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City presentation outlines TOPS-funded acquisition to expand Cheyenne Mountain State Park buffer
Summary
City staff presented a three‑party plan in which the Trust for Public Land would buy roughly 480 acres north of Cheyenne Mountain State Park and convey a roughly 130‑acre parcel to the City and a 350‑acre parcel to Colorado Parks and Wildlife; council asked that the item not be placed on consent and requested an official letter from Cheyenne Mountain leadership before final action.
Lana Thielen, Trails, Open Space and Parks program manager for the City of Colorado Springs, told the council on Nov. 10 that the city is pursuing a three‑party acquisition to conserve land immediately north of Cheyenne Mountain State Park and create a buffer for nearby military installations.
Thielen said the Trust for Public Land (TPL) would purchase the overall property and convey two parcels: a roughly 130‑acre northern parcel proposed for purchase by the City of Colorado Springs and a roughly 350‑acre southern parcel proposed for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). She said the property appraised in June at $31,000 per acre and that conserving the site would protect wildlife habitat, scenic resources and a potential development area that otherwise could support about 95 single‑family homes. The project would also help close a gap in the Chamberlain Trail connection.
Thielen summarized TOPS (Trails, Open Space and Parks) funding available for the acquisition: roughly $12 million from the 2024 fund balance plus about $4 million available in 2025, yielding about $16 million before reserving $1.6 million; she said the city would use approximately $4,150,000 from TOPS for the northern parcel. Thielen said staff intends to request two motions at an upcoming regular meeting: a supplemental appropriation of $4,150,000 and a resolution authorizing the acquisition, with closing anticipated in spring of next year.
Council members said the item should not be placed on the consent calendar so the public can be fully informed. “Definitely not on consent,” Council member Hingeam said, praising the acquisition and urging a full presentation to the public. Council member Rainey agreed and pressed staff to secure an official letter from Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station leadership (or senior leadership at Peterson Space Force Base) confirming coordination with military leadership; Rainey said the council had previously encountered land‑use matters where formal military correspondence was important. Thielen said Fort Carson provided a letter in the meeting packet and that the city had received an endorsing email from Keith Clain of the Colorado Defense Alliance, and that staff is working to obtain a letter from Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station.
Thielen said the city and CPW currently operate under a memorandum of understanding by which CPW provides management and maintenance for city‑owned park property, and staff expects a similar arrangement for these parcels. She said the proposed conservation aligns with the 2014 Park System Master Plan and the TOPS policies and procedures manual by preserving habitat, water resources and scenic views.
The presentation included aerial images and a map showing the parcels, Norad Road and Fishers Canyon. Thielen said the southern parcel is proposed for purchase by CPW and that TPL will handle the initial acquisition and subsequent conveyance to the partners. The TOPS working committee has already recommended approval; staff said the Parks Advisory Board will consider the item at its upcoming meeting and that the council will see the item again at future regular meetings for formal action.
Next procedural steps are a return to the Parks Advisory Board for a recommendation and presentations to the council at upcoming regular meetings; staff said they expect to seek formal council approval on Nov. 25 and Dec. 9, and to close the transaction in spring 2026.
