Council approves vacating East Boulder Street to clear way for Palmer High School redevelopment after extended scrutiny

The Colorado Springs City Council voted 6 to 2 to approve an ordinance vacating the public right of way on East Boulder Street, a 0.92-acre corridor between North Nevada Avenue and North Weber Street, to make room for the Palmer High School redevelopment. The ordinance was reconsidered at Tuesday's meeting after earlier votes stalled, and council members spent more than two hours probing safety, utility relocation, parking and the school district's funding plan.

Council President (presiding) brought the reconsideration forward and asked that members focus on the original motion as presented on March 10. School district representatives and consultants, led by Chris Lieber of NES and District Deputy Superintendent Brandon Comfort, described the master plan and the development phasing that they said would keep the majority of student activity on the main campus while moving athletic fields into the vacated area.

The debate centered on a handful of technical and financial constraints. Council members repeatedly asked whether the existing gas main and storm sewer in the Boulder corridor would have to be relocated and who would pay for those moves. Chris Lieber said utilities would generally be relocated as part of phase 1B design with the district paying relocation costs; he said the storm sewer would require a continuing easement for maintenance because gravity flow must be preserved. City traffic engineer Todd Frisbie described planned safety improvements on nearby intersections, including protected left-turn phases, pedestrian-actuated signals and bump-outs, and confirmed installation of school-zone equipment this summer.

Council members pressed the district on parking and construction sequencing. Lieber reiterated the district's target of about 250 on- and near-campus parking spaces after phasing, and said the district has a continuing agreement to use nearby diocesan parking during construction and has verified parking availability via aerial studies. Deputy Superintendent Brandon Comfort said the district is relying on a potential bond, discussed at $775 million in this meeting, for a portion of the master plan but that core elements such as the track and reconfiguring student circulation are included in the district's capital plan and would proceed even if a ballot measure failed.

Several council members raised concerns about the project's timeline and the council's ability to approve a permanent street vacation before the district secures all project financing. City planners said the motion on the table would return the council to the original March 10 motion, clarifying that no new evidentiary presentations were allowed during reconsideration without opening the item to public hearing. City Attorney Stephanie Boster confirmed council could receive answers to questions from staff and the district but not accept new evidence without reopening the hearing.

After questioning concluded, Councilmember Hanjem announced he would change his vote in favor, saying the district had addressed prior safety concerns and that the changes made the project more acceptable. The council recorded the final vote as 6 in favor and 2 opposed, with members who had conflicts of interest recusing themselves earlier in the discussion.

What's next: The ordinance vacating East Boulder Street takes effect per the city's procedures; implementation of utilities relocation and the district's development plan will proceed through the district's design process and required city development and permitting reviews. Council members said they expect continued oversight of traffic and safety improvements as design details are presented to staff and boards.