Fox Run Park is a rare and beautiful resource for nature and wildlife in northern El Paso County, an area currently experiencing extreme rates of population growth and development. While we appreciate the potential benefits such a center could bring to our community, we are opposed to the current plan to build a nature center in the Park and request that it be halted until the county properly conducts environmental impact studies and fully hears and addresses local concerns.

• El Paso County officials have not been transparent with the public in this project. They held only one public meeting (with no outreach to residents near the park) prior to hiring a team of designers, architects, and engineers who made all decisions internally, and then moved directly to the advertising/fundraising stage. 
• Their 2019 “feasibility study” was flawed; it did not adequately consider impacts on wildlife (the local fox population has only recently begun to recover), noise, light, or traffic safety. The park is in a residential area bordered by 2-lane roads on all sides and current placement will increase traffic and safety concerns in the neighborhoods.
• The building plan involves two buildings with private staff offices, a room for event rental, an observation tower, a canopy walk, and a 60-space parking lot, placed in a previously-undeveloped section of the forest. 
• The trail system in Fox Run Park is in a poor state and El Paso County has not responsibly maintained current trails in the park. The plans for the nature center do not include plans or budget for trail maintenance, despite the projected additional negative impact on the trails of this project. 

We believe the County’s goal to make the park into “a hub for community events and tourism” will negatively impact the current state of Fox Run Park. The county's process in finalizing their plans without true public input or analysis of local impacts has been flawed and unacceptable, and needs to be investigated.

Therefore, we request all fundraising, design, construction and other actions involved in this development project be temporarily halted until the county can properly conduct legitimate feasibility studies on environmental, wildlife, traffic and safety impacts and properly hear/assess/address local residents’ concerns.