A vision for a short trail in the hills of Manitou Springs has garnered long conversations at City Hall, underscoring a broader debate over recreation and conservation.  So went a recent conversation at a City Council meeting, which ended with leadership voting in favor of an environmental study to help inform a potential trail through Bill Bauers Open Space. The open space is a narrow, rugged swath descending from the neighborhood park of the same name, roughly paralleling Crystal Hills Boulevard down to Manitou Springs’ main street.  The City Council’s 5-2 vote to further analyze the trail came amid continued pushback from residents in the open space’s surrounding Crystal Hills neighborhood. And residents beyond the immediate vicinity spoke against the trail, joining calls to protect wildlife.  “Why do we have to intrude on them?” Becky Elder asked.  If a trail were built, she raised concerns of mountain bikers carving more trails off it.…