Help Fishers Canyon Neighbors
Donation protected
Funds are being raised to pay Urban Strategies, Inc. (http://urbanstrategiesinc.net/about_us.html) to advocate on behalf of residents of the neighborhoods surrounding Fishers Canyon Open Space in Colorado Springs. Company President Les Gruen is communicating with key city officials and representing residents at various city meetings. Urban Strategies is charging a flat rate of $5000 for approximately 75 days that should last through the Fishers Canyon approval process.
The Fishers Canyon master plan, as it currently stands (https://coloradosprings.gov/fisherscanyon), poses significant risks and adverse impacts to surrounding neighborhoods.
If the city makes the reasonable modifications identified below to the Fishers Canyon plan, these risks can be mitigated and adverse impacts to the neighborhoods can be minimized.
- Fire: Install high-pressure fire hydrants and smoke & fire remote sensors; construct a fire break; prohibit fires, fireworks, and smoking; and pursue other emergency egress routes. Close park on red-flag days.
- Safety & Security: Limit park hours as sunrise to sunset (not 5AM-9/10PM) and eliminate trails immediately behind houses. Institute clear park rules with signage. Establish a park management plan with park ranger presence and enforcement authority. Post no trespassing signs along private property. Install security cameras.
- Traffic & Quality of Life: Implement a reservation system; reduce hours of operation to sun-up/sun-down. Plow streets and close park when snow is present. Post signs to prevent street parking by Fishers Canyon visitors.
- Environmental Impacts: Conduct impact studies for all wildlife known to live in Fishers Canyon (deer, bears, turkeys, bobcats, and birds of prey, etc.). Have a clear plan for cleaning the park and waste management. Post signs with park rules. Prohibit loud noises and wandering off trails. Minimize trails and park infrastructure to conserve the land, protect wildlife habitat, reduce risk of wildfires, and protect our quality of life (TOPS objectives: https://coloradosprings.gov/parks/page/what-tops).
Concurrent with Les Gruen's advocacy activities, a petition was created to identify supporters. Please sign our neighborhoods' petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-fire-and-safety-threat-of-fisher-s-canyon-project.
You do not need to contribute funds when signing the petition. Those funds will go to change.org—not the Fishers Canyon efforts. Please contribute to this GoFundMe page if you want your funds to go directly toward this Fishers Canyon advocacy effort.
My name is Brenda Tracy. I live in the Spires area of Colorado Springs, and Fishers Canyon poses significant risks and adverse impacts to my neighborhood. 100% of funds (minus GoFundMe fees) will go directly to cover Urban Strategies' costs for advocating on behalf of the impacted neighborhoods. As people give me funds directly, I will subtract it from the total amount of this GoFundMe page.
Organizer
Brenda Tracy
Organizer
Colorado Springs, CO