Off Highway Vehicle Park Update

Bitter disappointment for trail bike riders, triumph for open space, discrimination against family motorsports, protection of a unique paleontology and archeological treasure, missing a financial boon, protecting limited financial resources. We heard all that and more in multiple public hearings, one on one meetings, telephone calls and emails both for and against the Off Highway Vehicle Park (OHV) that had to number in the hundreds.

At first blush placing an OHV park for trail riders next to an existing motocross track, the largest land fill in El Paso County, auto salvage yards and thousands of acres of open space seemed to make sense. As with all county parks, existing or proposed, major changes go through a master planning process to explore the pros and cons an other impacts. While the opponents accused the commissioners of railroading this park through, it was precisely the county process that identified the unique features of the Coral Bluffs escarpment, including Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon nesting sites.

I hiked Coral Bluffs early in the process and as a causal observer I was concerned about the petrified wood, hoodoos and other rock formations that make up the bluffs, but open space and motor bikes are not mutually exclusive concepts. I was also standing outside at the nearest home to the north when a neighbor closer than the proposed park was operating his off road vehicle and realized the noise was not going to be an issue for people living to the north despite the protest of people living over a mile away, however there were other closer neighbors to the southwest that needed to be heard.

As more issues were identified it became apparent they would be insurmountable and the commissioners united in the decision to not proceed with an OHV park at this location. The commissioners were also united in directing the Parks Director to continue to identify potential sites. There are over 14,000 off road bikes registered in El Paso County, the State Parks Board has shown interest in funding a motor sport park using the OHV fee paid by those bikers, and the Parks Department has park fees paid by developers that can be used only for the acquisition and expansion of parks, but donít look for any general fund dollars that could be used for Sheriff Deputies or fuel to be spent on a OHV park anytime soon.

CONTACT THE WRITER • HISEY4CD4@MSN.COM

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