A grassroots effort to save a library on the northwest side of Colorado Springs has failed. After more than two hours of public comment and debate Wednesday evening, the Pikes Peak Library District board of trustees voted 5-2 to uphold its initial decision not to renew a lease at its Rockrimmon branch.
Public backlash to the original decision to close the branch was so strong that a group calling itself Save Rockrimmon began appealing to the board. The group raised around $70,000 to help offset costs for a one-year lease extension and keep the library doors open. It also created a website and sent communications to the board and others.
The original vote to close Rockrimmon came in October after a new facilities master plan laid out the $1.2 million per year cost in deferred maintenance across the district, as well as an anticipated $20.7 million in district-wide building maintenance over the next decade. Additionally, of the six library branches with a lease, Rockrimmon is the most expensive one at $242,000 per year.
Karla Powers is the organizational director of Save Rockrimmon. She told KRCC she was under the impression the board would make no decisions until next year.
"They said do not worry. This is a worst-case scenario. It's a preliminary report. Do not worry, we'll let you know. There will be plenty of time to give your feedback later," she said. "And the next thing I know is they voted the day before to close the library."
Those who pleaded with the board to reconsider asked for a year extension to help figure out a plan moving forward. For resident Beth Carlson, the suggestion to visit 21C or the East Library as a replacement doesn't hold water.
"Neither 21C nor East can effectively absorb our northwest population," Carlson said at a meeting on Nov. 20. "I know firsthand that the children's section of Library 21C is already quite crowded most days and the assertion that parents can just take their children to 21C or East for activities fails to recognize that participation in activities is limited and the activities offered are often full without adding our Rockrimmon Library population into the mix."
Last month, trustee Aaron Salt told the Colorado Springs city council at a work session that they've had surveys and other events since early 2024 and public discussions began in June. The final facilities master plan, which was used to inform the decision, was released in October.
Save Rockrimmon continued its outreach and the board of trustees revisited the decision Wednesday evening. Community members packed a room at 21C and at its height, more than 200 participants attended the meeting over Zoom.
If the board voted to rescind the decision not to renew the lease for the district's Rockrimmon lease, it would then have voted on extending the lease for one year at a lower cost with funds offset by money raised by Save Rockrimmon.
But it never got that far. The board ultimately decided to stand by its original decision.
"I don't have a lot of new thoughts on this," said Salt, who voted against rescinding the original decision. "I can tell you I hear you, I've read the emails you sent out just as everyone else here has said," he said. "Just because you and I disagree on a specific action doesn't mean that you're not heard. It means that we disagree and we come to different conclusions."
"Frankly, I don't believe enough of the environment and the context has changed for this for my vote to be any different," he said.
Two board members voted in favor of rescinding the original decision, vice president Scott Taylor and member Debbie English. Board president Dora Gonzales, secretary and treasurer Erin Bents and members Julie Smyth, Angela Dougan and Aaron Salt voted to fail the motion.
The Rockrimmon library closed on Dec. 1.
