EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) — Approval within the Colorado General Assembly Development Committee on Thursday is paving the way for the long-planned efforts to complete the expansion of Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
The committee approved the plan to add two new parcels of land near the park's entrance through contracts with the property owners. The purchase of a 357.2-acre parcel known as the "Denman Property" for $8.93 million will be completed by CPW and the Trust for Public Land.
The funds for the project are allocated from the Colorado State Lottery funds to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
CPW says a parcel of 125.8 acres was approved for purchase by the City of Colorado Springs and will be managed by CPW following an amendment to the agreement between the city and state.
The purchase for this parcel was funded by a unanimous vote by the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) Working Committee for the sales tax-funded TOPS program to buy the parcel for $4.1 million, as we previously reported in November.
“This project has been more than two decades in the making,” said Frank McGee, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Southeast Region manager. “Cheyenne Mountain State Park represents the protection of one of the most important open spaces along the southern Front Range, and this expansion reflects a long-standing partnership with the City of Colorado Springs and other partners working together to protect this landscape.”
- Watch Our Previous Coverage Detailing The City of Colorado Springs' Involvement in the Expansion
“Cheyenne Mountain State Park welcomes significant visitation, but we still hear from first-time visitors who say they didn’t realize the park was even here,” said Jason Hagan, Cheyenne Mountain State Park manager. “Bringing this land into public ownership allows us to protect the park’s entrance and preserve this landscape for the long term.”
The park was first opened in 2006 and currently sits at 2,701 acres.
The additional land seeks to help complete the master plan of the Chamberlain Trail. Which will run 26 miles north to south connect the Blodgett Open Space to Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
It will also allow the park to place new signage along Highway 115. The purchase was expected to wrap up shortly following the committee's approval.
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