Thursday Public Hearing to Finalize Efforts to Pursue $695,000 City Land Purchase
Trevor Phipps
With the Tava House development almost finished, the city of Woodland Park has started the process to re-imagine the park situated in its downtown region, often plagued in the past by vandalism and graffiti at local restrooms.
Earlier this year, the city held an open house to seek public input about exactly how the new park should look. After months of speculation, this process may cross the finish line at this Thursday’s council meeting.
During the open house sessions, residents had the chance to give input on a variety of different concepts. The new ideas spanned the board from ideas that incorporated the city’s history, to adding more parking and revamping the rest stop.
As soon as the discussion came up, the idea to purchase land next to the park to expand it reached city council. In fact, during the first city council meeting in October, the council voted to hold a public hearing on Oct. 16 for an ordinance that would finalize the purchase of the property neighboring the park.
The city plans to spend $695,000 to purchase two lots located to the south and west of Bert Bergstrom Park that equal around an acre put together. The purchase of the lots will help the city expand the park with parking spaces and more amenities. The city plans to close on the purchase shortly after the council meeting on Oct. 16. That’s if the council votes to approve the purchase.
Parking and Access Plan to Be Improved with Park Expansion
During an earlier meeting in September, the city’s parks and recreation department gave a presentation to the council on what the new park would look like. The city staff showed several renderings of what the new park will look like once it is completed.
The presentation started with a brief history of how the park started. Woodland Park legendary patriarch Bert Bergstrom donated the land for the park and started putting work into it before he died in the mid-1980s. After his death, the park was opened in Bert Bergstrom’s memory.
The city’s plan is to now upgrade the park with more modern features but at the same keep the history feel the downtown park offers. The park’s upgrades will also add parking to the city’s downtown region as well as connect West Street to Park and Center Streets, making the area more accessible.
According to Steve Sigler with the Logan Simpson architect firm based out of Fort Collins, the addition of the new property to the park’s remodeling project will help the city connect two properties it owns. “This is exciting news for Woodland Park because it connects one of your already purchased properties to the south,” Sigler said. “It allows us to connect and become a new development for downtown Woodland Park.”
Through the open houses and public input, the firm was able to come up with a plan that incorporated many of the things stakeholders and residents wanted. The parking will be expanded and the restrooms will stay in the same location but get upgraded. The park will now have parking not just for the new park, but for businesses in the city’s downtown region.
New Park Attractions
One of the factors that was important to residents during the feedback sessions was to incorporate the town’s history with the new park. The park will have amenities, such as a water tower and other items added, which will draw to the city’s railroad history.
The rest area will stay in the same spot, but the parking lot will move to the south side of the park. The two new parking lots will have nearly 70 new parking spaces with accessible spots, van parking, two RV parking spaces and three electric vehicle charging ports.
Where the parking lot is now will soon be the entrance to the park donned with a circular plaza and a shade structure. New features to the park include a water tower lookout where people can enjoy views of Pikes Peak.
The new park will also provide more for local and visiting families. A log climbing structure and train-themed play area are all parts of the new plan. The newly improved park will also feature food truck parking where local vendors can set up.
The new park will also feature open lawn areas and places with low water plants. Next to the water tower lookout will be another shade structure with views of Pikes Peak and a spot with American Discovery Trail Information.
At the end of the presentation, Mayor Kellie Case thanked staff, and everyone involved with the project with coming up with a way to please all parties involved. This is an amazing concept,” Case said. “In know from the feedback I have gotten from the community; I have not heard of anyone that has said anything negative about it. So, we have pleased a lot of different groups out there with one project.”
