Palmer Lake seeks makeover

Meandering sidewalks, lush trees, comfy park benches and quaint streetlights could one day beautify downtown Palmer Lake through the town's Streetscape program.

Members of the volunteer Streetscape committee want to make downtown a more welcoming place where pedestrians will linger, eat and shop, committee chairwoman Susan Miner said.

They also want to create a cohesive image of Palmer Lake in people's minds.

"We need an identity to go out and market the town," said Miner, who serves as the economic development trustee on the Town Council. "We can't invite people to come to our town and have them miss it as they drive through."

Streetscape plans are in the early stages, but local architect Bill Fischer has sketched plans for the area, which stretches from the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts building on the north, past Rock House Ice Cream on the south end of town.

Installing sidewalks, which the town doesn't have, is the committee's current focus.

Members are applying for a Colorado Department of Transportation school safety grant that would pay to build sidewalks for Palmer Lake Elementary students walking around town to the lake, library, art center and more, Miner said.

Grant money will be key to the Streetscape project, Miner said. Committee members plan to pursue grants with the help of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments.

The committee also is considering forming a downtown business authority that would collect fees from businesses to pay for the Streetscape improvements.

So far, most businesses are on board with the plan, Miner said.

"The businesses are supportive of paying their fair share," she said.

Revitalizing downtown Palmer Lake will take support from the entire northern El Paso County region, from Black Forest to Woodmoor, said Bill Roach, executive director of the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce.

"It's a geographic icon. We all have an interest in it," Roach said.

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