Vagrant-proofing renovation efforts to start at History Center
Hoping to solve a problem with homeless trespassers, the Old Colorado City Historical Society (OCCHS) plans to replace the wall lining its entrance ramp with a railing made of wrought-iron.The project at the Old Colorado City History Center, 1 S. 24th St., is scheduled to start in early September.
The Old Colorado City History Center plans to
install
a wrought-iron railing similar to the one pictured above at St. Andrews Church in
Manitou Springs.
Courtesy of Sharon Swint
|
However, the problem has become bad enough that the society plans to go ahead with the work and pay for it from savings for now, according to board member and former President Sharon Swint.
The cost will be just over $2,000 for the wrought-iron, which will replace the solid, three-foot-high walls along the handicapped-access ramp to the entrance of the 124-year-old building. Vagrants have been hiding behind those walls at night, using the area as a bathroom and leaving trash in general multiple times a week. “It's like a horror story,” Swint said.
The wrought-iron effect, styled after railings outside St. Andrew's Church in Manitou Springs, will be more open, she said. The work is to be done by a local contractor, who is charging only for his costs.
Other vagrant-proofing efforts will involve the installation of motion-sensor lights for the History Center patio and security cameras. Swint did not yet have a total cost for those items.
Information about the History Center's trespassing has been provided to the Colorado Springs Police Department. Police have reportedly found temporary housing for one possible suspect who's been known to live on the streets in the vicinity. The CSPD has also advised the OCCHS to keep reporting the problems when they occur.
The center is open (free admission) Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The phone is 636-1225.
Westside Pioneer article
(Posted 8/12/14;
Community:
Old Colorado City History Center)
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