Design underway for open space at former Fountain mobile home park

It’s been three months since El Paso County demolished dozens of old mobile homes that were in danger of eroding from a bluff into Fountain Creek.

Flooding in 2013 caused severe erosion at the Riverside mobile home park. The situation led officials to purchase the property and relocate the residents.

The mobile homes were demolished in May because they were too old to be safely moved.

The lot along Crest Drive remains vacant while officials design a park or open space for the property.

Later this year, when there is less water in the creek, the county will divert the creek in that area to protect the bluff from future erosion.

Only trees, some foundations, old utility lines and a fence around the eroded cliff remain on the property.

Homeowners across the street said they are excited about the lot being converted to recreational use.

“I have walked it a few times and some of my neighbors have, too,” said Phyllis Salladay. “We like it. We’re eager to see the finished product. But if they can’t stop the erosion, nothing is going to happen there.”

Some neighbors are concerned that the vacant lot may attract undesirable behavior.

“There’s a fence on the back of that property and somebody came in and was cutting that fence down, little by little,” said Paul Daily. “I called our county commissioner and they had somebody out here that night to get it fixed. Why were they cutting the fence? Nobody knows. It was being done when nobody was around.”
The open space will be developed next to the county’s existing Christian Open Space.

Neighbors said that, even though the property is a stone’s throw from Interstate 25, the neighborhood has become quieter because there is less traffic on Crest Drive.