Too much of a good thing?
First overlay for Old Town lots in 27 years

       Over the next few weeks, paving machines will descend on two key parts of the older Westside: Colorado Avenue and the three Old Colorado City parking lots.
       Spurred by concerns from the Old Colorado City Associates (OCCA) merchants group about losing parking spaces simultaneously on the street and in their lots, Colorado Springs street engineers have been meeting with Westside business leaders to set a schedule that causes the least impacts.
       “We're happy to have the work done,” said Nancy Stovall of OCCA. “The timing is the big issue.”
       A full schedule had not yet been finalized at press time. The two stories below detail the currently known information about each project. (See other story)

       When Colorado Springs Streets paving crews begin overlaying the three parking lots in the Old Colorado City shopping district next week, it will be the first time that's happened in 27 years.
       “You could say it's about time,” deadpanned Bill Grimes, referring to the cracking that's visible on most of the lots' surfaces.
       He was running a business (Colorado City Creamery) in Old Colorado City in 1979 and still owns property there.
       Grimes did note the city has put down fresh oil, rock chips and crack seal at various times over the years; also, he added, “streets get more abuse than a parking lot.”
       The city-owned lots are in the 2400 block (south of the shops on Colorado Avenue), the 2500 block (north of the shops) and 2600 block (south of the avenue). They have about 170 spaces in all.
       As currently planned, the work will start with the 2600 block lot. The smallest of the lots, it's slated to be cleaned and paved Monday, Aug. 27, then striped on the 28th, according to Greg Warnke, city parking administrator.
       Next will be the 2400 block lot. It's to be milled and paved Aug. 28 before being striped the next day, he said.
       Uncertain at this time is the 2500 block lot, which is the biggest of the three. After initial milling efforts there this week, “we found out it will require more extensive milling,” Warnke said. “That work isn't scheduled yet. We need a part for a machine.”
       The budget for the work is $100,000. When the project was first planned over a year ago, that seemed like more than enough - with the Old Colorado City Security & Maintenance District committee considering ways to use the unspent money - but with the increase in scope the dollar amount may become an issue, Warnke said.
       The money is coming from citywide parking meter revenues designated to Old Colorado City (which has 137 meters).
       Parking is free in the lots, although anyone leaving a car longer than four hours is subject to a parking ticket.

Westside Pioneer article