Side Streets ~ Neighborhood people and issues

Archive for the 'open space' Tag

GOATS TO THE RESCUE! FIRE PROTECTION ON FOUR LEGS

November 20th, 2010, 12:01 pm by

The Friendship-Crescent-Mesa Neighborhood is one of those beautiful little neighborhoods in Colorado Springs where folks with homes on large lots enjoy spectacular views and abundant wildlife.

Many of the homes back up to a valley where the Palmer Land Trust owns a 20-acre open space.

But danger lurks in the peaceful valley. Wildfire.

It struct twice in six years. First in 1992, when 25 acres burned and threatened homes.

Then, on April 4, 1998, it struck again. And this time, the effects were not as benign.

The 15-acre inferno produced flames 60 feet high and, this time, houses were not spared. The home of Paul Konecny was destroyed and four others damaged. Here is a Gazette file photo of the Konecny home.

In hopes of averting another tragedy, neighbors have taken steps to mitigate future wildfire. Many have removed bushes and trees from against their homes to create “defensible space” for firefighters.

They’ve laid down perimeters of rock to impede the spread of fire as it moves up the valley. Some have installed sprinkler systems to fight fire.

But the hillsides behind the houses are steep. And it’s expensive to hire crews to whack the weeds and brush and haul it off.

This fall, neighbor Richard Serby had an idea. He read about the goats being used to munch weeds in Bear Creek Regional Park and thought they’d be ideal for his neighborhood.

Richard Serby stands in his backyard after the goats finshed munching down the brush. For comparison, see the brush, thistle, yucca and small trees on the other side of the fence behind him. Serby said his yard was identical prior to the goats' arrival.

So he contacted Lani Malmberg, owner of Goats Eat Weeds , also known as Ewe4ic Ecological Services of Cheyenne, Wyo., whose Cashmere goats are used to mow Bear Creek.

Last week, Malmberg brought 400 goats, and Patches, her border collie, to the neighborhood and the munching began.

The goats are all male. They are colorful, have twisting horns. And they are not particularly friendly. But they aren’t loud, either.

They graze the hillsides, eating noxious weeds that would kill other animals. Their hooves soften the soil and work in the manure they produce as they eat.

Portable fence is used to contain the goats on one property at a time.

The goats will take down small trees, if left on one property long enough.

They will stand on their hind legs and eat branches as high as nine feet.

Tubs of water are left out for the goats, but they don’t drink that much, Malmberg said.

Here’s a link to a story I wrote in 2002 about the 1998 wildfire that roared through the Friendship-Crescent-Mesa neighborhood destroying one house and damaged several others.

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THEY SHOOT BEARS, DON’T THEY?

September 4th, 2010, 11:22 pm by

Before moving here in 1994, I’d always lived in very urban neighborhoods in cities to the east. I was shocked to see all the wildlife that lives among the neighborhoods of Colorado Springs.

For 13 years, we’ve lived next to an open space in Rockrimmon and have a front-row seat for watching deer, coyote (I spotted this one on Christmas morning 2007), bobcat, fox.  I’m still hoping to see a rare mountain lion.

What I enjoy the most is seeing the bears. Typically, they emerge from the open space at night and trigger our security lights.

This cinammon black bear has been a regular visitor to our backyard for years. Usually, she has a cub or two following behind her.

I’ve always considered it a privilege to live so close to nature. I never considered calling the Division of Wildlife when the bears came and knocked down the neighbors’ birdfeeders or tossed open trash cans. I just shrugg it off.

I didn’t consider calling DOW after a bobcat raided my kids’ rabbit hutch and attacked my dog. I was upset but shrugged if off as the price of living among wild animals.

Last fall, I was lucky enough to watch the old, cinammon bear turn on one of her cubs, a young adult, and angrily chase him up a tree.

He had been following her and I believe she was tired of him competing with her for food and let him know it. The confrontation was dramatic and the young adult was unhappy.

Luckily, he ran up a tree just off our bedroom and we were eye-to-eye. He huffed and barked at us from the branches.

 This spring, she showed as usual with three new cubs, foraging at night mostly. The young adult came around, too. But he avoided her and made his rounds in the daytime.

We’ve spotted him in the mornings, crossing the street or digging in a neighbor’s trash which had been set at the curb for pickup.

I met  him twice this summer. The first time, I had opened my garage in the early morning to load luggage into my car for a trip. He happened to wander into the garage while I was inside the house getting our bags.

I came out and he was trying to open a refrigerator deep inside my garage in a mud room. We were both startled. I ran back inside and pounded on the walls to chase him out of the garage.

I met him again a few weeks ago. Earlier in the day, he came right up to one neighbor, chasing her into her house. He walked up the stairs to her front door before sauntering off. He was not scared of her.

That evening, he came in my garage while I was unloading groceries. He got the fridge in my mud room open and drained a gallon of juice. Then he went after a plastic trash can full of dog food.

He would not leave no matter how much I yelled at him, or threw brooms and other objects. He just glared at me and ate dog food. Finally, I ran to my car and blasted the horn until he retreated.

He came back a few minutes later, even jumped on a small wooden fence and huffed at me as I swept up the dog food. He scared me.

So I think I understand how those folks felt last week when they were confronted in their homes by bears. It’s sad six died in three days. I wish there was another solution.

 But I’m convinced this young adult is not afraid of humans and has identified houses as a source of food. He’s dangerous, in my book. Especially to my 11-year-old son.

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ON SECOND THOUGHT . . . maybe new houses, road could SAVE the neighborhood

November 4th, 2009, 6:34 pm by

For years, residents of Mesa Springs neighborhood fought to prevent Colorado Springs from extending Centennial Boulevard south from Fillmore Street to connect with Interstate 25 at Fontanero Street.

They feared their 50-year-old neighborhood of modest homes would be wrecked by Centennial. They saw it creating a Bermuda Traffic Triangle between Centennial, Fillmore and I-25.

Here is a look at the area from FlashEarth:

mesaspringscentennial

 But now a developer has contacted the city about building upwards of 500 homes — either single-family, townhomes, condos or apartments — on 47 acres on the west edge of the neighborhood.

The property owner is MVS Development of Albuquerque, N.M. They hired NES Inc., a land planning and landscsape architecture company in the Springs, to get the land rezoned.

Ron Bevans, an NES project manager, said the owners want the city to approve a broad rezoning plan. Part of the project would include consolidating a 17-acre landfill on the site into an 8-acre open space that would be capped.

Here’s another look from FlashEarth:

mesaspringsflash

The project, which Bevans described as in its infancy stage, would include building a big chunk of the Centennial extension.

Curb and gutter exist for a half mile or so south of Fillmore, said James Mayerl, a city planner who is reviewing the MVS project. And Mayerl said the new project might be the impetus for actually completing Centennial.

In fact, the city is studying the transportation plan for the corridor, looking for ways to take pressure off the intersection of Fillmore and I-25. The long-planned Centennial extension would be a  key piece of any plan.

Bevans said his clients do not have blueprints or a builder for the project. They simply are preparing the site for eventual development and alerting neighbors that the process is underway.

Many neighbors are apprehensive about the proposal. They already suffered the loss of 127 neighborhood homes when I-25 was realligned a decade ago and the sound wall erected. And they recently suffered the closure of their neighborhood school, Zebulon Pike Elementary.

But some neighbors, like Carol Gravenstein, view the project and the extension of Centennial as a way to resurrect the school if enough new families move into Mesa Springs.

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LET’S START A CLUB!!

June 7th, 2009, 11:31 pm by

Mike Slattery bought 70 acres in the foothills south of Peregrine in 2002 and thought about building luxury log homes on big lots.

Eventually he abandoned the idea> He sold five acres which are being subdivided into five homesites. But he decided it would be better to preserve the remaining 65 acres as mostly open space with maybe one house, an equestrian center and some trails.

He conceived the Blodgett Ranch Club and is inviting neighbors to let him know if they’d be interested in joining him.

blodgettscreen

 It would be a private club. He might build a pool. Have horses for club members. A dog park. Mountain biking. Hiking trails.

Or he might have to sell the land and watch it become a private estate. Here’s a look at a map of the area.

blodgettmap

 The property is spectacular and abuts Colorado Springs’ 167-acre Blodgett Open Space.

 Here’s a link to the master plan for the Blodgett Open Space.

Here is a map Slattery created of his property.

blodgettmap2

Below is a photo he took of his land.

blodgettranchwide

To take a pulse of the neighborhood and generate interest, Slattery went old-school. He put up a sign. Here it is.

blodgettsign1

 Here’s how Slattery explains his idea:

The 65 acre agriculture-zoned Blodgett Ranch property is privately owned, but preserved in a land trust agreement with El Paso County Parks.  They inspect the entire property every year to confirm there has been no development on the property other than what was agreed years ago in the Deeds of Conservation Easement.  

The lower elevation along Centennial Blvd (currently the small horse barn, round pen and flat area immediately above) was stripped of sub-division development rights (would have been 5 luxury homes or 20+ patio homes)  This 11 acre Phase 1 parcel can only now have a commercial Equestrian Center for riding lessons, boarding and trail rides (no residential development), and includes the new City Parks trail easement donated in order to move hikers coming up from the Woodmen Valley/St Francis corridor, up through Blodgett Ranch, and into the south side of the City’s 187-acre Blodgett Peak Open Space.

 The middle Phase 2 parcel is approx 23 acres and is located on the main mesa beyond the current  antenna barn. This is where up to 18 upscale Peregrine style homes was envisioned by City Planning.  These development rights were stripped and now retains a restricted 3-acre building envelope for a future single family residence, meeting facility and pool.  This area is also where I envision a members Dog Park and outdoor concert pavilion to compliment a the social meeting facility and pool.

 The final Phase 3 is a 30 acre parcel on the Pike National Forest with over 2 miles of groomed trails for member hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, tours, etc.  This parcel will also have up to (8) authentic Indian Tipis in small clusters around the 30 acres for club members to use for family and pet overnights.

 The overall concept is for a community Conservation Club, made up of private members who own shares in the entire facility and amenities, like the Foothills swim club.  Therefore it would be good to find out what local neighbors feel is important to see in their outdoor club before decisions are made.  I don’t see building expensive infrastructure that is not needed for our Colorado outdoor lifestyle activities.  The idea is to enjoy limited amenities at a reasonable family membership cost.

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