Museum projects, RV parking voted on Tuesday by Colorado Springs City Council

The last meeting of 2018 for the Colorado Springs City Council featured votes on two controversial matters.

Resolving an issue left over from Monday’s work session, the council Tuesday resolved a $17 million funding gap for two projects related to the current construction of the Olympic Museum.

The projects are a pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks to connect the museum to America the Beautiful Park, and upgrading six blocks of Vermijo Avenue and Sierra Madre Street around the museum.

Richard Skorman, city council president, said the problem was solved by using two of three available options and finding a fourth option.

“The developers are going to contribute more,” he said. “We’ll also use some of the taxes generated by businesses that the developers will bring in, and the city will give up some of the tax revenue it plans to receive from that development.”

The funding gap developed because of an unexpected increase in costs for materials and other construction, city officials said Monday.

“If costs keep going up, we have the (fourth) option of scaling the projects back to save money,” Skorman said.

The council voted unanimously to approve the compromise as part of the entire plan to redevelop the blighted southwest downtown area.

The compromise means work on the bridge and street upgrades can start early next year and be finished when the museum opens in 2020.

In another matter, the council voted 4-3 to amend an existing ordinance that gives police more authority to impound recreational vehicles, campers and similar vehicles if they are parked too long on any street, road, highway or other public area.

The existing ordinance limited parking only on residential streets.

“We asked for this because we had heard concerns from some council members and neighborhood residents,” said Commander Sean Mandel. “Some of these vehicles are dumping their sewage directly into our waterways.”

Councilwoman Yolanda Avila is skeptical of the amended ordinance.

“I’m just concerned about the humanity of this,” she said. “We’re targeting our most vulnerable population. People who live in the RVs are families.”

Mandel said the ordinance only pertains to parking and not to people living in the vehicles, but many homeless people live in them and are often asked by police to move from place to place.

Councilman Tom Strand shares Mandel’s concern.

“All the feedback I’ve gotten is the community supports (the ordinance),” Strand said. “I know some people believe it’s not the right step, but it’s the best choice at this time for our community.”

Councilmen Bill Murray and Merv Bennett were absent for the vote.