12/05/03 Incline Meeting

Meeting Info:
Friday, December 5, 2003 from 3:00-5:00 P.M.
Colorado Springs Utilities - 4th Floor Conference Room - So. Tower Plaza of the Rockies

Participants:
Jeffrey Hovermale (Forest Service)
Joe Wilson and Kristin Bricker (Colorado Springs Utilities)
Kyle Hybl, Doug Doan and Spencer Wren (COG Railway)
Rich Havel and Pat Farrell (El Paso County Parks)
Matt Carpenter (Friends of the Peak)
Michael Merrifield (Colorado State Representative)
Paul Cohen (Community Member)
Mary Lou Makepeace and Ken Jaray (Facilitators)

Agenda:

1. Introductions
2. Purpose of the meeting
3. Identification of needs of Mt. Manitou Incline and Upper Ruxton Canyon
4. Areas of concern of each property owner
5. Discussion of solutions to address property owners concerns and needs of the area
6. Next steps

Meeting Summary:

1. Needs of the property owners and others: The participants generally agree that the Incline could be an asset; however there are two primary issues that need to be addressed: parking and liability. Other concerns are: conservation/reclamation, maintenance of the CSU water lines, Ruxton Canyon residents concern about congestion and increasing use of Barr Trail.
   • Parking: The COG is concerned that they not loose any parking in the area for other uses. Additional parking would be very helpful, but would not increase the business opportunities of the COG significantly. It was generally agreed that additional parking is necessary to deal with the increasing use of the upper Ruxton Canyon area. Several alternatives to increasing parking in the area were discussed including increasing the Barr Trail parking lot and developing other parking areas on private or public lands. It was also generally agreed that educating the public about not parking in the COG parking areas and encouraging parking in Manitou Springs might be helpful. Providing a dedicated shuttle system was also discussed. It was clear that there is no way to accurately predict what would happen in the area should the Incline be opened to the public.

   • Liability: The COG and Forest Service have concerns about continuing liability issues. Having the property owned by a governmental agency would help limit the liability. Deterioration of the Incline would cause increasing liability/safety issues. The COG may be interested in selling the property as one way of dealing with the liability issue. It was discussed that the logical potential owners of the property are the Forest Service and the City of Manitou Springs. Liability concerns could also be dealt with through the use of an easement and hold harmless agreement similar to the one used for Barr Trail.

   • Forest Service Concerns: The Forest Service may require significant study of the area and use of the Incline if it were to be opened to the public. This would be time consuming (2-3 years at least) and possibly expensive. It appears that the COG may still have an easement for use of the property. It was also discussed that the Friends of the Peak have a memorandum of understanding with the Forest Service, which outlines operation on Barr Trail. It was agreed that these issues should be researched prior to initiating any other significant study of the area. There maybe a restoration plan available which was developed in the 1980’s.

   • Colorado Springs Utilities Concerns: CSU has a 50 ft. non-exclusive easement for the existing water line. No additional use would be considered that would materially impact the use and maintenance of the pipeline. Maintenance/drainage issues to protect the pipeline would also need to be considered. Some maintenance/drainage work on the Incline has been done by CSU over the years.

2. Next steps and possible solutions: It was generally agreed that more information/data would be helpful. Some information/data on use of the Incline and the impact on the area may not be available until after the Incline is opened to the public. The parties agreed that additional discussions about the property would be helpful. It was also agreed that a GOCO planning grant might be an option for funding some of the studies that needs to take place. Other organization such as the Colorado 14’ers Initiative and the Rocky Mountain Field Institute may be helpful in dealing with planning and conservation of the area. Eight areas of study were considered:
   1. Study traffic flows and patterns in the upper Ruxton Canyon area.
      
   2. Study the current use of the Incline and Barr Trail with electronic counters.
      
   3. Obtain an engineering and environmental feasibility study to enlarge the existing Barr Trail parking lot to include technical specifications and cost estimates.
      
   4. Obtain an engineering and environmental report for current and long term maintenance of the Incline to include technical specifications and cost estimates.
      
   5. Obtain a parking plan analysis for upper Ruxton Canyon including options for expanding existing parking areas.
      
   6. Develop a long-term strategy for encouraging parking in downtown Manitou Spgs. and alternative modes of transportation from downtown to upper Ruxton Canyon.
      
   7. Obtain costs estimates to reclaim the bottom section of the Incline to discourage use and access.
      
   8. Develop a strategy and implementation plan to ensure continuing stewardship of the Incline.

3. Action Steps:
   1. Jeff Hovermale (Forest Service) will research the current ownership and easement issues of the Incline as well as the memorandum of understanding with the Friends of the Incline.
      
   2. The property owners will consider the feasibility of applying for a GOCO planning grant. A governmental agency that would apply for the grant would need to be determined.
      
   3. Ken Jaray will schedule a second planning meeting for the end of January 2004. CSU will again host the meeting.

Submitted by:
Ken Jaray