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Colorado Springs area can’t afford to lose beloved trails and open spaces | Trail Talk

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Colorado Springs area can’t afford to lose beloved trails and open spaces | Trail Talk


New residents in Colorado Springs may discover Part 16s to be a bit baffling. These mile-by-mile sq. plots had been created nearly 150 years in the past when the federal authorities gave parcels of land to new states to supply income.

Throughout Colorado, there are 2.8 million acres of Part 16 belief land used to generate earnings for Colorado public colleges. Managed by the State Land Board, some are leased for mining, others for grazing cattle and a few turn out to be leisure sources. The State Land Board is required to maximise earnings from these leases; over the previous 15 years, the parcels have earned $2 billion.

Black Forest Part 16 price county taxpayers a mere $452 yearly for the previous 25 years. However an up to date proposal would elevate the lease to $21,825 per yr for the following 10 years. That improve is perhaps thought of extreme, however take into account how land costs have elevated over the previous 25 years. It could possibly be argued that the parents who negotiated the lease 25 years in the past did a tremendous job and saved the county hundreds of {dollars}. These days are over.

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Lately, I’ve heard from dozens of county residents who use the path. Few have stated we must always surrender the land. Most commonly use the 91-acre, 4-mile loop on horseback, bicycle or on foot. They love the big parking zone and the wooded, rolling path. Some ladies say they really feel secure mountain climbing alone as a result of a county street is all the time in sight. Years in the past, Black Forest Path Affiliation raised the cash for a much-appreciated vault rest room on the trailhead.

Now greater than ever, I might argue we have to protect public areas similar to this one. There was a time when new housing proposals introduced by builders to the El Paso County Park Advisory Board mirrored 2.5- and 5-acre heaps. That’s not is the case. Nowadays, the proposals are often for quarter-acre heaps.

County guidelines don’t require these builders to offer parks and trails. The outcome: builders will proceed constructing and hundreds of individuals will likely be shopping for the houses on small heaps. They received’t be surrounded by acres of fields to wander. Forested locations similar to Black Forest Part 16, Pineries Open Area, Fox Run Regional Park and Black Forest Regional Park will turn out to be extremely vital to the bodily and psychological well being of recent county residents.

People sending me feedback about preserving Part 16 don’t need to lose this and are prepared to do no matter is critical to maintain it.

Susan Davies is govt director of the Trails and Open Area Coalition. Ship questions and feedback to susan@trailsandopenspaces.org.

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Davies is the chief director of the Trails and Open Area Coalition.



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Colorado

Colorado authorities shut down low-income housing developer

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Colorado authorities shut down low-income housing developer


The Colorado Division of Securities is pursuing legal action against a man whom it claims deceived investors and used the ownership of federally supported low-income housing projects to line his own pockets. 

Securities Commissioner Tung Chan announced its civil court filings against Michael Dale Graham, 68, on Nov. 12. 

Chan’s office filed civil fraud charges against Graham, and also asked for a temporary restraining order and freezing of Graham’s assets and his companies’. A Denver district court judge immediately granted both. Since then, two court dates to review the those orders have canceled; a third is scheduled for mid-January.

Graham operates Sebastian Partners LLC, Sebastiane Partners LLC, and Gravitas Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund I LLC (“GQOZF”), all of which were controlled by Graham during his “elaborate real estate investment scheme,” as described by the securities office in a case document.

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The filing states Graham collected more than $1.1 million from eight investors to purchase three adjacent homes in Aurora. The Denver-based Gravitas fund and its investors purportedly qualified for the federal Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program with the homes. Qualified Opportunity Zones were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2017. The zones encouraged growth in low-income communities by offering tax benefits to investors, namely reductions in capital gains taxes on developed properties.

A file photo of a suburban housing development in the Denver metro area. 

Paul Souders/WorldFoto & Getty Images


Graham formed Gravitas in early 2019 and purchased the three homes located in the 21000 block of E. 60th Avenue two years later. He quickly sold one of them with notifying investors, according to the case document. While managing the other two, Graham and Gravitas transferred the fund’s assets and never operated within QOZ guidelines to the benefit of its investors or the community, according to the state. 

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Gravitas also transferred the titles for the two properties to Graham privately. As their owner, Graham obtained undocumented loans from friends totaling almost $600,000. The two loans used the two properties as security. 

Gravitas investors were never informed of the two loans, according to the case document. Also, Gravitas never sent its investors year-end tax reports, the securities office alleges. 

Graham used the proceeds of the loans for personal use. No specific details were provided about those uses.

“Effectively, Graham used Gravitas as his personal piggy bank,” as stated in the case document, “claiming both funds and properties as his own. Graham never told investors about the risks associated with transferring title to himself. On September 1, 2023, he sent a letter to investors, stating that the properties ‘we own’ are doing well and generating growth due to record-breaking home appreciation. But Gravitas no longer owned the properties.

“Gravitas no longer had assets at all.” 

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Furthermore, the securities office said Graham failed to notify investors of recent court orders against him in Colorado and California. In total, Graham was ordered to pay more than $1 million in damages related to previous real estate projects.

Graham’s most recent residence is in Reno, Nev., according to an online search of public records. He evidently has previously lived in Santa Monica, Calif., and Greenwood Village.

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Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday

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Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday


Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday – CBS Colorado

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Watch meteorologist Callie Zanandrie’s forecast.

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Colorado Springs police search for missing 20-year-old

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Colorado Springs police search for missing 20-year-old


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Police are searching for a missing at-risk adult.

They said 20-year-old Brandon Hugney was last seen Saturday night, around 7 p.m., at the Walmart on Platte avenue.

They shared a picture of Hugney, describing him as a 6′ man last seen wearing black-framed glasses with red trim, a grey fleece, blue pajama pants and black and white slippers.

Police said he likely isn’t properly dressed for the weather and was last seen heading west behind Walmart.

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If you know where he is or see him, call police at (719) 444-7000.



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