Two key meetings Oct. 22 on Westside
1st session in effort to specify Camp Creek flood mitigation

       With a just-released consultant's study supporting its significance, Camp Creek flood mitigation will be the subject of a public meeting Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. in the Coronado High cafeteria, 1590 W. Filllmore St.

A graphic shows Camp Creek, starting in National Forest lands burned in the Waldo Canyon Fire and flowing eventually into Fountain Creek.
Courtesy of Colorado Springs Engineering and Wilson & Co.

       As described by city officials, the meeting will involve engineers sharing information and ideas on short- and long-term fixes and hoping for feedback in kind from citizens.
       The city has presented no repair recommendations yet, other than concepts for making the ditch through Pleasant Valley less vulnerable or building a detention pond that would slow potential torrents through the Garden of the Gods.
       The study is the “City of Colorado Springs Storm-water Needs Assessment,” which was developed for the city by the consulting firm of CH2M HILL and released this week. In it, Camp Creek is not only given a priority of “high,” a picture of its concrete-ditch configuration through Pleasant Valley adorns the document cover.
       The CH2M HILL study was directed by Mayor Steve Bach to focus on city needs, providing a contrast with the Regional Stormwater Task Force (formed last year). Both agree that flooding is a multi-government problem, but Bach believes the city should take the lead.
       Conceding that solid costs are not yet known for Camp Creek, the assessment offers no dispute with a Task Force proposal that the work should be done in two phases nor its total cost estimate of $14.4 million.
       Camp Creek's Phase 1 is shown as “Fountain Creek to Fontanero,” and Phase 2 as “Fontanero to Garden of the Gods.”
       After the Oct. 22 meeting, according to a city-prepared flyer, the Camp Creek plan-development process will initially consist of the project team (city and consultant) developing “long-term and first-action alternatives based on technical analysis and community issues.”
       Another meeting in December will give citizens a chance to respond to that work. The team will then “further develop alternatives,” followed by a January meeting, then work up “preferred long-term and first-action alternative(s)” before a final community meeting in February, the flyer states.

Westside Pioneer article