Crown Hill Park Final Plan for Current Project

Based on an abundance of information gathered through an extensive public involvement process, Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) has determined a final course of action for the current capital project at Crown Hill Park. This decision comes after thousands of citizens provided their input and ideas in a survey, community meetings and on site visits with JCOS staff. There was a broad range of thinking among community members with respect to the capital projects we were considering. In some cases, such as nature play areas, public desires were clear. In others, such as a shade structure and replacement of fitness equipment there was a lack of consensus among citizens. JCOS has taken all of this information into account and made a decision that honors goals for the Park as well as the common interest of citizens to keep the area as natural as possible. This current course of action does not preclude the addition of a shade trellis or fitness areas in the future based on community interest and need. Crown Hill Park Final Plan JCOS will Implement all ‘Givens’ discussed during the public involvement process. These include replacing the restroom, park information center (kiosk), adding three accessible and staff parking spaces and removal of all fitness stations. Please see map on reverse for locations. Fitness Equipment – The existing equipment, that has reached its useful life and has deteriorated to sub standard levels, will be removed and will not be replaced. The concrete pads at the eight fitness station locations indicated on the map on the reverse will be removed, regraded and reseeded with natural grasses. This is in keeping with a strong citizen sentiment to keep the Park natural and our goal to preserve the views of the lake, Park and mountains. This work will be completed by June 30, 2013. Tree Plantings – A larger water tap, from a 1” to 1.5”, will be purchased to support the new restroom needs and allow trees to be planted and irrigated in the one-acre area around the restrooms. Trees that need to be removed for construction or because they are invasive species such as Russian Olives will be replaced on a one-to-one basis in this area. Shade Structure – A shade structure will not be added at this time. In order to accommodate nature education programs that were found to be more desirable than nature play, a small area north of the restrooms will be graded to create a flat surface to set up portable tents. This area could accommodate a shade trellis in the future. The necessary irrigation lines to water future tree plantings in this area will also be added to this area. This is within the one-acre area that JCOS could irrigate if the larger water tap is purchased. With the removal of fitness equipment and concrete pads anticipated by the end of June, all other work on the givens and plantings will start in late August and be completed by late fall. The Crown Hill Park Project Final Plan Map is attached.

Work Scheduled to Begin on Apex Trailhead

From: apexpark [mailto:apexpark@co.jefferson.co.us]
Sent: Saturday, 10 August, 2013 4:08 PM
Subject: Work scheduled to begin on Apex Trailhead

I’m pleased to say that we are going to start work on the Apex Trailhead project on Monday, August 12.  In review, this project will establish formal trailhead amenities and improve grading at Apex Park.  This work will focus on the park’s lower trailhead, near Heritage Square and will include construction of a new permanent flush restroom, accessible parking, a park information kiosk, drinking water for people and pets, a concrete extension to the Kinney Run Trail and a formalized parking entrance.   For more information see- http://jeffco.us/parks/parks-and-trails/apex-park/     (You will see a link for Final Recommendations listed at the top.)

The first step in the process will be to close the current trailhead and parking area, but visitors will still be able to park and access the trail from the upper parking area at Heritage square.  Signs and directions will be provided on site to aid in this process.  On Monday, our Natural Resource Management staff will begin to remove some nonnative Siberian elm trees and vegetation in the construction area. Other construction efforts related to erosion control, new trail construction, restrooms, and parking lot will follow.

Thanks again to all of you for your interest in this project and Apex Park.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Tim Sandsmark, Lookout Region Parks Supervisor, Open Space

720.497.7602, jeffco.us/parks

Protester Defies Lawsuit Threat From Developer Near Rocky Flats

Looks like we’ve got a David and Goliath scenario brewing up at the Rocky Flats/Candelas area in north Jeffco…read more about it here: “Protester defies lawsuit threat from development near Rocky Flats” 

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2013/08/rocky_flats_protester_lawsuit_threat_candelas.php

Open Space Draft Master Plan Available for Review

..and you’ll want to take a look at it!  Things have changed: the leadership of Open Space has changed, and the emphasis of Open Space management seems to be changing, as manifested in the draft of the new Open Space Master Plan. You’re going to want to take a look and see for yourself what I’m talking about.

The traditional 30-day period for public review has been shortened to three weeks…the draft of the Master Plan appeared on the Jeffco Open Space website (oops, pardon me, the Jeffco PARKS website) just today, and public comment is due on the 31st of August. So hurry!

I was going to suggest that you compare the new draft (http://jeffco.us/Parks/Documents/Parks-Plan-Documents/Parks-Plan-Resource-Documents/Draft-Master-Plan-8-8-13/) to the existing Master Plan from 2008, but it appears that the current Master Plan, which technically is still in force, has been taken offline! We’ll try to post a copy of the 2008 Open Space Master Plan on this website as soon as possible.

In the meantime, start acquainting yourself with the new draft, and when you’re ready, send your comments to Thea Rock, trock@jeffco.us

 

Jeffco Parks PANORAMA, July 2013

In this month’s edition:

  • News & Information
  • Volunteer Corner
  • Nature Notes
  • Your Health
  • Blasts from the Past
  • Events Calendar (Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Hiwan Homestead, Fairgrounds, CSU Extension)

Jeffco Parks Panorama_2013-07

Hot Particle Politics on the Rocky Flats Highway

If you’ve lived in Colorado for any length of time, you know about Rocky Flats and the protests of decades past — protests not just because of what was being manufactured at Rocky Flats (nuclear weapon parts), but because of the dispersal of plutonium in the topsoil and into the atmosphere. Time has passed, and some groups have forgotten that plutonium is 1) always lethal, and 2) never goes away.

In the northwest corner of the metro Denver area there’s a plan to construct a superhighway. Actually, the plan for this “last leg of the beltway around Denver” has been on the books for 50 years or so, and like plutonium, it simply won’t go away. The draft plans today show that the construction zone will pass through what was once part of Rocky Flats.

From the article in our News section: “The parkway is controversial for a number of reasons, including funding, [and] concerns over increased traffic and sprawl and safety. Some worry about the roadway crossing the southeast edge of Rocky Flats – the former government facility that produced plutonium bomb triggers from the 1950s until 1992. Small traces of plutonium still exist on the surface of Rocky Flats soil.”

No amount of plutonium is safe, and plutonium, released into the air, is especially toxic. From Wikipedia: “…calculations show that one pound of plutonium could kill no more than 2 million people by inhalation. This makes the toxicity of plutonium roughly equivalent with that of nerve gas.[96]

Development is inevitable, but is development at any cost a wise choice?  The new highway will bring commerce and new housing to the northwest quadrant (http://www.candelasco.com/), and will most likely release plutonium into the atmosphere during the roadway construction phase. It’ll be a sad day when what is now open lands is converted to suburbs and shopping centers, and when the number of bone and liver cancers escalates in the decades following.

Open Space Strikes Gold with Colorado Lottery

Thirty years ago this summer the Colorado Lottery started distributing monies to Colorado parks, recreation, open space, conservation and public-school construction. When this program started, supporters hoped that it would generate $35 million for these projects and parks. In the first year alone, the Lottery generated $41 million in proceeds – an amazing tribute to Coloradans’ support for their parks and open space recreation.

Or maybe Coloradans just like to gamble? Despite the economic roller-coaster since that time, the Lottery system has distributed more than $2.4 billion. In fiscal 2012 alone, the Lottery posted a record $545.3 million in sales, and directed $123.2 million towards efforts to protect land, water and wildlife, and to promote outdoor recreation, especially for our kids.

I know that, when I step up to the counter and lay my dollar down, I choose the Colorado Lottery, even over the ginormous payouts offered by Powerball.  I am pragmatic; I know that my odds in the Lottery are better than those in Powerball, and I know that my tiny contribution will add to the millions of dollars that will be spent on open space, parks, recreation, and better health and mental outcomes for our future citizens.  Besides, I think I can get by with a jackpot of a few million, don’t you?

To read more on the article that appeared on last Sunday’s Denver Post, go to http://www.denverpost.com/ci_23662011/colorado-lottery-turns-30-years-old?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com

And good luck!

~Michelle~

Welcome

Welcome to PLAN Jeffco’s  Front Page News section. Follow the PLAN Jeffco blogging team as they keep you up-to-date with news and events related to the Jefferson County Open Space program!

Jeffco Outdoors Foundation

At their January 8, 2013 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Jeffco Open Space Foundation voted to change the name of the Foundation to the Jeffco Outdoors Foundation and to revise its objectives.

The Open Space Foundation was organized strictly for charitable and educational purposes as a 501(c)3 Private Foundation. The specific purposes for which the Foundation was organized were to receive, solicit, administer and disburse gifts, grants, devises, bequests or other conveyances of real and personal property or the income derived therefrom for the benefit of the Jefferson County Open Space Department upon a request from the director of the Jefferson County Open Space Department.

Being a Private Foundation has put limitations on being able to solicit grants and contributions and, in many cases, employer matches cannot go to a Private Foundation.

The Jeffco Outdoors Foundation will be a 501(c)3 public charity which will support public and nonprofit organizations that preserve parks, open space and remarkable places, and provide quality outdoor recreation opportunities and educational programs that foster conservation and health. As such, Jeffco Outdoors will help fund innovative programs that get children and families connected with nature and the outdoors. The Jeffco Outdoors website will provide information on parks, outdoor recreation opportunities, educational programs and the health benefits associated with getting outdoors. Jeffco Outdoors will publish regional maps showcasing public parks, outdoor recreation opportunities, regional trail connections and fun points of interest along the way for eight regions of Jefferson County. Jeffco Outdoors will continue to accept contributions of land, property, and funds for acquisition of open space park land in Jefferson County.

Note that use of Jeffco Outdoors funds will not limited to Jefferson County but will be used metro-wide, upon approval of the Board of Directors. Once legal incorporation of Jeffco Outdoors is complete, the present Board of Directors will be expanded and will include members from throughout the Metro area.

Learn more about the Jeffco Outdoors Foundation at www.jeffcooutdoors.org 

Greg Stevinson to be inducted to the Jeffco Hall of Fame

It is my pleasure to announce that the Jefferson County Historical Commission has accepted the nomination of Greg Stevinson to be included as their 2013 Hall of Fame living honoree.

Hall of Fame

Each year since 1979 two individuals significant in county history or in the preservation of county history, one living and one deceased, have been named to the Hall of Fame. Their portraits are on display in the County Administration Building. See the full list: Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, 2013 at Mount Vernon Country Club.

The annual Hall of Fame Ceremony is a public event at which two new designees to the Jefferson County Hall of Fame are announced, and historic sites placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Historic Sites are recognized. Finally, historic properties designated through the County Historic Landmark Program are recognized with a Certificate of Designation.

The hall of Fame nominees should be people who have molded and shaped the history of Jefferson County in one or more of the following ways:

THE WRITTEN WORD – The nominee has written articles, stories or books on Jefferson County.

RESEARCH – The nominee has done extensive research on geology, archeology, or history of Jefferson County.

PHOTOGRAPHY – The nominee has been active in photographing or mapping Jefferson County.

POLITICAL – The nominee has contributed to or changed the course of events in Jefferson County.

INDUSTRY – The nominee has been prominent in industrial or agricultural development in Jefferson County.

PUBLIC SERVICE – The nominee has been involved in founding or promoting a charitable or public service organization.

EDUCATION – The nominee has been involved with educational progress in Jefferson County.

CULTURAL – The nominee has made artistic and/or cultural contributions specific to Jefferson County.

Greg’s contributions to Jefferson County have been numerous and quietly conveyed. From his role as chairman of the Jefferson County Open Space Advisory Committee to his personal interest in capturing local natural assets through art placed in public spaces, this honor is truly deserved.

Thea Rock

Communications Manager, Jefferson County Open Space

303.271.5902

720.556.3354 (cell)

jeffco.us/parks

Read more: Greg Stevinson to be inducted to the Jeffco Hall of Fame