chp project information 02-15-13-1

7/29/2019 CHP Project Information 02-15-13-1

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Crown Hill Park, nestled between the Cities of Wheat Ridge and Lakewood in unincorporated Jefferson County, is one of our most-loved parks. Today, this 242-acre site hosts an estimated 400,000 visitors annually.

To address the aging infrastructure of the Park, protect and enhance Park resources and provide additional accommodations

for social, recreation and education opportunities for a growing number of visitors, Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS)

gathered public input in several different ways and developed a plan to address Park and visitor needs.

Concerns have been raised about these planned projects at the Park. In order to be sure we have heard from a

representative cross-section of the community, Jefferson County Open Space is seeking more input from citizens about

Crown Hill Park and how it can best serve the needs of our County. The following offers background information about our

park project that will help you provide your informed opinions in the 2013 Crown Hill Park Survey. To register for the survey,

please send an email to [email protected] no later than Monday, March 18, 5:00 p.m. All survey responses must be

submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 21.

Goals for the Park

1. Preserve the Park’s mountain views and naturalness while providing amenities for visitors.

2. Determine if fitness stations, a pergola/seasonal shade area and nature play areas are desired by visitors.

3. Centralize Park facilities near the parking area on 26

th

Avenue in order to limit their footprint and impact on the naturalareas of this 242-acre Park.

4. Explore opportunities to connect children and families to nature.

Givens

The following items will be completed to meet Park needs and standards and are not part of the 2013 Crown Hill Park Survey.

Trail restoration - Over the last five years, segments of crumbling concrete have been replaced, natural surface trails have

been restored with crushed granite to make them more durable and all weather. Five new benches have been installed

CROWN HILL PARK

Project Information

mailto:[email protected]






Restroom/Park Information Kiosk

around the outside loop trail. Areas disturbed by trail construction will be reseeded and reclaimed, weather permitting, by

February 28, 2013. Cost estimate in 2013 is $225K +/-.

Handicap parking spaces – Two designated spaces will be created immediately adjacent to the restroom on the west side of

the main parking lot on 26th Avenue as well as one staff space for park servicing. This parking area is identified as item #4

on the map on page 4. Cost estimate: $15K +/-

Restroom and Park Information Kiosk replacement - We will replace the

restroom built 30 years ago, which was designed for seasonal use and is

not, and cannot be, properly insulated. The existing restroom has a north

facing entry that creates unsafe icy conditions in the winter months, is

minimally accessible for people with disabilities and has numerous

ongoing maintenance problems. The replacement will feature a south facing

entrance, and will occupy roughly the same area or footprint as the existing

facility. The existing park information kiosk will be replaced and locatednear the restroom. These facilities are identified as item #3 on the map on page 4.

Cost estimate is $300K +/-

Existing fitness equipment removal – Originally a Par Course exercise circuit, the

equipment has exceeded its useful life. Replacement parts are no longer available

and units are degraded by such hazards as broken parts and splintered wood and

must be removed for the safety of Park visitors. In our survey, we are asking citizens

if these fitness stations should be replaced and which of the two options is

desired. Cost estimate is $5K +/-

Public Involvement Process

Conducted in-person surveys and interviews and collected self administered visitor surveys from May through

September in 2003 and 2007 to understand visitors’ concerns and desired amenities and improvements.

Staff and Volunteers provided information brochures on habitat damage and trail construction beginning in 2008 and

throughout the five-year trail restoration project (2009-2013).



Open Space Advisory Committee Budget discussions, July 2011 and July 2012.

Planning Commission Hearing held Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

Hosted an Open House at the Park on May 1, 2012 to seek citizen input on several alternatives for various Park

amenities.

Accepted public input on alternatives for Park amenities for those who could not attend the Open House for a three week

period that ended on May 22, 2012.

Ongoing and Future Public Involvement

February-March 2013 – An electronic survey will be open for 30 days to determine additional visitor desires on Park

amenities. Access to this survey will be provided to those that have registered their email address no later than Monday,

March 18 at 5:00 p.m. by messaging [email protected]. All survey responses must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on

Thursday, March 21, 2013. You will receive instructions on how to complete the 2013 Crown Hill Park Survey in an

email message from [email protected]. If you have spam blockers in place, please unblock this sender.

April 2013 – A public meeting will be held near Crown Hill Park to review survey results and to present to the community

the proposed changes at the Park after incorporating the additional citizen input into the planning process. If survey

results do not clearly demonstrate overwhelming support or objection to specific amenities, additional input on these

items may be sought at this meeting.

Here’s where we would like your input and ideas

Using the Park Map and detail graphic on page 4, note the area, description and location of the proposed amenities. The 2013

Crown Hill Park Survey will ask your opinion about each of these. Please note that any funds not expended on project

components will remain in the Jefferson County Open Space Fund and may be allocated by the program to other property

acquisition, natural resource management, or recreation capital improvement projects.

The Commons: “The Commons” clusters the restroom, kiosk, optional fitness equipment and pergola/seasonal shade

area into one area of the Park to limit their footprint and visual impact. This trailhead feature will have a footprint of 0.15

acres or 6,500 square feet within this 242-acre Park. “The Commons” consists of items 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the map

located on page 4. “The Commons” area location was selected because of existing resource impacts from the high

use adjacent to the parking lot and restroom.











Pergola/seasonal shade area: Visitor surveys and commentsindicated a desire for more shade at this Park. This area is acombination of a wooden pergola (or arbor) and a seasonal fabricshade that would be removed during the winter months. This

pergola and seasonal shade area would replace the currentpicnic shelter that provides minimal seating and shade andobstructs lake views from the main parking lot. This facility wouldbe used as a place to rest, read a book, enjoy Park and mountainviews and as a meeting place for nature education programs. Itwill not have picnic tables nor will it be available to rent. Seedesign and plan perspective views to the right. The entire footprint of this facility is 50’ indiameter or less than 2,000 square feet. Approximate cost is $60K +/-.

Fresh Air Fitness: As noted above, the existing fitness stations located around the lake have

reached their useful life and will be removed. In the Survey, you will be asked:

1. Do you think the fitness equipment should be replaced at Crown Hill Park?

2. If you think the equipment should be replaced, we would like your opinion on these two options:

Option A. Cluster fitness equipment in the Commons area of the park near the 26th Avenue parking lot to limit their visual impact. The existing concrete pads around the lake would be removed. This equipment would be minimallymechanized to reduce maintenance and enhance safety. Colors are not representative and images below areexamples only. Approximate cost: $60K +/-

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2

Pull Up Stretch Sit Up

View from above



Option B. QR Fit, This minimalist approach would replace the existing equipment with benches and placards onthe existing concrete pads. Please see lower right sketch. Visitors will use their smartphone and download a freeQR Code (similar to a bar code) reader application available through their phone's application store. Visitors willthen use the videos provided to customize their workout without the need for equipment. The QR Fit videos areupdated periodically, thereby giving users fresh workouts. Link to QR Fit. Approximate Cost: $5K +/-

Nature Place (nature play areas) at Crown Hill Park:Concerned about trends emerging in young people, including less time spent outdoors and the rise in critical healthconditions such as childhood obesity and diabetes, Jefferson County Open Space developed concepts for “Nature Places” at Crown Hill Park located close to the 26th Avenue parking lot. Nature play features promote outdoor exploration in newways and fosters conservation values at an early age. Life-long outdoors and conservation values are best developed atan early age with family support and participation. As a result these areas are designed to be family friendly. The locationof Nature Place was selected to include an existing ¼ mile loop trail to provide a family walking experience from NaturePlace to Nature Place. Separated far enough away from each other, this allows for a sense of discovery. More on Play inNatural Environments at this website. Sketches for Dig It, The Perch and Climb On are shown below.

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Existing Exercise Pad QR Fitness Pad

http://qrfittrail.com/





http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_home.aspx?ArticleID=694












Dig It

Details:50’ x 50’ (approximate area)

Log planks, tunnel, dirt mound, sand pit

Nature Connection/Educational Message:Organisms that live underground

AgriculturalDiscoverySocialization

Approximate cost: $35K +/-

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The Perch

Details:35’ diameter (approximate area)No higher than tree lineSetback from trail

Containment border/buffer

Nature Connection/Educational Message:Bird’s perspective Wildlife viewingNesting and fledging process


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Next StepsThe replacements and additions detailed above from our Current Plan (The Commons, Fresh Air Fitness, Pergola/seasonalshade area; and Nature Place) have been put on hold pending additional citizen input. The survey results will be used, alongwith the previous citizen input to determine which replacements and additions, if any, are most desired and should be includedin the final plan for Crown Hill Park.

Please complete the 2013 Crown Hill Park Survey. All survey responses must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on

Thursday, March 21. To access the survey, register your email address at [email protected] no later than 5:00

p.m., Monday, March 18. You will receive instructions on how to complete the survey in an email message [email protected]. If you have spam blockers in place, please unblock this sender.

Crown Hill Park Public Meeting, April 2013. The date, time and location details of the meeting will be sent to you via

email and posted at jeffco.us/parks on the Crown Hill Park webpage.

Survey results, plans and opportunities for ongoing involvement will be posted on our website at jeffco.us/parks on

the Crown Hill Park webpage.

Thank you for taking the time to give us your input. Join us in April when we present the survey results and final plan.

Climb On

Details100’ x 75’ (approximate area)

Boulders of varying sizes ranging from4 to 12 feet highBoth natural and artificial hand & foot holds

Nature Connection/Educational Message:Geology

Alpine Environment – Vegetation, Weather, WildlifeSelf confidenceProblem solving


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chp project information 02-15-13-1

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