Colorado Springs to ‘Relocate’ Blue Picture Frame From Garden of the Gods
Following a massive hissy fit, the city of Colorado Springs announced today they will "relocate" the blue picture frame from Garden of the Gods. Notice they didn't say "remove"? As of 11:54 am Monday, crews were already hard at work relocating the frame.
Over 20,000 people signed a petition protesting the blue frame. Why the opposition? According to KKTV 11, "The frame, meant to be 'whimsical and fun' proved to be anything but for an outspoken portion of the population who decried the frame as defacing the natural beauty of the beloved city park."
The city of Colorado Springs said in a statement the concept of the frame was directed towards visitors and failed to take into account the feelings of residents.
The following statement has been released:
The blue frame in Garden of the Gods Park was conceived by the marketing advisors on the Olympic City USA Taskforce as an effective way to drive millions of views of our Park by harnessing the power of social media. Based on successes in other cities, the task force put this forward with enthusiasm for sharing one of our most popular attractions worldwide. Our observations since the frame was installed confirmed the task force was correct in assessing its appeal to tourists.
However, we recognize that while one of our goals is driving tourism, the concept focused too heavily on visitors, and was not well-received by local residents who feel a great deal of ownership of the Park. That viewpoint is extremely important.
Olympic City USA is meant to be a unifying concept, and one that was created to enhance – rather than divide - our civic pride. We have received some very thoughtful citizen comments asking for its relocation and we thank those citizens who took the time for constructive communication. In recognition of public sentiment, we are in the process of removing the frame from its current location.
Is the frame going away entirely? Not exactly. Apparently, the frame will be moved another location in the park.