CORRAL BLUFFS, COLORADO- Residents trying to hold on to open space –Save Corral Bluffs– east of Colorado Springs have been fighting efforts to build a motorcycle raceway adjacent a pre-existing motor cross park. Local archeologists have been leading tours of the area in hope of preserving the site. Mark Lewis has helped to videotape the effort and forwarded this interesting development.
One of the county commissioners deciding the fate of Corral Bluffs has weighed in on an online dirt biker message board. It’s though this might be grounds to ask for his recusal on the matter. El Paso County Commissioner Jim Bensberg had this to say:
“Thursday morning, April 24, at the County Office Building, about 9 a.m., the Board of County Commissioners will decide whether to spend $35,000 of your OHV sticker money on a park planner pursuant to our original grant request.
The anti-access folks will be out in force to protest this next step in the plan. The point needs to be made, by someone other than me, that 18” of single track for 20 miles = 3.5 acres out of a proposed 900-acre park. Can you say “Open Space?” Sure ya can!
If the motorcycle community wants to be heard, this is a prime opportunity. Otherwise, all the Board will hear is the constant whining from the likes of Lee Milner and the NIMBYs.
So, spread the word. If motorcyclists continue to be underrepresented at these critical public meetings, they will get nothing in return. Democracy requires participation!
Jim B.”
Mark’s got lots of videotapes of the planning meetings and town forums at CSAction.org. What’s at stake is described in great detail at SaveCorralBluffs.com. The area is so-named because cattle drives could easily corral their cows in the natural confines of the bluffs. There are even cliffs discovered to have been used for buffalo jumps by Native Americans.
Did you catch this comment on the AV Rider website? (Emphasis mine)
From user HANNDA: The TOPS people are arguing that they want the 960 acres to be used for open space instead of an off-road motorcycle park. Really? Let’s see. The land sits between, and is abutted by, an existing MX race track to the west and a currently-in-use land fill to the east. One can only assume that once they get the land for open space they’ll complain about the MX park. And the landfill. And sue to get them both closed. I’m in favor of “open space”. Highly in favor of it. But this piece of shit land isn’t what anyone would want for “open space”.