Recommended changes to the North Cheyenne Cañon plan which per an email (below) from the Parks Dept indicate the items the public and Friends of Cheyenne Cañon have objected to remain in the plan, but are renamed or redefined. They cite the Parks Board as the source for recommended changes. Nearly 5,000 people have objected to the NCC Master Plan - especially to the buses and road closures/reconfiguration of the South Cheyenne Cañon. The items the public has asked to be removed from the "toolbox" via this petition and personal emails and letters to Mayor Suthers and the Park Board are: 1. Toolbox item #3: Reducing the pull outs from 42 to 12. 2. Toolbox item #4: Night closure with gates. 3. Toolbox item #5: Paving Gold Camp Road 4. Toolbox item #6: Progressive traffic controls -- park entrance fees 5. Toolbox item #7: Buses in park 6. Toolbox item #8: Reconfiguring the Park Entrance and South Cheyenne Cañon including closing roads (S. Cheyenne Canon & Mesa Ave) for revegetation and private bus access to 7 Falls 7. A Marketing Plan to promote the park. Friends of Cheyenne Cañon also refused to endorse the plan based upon feedback from their supporters and other experts. Here is a link to their press release: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AzrXK1ZQIob0vbbwANNgseCnPiZG4_Xo/view?usp=sharing They ask for the removal of 3, 6, 7 & 8 from the toolbox. The Parks Dept just sent out an invite to the FINAL BOARD MEETING ON THE NCC MASTER PLAN will be on May 10th: The Recommended Master and Management Plan was presented to the Board on April 12. At that meeting, Board members recommended changes to the Plan. The changes focused on: *Removing reference to a “Management Toolbox” and incorporation of five of the eight strategies as recommendations in the Plan; *Clarifying that consideration of the remaining three Toolbox strategies will require additional public participation as well as the Board’s approval as minor amendments to the Master Plan. Those strategies are: the Park entrance re-alignment and South Cañon redesign; initiation of a Park shuttle; and progressive traffic control options; *Changing the term “marketing plan” to “information plan” to clarify that the intent of the Interpretive Program is to provide information to existing Park visitors, rather than promote increased Park visitation; and *Eliminating specific roadside pullout removal recommendations and adding criteria for keeping or removing pullouts. They are massaging wording and redefining terms, but it appears they intend to try to pass pretty much all of it. It is stunning, frankly, that such a large outcry is being ignored -- especially the Friends group that supports North Cheyenne Cañon. Though they say a "public process" will have to be followed that is via the Park Board which means the public has to monitor the Parks Dept constantly -- and, we have yet to see the Parks Board veto recommendations. It is curious why reconfiguration of the South Cheyenne Canon (the road and picnic closures and parking lot addition), pull-out closures which are now being redefined as criteria to close them, as well as buses need to be in the plan when there is clearly so much opposition to them. So, it is critical that everyone email Mayor Suthers and copy the Parks Board and the press for transparency asking why all of this opposition is being ignored. These items need to be completely removed from the "toolbox" or list or however the decide to define it. A new plan will not be released until 4/30. In the interim, you can email Mayor Suthers and the Parks Board and ask them to remove those items from the plan and why public input is being ignored and get lots more people to sign this petition. THIS IS IMPORTANT. IT MATTERS. Please write in your email: "Ms. Mehew, please forward this to the Parks Board." Email: jsuthers@springsgov.com and for transparency, cc: cmehew@springsgov.com, NCCMasterPlan@springsgov.com, AllCouncil@springsgov.com, savecheyennemountain@gmail.com, zubeck@csindy.com, krdonews@krdo.com, mike.rausch@krdo.com, news@kktv.com, lmartin@kktv.com, news@koaa.com, kduffy@koaa.com, news@fox21news.com, jcole@kxrm.com, jpaul@denverpost.com, info@krcc.com, jim.alexee@sierraclub.org, friendsofcheyennecanon@gmail.com Sample letters can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CphxbUjKGQmUQxX7AAYmCdtfHvupVxey3G4XGuL6buo/edit?usp=sharing Dear Mayor Suthers, City Council & Parks Advisory Board Members: There has been too much emphasis on the part of the Parks Department and the City on turning our signature parks into Disneyfied tourist meccas and economic development resources. On page 87 of the master plan, an entire section is devoted to the development of a Strategic Marketing Plan,” beginning with the statement that “Marketing is one of the most critical aspects of any heritage or interpretive attraction operation … It is recommended, “the plan goes on, “that North Cheyenne Cañon Park hire experts to create a strategic marketing plan,” essentially treating the park like a piece of merchandise. This section further suggests the use of mobile apps and digital media to promote the park on the grounds that this will attract younger people. But as seen by the Cheyenne High School students at the last PAB meeting the park is already well-used by young people and they like it just as it is. With regard to messaging, one bullet point reads: “Ensure message of Friends of Cheyenne Cañon is in lockstep with the City.” The plan further elaborates, suggesting its true underlying goal: “The availability of information today makes tourism extremely competitive. It’s not the job of the Parks Department to market our parks or to overhaul a spectacular natural feature in order to shoehorn in more people. Please remove toolbox items 3, 6, 7 and 8 on pages 65-67 from the tool box in the master plan; and most of the section on marketing found on pages 87-88. I am also concerned with the fact that the plan is so vague and sprawling it essentially amounts to a blank check for City Parks to do whatever it wants. And please keep in mind, some 340 individuals participated in the NCCP master planning process; nearly 5,000 people have voted specifically against shuttles in on an on-line petition. Sincerely Ruth Obee