Douglas County in Colorado has witnessed an unprecedented surge of residents expressing their views about parks funding. This followed a recent survey carried out to ascertain the residents’ preferences after approving a sales tax hike meant for park maintenance and preservation of other outdoor recreational spaces.
Neil Alvarado, a resident of the county and an enthusiastic biker who heads the Castle Pines Cycling Club, shared that his primary concerns were open spaces and trails. Meanwhile, Mark Steinke, the President of Raptors Athletics, lamented the evident lack of adequate sporting facilities for the youth in his locality.
In view of these articulated needs of the community, in 2022, a 0.17% sales tax was extended by the residents of Douglas County. This tax was aimed at contributing to the maintenance of parks, preservation of open spaces and trails, as well as historical sites. The generated fund from this tax hike has reportedly accumulated around $40 million.
In order to establish a consensus on how this fund should be utilized, the county authorities had distributed a survey to the residents in late August. The completed surveys returned surprisingly four times are more than any survey previously conducted by the county. The turnout was evaluated by third-party Hill Research Consultants. They confirmed that the results obtained accurately portray the preferences of the Douglas County residents with a low margin of error.
Preservation of open spaces appeared to be a paramount concern for a majority of the responders. This was reinforced by Douglas County Commissioner, George Teal, who said, “Hold the course with open space. I think that’s very clear in this messaging.” However, enhanced facilities for youth sports were also a major point of concern, albeit only popular among some areas.
Highlands Ranch was less enthusiastic about increased youth sports amenities but showed significant interest in the development of more open spaces. Some residents in this area also showed support for the establishment of pickleball courts and restoration of Cherokee Ranch. A particularly popular large-scale project among county residents was the concept of a botanic park and oasis.
The county officials were also considering other projects on varying scales based on the demonstrated community support. Though a recent plan to expand the fairgrounds was met with only 38% support, the county remains committed to making only measured investments in this regard. The county commissioners also assured that no ballfields at the fairgrounds would be discarded without identifying a replacement.
Meanwhile, the idea of a mega-sports complex saw divided opinions – with a third of the responders ranking it among their most preferred large-scale projects, while another third ranked it as their least preferred. Residents of Castle Rock and Parker were noticeably more receptive to this idea than those in Highlands Ranch.
In conclusion, the county plans on using the data acquired from the survey to determine which funding proposals should be approved. The county is also reportedly moving forward with a few youth sports projects soon. The county’s unyielding commitment towards fulfilling the community’s needs and the residents’ proactive participation paints a hopeful picture of the preservation and development of the county’s open spaces, parks, and trails.
