the enclave. It is 385 acres of homes on half-acre lots or larger. 

When the neighborhood was laid out 50 years or so ago, it was far out in the county. Everyone was on well water along with septic tanks. Roads have no sidewalks, curbs and gutters. 

 Or course, the city grew up around the neighborhood and now residents enjoy a slice of rural life in the city. Most — about 200 — even enjoy city water. They converted because they were limited on how much well water they could use. Now they are free to water away on their landscaping! 

They also get emergency services from the city — fire and ambulance — without the burden of city taxes. Lucky for them. 

So the neighbors, led by Marilyn Morgan, howled when Scholl’s project surfaced. They always thought his 12 acres was landlocked. Some didn’t like the idea of losing their “open space” to houses, planned to be built on an extension of Cedarmere Drive to the east. 

 They became especially upset when the city wanted Scholl to create a second access point — for emergency services — and he proposed linking to Copper Drive to the south through Park Vista. 

Scholl said he would improve the safety of Copper Drive by fixing a blind curve. And he’d make other improvements.

But he doesn’t want to fight. He’s redrawing his plans to build fewer homes — about 20 – on larger lots and only use Cedarmere. But he must convince the city to allow him a single access. 

Randy Scholl shows the new plans for Austin Ridge.

Scholl said he understand why some might be upset about a few more cars on their road. But he doesn’t believe the extra cars would create that much traffic. And any inconvenience would be outweighed by the increased safety – both improving the blind curve and for the 27 homes — created by the extra access. 

As part of his project, Randy School would eliminate a blind curve where Copper Drive meets Emerald Road.

Scholl said he intends to try to convince the city to let him build a smaller project and drop the second access point on Copper Drive.

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COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD, SURROUNDED BY CITY, DOESN’T WANT “INFRINGEMENT” is a post from: Side Streets