ARVADA BLUNN / PIONEER MASTER PLAN PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF ARVADA, COLORADO SEPTEMBER 2015 Blunn / Pioneer Design Master Plan Team Committee Utilities Wenk Associates Sandra McDonald Project Manager Nicole Horst Principal Jim Sullivan Utilities Director Drew Button Designer Cliff Deeds Water Operations Larry Hack Water Treatment ERO Resources ERO Resources Parks, Golf, & Hospitality Moneka Worah Environmental Resource Specialist Mike Lee Landscape Architect WWE Engineering Wright Water Engineering Jim Wilkins Golf Course Operations Darrell Linders Parks Ian Paton Civil Engineer Public Works Mark Bowman Streets Pat Dougherty Engineering Community Development Carol Ibanez Senior Planner City Manager’s Offi ce Jessica Prosser Sustainability Arvada Police Department Lynn Johnson Deputy Police Chief Jefferson County Open Space Amy Ito Planning and Stewardship project introduction executive summary 4 existing recreation 6 project timeline 8 site analysis historic land use 12 existing conditions 14 opportunities & constraints 16 area for development 17 alternatives development natural resource evaluation 20 highway 93 reservoir concept 22 programs 24 potential programs 26 preliminary concepts 28 public participation public meetings 32 survey results 33 public feedback 34 master plan & recommendations refi ned concept 44 proximity map 45 recommendations 46 aerial perspective 47 appendix 48 Project Introduction Looking at the project area for the Blunn Pioneer Master Plan project, 1,600 acres of land in western Arvada are under consideration for the future development of the city. The available land will be used for transportation, water storage, recreation and conservation. Arvada residents and other visitors come here to fi sh at Blunn Reservoir, fl y model aircraft, go frisbee golfi ng, exercise their dog, or simply take in the great outdoors on an extensive trail network. Locals take great pride in the serene, natural character of the land surrounding Blunn Reservoir and Pioneer Sand and enjoy its close proximity to the foothills and abundant wildlife. The Ralston and Arvada Water Treatment Plants also located here, treat and distribute millions of gallons of drinking water for local customers each month. Nearly 600 acres of land remain available for new uses, or expansion and relocation of existing uses. Potential uses identifi ed for the site include completion of the Jefferson Parkway, installation of a reservoir, a bike park, a public shooting range, a community solar array, compost transfer station, police training facility, prairie dog preserve, and a model aircraft fi eld. Gravel mining on this site began in the 1980s and came to an end in 2013 when the city established a new agreement with Pioneer Sand Company Inc. (Pioneer). Reclamation of the land will be completed by Pioneer by 2017 and retail of landscape materials from a 20 acre sale yard will proceed as normal until 2023. Because the Pioneer land reclamation is beginning soon, a plan for the future can help the city effi ciently and appropriately move soil to prepare for future development of the Jefferson Parkway, the Highway 93 reservoir, and other planned uses. A master plan concept was developed in response to site ananlysis by Wenk Associates, feedback from the public, and advisement from the Blunn Pioneer Master Plan Committee. The committee included representatives from the utilities department, parks department, community development, sustainability, Arvada Police Department, and Jefferson County Open Space and met regularly as the master plan developed. executive summary Site Location The project area is located in western Arvada at the base of the foothills. The land is characterized by its grassy slopes and fl at-top mesas typically seen along the Front Range as the prairie transitions into a montane landscape. Highway 93, 64th Avenue, Virgil Way, and Leyden Road border the 1,600 acres of land owned by the city. In terms of local and regional recreation areas, the project area is positioned to the east of White Ranch Open Space Park, to the north of North Table Mountain Park and Long Lake Ranch Park, and south of Leyden Rock Open Space that includes Pattridge Open Space. Project Goals The community around the Blunn/Pioneer land is growing quickly. In response to the population increase, Arvada needs a plan to meet the demand new residents will have for water usage, transportation, exposure to nature, and opportunities to recreate with their families and friends. Working with the committee and the community, a plan for the long-term future of the land purchased by Utilities for water storage was developed with current and future residents in mind. Programs for the site introduced during the project kickoff laid the framework for the rest of the plan. The future Jefferson Parkway and a reservoir capable of storing 3,000 acre feet of water are required land uses. Additional uses will promote community gathering, alternative energy use, outdoor recreation, and historical and ecological preservation. The Blunn/Pionner land will meet the water and transportation needs of the region, and simultaneously serve as a natural space refl ecting the interests and character of western Arvada’s landscape and community. Product The result of the study is a refi ned master plan and set of recommendations for implementation as the city moves forward with development. The master plan developed over the course of several internal worksessions with the Blunn Pioneer Master Plan Committee (an internal stakeholder group), and two public meetings. The plan responds to input received from public outreach efforts made by the City of Arvada. Recommendations for each element of the master plan will guide the city’s decision making in years to come. Programs are prioritized by available funding, support from the community, and coincidence with changes occuring on the site in the very near future. Programs that received both some support and resistance have been recommended for further study. 4 arvada blunn / pioneer - master plan report refi ned concept 1 LEYDEN-BROOKES STONE CIRCLES RD. 2 OUTDOOR PUBLIC SHOOTING RANGE LEYDEN 14 PATTRIDGE 3 POLICE TRAINING FACILITY OPEN SPACE 1 4 SOLAR ARRAY 5 COMPOST TRANSFER SITE 6 2 3 6 PRAIRIE DOG PRESERVE 7 BIKE PARK EASEMENT HWY JEFFERSON PARKWAY HIGHWAY 93 7 8 ARVADA MODELERS AIRFIELD . RESERVOIR13 93 9 WESTWOODS GOLF COURSE EXPANSION * 16 12 12* 10 ARVADA WEST DOG PARK PROPOSED 4 SIGNALIZED 11 BIRD’S NEST DISC GOLF COURSE INTERSECTION 8 5 12 PROPOSED PARKING / TRAILHEAD 13 HIGHWAY 93 RESERVOIR STONE CIRCLES TRAIL 15 TUCKER 14 LAKE 15 UNDERPASS & TRAIL TO WHITE RANCH 16 TRAIL TO SPRING MESA NEIGHBORHOOD 9 17 DOG PARK EXPANSION BLUNN RESERVOIR BLUNN PIONEER MASTER PLAN AREA 17 VIRGIL 11 10 WAY 64TH AVE. project introduction // 5 August 20, 2015 existing recreation 600’ R.O.W. STEEP SLOPES Recreation NATURAL AREAS RD. Current recreational uses are concentrated at the LEYDEN ARVADA WEST DOG PARK northern and southern ends of the Blunn Pioneer PATTRIDGE OPEN SPACE BIRD’S NEST Master Plan area. 1 DISC GOLF COURSE 2 LEYDEN-BROOKES 1 Pattridge Open Space, at the north end of the STONE CIRCLES site, offers opportunities for equestrian riders ARVADA MODELERS 2 EXISTING AIRFIELD and pedestrians alike to use soft surface trails for riding and running. EASEMENT 3 RALSTON CREEK TRAIL HWY JEFFERSON PARKWAY BLUNN RESERVOIR . 4 PARKING / TRAILHEAD The Arvada Associated Modelers model aircraft 93 runway sits atop the mesa just south of Pattridge 5 CLEAN FILL SITE Open Space. Currently there is a control-line fl y PROPOSED 6 WESTWOODS GOLF COURSE circle, RC Car race track, small aircraft and large SIGNALIZED aircraft runway, as well as parking for visitors and INTERSECTION club members. 3 Arvada West Dog Park sits at south end of the Blunn Reservoir spillway along 64th Avenue TUCKER Bird’s Nest Disc Park, a popular frisbee golf LAKE destination, is located in the very southeastern corner of the project area and is bound on the north edge by Ralston Creek. BLUNN RESERVOIR Blunn Reservoir itself is often busy with fi sherman BLUNN PIONEER and small boaters. Trail access around the north MASTER PLAN AREA 4 side of the reservoir allows anglers to reach different fi shing spots. VIRGIL 6 Ralston Creek Trail is accessible to users from 5 WAY Blunn Reservoir, adjacent residential areas to 64TH AVE. the east, Bird’s Nest Disc Park and Long Lake Regional Park immediately to the south across 64th Avenue. Existing recreation mapping of the project area. 6 arvada blunn / pioneer - master plan report 2 4 Anticipated Changes to Existing Uses The existing easement for the Jefferson Parkway currently bisects the Modeler’s existing runways and parking. In order to accommodate construction of the Parkway, the Arvada Modelers will have to move their fl ying facilities elsewhere within the site. Bird’s Nest Disc Park is proposing to become a ‘pay-as-you-throw’ course based on annual memberships. A small headquarters building or trailer on site would facilitate check-ins, and the sale of concessions and equipment. Money earned would be used to maintain and improve the course. Arvada Associated Modelers Club. Fishing the pier at Blunn Reservoir. Currently, the city uses a small area within the disc golf course as a clean fi ll site for excess dirt. It is not open to the public or any other types of dumping. The Arvada West Dog Park may expand into the south spillway of Blunn Reservoir. Enlarging the dog park would allow other areas of the existing park to close down in a rotating fashion for