Custodian recognized for three decades of service at COS airport
Airport maintenance worker Shane Hartley was recognized for 32 years of service at Colorado Springs’ airport. Born in Colorado Springs, the now 52-year-old Hartley participated in his younger days in the Special Olympics, competing and winning medals in track and field, skiing, bowling and softball. He was hired as a full-time custodian in 1993, and “has seen many changes and events“ at the airport since then, including 9/11, a fire in 2018, and the upheaval brought by Covid, said Acting Director of Aviation at COS, Alex Kovacs. Hartley said it has been “an honor to serve at the airport” and paid tribute to his mother, whose image he wears on a lanyard.
Fire marshal honored
Fire Marshal Brett T. Lacey, who has served with the Colorado Springs Fire Department since Nov. 1992, was recognized for his service, leadership and contributions to the City of Colorado Springs as he heads into retirement. Last year, Lacey received the Career Excellence Award for fire marshals, a top award in Colorado, Fire Chief Randy Royal said. “We commend your dedication to the citizens of your community and this organization, and point to it as an example to be followed,” said Council President Randy Helms.
Noise from Ford Amphitheater
With concerts at the Ford Amphitheater set to resume at the end of April, residents of nearby neighborhoods returned to City Council to air their grievances with excessive decibels that waft into their homes from the outdoor venue during gigs.
The noise brings “pain and (is) adversely impacting … lives,” said Terrence Connolly, one of the residents of northern Colorado Springs who testified at the Council session.
Connolly accused the City of “so far essentially (doing) nothing” and JW Roth, the founder and CEO of VENU, the company that owns the outdoor concert venue, of “offering empty words.”
Mayor Yemi Mobolade issued a new noise hardship permit to VENU for the 2025 concert season, and VENU is in the process of erecting walls to act as sound buffers and making other changes to reduce sound that carried into neighborhoods during performances.
But resident Danielle Frye told City Council she had concerns with the permit, which she said would allow “noise from the amphitheater to exceed our city ordinance and state law by 6 decibels before triggering a violation.” A 10-decibel increase in sound is perceived by the human ear to be nearly twice as loud as the 50 decibels allowed under city and state laws in the evening and overnight hours.
“Area residents are not asking for special treatment or favors. We are only asking that the law be followed and enforced,” she said.
Another resident noted that Tom Bailey, the candidate running – essentially unopposed – for City Council to represent District 2, which houses the amphitheater, has received donations from VENU. “Not illegal, but just an interesting fact,” he said before reading a quote he attributed to Bailey, saying he believed “complaints against the amphitheater … come from a small but very vocal minority and we need to balance their concerns against the broader benefits from the amphitheater.”
The venue generated gross receipts of more than $12.7 million from ticket sales, concessions, parking and more, and attracted visitors from over 5,000 U.S. ZIP codes, or roughly 13% of towns, rural outposts and cities in all 50 states, last year, according to VENU’s third quarter financial report.
Residents have “little hope for political or regulatory changes,” said Jerry McLaughlin, head of the Sun Hills Homeowners Association, envisioning people who live near the amphitheater might have to take their grievances to court.
Councilor Dave Donelson, who represents District 1 and is one of two Council incumbents seeking re-election, urged the residents to continue to come to City Council meetings to speak out. Donelson was the only Councilor to vote against construction of the amphitheater in 2023.
“You’re asking just to have our normal noise standards enforced in your homes and your neighborhood, and that’s fair,” he said.
Hundreds of noise complaints were filed against the amphitheater after concerts began in August last year.
Residents insist that they don’t want the amphitheater to shut down, but simply want to be able to spend summer evenings with the windows open, on their deck or in the garden, and to sleep undisturbed by high-decibel sounds.
Library board member search
The search for a new member to sit on the Pikes Peak Library District board of trustees is continuing – at a snail’s pace. District 5 Councilor Nancy Henjum, who is one of City Council’s library liaisons, said communication with the board of County Commissioners, who, alongside City Council, choose board members, was problematic, and they have said they are “unable to share information at the moment” with Henjum and the other Council liaison, President pro tem Lynette Crow-Iverson, as they continue interviewing candidates. Henjum and Crow-Iverson have completed their selection and passed on two finalists to the Commissioners.
Both the Council and County Commissioners’ liaisons have to interview and choose a candidate, who is then referred to the full Council and Board of County Commissioners for final approval. The term of the board member who’s being replaced, former president Dora Gonzalez, ended on Dec. 31. The selection process began in September.
New ADU ordinance passes first reading
Months after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law to try to address the housing shortage in the state’s large population centers, Council passed an ordinance through its first reading to make it easier for accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to be built in Colorado Springs.
After hours of testimony from residents who spoke in favor and against ADUs and suggested conditions they thought should be included or clarified in Colorado Springs’ Unified Development Code to allow them, councilors voted 5-3 to pass the ordinance to its second reading. If implemented, the ordinance would amend the UDC to permit one unit to be built per lot in all residential zones.Crow-Iverson, Donelson and Mike O’Malley voted no. Councilor Brian Risley was absent.
Some of the rule changes and clarifications that citizens backed were a change to make clear that homeowners who build an ADU must offer an additional parking place for it, and a plea not to require the addition to be attached to the main home.
Crow-Iverson questioned during the debate why the home rule city of Colorado Springs should be forced to follow state rules on ADUs.
Two proposals by Donelson – one to hold off on voting on ADUs until after the municipal elections on April 1, and the other to require the owner of the main unit to live in either the ADU or the main home – were rejected.
A second reading of the ADU ordinance and vote will be held at the April 8 Council meeting, which will be the last for outgoing district councilors. The state law takes effect on June 30.
