MARCH 10 | 2021 Parks, Open Space and Trails Master Plan Existing Conditions and Opportunities Report 90% Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 1 OVERVIEW . 9 PLAN PURPOSE 10 PLAN VALUES 11 PLANNING PROCESS 12 PLAN VISION 19 CONCENTRATION AREAS 26 ADAMS COUNTY CONTEXT 30 ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT 38 PREVIOUS PLANS REVIEW 42 PLAN SUCCESSES SINCE 2012 47 TAKING A LOOK AT ADAMS COUNTY . 49 INVENTORY OF EXISTING PARKS AND OPEN SPACES 50 INVENTORY OF EXISTING TRAILS 58 PARKS AND OPEN SPACE SERVICE AREAS 60 REFERENCE DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS 64 FUNDING SOURCES 68 EVALUATION OF LANDS FOR FUTURE PARKS AND OPEN SPACE 70 FIVE STRATEGIC CORRIDORS . 101 FIVE STRATEGIC CORRIDORS OVERVIEW 102 FEDERAL BOULEVARD 105 PECOS STREET 108 WASHINGTON STREET 111 EAST 104TH AVENUE 113 EAST 120TH AVENUE 115 LOOKING FORWARD . 117 RECREATION 118 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS 130 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following section serves as a brief introduction to this report. It covers some highlights from different sections within the document. Pelican Ponds 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ESTABLISHING A VISION Adams County residents enjoy public residents are not currently within a access to 772 properties classified 5-minute walk of a neighborhood The Adams County Parks, Open The primary goals of this master plan as parks, open space and trailheads. park or a 10-minute walk from a Space and Trails (POST) Master update are: Thirty-one of these properties are community or regional park. Most Plan is designed to help guide 1. To ensure the County’s parks, trails owned and managed by the County, of the underserved areas are the County in future park, open and open space lands meet the including four community parks, one unincorporated Adams County: space and trail management and needs of a growing and diverse population; regional park, 15 open spaces, and 11 development to better serve the • Northwest and northcentral Adams 2. Enhance the quality of life for trails/trailheads. Several major parks County, west of Highway 85 (Todd community while sustaining and residents and visitors; and open spaces are owned and Creek) and east of I-76 conserving natural environments. This 3. Ensure that important natural managed by other federal, state and • Confluence Area / southwest plan reflects the mission and goals resources and unique county Adams County around Washington jurisdictional entities. These include of the Adams County Parks, Open characteristics are protected. Street south of I-270 the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National • The Highway 85 corridor features Space and Cultural Arts Department The master plan is guided by a vision Wildlife Refuge, Barr Lake State Park, a gap in parks and open space, of cultivating an integrated system statement: "Cultivate an integrated Heron Pond/Heller Open Space, and however, these areas are primarily that ensures equitable access for system that ensures equitable access industrial uses Westerly Creek Park. Municipalities all residents to parks, trails and for all residents to parks, trails and • The area between Highway 85 and and townships within Adams County I-76 along E-470 open space properties; identifies open space properties; identifies also have their significant share of • Aurora, south of Denver areas for future growth; preserves areas for future growth; preserves park and open space acreage. The International Airport and enhances important wildlife and enhances important wildlife existing trails in the county stretch out habitats and corridors, natural and habitats and corridors, natural and Most residents are, however, within to 559 miles with the most notable scenic resources, and agricultural scenic resources, and agricultural a 15-minute drive from a regional being the South Platte River Trail and lands; expands trail connections; lands; expands trail connections; and park and almost two-thirds of Adams the Clear Creek Trail. Adams County and broadens recreational broadens recreational opportunities." County’s ethnic/racial minority groups manages 40.75 miles of these trails. opportunities. This plan is an update It also sets five key themes throughout: and at-risk populations are located in Visitation numbers to parks, open to the 2012 Open Space, Parks and areas that are within walking distance 1. Natural resource, agricultural land space and trails were over half a Trails Master Plan, and has been to parks, a number similar to that of and wildlife habitat protection and million in 2019, up 40 percent since developed concurrently with the riparian enhancement the county’s general population. This 2017. County’s Comprehensive Plan and 2. Equitable outdoor recreation and service analysis does not take into creative gathering places Transportation Master Plan. The county has had steady population account access to active recreation 3. Partnerships, regional coordination growth mostly occurring in the facilities such as recreation centers, The planning process is divided into and stewardship urbanized southwest portion. The swimming pools and athletic fields. two phases. The first phase is the 4. Dynamic trail connections County currently provides about 54 Not all residents have access to these analysis of existing conditions and 5. Equitable park offerings acres of existing publicly accessible types of facilities. opportunities, and the second phase The County has identified four parks, open space, and trails per is where the findings from the earlier concentration areas for this plan: 1,000 residents. To maintain this ratio MASTER PLAN ELEMENTS phase, along with public input and 1. Clear Creek and the South Platte compared with projected population projections, are used to produce the Funding Sources River corridors growth, the County will need to vision for the master plan. This report 2. Riverdale Regional Park provide an additional 500 acres by In 2020, voters in Adams County documents the first phase existing 3. Existing parks and urban/ 2030, and combined other entities overwhelmingly supported making conditions and opportunities. unincorporated areas within the County an additional 6,500 the 0.25 percent sales tax for open 4. Recreation opportunities. acres will be needed. Approximately space permanent. Proceeds from 32 percent of Adams County’s this tax, which have funded more 2 | Executive Summary Executive Summary | 3 than 538 projects with more than are identified as desirable filling has several organizations, initiatives, approach to homelessness and work $212 million over its first 20 years, existing recreation gaps in provision. and resources in place that assist as part of a collaborative response will also support many of the goals This analysis will be used in a future homeless individuals and those who to this issue. Parks and recreation and objectives of this master plan. phase of the project to identify with are at risk of becoming homeless. providers need to focus on community These funds are distributed in public input priority areas for land The Parks, Open Space, and Trails education, training, design of their three ways. Sixty-eight percent is conservation or acquisitions. Master Plan along with supporting assets and working with service awarded through a competitive grant management plans, regulations, providers. program, 30 percent is distributed CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND site plans and policies can address back to the jurisdiction where the INFLUENCES FOR PARKS, OPEN questions such as: Sustainability tax was generated, and two percent SPACE AND TRAILS What can be done to increase SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES is allocated to administration costs. The existing conditions evaluated visitation to park, open space and trail Other funding sources are available within this report point to a range of Adams County has the opportunity to assets by everyone to build civic trust? through the lottery-funded Great opportunities for more exploration in lead in environmentally sustainable Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) program, the second phase of the master plan How can the departments support practices through its operations and which has allocated nearly $30 million process along with identification of inclusion and create opportunities maintenance approaches to parks, to Adams County through 126 grants strategies and actions. for social connections among diverse open spaces and trail resources. since 1992. groups? The County is currently undertaking Equity a sustainability audit and plan How can parks departments link creation for their internal operations. Evaluation of Lands Equity is just and fair inclusion into a unsheltered populations to services Areas to address environmental The master plan includes a section society in which all can participate, and avoid the type of enforcement sustainability for parks, open space, dedicated for the evaluation of prosper, and reach their full potential. mitigation of displacement and loss and trails include water conservation, lands for future parks and open Equitable park offerings means of possessions that has proven to green infrastructure and energy space consideration. This section "ensuring everyone receives the complicate and exacerbate poverty conservation. The County has adopted of the plan outlines four different appropriate investment for where and health conditions? philosophies towards sustainability, criteria used to perform a weighted they are", understanding that "some placing equal value and importance Geographic Information System (GIS) communities need more investment How to reduce discomfort some on environmental protection,