Historic Uptown Updates

Board Member: Cheryl

• Historic Uptown Traffic Safety Study: Working Group Meeting #2 on Thursday, January 18, 2024, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. The City will propose short-term solutions. Raise your concerns.
  • Can monuments help with safety?
  • The Historic Uptown Board discussed a stop light at the Nevada Ave and Willamette Ave intersection since two motorcyclists have died at that corner in the last year.
    • If a light is added, do we need sidewalk access on the south side of Willamette Ave where there is now a curb?
    • Will adding a light create more traffic on Tejon, Cascade, and Wahsatch?
    • Will a light create more noise at the intersection?
  • Can the city provide details for street nameplates and monuments for safety?

• Neighborhood Nameplates: We need more clarity from traffic engineering.
  • Can we install them little by little or do we have to do it all at once?
  • Can the city fund some of them?
  • Details on Street Neighborhood Nameplates from traffic engineering:
    • Must be 12″ inches at the highest point and 24 inches in length.
    • Determine if your signs will include Graphics, text, or colors? If no color preference is indicated by the neighborhood, the background of the sign face shall be a silver-white reflective material with a green reflective legend.
    • Signs shall be installed only at locations with existing street name signs.
    • The legend shall consist of 2.25-inch upper case letters and 1.69-inch lower case letters for the neighborhood name and a simple insignia, logo, or icon for the neighborhood symbol. The insignia shall be no larger than 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches.
    • $35 per sign.
• Neighborhood Monuments: Due to the high cost ($3,000-$6,000), we
  need alternate funding. We need to determine if traffic engineering can fund monuments as a safety solution.
• Business Cards and Event Signs: We now have business cards and event signs designed by Mariah.

• Historic Neighborhood Partnership Delegate: The Board unanimously voted to change our delegate to Cheryl to replace Monica representing Historic Uptown as our Historic Neighborhood Partnership delegate. Dianne Bridges will serve as the alternate.
  • Cheryl is the Historic Neighborhood Partnership Historic Preservation representative for the Colorado Springs Strategic Plan Development Work Group. Historic Neighborhood Partnership was asked to participate to contribute info on historic preservation. Tim Boddington of the Historic Preservation Alliance is the alternate. The working group will develop the 2025 – 2029 Citywide Strategic Plan. The plan will serve as the visionary blueprint for a new way forward for the City of Colorado Springs. The foundation of the strategic plan will be rooted in well-defined SMART goals, strategic objectives and priorities, and measurable outcomes.
• Colorado College Meeting: Some members of the Uptown board are meeting with Colorado College. Does anyone have questions?
  • Discuss permit parking enforcement.
  • Determine if they updated their strategic plan and if so, can we get a copy?
  • Ask how the neighborhood can support them and if they want more neighborhood engagement with their events.
  • Will Robson Arena have a neighborhood restaurant similar to Wooglins?
• Annual Historic Uptown Meeting: The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the McAllister Carriage House. Parking and access are off the alley on St. Vrain Street between Cascade and Tejon. Refreshments will be served. Tim Scanlon will do a presentation on the Historic Uptown Parkside District Properties and answer any questions about the historic preservation overlay designation process.

Treasurer Updates

Board Member: Jeff

• Status of the 501(c)(3) application – applied just before Christmas. The IRS is currently processing applications submitted before mid-November. We are at least a month out for approval.

Communications Updates

Volunteer: Mariah

• Raise Awareness – engagement is up on social media.
• Ways to Participate – Neighborhood participation is increasing:
  • Poor Richard’s Rubbish Roundup is getting support from the Marion House, Historic Uptown, and Friends of Monument Valley Park.
  • The Dale House Project contacted Historic Uptown to place an ad in the newsletter to offer help to neighbors. They also gave a tour of the Gwynne-Love House to Cheryl, Mariah, and Tim.
  • Recommend increasing participation by:
    • Participating in Mayor Yemi’s 1,000 Neighborhood Parties by the end of 2024 initiative.
    • Hosting neighborhood ice cream socials and block parties. Need to identify locations.

Historic Preservation

Board Member: Cheryl

• We have gathered information on the historic properties in the Parkside District, created a website with the historic properties, communicated the properties on social media, and now we are starting to engage with owners. See the timeline and find more information on the Parkside District Preservation page.

Neighborhood Plan

Board Member: Cheryl

• We will discuss creating a neighborhood plan with the planning department at the next monthly meeting.