Idaho Springs Planning Commission recommends approval of sports complex redesign

BY DEBORAH SWEARINGEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e Idaho Springs Planning Commission has recommended approval of a master plan that would guide the redesign of the eastern eld at the Idaho Springs Sports Complex and bring a skate park to the community.

e plan will now move to the City Council, where it will be up for a vote on June 26. e project is a collaboration between the city of Idaho Springs, who owns the land, and the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District, who manages it.

According to the plan, the eastern Shelly Field would be recon gured to include a skate park, playground, stage, tennis and pickleball courts, concession stands, bathrooms, additional parking and more. e western Quinn Field would be upgraded but largely remain the same. e current baseball eld is limited to players ages 8 or younger because older players risk launching home runs onto the busy highway.

Recent re nements to the master plan presented to the Planning Commission on June 14 include an enlarged 18,000 square-foot skate park, increased exible lawn space to allow for two youth soccer elds, a relocated playground closer to the pedestrian plaza, realigned southern access road to allow for an additional soccer eld and added pedestrian-scale lighting – lighting directed toward to sidewalks and positioned lower than the road- ways. e Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District has identi ed potential funding sources, including grants from Great Outdoors Colorado and e Skatepark Project, formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation. Further, the district is considering coordinating promotional events at downtown businesses and round-up fundraisers at Safeway.

A pump track has been removed from the plan with the intention of looking for a separate location in the area. Additionally, the city is considering where it could share space to locate a half-court basketball court.

More than anything, those involved with the project continue to emphasize the work that’s been done to ensure that the community is involved in the decision-making process. ere have been community surveys, town hall meetings and more.

“ e design very much re ects the community’s input on this project,” Kevin Shanks, a landscape architect with THK Associates, said in the meeting.

“We intend to keep working with stakeholders in the community to make sure that this amenity is something that appeals to a wide demographic of users for Idaho Springs,” Interim Community Development Planner Jonathan Cain later added.

All in all, the project is now expected to cost around $5 million, Shanks said.