To the editor:
Regarding the city of Manitou Springs’ plans to build a fire-training facility on the west end of town: The residents are overwhelmingly opposed to this project in our neighborhood.
This has been stated with a petition consisting of 80-plus signatures from the area’s residents.
Our narrow streets cannot accommodate any more traffic. We are already overrun with tourists on a daily basis.
Even though it has been stated that the Manitou Springs Fire Department would use this facility only three times a month, it is a given that other fire stations in the area will want access to train there as well. This will easily lead to the facility being used daily.
The Manitou Springs Fire Department’s reasoning for wanting such a facility to practice is under-
stood, but we don’t want to be subjected to breathing in smoke daily and we don’t need any more traffic in our neighborhood!
Other arrangements can and should be made to find another location to build this facility where it won’t impact so many people’s lives, even if it means partnering with neighboring towns to come up with a location outside of Manitou Springs.