In June 2018, the Colorado Springs City government released a full draft of Plan COS to allow for public 
review and comment. Innovations in Aging Collaborative is very thankful for the tireless effort put into the plan by staff, representatives, and community members.
In order to ensure that the goals of Age Friendly Colorado Springs were included Plan COS, staff did a thorough evaluation of the Plan COS draft. Staff and Board members also attended the Plan COS Open Houses to ensure that older adults were included in the conversation. Finally, we submitted a formal memo to the planning commission that highlighted the parts of the plan which advance Age Friendly and suggested some inclusions to the plan. A summary of our Plan COS review is below:
Sections of Plan COS that we believe will directly advance the Age Friendly Colorado Springs Plan:
- Vibrant Neighborhoods
- Recognition of our senior population as a key trend and assumption
- Code updates to allow for Accessory Dwelling Units
- Unique Places
- Inclusion of ADA accessibility in the Neighborhood and Community Activity sections
- Strong Connections
- Inclusion of ADA accessibility in the Urban Core section
- Policy 1B, which focuses on the senior population
- Majestic Landscapes
- Universal design as a desired element
Beyond advocating for some sections within Plan COS, IIAC also requested for some other pieces to be added. These suggestions included:
- Adding Age Friendly Colorado Springs Plan as an appendix to Plan COS
- Including Silver Key Senior Services as a community asset in the Renowned Culture chapter
- Using Universal Design as a strategy to achieve diversity of housing types in the Vibrant Neighborhoods chapter
The deadline for public comment is August 6, and we encourage you to review Plan COS and make sure your voice is heard by submitting your comments online.
