As noted by historian Bettie Marie Davis in her book “The Springs of Manitou,” 1872 is considered to be the year Manitou Springs – or simply “Manitou,” as it was first called – was founded. This year marks the 150th anniversary of that date.
Accordingly, the city has planned several events for this year. As Alex Trefry, Manitou’s public information officer, outlined at the City Council regular meeting Tuesday, March 15, the city’s human history is far older, with the Mountain and Southern Utes as well as Cheyenne, Arapaho and Apache people calling this area home.
The city-sponsored events kick off Monday, Aug. 1, with the Day of Friendship.
The day will feature the Ice Cream Social and Community Potluck in Soda Springs Park’s Bud Ford Pavilion, followed by a Little London Winds performance. Other later events at dates to be announced will include a softball game between the police and fire departments and the placing of a historic plaque, location to be determined.
Manitou Springs School District 14 is heavily involved in the anniversary and will celebrate its own anniversary at the same time, since the elementary school first opened in 1872. The district plans a community and alumni Homecoming Week and Parade, placing a time capsule to be opened in 50 years, alumni stories, tree planting, an essay contest and other events.
The Manitou Springs Heritage Center will feature an exhibit about the man who pushed a peanut up Pikes Peak using his nose. An anniversary-specific exhibit will highlight the city as a health resort, the town’s attractions, the community’s builders and the road to revival.
The City Hall display case also will feature an exhibit.
October and November will feature Native American events and speakers, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, Oct.10, with Sioux and Comanche speakers, plus Native students from School District 14. Indigenous food will be offered at many of the events and at the potluck. A City Hall display will feature the Native speakers, Native children and their families and tribes.
The city has budgeted $20,000 for the celebration, with the Manitou Springs Community Foundation providing support for the potluck. The Chamber of Commerce has many events planned in addition to the Aug. 1 Day of Friendship, including a T-shirt contest.
More 150th anniversary events and their details will be announced.
City Council approved the Manitou Arts, Culture, and Heritage grant awards Tuesday. At Councilor Julie Wolfe’s request, an item designating $45,000 annually for the Carnegie building was removed from the awards.
Councilors agreed with Wolfe that the item was “aspirational” and committed future City Councils to an expense they had not approved. MACH Board President Neale Minch agreed about removing the ongoing Carnegie allocation.
Council devoted considerable time and energy to Deputy City Administrator Roy Chaney’s presentation titled Progressive Parking and Incentives, which included varying parking fees in different parts of town and at different times and seasons, and a resolution to implement fee increases effective immediately.
Wolfe felt that the city’s parking fees, existing and proposed, were so low as to be “ridiculous.” She also felt that residents should be assured that they will have free parking.
Several speakers from the audience and on council felt that the proposed two-hour limit on parking was too short and not realistic to “do Manitou”; they argued for at least three hours.
Others felt that parking fees should be uniform throughout town. Councilor Judith Chandler said that the parking proposal was too “car centric” and needed to be more “resident centric.” Many speakers called for more data and that the parking rules be data-driven.
Council took no action on the memo or the resolution but did schedule a Tuesday, March 29, joint work session with the Transportation and Parking Board to go over the document and its recommendations. At this time, it’s the only item on that night’s agenda.
The Historic Preservation Commission had previously failed to approve removing a portion of the area known as the Keithley Log Cabin Sub-District from the historic district. City staff had recommended approving the removal. The matter was appealed to City Council and was heard Tuesday.
Several neighbors spoke in opposition to removing the area from the district and a few spoke in favor of it. It was determined that the area in question could be developed without taking it out of the district, but doing so would be more difficult administratively.
Several felt that the original criteria for the district’s creation were still valid and that it should be left intact.
After much discussion and testimony, council voted unanimously to deny the appeal and the site will remain in the district.
Council gave first-reading approval to an ordinance amending the historic district designation procedure to remove the requirement for a council work session between Historic Preservation Commission action and its appearance before council. Second reading of the ordinance and a public hearing will take place Tuesday, April 5.
Councilor Natalie Johnson, director of the Manitou Art Center, the current home of the city’s library, led council in proclaiming April 3-9 as National Library Week.
The Library Week proclamation reads, in part, “the importance of libraries extends far beyond lending books and media; they are the font of ideas and chroniclers of the human experience” … “without the fear of censorship.”