0 50 100 200 300 400 Feet The Knoll-Willows Maintained Trail Nature Preserve Unimproved Trail Please stay on the trails Trail Map KNOLL/WILLOWS MASTER PLAN Knoll/Willows Citizen Advisory Council Town of Estes Park Board of Trustees Adopted February 25, 2003 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Background 3 1.1 Land Assembly 3 1.2 Knoll -Willows Conservancy Report 4 1.3 EVLT Open Space Agreement 4 2. Master Planning Process 6 2.1 Appointment of Citizen’s Advisory Council 6 2.2 Council Meetings 6 2.3 Public Comment 6 3. Existing Conditions 7 3.1 Natural Resources 7 3.2 Visual Resources 8 3.3 Cultural Resources 8 4. Goals, Policies, and Objectives 8 4.1 Mission Statement 8 4.2 Goals 9 4.3 Policies and Objectives, Use Restrictions 10 5. Recommendations 11 5.1 Cultural Resources Management 11 5.2 Natural Resources Management 12 5.3 Parking Plan 13 5.4 Trails Plan 13 5.5 Final Adopted Trail Plan 15 5.6 Implementation 15 6. Appendix 16 6.1 Wetlands Report 16 6.2 Charrette Report 30 6.3 Accessibility Report 43 6.4 Historic Structures Assessment 46 6.5 Knoll Willow Conservancy Report 48 6.6 Open Space Agreement 68 2 1. Background 1 1 Land Assembly The Knoll/Willows properties consist of approximately 20 acres of contiguous natural open space located between the Highway 34 bypass, MacGregor Avenue, and the downtown, See fig. 1. The land has been subdivided into several separate parcels and held in separate ownerships over the past seventy five years. This property includes a historic stone ruin of a house built in 1904 on a promontory overlooking downtown Estes Park (The Knoll). Also, a historically related log cabin built in 1908 is located on the lower western portion of the property facing Black Canyon Creek (The Willows). • 1989: The Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority [EPURA] obtained an option on the Knoll property. • 1990: EPURA purchased approximately four acres on the Knoll in March for $160,000 in order to have a hill top buffer zone. • 1995: EPURA received a positive response from a public opinion survey entitled, “Should the Knoll be purchased for the community?” • 1997: EPURA commenced purchase of the remaining balance of the Knoll under a 6 year lease-purchase agreement for the price of $975,000. • 1997-2001: The Town of Estes Park entered into a “lease/option to purchase agreement” with the Estes Park Willows, Inc. for the “Birch” or “Willows” property consisting of approximately 4 acres along Black Canyon Creek. Subsequently the Town of Estes Park entered into a separate “land purchase agreement” with Mr. Fred Bikle for Lot 1 of Birch Re-subdivision in June, 1998. The last payment on the Willows property was recorded on July 1, 2001 by the Town. • 2002: The Estes Valley Land Trust agrees to fund the final purchase payment for the Knoll parcel in the amount of $210,000 as part of an agreement to preserve the area as permanent open space. 3 fl1 Figure 1. — Location ofKnoll/Willow Property 12 Knoll -Willows Conservancy Report In 2001 a group of concerned Estes Park citizens (Knoll-Willows Conservancy) organized with the goal of preserving the Knoll/Willows as open space. This effort was led by Bud Hampton, Ph.D. The group prepared the Knoll-Willows Conservancy Report which is included in its entirety in Appendix 6.5 of this Master Plan. The Conservancy Report provided the essential scientific basis for the master planning work that has followed. The Citizen’s Advisory Council gratefully acknowledges the valuable professional contributions made by the various authors of this report including: Enda Mills Kiley; Barn Bemier, Rocky Mountain National Park Biological Science Technician (plants, ecology zones, habitat); Howard H. Lipke, (BS, Wildlife Management, University of Montana, retired Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager); Scott Rashid, (licensed bird rehabilitator and bird habitat specialist); Bud Hampton, Ph.D. (geology and anthropology/archaeology); and attorneys at law, Glenn Mapes, Glenn Porzak, and John C. Mulvihill; and outside consultant specialist Rick Spowart, Ph.D., Colorado Division of Wildlife. 1.3 EVLT Open Space Agreement The Board of Trustees of the Town of Estes Park began formal consideration of a proposal to enter into an with the Estes Valley Land Trust (EVLT) in February of 2002. The following excerpt from the minutes of the Town Board meeting of February 12, 2002 outlined the basic elements of the agreement: 4 ESTES VALLEY LAND TRUST - LETTER AGREEMENT & OPEN SPACE AGREEMENT FOR THE KNOLL PROPERTIES (19.4 acres). Mayor Baudek noted that this item is a “discussion only item” this evening. If an agreement is reached, this item will be placed on the 2/26 Town Board meeting for action. Town Administrator Widmer briefed the Town Board on the background of these draft agreements, and encouraged the Board to revise said agreements as need be. The Open Space Agreement is intended to preserve and protect in perpetuity the Conservation Values of the site, and the following points were noted: Letter ARreement: • EVLT agrees to pay the entire remaining balance due “Beefit” from EPURA out ofEVLT’s private funds. • The Town will provide to EVLT an Open Space Agreement for property specified on Exhibit A. • EVLT will reimburse the Town for the first $50,000 of the actual costs and expenses incurred by the Town for and in connection with the construction of improvements (including fencing and signage) on the property contained in the Open Space Agreement. Permitted and Prohibited uses of the Open Space Agreement were also reviewed. The Town would be required to develop a Master Plan for the property, and said Plan must include public comment/input. The Plan may be updated, following the established public process, and the Town is allowed to establish rules/regulations. EVLT Director Jim White stated that the Knoll/Willows property is the most important open space remaining in the Town of Estes Park. EVLT will pay $210,000 (fixed price with Beefit), and the Land Trust is not dictating what may or may not occur on the site due to the Master Plan Process. Audience comments in support of the proposal were heard from: Barbara Swartz, Vice President/League of Women Voters, Bud Hampton, Chairman/Knoll- Willows Conservancy (read a statement dated 2/12/02), Howard Lipke, Glen Mapes/Tahosa Homeowners Assn., and Jon VerSchuur/ARD. Favorable Town Board comments were heard from Mayor Baudek and all Trustees, with Trustee Gillette advising that lie would be absent for the 2/26 Town Board meeting, thus he urged the Board to support this26th•proposal. Mayor Baudek repeated that this item will return as a Action Item on February The Town Board formally approved the with the EVLT at their next meeting, February 26, 2002. A copy of the agreement has been incorporated into this Master Plan as Appendix 6.6. The agreement provided for limited public access and use of the Knoll/Willows property consistent with the conservation of the land as open space. This agreement specifically provided for the preparation of a Master Plan for the property. The purpose of this public planning process is to formulate specific recommendations concerning public use of the area within the broader context of the. 5 2. Master Planning Process 2.1 Appointment of Citizen’s Advisory Council The Knoll Citizen’s Advisory Council was appointed by the Town Board to develop a Master Plan for the property that is consistent with the now in place. The role of the Citizen’s Advisory Council is to inform and guide the development of the Knoll Master Plan through the preliminary draft, public hearing(s), the final draft and the final adoption by the Town Board. The formation of a Citizen’s Advisory Council to provide oversight for the Knoll master planning process was approved by the Town Board April 9, 2002. The Council includes Citizens at Large: Bud Hampton, Jacque Oldham, Tobi Hale, Joann Sapp; Town Staff: Bob Joseph (Chairman), Bill Linnane, Betty Kilsdonk; Downtown Business Representative: Kelly Brown; League of Women Voters Representative: Louise Lindsey; Town Trustee: Lon Jeffrey-Clark; and EPURA Executive Director Wil Smith. 2.2 Council Meetings The Citizen’s Advisory Council met on a regular monthly basis throughout 2002. These meetings included frequent visits to the site and discussions with consulting specialists. All meetings were open to the public, and the Council wishes to acknowledge the valuable participation of the following residents: Susan Quinnell, Dorothy Gibbs, Mary Bauer, Ron Wilcocks, Bob Jones, Enda Kiley, and all others who attended the meetings and contributed to the process. The major points of concern in the planning process were the focus of an all day design charrette held in September 2002. A summary of this discussion and resulting conclusions is provided in Appendix 6.2. 2.3 Public Comment A formal public presentation of the draft Knoll/Willows Master Plan was made on January 8, 2003. This presentation was followed by an all day open house on January 9, 2003. These meetings were attended by approximately ninety citizens. The primary purpose of the meetings was to receive public comment on the draft proposal. The comments received at the evening meeting indicated strong support for the Master Plan recommendations. The comments received at the open house reflected general support mixed with concerns about too much public access leading to degradation of the site. The following list is a representative sample of written comments that were received: • Keep people on the walkways. • Protect the vegetation. • No horses, dogs or wheeled vehicles. • Southwest entrance is not lzecessary.