I’ve been blogging quite a bit about White Acres. Hopefully it’s not growing old for non-locals. It’s a property I really don’t want to be developed. It’s visible from much of Colorado Springs and is surrounded by land that won’t be developed. Red Rock Canyon Open Space is on the north, Section 16 is to the west and Bear Creek Canyon Park is to the southeast. There are a few houses hidden in the trees in Bear Creek Canyon but they’re barely noticeable.

The photo above from SaveWhiteAcres.org and the GPS track to the right from one of my recent rides show why I’m passionate about this land. Without the critical section of social trail through the property, it wouldn’t be possible to make the big trail loop with Red Rock Canyon and Section 16. Even though the development plan seems to allow for the trail, having houses would ruin the beauty and solitude.

Last week the White Acres annexation petition was postponed a 2nd time because a deal to buy it for open space seemed possible. An article in Tuesday’s Gazette led many to believe the White Acres deal was approved. That is not the case. Although a deal is in fact on the table, the article ends by saying the deal still needs approval. It seems not everyone read that far.

The asking price for White Acres has been dropped from $1.375 million to $1 million. More important is that the full purchase price isn’t required now like it was when city council voted it down last year. Instead the purchase will be spread over 4 years.

One key thing that wasn’t mentioned in the Gazette article is that this year, $75,000 of private money will need to be raised by December. Only $25,000 of TOPS funds are being committed this year by the city. If the private fundraising fails, the whole deal would most likely fall through. This is the only year private funding is required.

Friends of Red Rock Canyon will be doing the fundraising. They plan to have online donations set up by next week. In the unfortunate event that the deal doesn’t go through, donations will be used for the eventual purchase of Section 16.

Although the purchase will be spread over 4 years, the remaining property will be leased for $1 until all parcels are purchased. The farthest west parcel will be the 1st purchased followed by the hogback. The south parcel along Gold Camp Road will be the 3rd and the 4th parcel will be the north parcel along Gold Camp. This means the land least suited to development will be bought first with the best land for development being left to last.

A 5th parcel will be donated which is a slice for the extension of 31st street that’s been on the master plan for decades. I don’t think it’s likely 31st will be extended but the city wants to keep it’s options open. Land bought with TOPS funds can only be used for open space. A 6th parcel isn’t being bought by the city. The house at the 5 way stop at 26th, Gold Camp and Bear Creek Road is on this parcel.

I was at the TOPS Working Committee meeting yesterday morning. There were over a dozen citizens there in favor of the White Acres Acquisition. If anyone was against it, they didn’t say anything. The committee voted unanimously to recommend acquisition with very little discussion.

The next vote will be by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board next week on Thursday March 12th. From what I heard, they will support acquisition.

The bigger unknown is whether city council will support the deal. I’ve heard there is support for it but its tough to know. They are dealing with a lot of other issues. It’ll be key for everyone to make it to the council meeting on April 14th if at all possible.

Key Dates

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 7:30 AM — Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Parks & Recreation Building, 1401 Recreation Way

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1:00 PM — Colorado Springs City Council
City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Avenue

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Two weeks ago the White Acres annexation petition was postponed for 2 weeks because of negotiations. Now the petition for annexation has been postponed until April 28th.

A possible deal is now on the table offering the City’s TOPS program the opportunity to purchase White Acres in successive parts over four years and at a lower price than before. Friends of Red Rock Canyon will be raising money to cover most of the amount for 2009 since TOPS money is very limited.

The deal must now be formally approved by the TOPS Working Committee, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Colorado Springs City Council. The meetings at which approval will be considered are:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 7:30 AM — TOPS Working Committee
Parks & Recreation Building, 1401 Recreation Way

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 7:30 AM — Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Parks & Recreation Building, 1401 Recreation Way

TUESDAY, APRIL 14 or 28 (?), 1:00 PM — Colorado Springs City Council
City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Avenue

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I’ve written about possible development of White Acres a few times over the last year. The developer’s petition for the annexation of White Acres is scheduled to be presented to the Colorado Springs City Council this Tuesday afternoon.

If you don’t know the background on White Acres, you can start with my report of the pre-annexation meeting in December and my post about whether development is a bluff. also Councilman Jerry Heimlicher post in the January 8th Westside Pioneer gives some insight into why the city hasn’t bought the land for open space.

The meeting schedule is posted online. The petition for annexation is also online although I don’t see anything other than legalese.

The Council meeting is this Tuesday, February 10th at 1:00 PM in the Colorado Springs City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Avenue, upstairs in the Council Chambers. Although the meeting agenda looks long, it is expected that the White Acres annexation will be near the beginning of the meeting. I plan to go down to see how it goes.

The petition for annexation is the first formal step in the annexation process. City Council frequently accepts petitions for annexation as a routine matter, although Council can deny the petition at this stage.

Acceptance of the petition is NOT the same as approval of the annexation. If the petition is accepted, the application is referred to the planning department which studies the proposed annexation, reviews various reports, accepts public comment, and makes a recommendation to the Planning Commission. Planning Commission then makes a recommendation to Council to either approve or deny the annexation. This whole process takes months.

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