Many of you have asked how you can help.  Well now is the time and it will only take a few minutes of your time.

As many of you know from our recent e-mails, Scot and I have been trying to get the city portion of our project in a protected status such as a park or conservation easement.  The majority of the main trail and the wetlands reside on the city property under the control of Public Works.  They have no plans for the property, say it has no value to them but are unwilling to protect it with a conservation easement and are unwilling to transfer it to the Park and Rec Department without compensation.   The Park and Rec Department says they don't want it because it has no value and that they don't want to incur the liability and maintenance.  Regardless which department controls it,  the city still has the liability and there has been no maintenance on the property.  We have not asked for any improvements and have offered to use our fundraiser as a maintenance endowment and to create an Adopt a Park Committee.   Obtaining protected status of the city property is critical for us to proceed with the rest of the project.  Our preference is park status.

Over the past two weeks Scot and I have been working hard with the people who can make  the right decision.  We have decided to focus our efforts on next week.  We would like to ask each of you to e-mail and/or call the following city officials over the next week.  Let them know why the open space is important to you and that you want to see it protected as open space under the Park and Rec Department.   Over the past year I have received over 900 e-mails in support of our project.  Let our numbers speak.  It is time to tell our elected officials how we feel.  If they can spend $9 million dollars on open space in the southeast corner of the city last week, most surely they can transfer 13 acres of no value land between departments in one of the most densely populated and traveled corridors in the city.  Independently Scot and I will be working on the inside.  Let the e-mails flow and the telephones ring.  Tell your neighbors and friends.

Please contact any or all of the following people.  They all know about our project.

Mayor Mary Lou Makepeace, mmakepeace@ci.colospgs.co.us; phone 385-5900; fax 578-6601
City Manager James Mullen, JMullen@ci.colospgs.co.us; phone 385-5900; fax 578-6601
City Councilman William Guman (our councilman-District 2), WGuman@aol.com, phone 385-5468, fax 633-8429
City Councilman Richard Skorman (councilman at large- open space advocate), skormy@aol.com,  phone 385-5900, fax 578-6601
City Councilman Ted Eastburn  (councilman at large), eastburnmd@aol.com,  phone 385-5900, fax 578-6601

If you want just the e-mail addresses for the mayor, city manager and council members just cut and paste the following list:    WGUMAN@AOL.COM, LiRiver@worldnet.att.net, skormy@aol.com, lmbarley@aol.com, eastburnmd@aol.com, jmnoyes@ci.colospgs.co.us, j-null@worldnet.att.net, mmakepeace@ci.colospgs.co.us, JMullen@ci.colospgs.co.us

If you prefer to write them, address your letter to City of Colorado Springs, P.P. Box 1575, Mail Code #410, Colo Spgs, Co 80901-1575

Let your feelings be known.  Many thanks!!!!!

Sincerely,
Steve Castle, 593-9226, SteveGCastle@aol.com
Scot Hume, 598- 6106, hume@compuserve.com
Austin Bluffs Conservation Association
Union Meadow Park Project Co-Chairmen