“No Man’s Land” may finally get a makeover.
The El Paso County Board of Commissioner approved a contract for a traffic engineering studey of West Colorado Avenue and Manitou Avenue on Thursday. That area is commonly referred to as No Man’s Land, because it’s a patch of county soil wedged between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. The Colorado Department of Transportation will pay for the $300,000 study.
The study will examine much-needed road improvements and identify solutions to traffic flow, pedestrian access, utilities placement, drainage and other infrastructure problems along West Colorado Avenue between 31st Street and Manitou Springs. Portions of Colorado Avenue in this area fall under four different jurisdictions: El Paso County, Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and CDOT.
“This is an historic moment for this longtime forgotten and neglected portion of West Colorado Avenue,” said commissioner Sallie Clark, who represents the study area.
The proposed study is expected to end January 2013. A project website will be launched in the coming weeks. The study will also include a comprehensive public involvement process including open house meetings and email information updates. Those interested in receiving information and updates on the study can contact Lisa Bachman P.R. Group at 488-5908 or at lisa@lisabachmanpr.com.
“We all stand ready to help with due process and public outreach,” said Welling Clark, the commissioner’s husband and president of Organization of Westside Neighbors.
Bob Felsburg, president of Felsburg Holt and Ullevig, leader of the study team, said, “This is a very important project for the communities. It’s a very challenging project in a very interesting corridor.”
Let’s hope the project includes opinions from the community at large. This is an important street but often the opinions of “outsiders” don’t seem to count when it comes to the West Side. A lot of us work on the west side, shop, recreate, etc. but we just don’t happen to live over there. Please reach out to the whole community for this study.
Can someone explain why “No Man’s Land” has not been annexed by either Maintou Springs or Colorado Springs? A history lesson from a more knowledgeable person could shed some light.
$300.00 dollars for a study to gain information that I am certain has been given to them many times over by local residents and ignored.